Audio recorded at Buddha House Adelaide. Transcript auto-generated and AI-corrected; may contain errors.
About this talk. Geshe Pema Tsering opens this 72-minute session with a verse: the happiness of the three realms is like a dewdrop on the tip of a blade of grass — momentary, unreliable, already perishing. He then pushes further: not only obvious misery but even the happiness we prize — wealth, beauty, the pleasures of gods and humans — is happiness born of impure karma, still in the nature of suffering. A common error in bodhicitta practice is wishing to free beings only from recognizable suffering while missing this subtler point. He works through six classical contemplations on saṃsāra’s shortcomings — uncertain friends and enemies, chronic dissatisfaction, repeated powerless rebirth, reversal of fortune, and fundamental aloneness at death — before landing on the burning-house image: renunciation must be as urgent as fleeing a fire. The session closes with Q&A on Tulku rebirth and emptiness realization.
File metadata (for organising)
File: 02 2006 09 10 Sunday 10 Sept. t06-Gesh-la.mp3
UUID: 25f6e3b6-a7ea-41bd-89f7-8178ca9e81ed
Teacher: Geshe Pema Tsering
Collection: Sunday Geshela Teaching (Geshe Pema Tsering)
Date: 2006-09-10
Recorded at: Buddha House Adelaide
Duration: 72.2 minutes
Words: ~5,534
So then Geshe-la is then saying instructing us then to give rise to a good motivation and then wishing to to lead all sentient beings to the state of enlightenment, then then one then is going to engage in the study of mind training. And then in this way, one wishes to to attain enlightenment for the sake of all sentient beings. So then started saying that the teaching today not is not easy. And then Geshe-la read again the the verse regarding this this chapter of of of the text, which is then the happiness of the three realms is like a dewdrop on the tip of a blade of grass. It perishes by itself from one instance to the next.
Hence, it is the practice of bodhisattvas to strive for the ever unchanging supreme state of liberation. And then went straight on to to read the commentary to that verse, which is then saying that the the meaning of that verse is referring into the the the happiness of the three realms or the three existences, which is then the the desire realm, the form realm, and the formless realm, then however much happiness there is in these three realms of existence. It is just like a a dew drop on the tip of a of a blade of grass. And then it it it is momentary and it it lasts only for one one instant. And it is all the phenomena because they are then in the nature of how to say?
They are all disintegrating, deteriorating and disintegrating phenomena, then the the text concludes then it is it is unreasonable then to be attached to to to them, to this phenomenon. So then Geshe-la is then saying, again, rephrasing it, saying that because then of phenomena, samsaric phenomena are in the nature of suffering, then it is it is unreasonable to to be attached to them. And then it is also unreasonable to be angry with them, to to, yeah, to have anger towards them. Then so so then if if if happiness or pleasure comes one one meets with happiness or pleasure, then one one get gets attached to it. If one meets with something that is an unhappy or unpleasurable, then one gets angry towards it.
He gets then says that because they are this intense nature of suffering, then it isn’t reasonable to to react in such a way. So then we all think that those things that we do not wish for, then they they are all suffering. And then but then not only that, then the the the states of humans in in the states of of gods, even we that we regard them, even though we regard them as being as being happiness, is still they they are not happiness. They are in the nature of suffering. So then I guess, Geshe-la is then saying, so then we do not understand then the that that even the happiness that we wish for is actually the nature of suffering.
And Geshe-la is then saying that pointing out to us that when when when we are giving rise to the mind of enlightenment, we meditate on the mind of enlightenment, we’ve been wishing to free all sentient beings from suffering and then attain enlightenment for for the sake of accomplishing that. And then saying, so that wish to free all sentient beings from suffering when when when we we we’re thinking that, we’re thinking of of those things that we do not wish for. Only those things that we regard as suffering that we these things that we do not wish for. And then we’re thinking, oh, I do not wish that for myself. In the same way, all sentient beings do not wish for that for that for for that for themselves.
And then we want to free them from from that suffering without understanding that the happiness, whatever happiness that we still have, is still in the nature of suffering and. So then thinking this way is is a is is a a huge mistake. So then Geshe-la is saying. So then when when we see somebody with with position, with power, with money, wealth, with good appearance, and so forth, then we think, oh, this is very good. And then we we then mind we give rise to the mind within wishes to have that, to obtain that, to have that for oneself.
And then we think that, but we we never think that that is actually in the nature of suffering. So then we we we we come in the end, we are wishing to obtain those things, to to acquire those things, those states, and so forth. And we’re never thinking that because it is in the nature of suffering. We’re never thinking that wishing for it not for not to acquire that, for not to have that. So then so then whatever whatever beauty and and and and health we might have in our youth when we are fifteen, sixteen, seventeen years old, says, is not it is not going to last.
It’s it lasts only one moment. And then when we are one hundred years old at most, we’re gonna have to die. So we’re gonna have to abandon leave our bodies behind. We’re gonna have to leave our minds behind. So then there’s no yeah.
So then what? So then whatever whatever good conditions we have right now, whatever happiness we also have right now, then whatever we meet, whatever whatever good happiness we meet in this life, it will not stay that way. It will have it will change into something else. It it will change and will not remain the same. So so so then it’s not reliable.
And and and Geshe-la is then saying, have to think we have to think about these these things in this way. And So then, one has to one has to think that they are not going to remain this way. This this this good conditions are not going to remain such. Then they are in the nature of suffering. They they come because contaminated they they are the result of contaminated virtue.
So they are this contaminated happiness themselves. So so, again, And then so then, again, and Geshe-la gives some some particular examples saying that, for example, the the the good the good body that we have right now is the the result of having practiced patience and and the good this human rebirth that we have, the the result of having practiced morality. But they are all the result of contaminated virtues, and so they’re not going they’re not going to last. And, again, whatever good that we practice in this life, then in the future, they’re going to be experienced as, again, as contaminated happiness and whatever bad also we’re gonna have to experience those results also in the future. So then so then one has to think then, then one has to wish then to get rid of all of all this contaminated happiness.
One have of of everything that is good in this existence, even even the states of of human beings and and and gods, they’re all contaminated happiness. Whatever wealth, whatever good, whatever excellences they might they might have, they’re all in the nature of suffering. And one must then give rise to the to the thought that that wishes to to get rid of all that. So then and then and then the text goes on to say then, Geshe-la was bringing forth the text, which goes on to tell us then that because then that state, which is, which has this permanent, stable and unchanging essence to it, which which doesn’t at any time, at all times, it doesn’t change into something else. And then because it is this great state state of of of of liberation or or the complete enlightenment of a Buddha which which has a great liberation, which is free of the bounds, of all the bounds of of the two obscurations.
And then, as I was saying, the obscurations of the afflictive conceptions and emotions, and the obscurations to omniscience. So then this this is because this is the the the state which is permanent lasting and unchanging, then So then because because this this is the state, this this enlightenment, this this liberation of enlightenment is this unchanging state. So then it is the practice. This is the practice of bodhisattvas where wherefore they they give rise to this mind, which is striving for liberation, which then has this through this special mind of renunciation, which strives for that liberation, they then practice the path of the Mahāyāna vehicle in this way. Is that making sense?
Is that okay? And then the text goes on to quote then from the Four Hundred Stanzas of Āryadeva, saying that how one who does not feel sadness or is not disheartened with with with all these, feel devotion towards peace. And then Geshe-la is explaining. So then this is referring to all this Samsaric phenomena to every phenomenon. Samsāra is referring to position, status, wealth, good looks, and and good house, and good food, and so forth.
All these, if without without understanding that all these phenomena is actually in the nature of suffering, how is it that one will will strive for liberation? We have to understand that they are all in the nature of suffering. All these phenomena is in the nature of suffering. We have to understand, we have to think that we think then that they are actually going to harm us. They are going to give us only suffering.
It has been like that since beginningless time. We have been attached to these things and they have given us only suffering. So we have to understand that they are in the nature of suffering in this way. So then saying, as for the second line of the verse which refuses to feel devotion towards peace, and then peace is then the state of liberation. And then if one does not understand this phenomena to be in this way, then one won’t won’t have the mind that wishes to attain liberation.
So then so if we if we think about it, if if we if we put our minds to it, then we will see that we all actually wish to have that that that that happiness of liberation. But then we also we also wish to have the happiness of human beings, and we also wish to have the happiness of of gods. And then get to that, they say something because of that, then we we are never able then to to to then to to to give rise properly to the wish to to the wish that that wishes for liberation. It’s less than the same. So then we were never one hundred percent aiming at liberation.
We have maybe twenty percent only. So then is a big fault, Geshe-la Ra says. So then Geshe-la says, this is a big fault, but are not able to know, to understand that it is a big fault. So then and then from the Bodhisattva Way of Life, we read without suffering, there will be no renunciation. So then so then we must understand suffering.
And then because without understanding suffering, there will be we won’t be able to give rise to renunciation. Without the renounce without renunciation, we won’t be able to achieve liberation. And then furthermore, without liberation, we won’t be able to attain the state of Buddhahood And then the task goes on to say then in the Bodhisattva Way of Life, this is said, without suffering, there will be no renunciation. And then just like this, if if one does not understand the entirety of existence to be suffering, and then Geshe-la was saying, so then not all of it and then even the state of humans and gods. And then without understanding that, and and even though giving giving rise and giving rise and understanding that and then giving rise, being disheartened with it, being disheartened with a whole of life existence.
If one then does not give rise to the mind that wishes to abandon it, then one won’t be able to give rise to that to that wish, to the mind that wishes to strive for the liberation, for for the peace of liberation. Okay? And then so then because of that, then one even even even the happiness of the higher higher states of of humans and gods, even to even to them, one should not be attached to, and one must not be attached to. If one is attached then to to those, then one won’t be able to pass beyond cyclic existence. And then from a from a sūtra, which then is is a saying of the Buddha himself, which is then telling us that those who have a mind attached to Samsāra will will always go around within it.
And then Geshe-la is saying, so then those who have attachment attachment, again, to the happiness of humans and gods and so forth, they will always be going they will always go around within Samsāra, and they will never be able to attain liberation from it. Then that said so then because of that, then in order to give rise to that mind of renunciation, which then wishes to strive for liberation, then one must one must then understand, one must know then how to say, the the the true true sufferings or the truth what what is called the the truth of of suffering or or or or true sufferings, which in which is in the the all the the shortcomings of cyclic existence. And then one also must must know the true true origins or the truth of of origins of suffering, which then which is the stages of engagement or entry within cyclic existence. Okay? And then as for the first one of those, which is then true sufferings, the the shortcomings of cyclic existence.
Then the general meditations and teachings and teachings and teachings and teachings and teachings or the general contemplations on the shortcomings of cyclic existence are given. So the first one of them will be then the uncertainty of friends and enemies. And then, again, today, one is is a friend. Tomorrow is an enemy. And then, again, today, we have we have an enemy.
Tomorrow, this person will will turn into a friend. So we we we do not there’s no certainty. There is no there’s no there’s no certainty in relation to that. In regards to friends and enemies, I mean, they’re all imputed. They’re all labeled by by our own mind.
There there is no ultimate enemy or there’s no ultimate friend. If if somebody gives us a little bit of what what we wish, a little bit of of of of of pleasure or or just a little bit of what we wish, then he’s my friend. And if if if not, then if if it’s the the other way around, I mean, we call it enemy, but it’s not, again, Geshe-la says there’s nothing there absolutely from their own side. We always it always comes from our always coming from our own minds. Well, we want to see.
Yes. And then and then the next one, which is then a lack lack of diss of satisfaction lack of satisfaction or dissatisfaction. It’s less than anything. So then today, we eat a nice meal, and then again tomorrow, we will want another nice meal. And then the after that, and today, we we acquire five hundred dollars, and tomorrow, we want two thousand dollars.
So then we always want more and more. We never we never satisfied. And then again, those and another another another shortcoming, another contemplation of shortcomings of cyclic existence is then the the need to discard the body again and again, discarding the body bodies again and again. So then we must be we must within cyclic existence, we must be born and and we must die life after life. There is permanent undying body.
So we this that, again, this is another fault of cyclic existence. And then the next thought will be then that again and again, one must take rebirth, one must transmigrate. And then so then we must abandon. So we must abandon our bodies again and again, but we do not know we don’t we do not go completely out of existence. We again mistake birth again and again, life life after life.
And then and then again, not not only do do we have to transmigrate or we have to take rebirth, we have to take another body, we do we are powerless as to where we we want to take birth or which body we want to take. So it’s nothing like I don’t want to be born in hell realms. I don’t want to be born in the in the in the hungry ghost. I don’t want to be born as as an animal. There’s nothing like there’s nothing like that.
Even though we we might wish not to be born here and we wish might wish to be born there, then still is is not up to us. We are powerless. It’s up to whatever karma we have created and then and then we have to we have to go with it irrespective of of of our desires. So then and then, again, the next the next contemplation is then that, again and again, one must go from from high to low and so forth, and from low to high. So then again, Geshe-la is saying, so then some sometimes we we are kings, and then we we have to we have to go and then we become beggars and then or or we are powerful and we have great power and then we become powerless.
And then we are we are lords and then we become servants. We are gods and then we become hell beings and so forth. So every every time changing like this. And then the the last one of the six contemplations on the shortcomings of of cyclic existence, and it’s then the loneliness of lacking companionship. So then, again, Geshe-la says.
So then there is because there is no ultimate we do not have ultimate helpers or companions or friends that ultimately benefit us. So then because because whatever happiness and suffering we have, it it is it depends on our own actions. It depends on our own karma. So then, again, we do not have. We we have to go alone and and without any, how do say, lasting or sub substantial ultimate companion.
So then Geshe-la is saying so then Geshe-la giving illustrations. So then Geshe-la saying that I I believe that I have a companion, a partner, and then believes that he has friends. Then husbands believe that they have wives and believes that they have their wives as companions and the wives believes that they have their husbands as as companions. And we all go on like this. But but there is no but there’s no there’s actually no no one who can go with us straight straight on through through death and to the next life.
So then most many of us, they they go separate ways even before we die. And and at the very latest, if if if people are good and kind and so forth with each other, they they can they grow old together. And then but still, when they die, one is gonna have to die. And when you die, you’re gonna have to go alone. There’s no one companion that goes that goes that can come with us straight straight away through death and beyond.
There’s nothing like that, Geshe-la. And then so then there is the six contemplations on the suffering of cyclic existence. And then the text says there is also a contemplation of eight different kinds of sufferings, and there is also the contemplation of three different kinds of sufferings. And then both both of us, me and Geshe-la Geshe-la and me, we do not recollect now cannot remember now what are the the eight sufferings, the eight contemplation of sufferings. But the three contemplation of sufferings you heard before, we all heard before, is then is the suffering of suffering, the suffering of change, and the all pervasive suffering.
May mention to this three. All pervasive. Explained them before quite a few times. So, yeah, we all heard it. And then the text goes on to talk about to refer to the individual to the specific individual sufferings of each realm of existence.
And then the text makes mention to the prior chapter, where it was previously explained about the various sufferings of of the of the three lower realms of existence. And then that in the path of the beings of of a smaller scope, then they are always striving to avoid rebirth in the lower realms, and they’re striving to attain the rebirth high rebirth as humans and gods. And then the text saying is telling us, as it was explained before of about the three suffering the three lower realms, but not only that. Also, one must know that the the the higher the three higher realms of humans and gods, they are also in the nature of suffering. And then again, so then the three higher realms of existence, the realm of humans, of gods, and of demigods.
Again, they are also in the nature of suffering. And then from a sūtra, again, a sūtra, from a discourse of the Buddha, and it is said, there is one line of the verse which is mentioned here in Samsāra, there is there is not even as as much happiness as it as as would fit on the tip on the tip of a needle. Is that correct? And then again so then again, Geshe-la then explains that verse. He’s then saying, so then in in Samsāra and cyclic existence, and then there is not enough happiness.
There’s not even as much happiness as we fit in the tip on the tip of a of a needle. So then all the happiness of of of gods, demigods, humans, animals, hungry ghosts, all these hell realms, all in all these realms, there is not as much happiness as would fit again in the tip of a needle. And I shall make mention to another way of interpreting it. It’s saying that as as just as as a needle cannot stand on its own tip, again, there is there is no it’s impossible for it to stand on its own tip. Then in the same way, there is absolutely no happiness in all realms of cyclic existence.
And then and then Maitreya and then Maitreya Maitreya also says, just as just as excrement lacks sweet fragrance, then so then the five classes of beings are devoid of happiness. Okay? And then, I guess, I’ll briefly explain that. So, again, this is something unclean as as excrement does not have any any good fragrance. It has only bad smell to it.
So then in the same way, the five classes of beings and then so then the the gods and demigods taken as one class, then you have the gods and humans and animals, hungry ghosts, and and hell beings. So you have five classes. And then, again, in all those classes of beings, there there is no no happiness. And then and then from the from the Four Hundred Verses, again, of Āryadeva, then we read, the wise are just as frightened of the higher realms. And then again, so then again, as the realms of gods and humans, as as they are frightened of the higher realms.
So then so then, so this is very strange because then those those wise people, then they they they they are as afraid of of the states of of humans and gods as they are of their realm. So then they are they are stupid. We would think that they are stupid. But then they are actually quite wise. But because we wish we wish we wish for for this happiness of humans and gods, and we think we are clever wishing that.
But, in fact, they are the ones who are wise. So then, again, this is I was saying. So then those those wise beings are being referred here. They they have given rise to proper renunciation. So they have understood the reality of of of suffering, of of of cyclic existence.
And then but we, on the other hand, we we take the suffering, and then one part of it, we we regard it as suffering, and the other part of of of it, we regard it as happiness. And then so then thinking in this way, we then engage in all sorts of activities and all sorts of works in order to then out of attachment for that happiness. And then we create then while was when we are engaging, then we are engaging whilst we are overpowered either by attachment or by anger and so forth. And in this way, we we we keep on going through cyclic existence in, how to say, uninterruptedly and no end there’s no end to it. And then, I guess, I was then saying so then reading for the the commentary, which is telling us here, then as it was contemplating the mere contemplation of the shortcomings of the three lower realms as it was taught in the case of the beings of small scope, then it is not enough.
It’s not enough, the text is telling us. So then one must then one must know that the whole of cyclic existence gives origins to suffering and and how to say? And just like a house which is on fire. And then Geshe-la was then saying, so if if we are in a nice house and but then if this house is on fire, then immediately we have we have this immediate immediate wish or desire to run away from this house, a very intense wish to run away from this house. So in the same way, understanding the the the whole of cyclic existence is the nature of suffering, then we have to have a wish as intense intense as the wish to run away from that fire than to run away from to get out of cyclic existence.
To run away from cyclic existence as as if if it was all of it, a house on fire. And then if one if one then understands it to be to be so, then then the mind that wants to strive that wishes to strive for liberation that strives for liberation will will be will be produced, will be born. So then, again, says, so then not only understanding and knowing that the the the the of understanding the suffering of of the the three lower realms of, again, animals, hungry ghosts, and hell realms and so forth. But also understanding the the nature of suffering of the higher realms of humans and gods. Then with this understanding, with this knowledge, then this this mind that wishes to to strive for liberation then is produced, comes about.
And then on on the on the basis of that, then one one attains, one can attain liberation. Or to put put on the when we will attain liberation. And then and then the Buddha, and then there’s a quote from the Buddha again, which is which is then saying, if you realize the shortcomings in that way, then you will quickly attain nirvana. And then. So then if in that way, then understanding not only the sufferings of the the three lower realms, but also understand the sufferings of the the the the higher realms of of humans and gods.
If one understands them to be in the nature of of suffering, all of them to be in the nature of suffering this way, then the Buddhist telling us, you will you’ll be able to attain liberation. So then, yeah, Geshe-la wants to stop here today. So if you have any questions? When was he? Oh, he’s here.
So then, first of all, that those those that we are talking about, I mean, again, they are labeled — we label them from our own side. So then there are many many of those that we label Tulkus, and they are not actually real Tulkus. We’re just labeling them so. And there are those who are actual Tulkus.
So we so we cannot actually tell. We ourselves, as ordinary beings, we cannot actually tell the difference. But then and then I asked, but what about the real Tulkus? Can they — can the actual ones — can they choose the body that they’re going to take?
And they say, well, real Tulkus are beings who choose, pick up the bodies or the place or whatever that they want to be reborn, they are other beings. They are noble beings. Yeah. Yeah. Noble beings, but and so forth.
So, yeah, they they can. Ordinary beings. Yeah. So then, he said, that’s insane. So then such beings such beings as his son is the Dalai Lama and other beings, noble beings, so to speak, they they they have realized directly realized emptiness or directly realized selflessness.
So then because they have directly realized selflessness, then they have gained power in the in the sense that they are not more they are not overpowered anymore by by self grasping. They are not overpowered anymore by by afflictive conceptions and emotions and and the karma that they create. So they’re not bound and they’re not dragged about by by karma and afflictive emotions and conceptions. They they have like, now they they have gained that power. They have attained that power.
So they are free in this sense. So then, again, because we are overpowered by by self grasping, because we we we are still deluded with self grasping, then out of self grasping, we engage in all sorts of activities, out of attachment and aversion and so forth. And then we and and we we are always overpowered by the self grasping, by the afflictive conceptions and emotions, and always go about overpowered by them. Now the the Ārya being, the the the the noble being, because he has realized that that the self does not have inherent existence, that is not truly established from its own side. And because he has this realization, this direct realization, this direct understanding, then he’s he’s not bound anymore by it, and he’s not overpowered by by the afflictive conceptions and emotions anymore by attachment, aversion, and self grasping, and so forth.
So whatever he wishes to do, he can do. So then so then those those those higher beings, those noble beings, because they have realized selflessness, the emptiness. So then whatever phenomena there is that appear to them, it appears to them as as an illusion. Because it is such like an illusion, then they never get attached to it. They never get grasp or hold on to it.
They don’t have an attachment. So then with without any attachment, they don’t have they don’t they don’t generate this contaminated karma. They don’t generate the karma. But but we ourselves, on the other hand, if I understand, but we we do not see phenomena as as an illusion. So we we when we see a mirage or an illusion so forth, we do not get attached to it, but we do not we do not see it.
We do not see the phenomena that appear to us as an illusion. So then so then because of that, then when we can understand that when when the the mind we can understand why why they say that that the mind that realizes emptiness is is so important. But.
But. Like or. Yeah. It’s easy for you. If you have a family and love and you wake up in the morning and you say, you know that everything is saying, hey.
I’m a human being. I want to get out. I said, it? Do you know where I’m coming from? Yes.
So how do you how do you separate that? Because to become an alien being, become a normal being, become like a god, you’re a higher end, you have to go away from that, your mind. But if you’re there and there, it’s so difficult, how do you is there a why? Can you ask him, is there a way that you can sort of lead a life to because in the end, you will die alone. Meanwhile meanwhile, you have an attachment there.
I don’t know if it’s attachment or love, but do you know what I’m saying? How do you break