Audio recorded at Buddha House Adelaide. Transcript auto-generated and AI-corrected; may contain errors.
About this talk. The image of a boatman choosing who to ferry first — highest official, most familiar face, whoever arrived latest — gives Geshe Pema Tsering a concrete illustration in this nearly three-hour Lamrim session for which karma ripens at the moment of death. He first works through Asaṇga’s six criteria for the heaviness of karma: motivational intensity, habituation, the intrinsic rank of the ten non-virtues (killing heaviest among physical actions; wrong view heaviest among mental ones), the nature of the object toward which we act (Three Jewels, parents, unrecognized bodhisattvas), exclusive fixation on negativity, and clearing away unfavorable factors. Four gates of strong karma follow. The session closes with the Dalai Lama’s practical guidance: when harm is unavoidable, minimize pain, feel regret, and take no pleasure — since one flash of anger can erase merit accumulated over thousands of eons.
File metadata (for organising)
File: 38 2008 10 30 BP.mp3
UUID: de0f9090-921f-44ca-bb48-3c626ffd9ef7
Teacher: Geshe Pema Tsering
Collection: Lam Rim (Geshe Pema Tsering)
Date: 2008-10-30
Recorded at: Buddha House Adelaide
Duration: 161.3 minutes
Words: ~9,911
So, Geshe-la is asking us to give rise to good motivation and with the intention of establishing all sentient beings in the state of enlightenment, then we are going to study this text on. Going to study, contemplate, and meditate on this text on on on the teachings of on on Lamrim so that we can accomplish this goal and establish all sentient beings in in the state of enlightenment. And then we start with the Heart Sūtra. By depending on my prostrations to all of you, may these words of truth be actualized. In the past, the mighty king dispelled the māras, evil beings by reflecting on profound meaning of the wisdom gone beyond and reciting profound words in daily recitation.
In that same way, I also reflect on the profound meaning of the great mother, Prajñāpāramitā, and recite the profound words in daily recitation. May all diseases, fears, possessions, bad conditions, all the negative directions, that which [is inauspicious be pacified]. So we are on page ninety three, right? So then we’re approaching the this topic, the differences in weight after we have already explored the the ten non virtues and we have gone through all that debate about the seven non virtues of body and speech being both an action and a path of action, a path of karma. And then the virtues of thought, of mind being only a path of action, but not an action itself. We have gone through all those things.
And now we start with differences in weight, heavy and, and light, actions or karma. The weight of the ten paths of action was the first of those topics, and then incidentally, a summarized indication of the gates of strong karma. So then we are approaching the first of those topics, is the the weight the weight of of the ten path of of action paths of action. And we are given with this this statement from the actual basis of the six levels, which are the six ways of being, as stated in this text. So the first one, the intensive action. Sorry.
Which says, this is the strongly compounding action, motivated by the strong presence or absence of any one of the three poisons. So then the second one, the second of those six is the habituation. Habituation is to have resorted to virtuous and non virtuous actions for a long time and to have familiarized with them many times. So again, Geshe-la was saying. Is habituation comes down to having engaged, having performed a a virtuous action so often and so and and repeatedly that then it becomes strong.
And the same for a non virtuous action. Again, if if you practice it for long enough and and and repeatedly enough, then again, it will become strong also. Geshe-la is stopping there and saying, look, these two already, we we are we we have already a lot of these two factors here. The the intense the intensive of the action which is the three poisons. We are always acting out of any one of the three poisons.
Also we have this strong habituation with actions. And we we we have a habituation with actions, but virtuous ones are very rare. We have a lot of habituation with non-virtuous actions. So of these six differences in weight to define the weight of of an action, we already are subject to these two. On on top of all that, we are very much familiarized or habituated with the three poisons themselves.
So then and then we will move on to the third one of of those, six ways of of establishing the weight of the action of an action. So it’s the entity, or the nature of the action. As for their entity, each of the former of the seven, actions of body and speech is weightier, is heavier than the later. Whereas for the three actions of mind, the the later is heavier than the former. The later the later ones are heavier than the former.
So of the seven actions of body and speech, explaining. So then killing is the heaviest of all of those actions. And then secondly, have stealing and sexual misconduct. And then of of the speech, again, we have lying. We have slander, hard speech, and idle idle idle talk.
And for the non virtues of thought, of mind is the other way around. So the heaviest is the last one, which is wrong views. And then we have harmful intent or ill will and then covetousness. Is that okay? English licensing.
Again, one way of understanding this is is, to see how much harm it is caused, on on the sentient being that is being harmed by any of those actions. So, again, the difference here is on the the amount of harm or the greater smaller or lesser harm that is done. So of of all of the non-virtues, killing — of the physical non-virtues, killing — is the the greatest harm that you could possibly cause as a human being. And and and and and so on for the other ones that are lesser and lesser in this way. Okay?
And then so it goes in this way for the seven actions of the physical and the verbal actions. And then on on the on in the case of the non virtues of thought, Geshe-la was saying the harm that that is caused by those non virtues is to oneself. And, again, of of the three non virtues of of thought, then wrong views is the one that causes greatest harm to oneself. It can it can cause great harm through many, many years, for many, many lifetimes. And the other two of ill will, again, which is fueled by by the the by the poisons, by hatred and ignorance, again, causes great harm, and covetousness also causes great harm to oneself motivated by attachment and so forth.
So, again, we can see how of the three the heaviest is wrong views which then harms oneself, can harm oneself for many many lifetimes. So then as for the fourth way to measure the weight of one’s actions is the basis. The basis is the benefit or the harm there is, there is done to there’s cause or there’s done to the Buddha, the Dharma, the Sangha, and the Gurus. So again, if you cause harm. Any any benefit that is performed to to any of these objects, the Buddha, Dharma, Sun, or the Gurus, as small as it may be, again, the merit there will be accrued will be a great amount of merit.
And, again, any slightest harm that is caused is performed towards any of these objects. Again, the small the smallest Sahara may be is still the negativity will be very great. And, again, it mean dependence on the qualities on on of the basis of to which the action is being performed. So then I was just asking the Geshe that aside from these very great, very virtuous objects, the Buddha, Dharma, the Sangha, and the gurus. Again, this difference also occurs with with other beings.
I guess I’m gonna say yes. It depends on on the object. So because these these objects are very virtuous objects, again, so whatever harm or or benefit that is caused is going to be it’s gonna bring very great results. But, again, the same applies, again, if we are causing harm or benefit to our parents, or to human to any other human being or to animals, there’s a difference. So between, harming any other any of these virtuous objects or or or harming an animal, harming the animal, the result, the negativity is going to be lesser than harming any of these virtuous objects.
And then as for the fifth way to measure the weight, again one-sided fixation on the discordant side. A one-sided fixation on discordant side consists in spending one’s whole life adopting non virtuous actions with one-sided determination and not even doing one single virtuous action. And then the sixth way, again, the elimination of the discordant side or or or No. So let me just I just wanted to this this this translation here, the discordant side, which is a very literal translation and of of the the elimination of that which is which discords with virtue. That’s what is being referred to, that which is discordant, that which is discordant with virtue.
So to eliminate the discordant or in in in parenthesis with what is discordant with virtue, again, is to give up nonvirtue, to become free from attachment, and to train in virtuous actions. Okay? This one. So then we have then this this the quote from this verse of the letter to a friend. Persistence, strong adherence, no antidote, a basis with foremost qualities.
Actions that spring from them are the five great types of virtue and non virtue. From them, endeavor and virtuous behavior. Then again the verse from the letter to a friend is making reference to to five, five ways to measure the weight of an action. Again, the persistence, the strong adherence, no application of antidote, and the and the basis, having a basis with foremost qualities, again, it it it be the Buddha or one’s parents and so forth is different in the basis. So, again, Geshe-la was explaining each one of those briefly.
So persistence, again, the word is tag from tagpa. And, again, to do it then persistence, is is is to to always perform the action. Again, then is adherence, is attachment to the action is and then not applying the antidote to the, to the actions. And the basis for most class, again, the division between, the objects to which the action is being performed, the lama, the Buddha, the Dharma, the Sangha, and again, aside from that, also, those divisions have taken into account one’s parents and other human beings and other beings. Again So those two..
So if one is performing virtuous actions all the time, then again, then those virtuous actions will become very powerful in the same form of virtuous actions. And, again, was translated translated as as adherence here, again, that what I’m saying has makes reference to one’s motivation. If one’s motivation is good, then one’s one’s virtuous actions will become powerful. If one’s motivation, again, is bad, and one’s performing non-virtuous action, then again, it will be powerful non-virtuous actions. And then again, not, no antidote or not applying the antidote.
I was just saying again, if even though one might perform, only a small non virtuous action, again, if one does not apply the antidote to that, the results will become very great and the negative results will become great. And then again the basis, lastly the basis, with foremost class which you have seen already. And again, Geshe-la was saying, from this spring, the the the great virtues and non virtues. And Geshe-la was saying, making reference to the base to to the basis again, the Buddha, Dharma, the Sangha. If one performs actions towards those, the the the results will be great.
And, again, one’s parents and those who are kind to oneself, again, if one performs actions versus or non versus towards those people, again, the results will be greater. And again, it was just Geshe-la was just reading again the last two lines of of the verse. There are these from them, them spring the five great types of virtue and non virtue. And from so from them, endeavor in virtuous behavior and ever in virtuous actions. Lastly, have these last two lines here.
Again, moreover, there are five because of the division of the bases into two. One, a base endowed with good quality such as the Three Jewels. And secondly, a base of benefit such as one’s parents. Then we have a summarized indication of the gates of strong karma, and we have four. Again, the great strength by way of the field, the great strength by way of the support, the great strength by way of the thing, of the object, and great strength by way of the attitude.
This one. So, Geshe-la, I was reading through the the first one of those. Again, the great strength by way of the field, the field of the Three Jewels. Again, the Three Jewels, gurus, those who are like a guru, parents and so forth, are gates of strong karma because even if the thoughts toward them are not intense and and the benefit or harm done to them is small, the merit and the the merit and misdeeds are great. So then we have again, in this regard it says in the establishment of mindfulness that the karma of stealing even a little thing from the Three Jewels is purified in the case of the Buddha and the Dharma if the thing is stolen is returned.
And then so then the field of of of the Sangha, however, again, the case of the Sangha, it does not get purified until the ripening is experienced. So again in the case of the Dharma, the buddha and the Dharma whatever is stolen again the act is purified when you return whatever was stolen. But in the case of the Sangha again the action does not become purified until the feeling is experienced. So again, because the sangha can know. And, again, furthermore, they stated that if it was a means for of providing for the mouths of the sangha, and Geshe-la was not saying food, then one will be born in in the great hell.
And if it is other, then one will will be born in the great surrounding darkness, the hell of unceasing torment. Okay. Does that make sense? So, Geshe-la was just explaining that again. So the latter then is the latter action then of stealing something which is not the food of the sangha, then the results, the evil results are greater than stealing the food from the sangha.
It is it is is So again, between stealing the food from the sangha or stealing something else from the sangha, it is a lesser there’s a difference in intensity and there will be a lesser harm. They’re both great negative, Geshe-la was saying, but the former will not cause one to be born in the surroundings of hell without respite. So it’s a there’s a it’s a lesser negativity than than the latter. Okay? So Geshe-la was explaining that this difference comes about because there is less grasping after food.
The sangha grasps less after the food than after other objects that the sangha possess, the few objects that the sangha possess. And Geshe-la wasn’t saying like we ourselves. And Geshe-la was trying to convince me that to lose an object that cost six hundred dollars, like, like this. And and to lose six hundred worth of rice, there’s a difference there. I will be I I will have less grasping towards six hundred dollars worth of rice than than to a six hundred dollar iPod.
And I was trying to explain to him that, no. Both are six hundred dollars. I will have just as much grasping. But he said, okay. One is rice and the other one is an iPod.
So there is a difference in the grasping. And so we can all understand what why the guy is saying that. The the sangha has less grasping towards the food than it will have towards any other of the precious objects that the sangha possess. So Geshe-la was trying to convince me again that if if he asked me for five dollars, I wouldn’t give the five dollars, but if it was food, I would give it to him. And I was trying to say no. Food is goods.
I’d rather give you five dollars. So the whole point being that, again, there is less grasping towards the food than to all the precious objects again and that’s why the difference comes about. So, again, I guess, I was going for the next topic, the field of the bodhisattvas. Bodhisattvas are an extremely powerful field of virtue and non virtue. Then in in in the in the sūtra of the seal of engagement in the generation of the power of confidence, it says that compared to someone who out of anger puts all the sentient beings of the ten directions into a dark prison,.
If someone else out of anger turns his back on a bodhisattva and says, I will not look upon this horrible person again. That person generates incalculably greater negativity. Then also compared to someone who has destroyed and burned down stupas as numerous as the sand grains of the Ganges River. Again, if someone else generates anger and harm harmful intent towards the Bodhisattva and says unpleasant things to him, it is it is like before. Then we have a following from that in the sūtra of of the seal of answering certainty and uncertainty.
It says that compared to someone who with a mind of love makes eyes grow again in sentient beings of the ten directions whose eyes were plucked out and who releases the precious sentient beings from prison establishes them in the happiness of a universal monarch or Brahma. Then if someone else with clear faith looks at and with clear faith wishes to look at a bodhisattva who aspires to the Mahāyāna and proclaims him praises proclaims the praises to the bodhisattvas then that person generates incalculably greater merit. So again, Geshe-la was just saying again how how there is the results of our actions are are much greater when done towards both sattvas. Again, so whatever benefit or harm is done, then the results of those actions are are much greater. Then again, Geshe-la goes on also in the Sūtra Completely Eliminating All Evil Rebirths.
It says that compared to killing all the sentient beings in Jambudvipa or seizing all the possessions, all their possessions, someone who obstructs even as little as the virtue of a bodhisattva of giving a handful of food to an animal generates incalculably greater negativity. Therefore, you should be very careful with respect to these objects. Someone were to, how to say, steal from all sentient beings, rob everything away from sentient beings or or to kill all sentient beings. Again, we’re talking about a vast number of sentient beings. A great very great harm.
But if you do a small little harm to a bodhisattva, that the negativity is generated much greater because a bodhisattva is a being who is striving for the sake of of benefiting all sentient beings without exception. He’s working to accomplish the benefit of all sentient beings without exception. An infinite amount of sentient beings. And not only that, he’s working to accomplish, to establish all sentient beings in perfect enlightenment. All beings without exception.
So then obstructing is obstructing his his goal, his endeavor, this this goal, this endeavor. So it’s a it is a great negativity in this way. Is that okay? Or her goal. Or her.
Yes. Absolutely. Absolutely. It’s very positive. Absolutely.
Absolutely. I’m I’m I’m so sorry. Didn’t mean to. But her or his go. Yes.
Bodhisattva here is. Yeah. These one? Unisex. And then and that’s how we can and also how we can understand how the mind of enlightenment is very important, how it is important that and how it is vital that we train ourselves in the mind of enlightenment.
And also, Geshe-la was quoting that little prayer in the prayers that we recite at the end, may the bodhicitta that has not arisen arise, and that which has grow forevermore. And we should always be making this aspiration, cultivating these aspirational prayers, these aspirations. Okay? So, again, we have the the the the great strength by way of the support. Again, and we have the difference between the skillful and the unskillful.
I mean, as I was reading for the text, even a small lump of iron sinks to the bottom, but a container made from it floats on the surface. Similarly, it has been set out that the negatives committed by the unskillful and the skillful are respectively heavy and light. So again Geshe-la was explaining again the skillful. When performs a negativity, again, result of the negativity will be smaller because a person the skillful Geshe-la was explaining of someone who is relying on purification or confession and and determination not to commit the action again, and so forth. And then the unskillful being someone who does not rely on that.
So the actions of the unskillful will bring about greater negative results, suffering results because of this difference. Is that okay? Making sense? And Geshe-la goes on for the text I said, in fact, it is said that for the skillful who regrets previous negativities restrains, restrain themselves, in the future and do not keep them them secret and apply their virtuous antidotes, they are light. Whereas whereas for for those who arrogantly assumed assumed they are skillful and do not do this, but out of contempt deliberate engaging them more they are heavy.
Okay? And then, again, the second is the actual strength of the support, and we have this this this line here. In the Drum-Cylinder Sūtra. It says that if all the sentient beings of the billion universes having entered the Mahāyāna were to possess the kingdom of universal monarchs and each of them were to offer butter lamps in vessels the size of an ocean with wicks the size of Mount Meru to a stupa of a Buddha, this will not match even the hundredth a hundredth part of the merit of a bodhisattva who has left his home and who holds up a little bit of wick smeared with butter in front of a stupa. Good.
And, again, this makes clear the strength of the support even though there is no difference in the attitude and the field and even if the thing offered is very different. So, again, the the field is the same. Both they were both making offers to the stupas. And and but still the and even though the difference in the object that was being offered is is is great, again, one is offering only one wick of a butter lamp, and the other one is offering oceans of of with huge wicks, like the size of Mount Meru and so forth. And it’s still just that little wick offered by the Bodhisattva is accumulates greater and better than the other.
Was just making emphasizing the object that’s being offered. So one is talking about, you know, butter lamps the size of oceans with huge wicks and so forth and the other one is just a little wick smeared in butter and because the Bodhisattva was offering the latter then the virtue accumulated is much greater. And in English, I was going on for the text. This reasoning also makes is clear that depending on whether or not the support has vows. And if the support does have vows, whether one has one, two, or three, the cultivation of the path will be more effective, the more that person the more vows a person has.
And, also, different vows, again, Geshe-la was making reference to the vows of individual liberation, Bodhisattva vows and so forth. Also, there is a great difference in the strength of the roots of virtue, whether for instance, again, a a a householder at the time of giving donations, etcetera, acts on the basis of keeping vows such as the one day vows or whether the person acts without any vows. So then the the thoughts on discipline being adulterated. Again, in the Sūtra on Eliminating Adulterations of Discipline, it says that compared to a human being possess the ten non-virtues who for a hundred years continuously and uninterruptedly accumulates negativity, a fully ordained monk or nun who has completely broken his or her vows of discipline and who for one day dresses in the victory banner of sages and enjoys that which has been offered to him or her with faith accumulates far more negativity. This one.
Okay. So again, Geshe-la was saying, this is very much the case, again, if one has vows, by by the force of those vows the virtues that one does if the verse one one does the results of the virtues that one does become greater by the force of those vows also the negativities, the same as the negativities. So, again, and much much greater for fully ordained monks and nuns. Again, the virtues and non virtues are greater. Okay?
Oh, yeah. And we move on to the the the quote and description of of this on the sermon. It also says, it is better to eat lumps of iron blazing with tongues of fire than unrestrained and undisciplined to eat the alms food of the area. This has been stated with regard to both adulterated discipline and slackness in training. And, again, Geshe-la was explaining the the verse again.
So alms food is is food that is given to monks and nuns and that they must they must eat, they must accept, and they must eat, but not eat eat carelessly. They must eat, you know, restrained and then restrained and disciplined way. So, again, there is a it’s a it’s a great negativity in in eating that food again with an unrestrained mind and an undisciplined mind. There’s nothing but suffering coming out of it. And then you will have that the final sentence, the teacher statement that compared to negativities associated with the Dharma, the negativities of the ten non virtues are small, appear to true.
And again, we have the great strength by way of the thing that is being by way of the thing. With regards to giving gifts to sentient beings, giving the Dharma is far more excellent. And with regards to making offerings to the Buddhas, offering one’s realizations is far more excellent than gifts and offerings of material things. From that excellent from from that example, then you should understand the difference of strength of other things. Okay.
And And then Geshe-la went on to the next topic, the the great strength by way of the attitude. Again, greatness by way of the intensity of the attitude, this duration and so forth. And then secondly, how anger is particularly strong. Then as for the first one, the greatness by way of intensity of the attitude, its duration and so forth. In the Heap of Jewels Sūtra, it says that compared to each one of the sentient beings of the billion universes creating a Buddhist stupa as massive as Mount Meru and all those who are object of respect, paying respect to them for ten million eons,.
A bodhisattva undivorced from the mind of omniscience who throws one single flower generates more merit. And Geshe-la was going on for the text again. That being so, you should understand this in terms of the differences in attitude, whether the object will be attained is superior or inferior. Again, so again the bodhisattva is aiming at accomplishing enlightenment of all beings, whether you observe your own benefit or that of others, and so forth, as well as the intensity and duration of one’s intention. And again, the same, sorry, we have been talking about virtuous actions in this regard, but again, the same if it comes to fully conduct, again, a strong afflicted attitude, afflicted emotions, afflicted conceptions also, and long duration also have more strength, give more strength to the action.
And then again, move moving on from the text also among the mental afflictions. And again, anger is the strongest is is particularly strong. And then we have from Engaging in the Bodhisattva Deeds, it says whatever good conduct was amassed in a thousand eons by giving and worship to the Sugatas and the like. Then, again, all all all is destroyed by one flash of anger. Now one eon, one eon is made of innumerable years, you know, incalculable amount of of time, and we’re talking about thousands of eons.
So we’re talking about an an an unimaginable amount of time. And so all the all the virtues that have been performed in this in all this time, you know, all these can be destroyed by one flash of anger. So we have to be very careful. That’s and that’s why it’s very important that whatever virtue we have created, we dedicated and dedicated well, not just any dedication, but that we dedicated to the complete enlightenment of all sentient beings. And not only that, but we dedicated with an awareness, with understanding that, of the three spheres, you know, the, the virtue that has been performed, the the the goal and one who is performing dedication, they are all empty of inherent existence.
And in in this way, if we can dedicate in this way properly and well in this way, then nothing can destroy our our roots of virtue. And nothing can destroy that merit, not even anger. And so it’s very important. This is a very important point. One has to be very careful with those those instructions, those whatever virtue, whatever benefit beneficial action one has performed when by acting this way, one accomplishes great benefit.
Then again, in this regard, anger towards those whose conduct accords with purity weighs very heavily and anger towards the conqueror’s children more heavily still. And then again, the king of concentration sūtra, it says, if one has harbored harmful intent for another, discipline and hearing cannot save one nor can concentration or an isolated place nor can gifts or worship to of the Buddhas of the Buddha. So again, Geshe-la was saying, nothing, harmful intent, is, comes from anger, Geshe-la was saying. Again, if one has that, again, nothing can protect oneself from it. No discipline, no study, no concentration, nothing can protect one from the harm that comes out of harmful intent.
Again, not even place, nor gifts, nor worship. Just thinking.. So do you have any questions? Why is it important to see the three spheres of entity behind the existence in the indication? Okay.
So this life is explained. So again, we we do this dedication by understanding, how do you say, the the three spheres to be how it is non-referential. Right? Sorry? Unobservable.
Unobservable. Truly Unobservable as truly exists. So when we do this, it’s a technical expression. Again, so we we we dedicate the three spheres, the enlightenment, which is the goal that we want to attain, the virtue that that we have performed in ourselves are three spheres. Right?
Enlightenment, virtue, and the the one who’s dedicating. Those are the three spheres. And we see them as, when we dedicated with the understanding, with the clear understanding, with the acknowledgement, and the understanding that they they lack inherent existence. They they they are not truly established. Again, it is we are then dedicating in in the way that they actually are.
It is best because they they actually lack inherent existence. On the other hand, if you just do any other dedication whilst conceiving of them as being truly existent, you’re not dedicating them, for what they actually are. So you don’t get the perfect dedication. You don’t get the perfect outcome. That’s why it’s best to do it that way.
Is that okay, Jamal? So if if we dedicate if we form that dedication with the with the conceiving of all those things involved in dedication as as as existing the way that they appear to exist to us, then, again, we are in in the way that they do not exist. They do not actually exist in that way. Okay? So that’s why it’s so it’s so it’s so very important to when we make the dedication, understand that those three spheres do not have inherent existence.
Okay? Just No. Just one. Just one. Oh, yeah.
Okay. Yeah. Anyone else? No. What is she?
You said idle chatter was harmful. Idle chatter Yeah. Was harmful. I understand what you’re saying. I’m just thinking, how how am I going to translate that?
That’s not verbal, no, is it? I couldn’t I’m gonna have a complication to come because if I talk idle chatter, I’m talking about a a verbal action. In Tibetan, you see, I’m gonna be talking about a verbal action. And I cannot possibly use a word, idle chatter, which is using a verb, which is a verbal action, and talk about a thought process at the same time. I’m gonna have trouble here.
Unless unless he can help me. If he can help me, maybe together we can come up with something. I suppose the question is, is it is it the same degree of harmfulness as idle chatter? What’s the word for idle chatter again? So we were using different different verbs.
I said if and and and then put it in a nice way. So first I said if if we’re talking about idle speech, right, meaningless speech. And I was saying, look, what about the thoughts that occur to us? Because there’s always thoughts occurring. I use the verb more like occurring, more passive.
And Geshe wasn’t saying, look, all sorts of thoughts do occur to us, virtues, non virtues, and neutral thoughts. So it’s up to you to watch and see what’s happening there. Now and and then was saying, what about when we and then was using an active verb. How can I say that? What you engage.
You are you are actively thinking about something which is meaningless. When we talk about other chatter, we’re talking about meaningless speech. So when we are actually engaging about something which is meaningless and thinking about all the, you know, your last vacation and your future holiday or whatever it may be that’s absolutely meaningless. Is that virtuous or non virtual? That that’s non virtual.
That’s non virtual. That’s yeah. So again, for example, Geshe-la was then using using himself as a as an an as illustration. If he’s if he’s sitting there in his place and and thinking, you know, in a couple of weeks, I’m going to India, and it’s going to be nice to do this and to see and to do that. And it’s going to be tiring to do this and to do that.
I’m gonna be tired and all that. And if you’re just thinking like that, you know, we’re thinking out of attachment and aversion. This sort of thinking is clearly we’re clearly engaging it out of attachment aversion. So then it’s obviously clearly, it’s a it’s a will be a non-virtue. Now on the other hand, if he’s saying, oh, no.
I’m going to I’m going to India. So I’m going to win and I’m going to attend this teaching or that teaching and I’m going to listen carefully, I listen well. I’m going to study the teachings and and and I’m gonna contemplate and so forth, and then this is wholesome virtue. Does that depend on you knowing that the person is a or not? Good question.
Ashes, or what do you call that? There’s there’s another word for that. When you this level doesn’t say, look. There’s no difference if you know the person is bodhisattva or not. And it’s like when you put your hand, you know, when you have those how do you call those those red embers covered on ashes, and you do you do not know where where the embers are and all that, you know, but it’s the same danger there.
So if if the if there are embers that are covered with of ashes, even though you might not know that there are embers there, when you put your hand in, you still burn. And the same way with even though you might not know that when you perform an action towards them in relation to them. Yeah. And that’s and that’s a great a very great danger because we do not know who is and who is not. And, again, is is is again, using us as as an illustration, as an example, there’s no way that Geshe-la was saying for for himself, there’s no way he can say he cannot tell if if there is any bodhisattva in this room.
And and, usually, we the way we work is even if there was a bodhisattva around the room, we will probably think of ourselves as as being better than that person, as having better qualities or greater qualities than that person because that’s the way we usually think. So it’s it’s, again, it’s like sticking your hand in a pile of ashes. Again, emphasizing the danger here because bodhisattvas come they come about in all sorts of ways. They come as as men, as women, as husband or wife, as children, as parents, grandparents, poor, famous or not famous, Buddhist and non-Buddhist, even even as non humans, as animals or or whatever in in whatever way, they it is beneficial. They will come.
Okay? Is that okay? So again again again So again, we can see how important it is that whatever sentient being, we may we may encounter again that we do not harm that being, that we treat that being with respect, that we try our best to benefit that being, even if it is just an animal again. Okay? Is that okay?
Okay. Call. Smooth. So this evening, we first went through the differences in weight. So the the the intent the quality of the result determined by the weight of the the cause, the karma that we create.
And there was there’s one that set out there’s there are different systems of thought on different different ways of setting out the weight of karma and so forth. And there’s one the one that’s that Tsongkhapa explains here in the text on page ninety three at the very bottom is by is a system by Asaṇga. So six ways of determining the heaviness of karma. Six ways of determining the heaviness of the karma. So the first is in terms of the intensity of the action or another way of saying that is the motivational force.
So this is if it’s driven by if the karma is driven by a very sharp and vivid, powerful, strong motivation. In in the case of negative actions with the, you know, the attachment, hatred or wrong view, if they’re very you know, if you if you do something out of a great anger or just mild anger, then the weight is going to be different. And then same is true with, the positive karma. You know, if you do something out of, this somewhat some compassion or very strong compassion, then the karma is going to have that difference in weight accordingly. Okay.
And then the the second is habituation. So if it’s done if an action is done regularly over a long period of time, even though it might be a very minor type of karma, it’s the, that has a cumulative effect, and, therefore, as the over time, even a minor act action becomes heavy due to the force of habituation over time. So something which is done repeatedly and regularly. And then the third one is by way of nature, or here it’s called entity. So in with regard to the ten negative actions or ten non virtues, the way it’s graded is that the three of body and the four of speech, they’re they’re heaviest at from the bottom upward.
So the heaviest is that of killing, and the lightest is that of idle talk or meaningless speech. So as you progress upward through those seven, they become heavier and lighter by nature. But with regard to the mental non virtues, the heaviest begins at the top, wrong view, and then become lighter as they go down. Harmful intention and then covetousness. Okay.
With regard to basis. So this is quite a big subject, but there’s a distinction in terms of basis regarding the, the nature of the basis. If we commit actions against certain types of objects, they have a very powerful consequence. For for example, would say that, like, the Three Jewels, but also, you know, the Buddha Dharma and Sangha, but also one’s parents, one’s very good friends, those who have been very kind to you, negativities, or positive actions we’ve done with respect to those kinds of objects or bases. So bases here can just simply mean object, but they have a heavier consequence.
So in terms of objects, one-sided fixation on the discordant side. If if you if you were to more or less, commit negativities exclusively over your lifetime, then those they as you these negativities would would become heavier and heavier even if the motivation is not very strong due to the, you know, the exclusive nature of committing negativities. And then sixth, elimination of the discordant. So this can also be termed, clearing away the unfavorable factors. So this means that, when you when you freed yourself from attachment, you always perform the positive actions that you do create will be very heavy.
So once you’ve cleared away the unfavorable factors, you’ve eliminated the the, everything on the side of negativity, then those positive actions that you create will be extremely heavy. Yeah. Any any, ideas, questions, doubts around there’s a there’s an interesting I can remember it. You know, the most important amongst these is that of the motivation. That’s the most important well, I shouldn’t yeah.
Generally speaking, the the intensity of the motivation is going to determine the overall quality of the action. In terms of these these these these these ways in which they determine the weight of the of the karma. There’s a there’s the Tibetans have a a little way of of explaining it, a little story. They said, if you’re a boatman so, you know, you you you have a a ferry where you or a raft where you take people across a river. So you you the you’re the boatsman, and you you get there in the morning.
Now who who are you going to take care who are you going to take across first? So there’s a crowd of people waiting to be taken across, but you you you can only take one across at a time. So who do you take first? It said that if there’s a high official, you take the high you take the highest official first. So that that would be the, you know, the the the karma of the the with the strongest motivation.
That’s that that would take here, we’re talking about, you know, in terms of, like, when when at the karma which is ripened at the moment of death. You know, which of those karmas? We have a vast array of karmas, both negative and positive. And let’s say a positive karma is going to ripen. Your mind is in positive state, and that acts as a cooperative condition to ripen a positive karma.
Which amongst all these various positive karma are you going to ripen? Well, it would be the one that the heaviest in terms, of the motivational force that would be the highest official. Official. You take him across first. So that would be activated.
But let’s say, they were all equal in in terms of being officials. Well, then you would which one would you take? Yeah. You would take the person who you are most familiar with. That is, say, the one which you were habituated to, would then take precedence.
Then that would be the next in line to become activated. Let’s say they’re all equal in terms of familiarity or habituation. And then it would be a matter of who got there first. The the most recently created karma would take precedence. So I may, I’ve got a bit off the subject in terms of, this is this this is the way you determine which of the karmas are going to be activated at the moment of death.
First comes the heaviest, the highest official. You take or if they’re all equal, then it becomes the most familiar, habituated. And if they’re all equal, the latest karma that you’ve created, the one that was there first. Okay. Then there’s with regard to, you know, the karma created with regard gates of strong karma.
You know, toward whom are we creating this karma? It’s like, like we call, we talk about a merit field. You know, we talk about a merit field. That’s a merit field. It’s a field with regard to which you create merit or virtue.
And it says here, the way of the field. Great. The first one is great strength by way of the field. So this those objects to whom we create the the action toward. And, you know, so this again, it’s very much a matter of what we just talked about in terms of the, you know, the Buddha, Dharma, Sangha, but also your parents and people who’ve who’ve done a great kindness to you, have benefited you, and so forth.
So these people would be objects toward whom we’d create a great deal of merit, or on the on the contrary, we could create a great deal of, negativity. So they’re they’re kind of important objects to ourselves in that in that regard. So the Buddha Buddha Dharma or the the Sangha the Buddha Dharma and Sangha, the the Sangha, and the bodhisattvas, a lot of talk about that. Then there was talking I talked to then there was discussion in terms of the the great strength of the way of the support. Support here means that if you have vows or not.
You know, if you the creation or the or the negativity, creating a positive action or a negative action is going to be that much more intensified whether you have a vow or not with regard to that. If you vowed not to kill, then you kill, that would be much worse than if you didn’t have that bowel, because of the support. Because of The support support means bowel, like a bowel. So if, you know, if if you had a vow if you took a vow not to kill and someone else didn’t take a vow not to kill, all things being other things being equal, if you both killed, then then you would create the greater negativity because you have a vow not to kill. So that would be but then, you know, then the the then the contrary is also true.
If you took what would be if, you know, you took a vowel not to not to drink alcohol. And if you took you know you abstained from alcohol and someone else just didn’t like to drink so the person who just didn’t like to drink wouldn’t be creating any merit or virtue for the person who took the vow not to drink. By their not drinking, even though both people are not drinking, the one who took the vow not to drink would be creating merit because of the presence of the vow or the support. And then the the the there’s very you know, it talks about the the differences in support. The vow, you know, the vows of the lay person, vows of a of a monk, vows of a bodhisattva, and so forth.
They each they each have a greater intensity according according to the support. There’s some interesting, kinda complications to all of this. I can I can mention? Then we talk about karma in terms of karma is heavy because of the object. So as Geshe-la mentioned in passing, it’s, it’s, it’s heavier to kill a human being than it is an animal because the animal has the human being has greater potential.
But it’s also, in terms of animals, it said that it’s it’s heavier to kill a large animal than a small animal because it said that there there there occurs more pain with regard to a larger animal than a smaller animal. So anyway, so it’s, killing an elephant would elephant would be greater negativity than killing an insect because of the size of the object. So each of the ten non virtuous actions can be talked about in terms of you know the heaviness. For example, you know, stealing it would be you know of course it’s the heaviest it would be stealing from the Sangha and so forth. We talked about that the Buddha Dharma and Sangha, but also stealing from people who are poor would be heavy.
Stealing from people who are sick would be heavier karma. So people who are very vulnerable, in great need, undergoing great difficulty then you know the kinds of action that we create with respect to them are intensified both positive and negative, you know both in helping and hurting. Sexual misconduct, you know, it it would having sexual relationship with your best friend’s partner would be more negative than having sexual relationships with a stranger’s partner due to the nature of the closeness of your relationship. It would be a greater violation of that trust and so forth. In terms of, so again, and these, I guess these all pretty, you know, kind of make common sense in a way, but, divisive speech, you know, it would be, more negative to to divide your parents, for example, you know, you cause them to have a create a division between your your parents than than just some acquaintances that you knew because of the closeness of your relationship and so forth.
So their divisive speech would be all the more heavy. It’s it’s said it’s in terms of harmful and harmful harsh speech. It’s it’s it’s more negative to to speak harsh words in in in somebody’s face directly than it is behind their back. If you abuse them or ridicule them in a face to face, it’s it’s it’s heavier. In terms of senseless speech, it’s it’s more it’s more negative to talk about, you know, gossip about people who are having disagreements, for example, or having difficulties in the relationships.
Or people talking to gossip about or I don’t I don’t, you know, just about people’s faults. So that would be heavier types of idols idol talker sense of speech. In terms of covetousness, to covet religious objects, like, because somebody had a nice rosary or mala. Wishing to have that for yourself.
That would be more negative than than opposed than some just general possession that they had, you know. You you like their the clothing or something like that. You like to have their so, you know, that kind of greed with respect to somebody’s religious articles or just religious articles that somebody has in general. Again, in terms of harmful intention, sometimes termed malice. If this malice is directed toward your teacher or your parents or somebody, a friend, someone who’s been kind to you, but also sick people, you know, people are down and out having a hard time.
This is also the the karma is heavier in those cases. Okay. It’s interesting. You imagine, you know, we’ve talked about heaviness. Oh, there’s another, something else which we haven’t talked about and that is, in terms of manner of the action, how we can increase the intensity of the action by way of its manner.
Know, if you kill with great joy, satisfaction, you know, this is great, thinking that in your mind, then then that killing is intensified. If or if you praise the act of killing, that that was a great thing I did, rejoicing. If you are if you purposely kill in a cruel way, that intensifies that the the negative karma of killing, you know, with in a very painful way. If you force the victim to do improper things before you kill them, and that’s also intense intensifies if you, you know, kill people who are very weak, who are having a hard time homeless and so forth, but the poor, you know, people who are crying, you cause them to cry out in pain. Pain.
And then this would also intensify the negativity. So it’s into you know, if you add this all up, can you imagine what would be the most negative action? What would be the most negative action? What would that look like? Anger.
Would be the most negative action of the ten non virtuous actions? Very painful, that’s right. Killing one’s teacher slowly, painfully, joyfully, taking great pleasure in it. That would be the, that would be the heaviest action amongst all the ten non virtuous actions that you could do. So, so watch your step.
That’s pretty heavy, wasn’t it? So they, yeah, he was killed in a very cruel fashion, wasn’t he? And people were, some people were quite pleased with it, I guess. The Pharisees. So then there was this verse by Nāgārjuna, which is on page ninety six, where he outlines five ways in which, no, it’s not.
Yeah, it’s on page ninety four. Five ways in which, heaviness, the intensity of the karma is determined. Heaviness, the intensity of the karma is determined. And he says doing an action persistently or continually all the time. So then those even, even the minor actions become very powerful.
Doing an action with intense, sharp, strong motivation. When you do act in such a way that you don’t use any antidotes, you don’t there’s no regret and disclosure and so forth. And then in terms of, he says foremost foremost qualities. So these by foremost qualities, you know, superior objects like Bodhisattvas and Buddhism, spiritual teachers and spiritual community and so forth, and the Dharma. And the and then it says here, actions that’s with no, no, that’s a basis with foremost one, two, three, four.
The fifth is maybe foremost qualities. They’re important objects. So, like, for example, your mother and father, your parents, and so forth. So, and there’s a piece of advice that the Dalai Lama gives around, you know, having gone through this these criteria for determining the heaviness of karma. He says that you know appreciating what has just been discussed regarding the heaviness of karma, when you do a positive action it is important to have a strong positive motivation while you’re carrying it out the act, put all your effort into making the action a success, and once the action is complete, dedicate the positive karma toward a useful end.
On the other hand, if you cannot avoid a negative action, try to lessen the strength and the motivation behind the action as much as possible. The actual action should be done with with the least amount of harm, and you should not take pleasure in having committed the action. And moreover, if there is some regret, this will weaken the negative karmic result. So as we were talking about in our discussion group, know, maybe you have to kill a snake or, you know, you have to get rid of white ants in your home or something. So, you using this criteria to do it in the way it causes the least amount of pain to the animal and to not to take pleasure and but moreover to, you know, you can have a sense of I wish I didn’t have to do this but it’s necessary, you know, I can’t have poisonous snakes in my house.
It just doesn’t work or I have to keep my house in good shape so I have to, I rather, I rather I didn’t have to kill these white ants but so not, not being glad about it and doing it in the most, merciful way you can. But you you could do it with regret, couldn’t you? Yes, you can. Yeah. I mean you’re doing it out of attachment.
Right? There’s, you’re killing out of attachment. Probably Well, because your life is more important than the snake’s life. Or your kid’s life, whatever. So That’s right.
Yeah, than their life. So you do it. So, but it’s, but it’s mitigated or it’s lessened due to the force. I wish I, you know, within the within the, the, the, the bounds of my present ability, my practice, you know, I have certain limits to my ability. Am not a Bodhisattva, you know.
Yeah, wish I, yeah, that would be good. That would be good. I wish I didn’t have to be in as human beings, no matter what we do, normal average human, normal ordinary human being, we’re going to create, we’re almost forced to create with the food we eat and so forth. It is at the expense of life. There is no getting around it.
So yeah, I wish I weren’t in this situation, but I am and I regret it. I, I, I, I, I, I don’t, I’m not happy about it. I think you can sincerely do that, you know, take it, I guess it’s what is this honoring life, you that you don’t take it, you are mindful that this animal doesn’t want to die. Has feelings just like yourself and so forth. So it’s not, it’s not, you you just don’t, it doesn’t, it matters to you.
That’s, that’s maybe the best we can do. I don’t know. The brown snakes are pretty poisonous, aren’t they? Oh, yeah. Yeah.
They’re very common in this area, aren’t they? In the Really? I think I saw one the other day. I was walking on the trail. I ran very quickly.
This was on the trail and I started to put and I saw this snake. Do many people get bitten? Is it good to put a tourniquet on this place? Yeah. That’s quite quite quite interesting because I I did yeah.
I did see a snake the other day. It’s interesting. There’s so many highly poisonous snakes come into this area. And they come quite close to the suburbs. And they They can be anyway.
Yeah. Surprised more people don’t get bit. Should we call it a night? Yeah, so there is, you know, these four branches is not complete. There is no motivation to kill.
But there’s the performance and the completion and there’s a base that there’s no attitude. There’s no recognition or motivation or deflective emotion. We, we kill all the time like that. So there’d be little or no karmic action created. Thank you. Sayonara..
Oh, I wish I could tell you. I’m sorry. Eighteenth? Eight. Do you reckon it’ll go right up to the eighteenth?
I don’t think so. Okay. I don’t think so. So okay. I’m sorry.
I I haven’t you don’t have it to do you have to do you have to know this information? You could try. Doesn’t matter. Just requested anyway. Yeah.
There isn’t a teacher, and I’ve got a whole day off. No. Okay.