Audio recorded at Buddha House Adelaide. Transcript auto-generated and AI-corrected; may contain errors.
About this talk. Geshe Pema Tsering opens this 43.5-minute session with a deceptively simple observation: you cannot name the date you grew old or became an adult, yet you know it happened — proof that change is constant and momentary, never a sudden flip. From there he works through three antidotes to delusion: impermanence understood at the level of each moment’s arising and passing, the unfindable self that cannot actually deliver the control it seems to promise, and the impurity of body and mind we habitually overlook. The final stretch of the session is Q&A, covering motivation for virtuous action (using volunteering at a dharma centre as the example), the difference between conceptual understanding and direct realization, what it actually means to have taken refuge, and how to purify negative karma through regret and remedial practice. The last of the year’s sessions in a series on Nāgārjuna’s Letter to a Friend.
File metadata (for organising)
File: 22 LF 2004 11 23.mp3
UUID: 3a51fd91-690e-4780-abf3-eb3e92a8715b
Teacher: Geshe Pema Tsering
Collection: Letter to a Friend (Geshe Pema Tsering)
Date: 2004-11-23
Recorded at: Buddha House Adelaide
Duration: 43.5 minutes
Words: ~4,389
So we don’t think about impermanence. And the reason that we know that we don’t think about impermanence is because we don’t notice ourselves changing. And if we focus on ourselves, then that may be best place to start and to focus on impermanence. So we know that at one stage we were a child, and then we know that at one stage after that we grew up. And Geshe-la said that we know at some stage we got old.
I’m not saying that yet. I’m not translating it. It’s me. And he said, so we know at some stage we got old. But it can’t it’s not as if we can say, oh, it was on this date twenty years ago that I became grown up.
It was on this date five or six years ago that I became old. It didn’t happen in a precise moment, yet it did happen. We know it happened. If we look at the process of the way that we have transformed through our lives, we know that it happened. So it if if it if it we can’t point to the date where we got old.
We can’t point to the date where we grew up. Then we it has to be a a constant process of change. There has to be a a constant impermanence. Things don’t abide in the same way for any moment. They they constantly changing.
There’s no point where they just flick over. They abide, abide, abide, then flick over. So if we were paying attention, if we were focusing on impermanence, we would be able to see this. But because we don’t view things in this way, because we view things as being permanent abiding phenomena, then we get shocked or surprised when we notice that they’ve changed. So when it says that things are constantly changing, when it says that the the phenomena are momentary, and what that means is that they don’t abide in the same way for an instance.
In every moment, every every moment destroys the previous moment. Every instance of a thing’s existence is the destruction of the previous instance of existence. So in this way, then we see streams of similar phenomena happening, but they’re not exactly the same phenomena. So in every moment, one thing occurs. The next moment, something similar it gives rise to something similar occurring, but it’s not the same thing.
So we don’t if we don’t focus on this a lot, if we don’t concentrate on this a lot, there’s no way we can understand that this is happening. So if we start focusing on impermanence in this way, if we start focusing on how things are changing in every moment, it means that we won’t get too excited when good things happen. We won’t be sitting there being all I don’t know. I still don’t know. I can’t figure out a way to translate, but it’s like basically says meditating on happiness, just thinking, oh, I’m so happy all the time.
So we won’t be doing that because we will recognize that in every because that because as long as we’re in Samsāra, every moment is a is a moment of change. Every moment of happiness is a moment that happiness dies. It may give rise to a new moment of happiness and maybe give rise to another instance. So we won’t get too excited or caught up in our experiences of what we perceive as happiness. And in the same way, when we experience suffering, we don’t have to get too depressed about it.
We don’t have to get so intensely caught up in that experience either, because every moment of suffering also disintegrates. Every moment when we experience something that we don’t want to experience, it doesn’t mean that that is going to last forever either. That’s not a permanent experience either. So if we’re able to focus on the impermanence of these things, impermanence of every phenomenon, then we are able to become less involved in the process, less caught up in it. The next thing that we need to focus on and develop an understanding of is impermanence.
No. We just did that. No self. Sorry. So the way that we perceive things at the moment is as if there is a being, an atma or a self that is in charge, that makes things happen, that gets things done, that thinks this, that thinks that, that needs this, that needs that, that is the cause for us to experience things and can actually have can actually have an effect on on what’s happening.
So we so we have this idea of a a solid, intrinsic, self existent autonomous self that in charge, that has power, that is in charge. Now, if we start investigating, we can’t actually find that self, but we relate to everything as if there is a self, as if there is a a substantially existent self self self that is in charge, I think, the the boss. Okay. So if this was the case, if we were in charge the way that it appears to us that we are in charge, then why do we we experience suffering? Why can’t we make everything perfect for ourselves?
Why can’t we make it so that we never experience any suffering, only experience what we want, have everything happen to us that we want, and and nothing that we don’t want to happen? If if if the way that we really where if we if we watch the way that our mind works, this is the way that we perceive things. We perceive that we’re in charge. We perceive that we’re we have the power to that there is a self within us that has the power to make or not make things happen. That there’s a self within us that can take charge of a situation and and control it.
But if this was the case, why do we experience suffering? So the last of the things that we need to remind ourselves of is our impurity of body and speech, so that we don’t become too attached to either our body or to our mind. So we can think that there is this self that we may perceive as being our mind is something pure without any afflictions or neuroses, and then try and grasp onto that. Or we can think that our body is pure without any problems, we can try and grasp onto that any faults, and we can try and grasp onto that. So the problem with thinking that we are the opposite of these things, so the problem with thinking that we are pure, that we’re a self, that we’re permanent, and that we are happy or we are not experiencing suffering, is that it’s not true.
And as it is not true, trying to delude ourselves that it is true will only be a cause for us to experience suffering, not only because it doesn’t accord with reality, but also because it will stop us from trying to practice to actually get out of that situation and achieve nirvana and actually realize true happiness and not experience suffering. So if we don’t remind ourselves of these things, if we don’t remind ourselves of these of impermanence and no self and impurity, then we are not going to be able to achieve work towards achieving nirvana. So we lose out. We we miss out on the good things that come about through achieving nirvana and so forth. Okay.
Okay. Yeah. So we can stop there for the year, and we’ll continue on because it’s I guess, it said there’s no more time this year. So we will continue on from the next bit next year. And and I was just checking with Geshe-la.
I know that you may have questions, and he certainly got tea. So but hang on. Hang on. Hang on. I’ve got something to say first before I forget.
But there is a a tradition when it’s the end of a series of teachings and they aren’t going ain’t ain’t gonna be any teachings for a while, that you don’t prostrate at the end of the teachings as as a sign that you will come back next time or something. Alright? So when you get to an end of a series of teachings, you don’t prostrate. You just stand there feeling a bit strange. And then so it’s like a a I want for the future.
You don’t want the future to come back. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.
It’s not finishing it. I guess when you get Open ended. Yeah. No closure. But there’s word for it in English as well.
I can’t think of the word but Geshe-la thinks it’s a bit superstitious, but he said it. It it might be good. Supposed to be a reminder. But yes. Anyway, Hillary, you had a question.
You said something like Oh, no. Mhmm. He goes, I know what she’s talking about. She’s talking about Buddha House. Why is she asking a question about Buddha House?
He said if you have questions about Buddha House, please direct them. Yeah. Yeah. Please write them together. Sorry.
So it would be it would still be beneficial. Alright? And it and it may and and to some extent, it would still be beneficial to you. Alright? It would still be beneficial while living.
Yeah. But it’s not a cause for nirvana, and it’s not a cause for creating the causes for nirvana. So as it is still going to it it’ll be a cause for experiencing happiness in saṃsāra. But as happiness in saṃsāra is actually a form of suffering, then it’s still not a cause for experiencing true happiness. So if you wanna help Buddha’s, please do.
So it’s this is why I guess this so this is why he always talks about, motivation. Alright? So what the the strength of what we do depends on motivation. So if you wanna help and he said, if you wanna help Buddha House, if you wanna work here and do things, then that’s great. He said, but please, when you’re doing it, don’t think that you’re doing it just for people to see or just for your own happiness.
That if you can do it so, it can be a cause for you to become a Buddha. Because as a Buddha, you can benefit more beings than now, alright, in the best possible way, and then that’s the best motivation to have for it. Because then it becomes a cause for Buddhahood. But it’s not as if you dip out on the rest of it. If you have this idea that I’m working a Buddha house in order to become a Buddha so I can be of utmost benefit to sentient beings, then you will get praise from other people.
You will get a good rebirth. You will get a personal happiness. You will get satisfaction. All of these things come along with it. But they they don’t you don’t forsake them to become a Buddha.
They come along with the package. People will say you’re a good person. Okay. I said, I don’t think Hillary actually wanted to give money to Buddha House to get praise. It was an example, Geshelyn.
He goes, yeah. But I’m talking about the example. So if you want to if you do something in order to attain Buddhahood, which is, like, the ultimate thing that you can work towards, then anything below that comes along with it. So if that’s your ultimate aim, then any other qualities, any other positive things come along with that. In order you to get to that state, everything else happens.
Okay. So I guess I said that’s that’s fine. Thinking in that way is fine. But, yeah, in, a moment to moment situation. But then you have to have a point for it.
You have to have so the in in a in a broader perspective from a when when when you think about why you’re doing that, why are you helping people? Why are you helping them so they can be happy? So if you’re having a broader perspective of it, then the best way for you to help people is become a Buddha. So if you do things in a moment by moment thing help, and then you have a broader perspective that everything you’re doing to help may not be a cause for you to become a Buddha. The pre the definition of someone who’s a stream enter is someone who perceives emptiness as self.
Selflessness. Direct realist. So a a stream enterer is a Hīnayāna ārya. Yes. Because a lot of my study originally was in that.
Yeah. So so someone so a stream enterer, someone who’s realized selflessness also realized the lack of self directly is a stream enterer from the Hīnayāna perspective. Now Ludrup is Tibetan for Nāgārjuna, so I’ll try and say it in well, it’s not English anyway, is it? Nāgārjuna katawa Ludrup, leaving you. It’s the last week of the year.
Nāgārjuna, when he was speaking to the king, as he is actually leading the king through these realizations, is talking about a direct realization of these things. He’s telling the king he has to meditate until he gets a direct realization of these things. If we’re practicing it, then we should try and work towards a direct realization, but through making it part of our daily way of looking at things. No. Well, I don’t know in English.
But You’re not real, Hillary. That’s the whole point. If you have to think, do I have it? You don’t. Do I have it?
So what I’ve got when I Yeah. Yeah. Okay. So hang on. There’s two things.
There’s two, and they’re pronounced exactly the same as Tibetan, so it does my heading. There’s one something that’s called a conception. An idea or a can I don’t These are the ways that it’s translated, but it’s very difficult to translate it? So it’s it’s its definition is a understanding or a consciousness or like, a mind that has taken something as a subject. Alright?
Sorry. You want me to turn draw your train the kiyomoto? Sorry. I was just like I’ve gotta remember. I always forget.
Okay. The definition of this kind of conception or something is a consciousness that is conjoined with what’s called a generalized image or a speech generalized idea. Okay? So if you have a realization, if you if you know something, but the way you know it is as an idea as opposed to perceiving it, alright, then that’s what is a realization, but it’s conceptual realization. When you realize something that that that you see it, like, when you look at the book, you see that it’s impermanent.
Alright? That’s a realization. So at the moment, we realize we realize we have a hand. We realize that there’s people in the room. We realize when we look at things that they’re there.
If and that where there’s no conceptualization involved. There is no trying to grasp something involved. It’s just there. Alright? So realization of impermanence is the same thing.
We realize if you realize impermanence in this in the way that this was usually the word in in terms of the way the word realize usually translated, this word. It means that you look at something and you know it’s impermanent. In the same way that you know it’s there, you know it’s impermanent. Right? You look at your friends in the same way you know they’re there, you know they’re impermanent.
And you know if you know bodhicitta in this way, if you have a realization of bodhicitta, everything that you do is related to this idea of of bodhicitta. Every it’s your motivation for everything you do. Alright? So so that’s like what the realization is. An understanding of it is something we all have.
The realization of it is something when it becomes so intrinsic to the way that we perceive things that our consciousness is not separated from that idea. Oh, so we know we’ve got a hand at the moment. So we can see it directly. We can so if we realize emptiness, then when we look at our hand, it’ll appear to us as as being like an illusion because we’re wrecking we will as directly as we recognize our hand, we’ll recognize its emptiness. So at the moment, you just guess at it.
At the moment, you may be thinking, going to cook noodles for lunch. Alright? You’re not actually seeing it. You’re thinking it. Okay?
That’s a conception. That’s an intellectual understanding of it. Alright? That’s not a realization. When you’re actually doing it, when you actually can see what you’re doing and you’re doing it, that’s a realization.
Making it real. Yes. But I’m having problem with you using this understanding because real isn’t real. What what do you mean? Yeah.
Because it’s what realization. No. It’s it’s more like Real is it real. It’s not making something real, Hills. It’s perceiving reality.
It’s understanding the way the real Does that make sense? It’s it’s it’s realizing. So it’s it’s not making it real. So I don’t know what other I’m stuffed if I can think of another word that would be better to do it because in realization, I guess, does have this idea of making something real. Alright?
But you’re not making anything anything. You’re perceiving reality as opposed to the way we perceive reality as we’re the superimpositions. Yeah. So so it’s it’s not making it truly existent. It’s not making it really existent.
It’s recognizing reality. So this is the way things actually exist, and we don’t perceive them that way at the moment. We perceive things as being solidly, permanently existent. So when we take away our obscurations and we see the way things actually we’re now according with reality, yeah, then we realize it. He said if you couldn’t perceive there was a book there, you wouldn’t be able to read it.
Of course, you can perceive there’s a book there. I suppose enough I can perceive it. It’s what I wrote. Or it’s not. I perceive it in a different way than what it really is.
Okay. This is you have to be when we’re getting to these kind of discussions, you have to be incredibly precise. Alright? So the way that the book it’s it’s it’s like it’s mode of abidance. The way it is is not the way it appears to you.
Yes. Okay. You can say you. Yes. What’s the matter?
So in general, it’s it’s good to want to accumulate good karma. It’s good to wanna do things that are good. Alright? But it depends on what your motivation for wanting to do things that are good are. So if you want to do something that’s good in order to get something back, alright, that’s in a limited way, in a personal selfish way, then that’s not a good motivation.
If you do if you wanna do something that’s good so you can develop yourself into becoming a fully realized Buddha, and as a fully realized Buddha, be able to benefit people more than any other state of being, able to benefit be of the most benefit, then that’s a good motivation. So doing things generally is good. Doing things that are good is generally good, but how how good it is depends on your motivation. Okay. So the the way that we usually perceive things is, okay.
Becoming Buddha’s hard. I can’t do that. I’m gonna go for the easy route. I wanna do something good, so I get something good back quickly. Alright?
And this is a mistake. I guess I said that we can become Buddhas. And if we think we can’t become Buddhas, then we make we’re making a mistake. Alright? And and if we do something, one thing, with the motivation of becoming a Buddha, alright, we’re doing this in order to become a Buddha, then we’ve got one reason that we can that we will become a Buddha.
Alright? It won’t happen necessarily very quickly, but we have a cause for us to become a Buddha. We’ve we’ve developed a cause for us to become a Buddha. Alright? So this this idea of of why it’s important to become a Buddha is that anything that we do that isn’t achieving Buddhahood is limited.
Anything that we do that’s they’re not that isn’t becoming a Buddha can only benefit in a limited way. Alright? But the word the Tibetan word for Buddha is sanggye. Yeah? And now the sang part of that means to have purified all negativities, and the gye part of that means to accumulate all positive qualities.
Positivities? I’m not sure if that’s qualities. I think it’s probably better. So as Buddha, with this ability, with the all of the positive qualities and all of and no negative obstructions, we can be the most beneficial beings in existence. So if working towards that is what we should really be working towards because anything that we can do to help up until that point isn’t gonna help as much as that.
Yeah. Okay. So anything that you do that’s positive is positive. It doesn’t matter whether you do it if you do it as a with a Buddhist motivation or a non-Buddhist motivation. It’s part positive action is positive action.
If something is motivated by benefiting others by the consequences of the action in a positive way, then it’s positive. The other thing to remember is this, if you have this idea of becoming a Buddha, alright, that’s refuge. Alright? It’s not a matter of taking a vow. It’s not a matter of doing going through a ceremony.
Alright? Having faith or belief in the state of Buddhahood, having faith or belief in the idea of of perfecting yourself to benefit others is is is refuge. So the the oftentimes, people get confused with the idea of refuge in what a is a ceremony in which you take refuge vows. Yeah. Yeah.
So so so so people have this idea of becoming an official Buddhist is what being a Buddhist is about. But so what that if that entails is going to make a commitment about your idea of going to the Buddha, Dharma and Sangha for a refuge. So then you say up until from this point up until I die, I’m taking the Buddha and the Dharma and Sangha as my refuge. Now before that point, if you have the idea of working towards enlightenment for the benefit of all sentient beings, that is refuge, but it doesn’t have to be as as a commitment. Does that make sense?
It’s it’s as an idea. It is not something that you commit to being stuck in for the rest of your life, but as an idea, it’s still positive. It’s it’s sorry. As an idea, it’s still Buddhist. Yeah?
So you become a Buddhist when you have that idea, but you may not necessarily stay one because you haven’t taken the vow to stay one. Does that make sense? Yes. You’re a Buddha for the moment. Buddhist for the moment.
No. But you mean No. You’re like, can you set the threshold within yourself? Mhmm. I Yeah.
That yeah. That’s exactly what you’re saying. Yeah. Yeah. We’ve all done that.
So, yes, it I mean, not just even in this life or many other lifetimes, we’ve all done very negative things. So the idea, whether you’re a Buddhist or not, the idea for dealing with negative the way to purify negative karma is to develop regret, to have this idea of what I did wasn’t very good. It harmed people. It it it created negative situations. I regret what I did.
I will refrain from doing that in the future. I will try and refrain from doing it in the future, and I’m going to do something positive to purify that negative action. Okay. Okay. So he’s he said that The way that we make things better is by regretting what we’ve done.
Right? The way that we make things better is by looking at what we did and thinking that was a negative thing. It harms people. I understand why it’s a negative thing. I don’t wanna do it again.
I I’m going to try my hardest not to do it again. I’m going to try and do positive things in order to remedy that. And in this way, if you have refuge in the Three Jewels, then you you you have you develop this idea of refuge going to the Buddha, the Dharma and the Sangha for refuge. And through that basis performing positive actions that will purify the negative things that you’ve done. So this purifies we can’t actually fix things any other way.
If we purify things, it stops the negative results of that karma from coming about. If we keep purifying, the more that we purify, the more negative results we’re stopping. The way that we can completely get rid of negative karma is by perceiving emptiness, and we don’t have that capacity yet. So what we do in the meantime is develop strong regret and regret and perform positive deeds to purify the negative actions. In this way, we are stopping ourselves from experiencing those results until we perceive emptiness, and then we complete completely get rid of the seeds of the negative karma.
And I said, yeah. Gagashi is talking about this life, something that if people have done things in this life, should they go back and fix them? And he said, that is the only way to fix them. There is no other way to fix them. You deal with what you’re experiencing now.
You develop regret. You do positive things to to nullify the negative negativities, and you and and you change your life in that way. You you can’t fix things. You can only make yourself you can only practice regret now. Yeah.
Okay.