Audio recorded at Buddha House Adelaide. Transcript auto-generated and AI-corrected; may contain errors.
About this talk. Using the image of a balance scale — tilting toward real Dharma only when self-grasping no longer governs body, speech, and mind — Geshe Pema Tsering covers two sections of Geshe Chekawa’s Seven Points of Mind Training in this 70-minute session. He first argues that all of the Buddha’s teachings share a single purpose: uprooting the self-grasping mind, which treats the “I” as real despite being, as the classic analogy has it, no more existent than a rabbit’s horns. He then turns to which of two “witnesses” to rely on when measuring one’s practice: not others’ praise or criticism, but one’s own inner discernment of whether self-grasping is in charge. A brief Q&A closes on retreat versus dharma-center service — motivation, Geshe Pema Tsering argues, matters more than location.
File metadata (for organising)
File: 29 2005 11 27 MT.mp3
UUID: bbbf2da5-050e-49e5-93b9-2c6dcbd6bcf8
Teacher: Geshe Pema Tsering
Collection: Mind Training (Geshe Pema Tsering)
Date: 2005-11-27
Recorded at: Buddha House Adelaide
Duration: 70.3 minutes
Words: ~3,127
In the how do say, the fifth part of the text, which is auto-commentary on the seven Points of Mind training by Geshe Chekawa. And the fifth part is called the measure of having trained the mind. And the first topic of this division of the text is called combined into one intention or to say it, put it differently, all dharmas have one single purpose. And then, again, I will explain. So all dharmas is referring to all the teachings of the Buddha, be them the Vinaya teachings, the ethics, the the codes of conduct of the monks and nuns and so forth.
Be them the the Prajñāpāramitā teachings, the the teachings on wisdom, the perfection of perfection of of wisdom and so forth. Be them the sutras and then the shastras and so forth. So all these teachings, are they have they they were given for one reason to accomplish one intention. So then what is the intention of all the teachings of the Buddha, all the sutras and all the Śāstras, commentaries of those who of Bodhisattvas and the great scholars. They were all, how to say, pronounced, they were all taught in order to subdue, to destroy self grasping.
The trio of listening,, reflecting and meditating on the teachings to eradicate self grasping. So what is what is this mind of self grasping, the self grasping mind? Is the mind that thinks of is the mind that thinks of I and me and grasps at this I and this me.. So then this how to say, this self, the self of the person, if one investigates, analyzes what it is, then one find out that it is just like the horns of a rabbit. So it’s completely inexistent.
So and also so then one understands that from beginning of time, this self grasping has placed us in, how do say, into suffering. So then once everything one, how do you say, through, how do you say, body, speech and mind, oneself has exerted in all sorts of activities following this self grasping, this self. So so then one one has to So one has to investigate what it is that one is doing or saying, how to say, while one is overpowered, just following the winds of the self grasping. So then if after one has investigated, one finds out that one is indeed being overpowered by this self grasping. And then one will find that one is involved in and concerned with the eight worldly dharmas, which is happiness at gaining things and unhappiness at losing things.
And how to say, happiness at being praised and unhappiness at being criticized and so forth. So then also, one will find out that one is striving, engaging engaging in all sorts of ways in order to obtain for the sake of this life alone. And then one has the wish to accomplish things for the sake of the happiness of this life. So then then the methods to stop these things, the way to stop this, I would say, striving for the sake of this life and involvement in the eight worldly dharmas and so forth is the what is called the dual Dharma of ethics. A Dharma practice, which is abandoning these activities, stopping these activities, which is called the conduct, the codes of conduct.
So okay, my mistake. So it is either engaging in moral conduct or engaging in moral conduct, which leads to liberation from these things, from these worldly dharmas and so forth, and this precious Dharma. This precious Dharma is training one’s mind in this listening, reflecting and meditating on the teachings. So then if one if after one has investigated one’s mind and one realizes one sees that one is not being overpowered by that self grasping, then one will understand also can only come about, how to say, by following a moral code of moral conduct or by, how to say, a lot of study, a lot of again, by it came about as a result of a lot of how to say, reflecting and meditating on the teachings. And one will understand the necessity of both moral conduct and study.
So then if one when one how to say, if that comes about, that if that’s how to say, if that self grasping is diminished, is reduced within one’s mental continuum by the practice of morality and study and so forth. If that happens, that is the legitimate, is the real, let’s say, mind training practice. That’s the real mind training. And that is a sign of, how do you say, having accomplished or a sign that one is accomplishing. It’s a measure that one has been trained, has trained one’s mind, one’s continuum well in the teachings.
So after having analyzed, after having investigated, if one is actually being overpowered by self grasping, if one is following the whims of this self grasping or if one is not following the whim of the self grasping. And if one, after having investigated, one finds out that one is not actually being overpowered by the self grasping or following the winds of the self grasping, So then this is actually, I don’t know the word for that. It’s a scale? Balance. Balance.
So this is the balance that measures accomplishment of the teachings, once how to say yes, once accomplishment of the teaching. So if one is, how to say, being overpowered by this self grasping or following the whims of the self grasping, then the balance will tilt to the side that indicates non accomplishment. And if one has is not following the whims of self grasping, then it will tilt to the side that indicates that one has trained one’s mind well. So again, if one is being overpowered by self grasping, then the balance will not tilt to the side of it that marks that indicates real Dharma practice. But if it if one is not overpowered by self grasping, it will tilt to the side that indicates real Dharma practice.
So then now we have to again, I say that we all call ourselves Dharma practitioners. So then now in order to know if that is actually so we have to as a text indicates, as we have to investigate. And if we are being overpowered by our self grasping, if we are following the whims of our self grasping or not. And if we are, then we are not actually real Dharma practitioners. We are not really practicing Dharma.
If we are not overpowered by self grasping, we know that we are actually practicing Dharma. So then so I’m gonna say, because that being so, then this is a very difficult thing thing to accomplish. We in order to subdue the self grasping, we have to how to say, be proficient in applying the antidotes. We have to meditate on renunciation, we have to meditate on the mind of enlightenment, we have to meditate on selflessness, emptiness. And yes, we have to engage in a lot of investigation and study.
So then we the text is now inciting us to put effort in knowing if we are if all our actions of body, our speech and our thoughts, all the actions we engage are being are overpowered, are coming out of our self grasping or not. And all our efforts should be at applying the antidotes to this self grasping, if this is the case, if that is so. So then, again, say, it’s very difficult to we have to one must apply antidotes to the self grasping that is overpowering our actions of body or speech and mind. And it’s a very difficult thing to do.
And if we do not do that, if we not if we do not apply the antidotes to the self grasping, then our actions of body, speech and mind will turn into this self grasping’s servants or yeah. Servants. So then if we just follow, I’d say, on the heels of grasping of the self grasping mind, then let’s say, attachment and hatred and anger and so forth will arise. And like this, we are overpowered by it and we turn into its servants or slaves, yes. So then it’s something is difficult even to know that if we are being overpowered by it or not, by the self grasping or not.
Everything but, again, I say everything that we do is every action that we are engaging in order to, as say, achieve happiness for ourselves, in order to obtain material wealth, in order to obtain to get to gain fame or to succeed in bodily activities. Everything that we do, all these things are how do say, we do that by the power of the self grasping, while overpowered by the self grasping. So then all of us, how to say, we give we think highly of this of I, we think of it as being fault faultless. We think of it as having all qualities. All of us, act in this way.
We think in this way. So then if that is the case, then we know that we are being overpowered by this self grasping that we everything that we are doing is for the sake of this self grasping. And if that is so, then we know that the balance, the scale of Dharma is not tilting towards real Dharma practice. So then what we have to do in order to tilt to make the balance, the scale of tilt towards real Dharma practice. And when this mind that thinks of I, me, the self grasping mind arises, then we have to think that this this mind, this self grasping mind is the one that causes that brings me suffering.
This this mind is is is has no substance. It’s just like the horn. The horns of a rabbit is totally in existent. It’s it inherent existence. And with that, in this in this various ways, we have to think about it.
So then this mind that thinks of eye that grasps at this I, it is So then, this in dependence in dependence on the five aggregates, then we say, I if there is if there was no body, for example, then there will be no I. We wouldn’t I or me. Me. So this is a mistaken mind.
So then that’s that mistaken mind, that mistaken consciousness that thinks of this I that does not exist. This is how do you say? This is the self grasping mind. And how to say, and understanding understanding that So that mind that thinks that that this I exists, this is the self grasping mind, and then realizing that this is an erroneous mind. It’s a mistaken mind.
This mind that thinks of the I as existent, realizing that it is an erroneous mind is realizing, is understanding, how to say, selflessness of persons. It’s understanding the emptiness of self, of the person. Okay? So then so then we have to to understand that this this mind that thinks I, this self grasping mind is is we have to think of it as as as it being the the mind, the thing that, how to say, makes us suffer is we have to understand that it is an erroneous mind. We have to understand that this self lacks inherent existence.
Then we have to think also that there is no qualities to it. There is only faults to it. There is I’d say, since from beginningless time until now, this we have been suffering because of it. How do you say? It is okay.
Again, it is empty of inherent existence and so forth. And yes, this way, we should apply these antidotes to it, to the self grasping mind. Onto the next topic of this part of the text, which is of the two witnesses, rely on the primary one. So, the text first introduces the point of view of some opponents. And it’s saying these opponents are saying that, basically, that the primary witness is a mental factor, which is called it’s how is it?
Or could be translated as shame or shame, yes, in regards to in relation to others’ opinions towards oneself, shame. Consciousness of one’s behavior in relation to other people, of what other people say and so forth. So then the text goes on to refute this position of opponents. So the author is saying that this is not the case, that this mental factor, shame in relation to others, to others’ view of oneself, is not the primary witness, because the text says that even if others have seen oneself behaving well one or two times, So then even though they might be able to see one behaving well a couple of times, they will not they are not able or even though one might might praise you, one might be content, one might be happy when they praise you because of that.
Then the fact is that these other people, they cannot see the depth of oneself. They cannot see inside oneself. They cannot see one’s real qualities or and so forth. So then they are not So then what is this main witness, this principle witness? Is oneself, is one’s mind investigates if one is being overpowered by the self grasping or not.
That mind that can discern if one is being overpowered by the self grasping or not. That mind is the primary witness, the principal witness that we should rely on. So then we have to remove and say, we have to clear So then however much faith or wisdom or, I’d say, perseverance one has, all this when we use, how to say, to clear away this self grasping.. So then by the power of this once whatever power of faith, how to say, wisdom and perseverance one might have, then one, how to say, will disregarding difficulties and hardships, one will, how to say, put effort in in this investigating, in this mind that discriminates one’s being overpowered or not by the self grasping. In this investigation, So then even even even at at the cost of one’s life, then one will not let that mind come about, that mind overpowered by self grasping come about.
One must have this single-pointed mind striving at stopping it. So then if only that, how to say, is indicates real Dharma practice, the accomplishment of real Dharma practice. And then by that, how to say, we know that the principal witness, the main witness is that it’s a technical name. It’s another mental factor, which is I don’t know how to say that in English. It’s a mind that is aware of one’s conduct and discriminates between good conduct and bad conduct and knows how to discriminate it and knows what not to do and what not to do, what is appropriate and what is inappropriate.
It’s a shame. There’s shame in relation to others opinions of oneself, but then there is this this other aspect of of shame, which is one’s own awareness of one’s behavior and and faults and one’s and and thoughts and so forth. One’s own awareness of one’s mind being overpowered by the self grasping or not is this other mental factor. This yes. This discerning mind.
Yes. So this is the principal witness. The text concludes. So we stop here today. Questions?
So then well, at first, Ken, I said that there is no use of going to retreat if you’re not Milarepa. If you’re not Milarepa, he said it as a joke. But he said that what has to be done, what we have to what we must do, he says, is that we must investigate, we must understand that we must investigate if we are being overpowered by the self grasping or not. We must understand that this self grasping mind is a mistaken consciousness. We must through many, many reasons, again, emphasize there are many so many reasonings that we have to apply in order to understand that it is a mistaken consciousness that the self grasping does not inherently exist.
And then by contemplating the emptiness of the self grasping. Yeah, they have to do that for a long time. And again, I said, if you go to retreat in order to do that, to do all these analytical meditations and teachings and teachings, and then trying to realize emptiness of self, the selflessness of person. And yeah, it’s okay. So, yeah, we’re we’re you guys say, we have to we have to study many texts on the selflessness of the person and so forth in order to understand it, not to realize it.
Have to study a lot. Then having studied a lot like this, and then you’ll be able to realize this mind and understand the selflessness of the person. So, Geshe-la said basically that the main thing that there’s no difference between working, doing service here in the Dharma Centre or going for a retreat. The the main thing is the motivation. So one should not work with the motivation of achieving thinking of I must achieve happiness for myself or I must achieve or I must attain liberation.
So and this is the main the most important thing, Geshe-la said. The rest, it doesn’t matter. And then but, of course, Geshe-la said also that if you if one can understand emptiness, selflessness of persons, then one accumulates a lot of merits and accomplish the two collections of merit wisdom and so forth. That’s very good. But again, at the end, he emphasized again, the most important thing is the motivation.
So it doesn’t matter where you are. Important thing is the motivation is not having that mind that thinks of oneself or achieving liberation and so forth. It’s not thinking of I, me. So then whatever activity we are engaging, then we shouldn’t we should not do it with the purpose of, how to say, achieving our own well-being, our own welfare, we should do it thinking of benefiting others. So one last question.
A question, please. I like the story So it’s like this. The horns of a rabbit is a very common illustration or something that does not exist. And then, someone is saying, so why do we use this illustration? Because the self, the eye that we grasp at, just like the horns of a rabbit.
This it doesn’t exist. It’s just the same. So that’s an analogy that they use. Okay? Thank you.
Yeah. Shall we finish?