Audio recorded at Buddha House Adelaide. Transcript auto-generated and AI-corrected; may contain errors.
About this talk. In this 83-minute commentary, Geshe Pema Tsering completes the 37 Practices of the Bodhisattvas chapter on bodhicitta, closing with a verse by the text’s own author, Gyelsay Togmey, on forsaking self-cherishing to take on others’ suffering. He argues that self-focused striving reliably generates suffering rather than lasting happiness, then introduces the meditation of exchanging self for others, citing Śāntideva that nothing fails to become easier through familiarization. A lively Q&A includes a student asking whether the bliss arising from bodhicitta practice can itself become an object of attachment — Geshe-la replies that genuine, uncontrived bodhicitta excludes all afflictive emotion — and another raising whether this “sacred and secret” practice should be shared with non-practitioners. The session ends with a memorable image: cattle who hold grass as the summit of happiness, unaware that anything better exists, as a mirror for beings who cannot conceive of liberation.
File metadata (for organising)
File: 03 2007 02 11 Sunday 11th FebGeshe Pema Tsering.mp3
UUID: e698519c-9094-46cc-957c-d487febbfa34
Teacher: Geshe Pema Tsering
Collection: Sunday Geshela Teaching (Geshe Pema Tsering)
Date: 2007-02-11
Recorded at: Buddha House Adelaide
Duration: 83.0 minutes
Words: ~5,802
So is telling us starting us to give rise to to proper motivation, and then telling that we we have to develop Is everyone ready? Yeah. Maybe come closer. To develop the wish to attain enlightenment for the sake of all sentient beings. And then so then wishing to free all sentient beings from suffering and to endow all sentient beings with every happiness, then we should by meditating constantly on on the mind of enlightenment and on emptiness, then we we strive, we train ourselves and strive to attain enlightenment for the for the sake of benefiting all sentient beings.
So Geshe-la says, so the measure of practicing of good Dharma practice of good religious practice is is determined by one’s motivation. So it is with a good motivation that we have good Dharma practice. So then so then so we’ve we’ve that motivation of of of enlightenment, and we do we do we make the prayers. We go for refuge, and we we give rise to the mind of enlightenment. We do the seven-limb prayer, and we offer the mandala.
And then we we listen to the teachings on on mind training for the sake of for the sake of accomplishing that. Okay? So then we start with the morning prayers, page twenty twenty four. May all sentient beings have happiness in the causes of happiness. May all sentient beings be free from suffering and the causes of suffering.
May all sentient beings be inseparable from happiness and is free from suffering. May all sentient beings abide in the community, free from desire for friends and hatred for enemies. Then teaching prayers, page twenty. So then we we proceed where we stopped last last Sunday, and this is the last the last couple of verses on on the thirty seven on on a chapter of the thirty seven practices, on the mind of enlightenment, on the the the developing the wish to attain enlightenment for the sake of all sentient beings. And now we have a quote after after having quoted many verses from many different teachers and masters, now we have a quote from Gyelsay Togmey himself, who is the author of of the thirty seven practice of the bodhisattvas.
And then Gyelsay Togmey is telling us that have we we must we must then cast away our own happiness and then and take on the suffering of all of all sentient beings. Take upon ourselves the suffering of all sentient beings. And then whoever if if he asked if if someone were to then, how to say, forsake all sentient beings, then what what need would there be to to to have obtained this pure dharma of the Mahāyāna vehicle, the great vehicle? And then I guess Geshe-la was then just explaining. So then when is telling us we we should abandon, we should give up any wish for for our own happiness.
And then when when Geshe-la explains it, when when he says happiness here, he’s not talking just he’s not talking every happiness. He’s talking about samsaric happiness, the happiness of saṃsāra and not the happiness of of enlightenment and liberation. And then in this way and then having abandoned, giving up the happiness of saṃsāra, we take on the suffering of all sentient beings in order to endow them with with happiness. So then Geshe lah is saying with respect to the first line of that verse which is telling us to to give up, to to cast our own happiness away. And Geshe lah is saying we all we are all right now striving for to accomplish our own purposes, own welfare.
And whilst we are doing that, we actually engage in all sorts of activities and and we accomplish. We do actually accomplish that. We accomplish our own wealth, our own prosper and our own samsaric happiness. And then says, even though we do accomplish happiness whilst thinking of ourselves alone, we accomplish this samsaric happiness, then we do not accomplish still, do not accomplish any lasting stable, lasting happiness. And in order to accomplish stable lasting happiness, we have to we have to have in mind the welfare of others, not our own.
So then says, if if we were to if we if we were to accomplish, to attain liberation and enlightenment, then we will be accomplishing a stable lasting happiness. In the states of liberation and enlightenment, there is no there’s no suffering whatsoever. One doesn’t experience one one doesn’t experience any suffering whatsoever. And then Geshe-la says, so then this attainment which is liberation, this happiness of liberation which is lasting happiness which is stable lasting happiness or everlasting happiness. It one can one can attain this lasting happiness through liberation, but even even liberation itself is very difficult to accomplish.
In order to accomplish liberation, one must completely forsake, give up, cast away one’s own happiness. And and one also must realize emptiness. So then we see how difficult it is actually to accomplish liberation. And then and then and then also, Geshe-la says also the the the state of omniscience, which is the state of full enlightenment. Also, it it is also difficult to accomplish because it also involves involves these two previous factors that were mentioned.
On top of that, one must develop the wish to bring all sentient beings to that state of enlightenment also, to that state of omniscience also. And that is that is what is called this intention, this wish is what is called the the mind of enlightenment. And that’s Geshe-la previously said that that that enlightenment, that state of enlightenment of omniscience is the ultimate happiness and. So then that mind of enlightenment involves involves the wish to attain enlightenment for the sake of all sentient beings, for the sake of freeing all sentient beings from every suffering, wishing them to be free from every suffering, wishing them to be endowed with every happiness. And then by the by the by the with these two minds, which are the minds of compassion and loving kindness, then one develops the wish then to bring all sentient beings to that state of enlightenment.
And that is what is called the mind of enlightenment, bodhicitta. And then Geshe says, so then how how how do we go about then developing this wish? And Geshe-la starts explaining that at first, we we understand that we we ourselves right now, we do not wish for any suffering, and we wish only to experience happiness. And and and still, we we strive in order to to obtain what is called contaminated contaminated or defiled happiness. And and still, we experience we experience we have the experience of suffering.
So we still we accumulate contaminated happiness, and we still even though we we do not wish for suffering, we still experience suffering. And then so then we must we must then read ourselves of that mind that that that thinks of one one’s own welfare alone. And we must we must we must come to understand that one one’s self is is not as important as all the sentient beings. Attaining one’s one’s own happiness means attain means attaining equals equals attaining the happiness of only one sentient being whilst attaining the happiness of others of other sentient beings equals attaining the happiness of innumerable sentient beings. So because of that, we see how others, which are innumerable, are way more important than oneself alone, which are only one amount only to one sentient being.
And this is what said. It is we have to understand that it is by by benefiting benefiting others that we actually benefit ourselves. And it is when we we we do harm to others, cause harm to others, that we also we also cause harm to ourselves. So we must understand how others are also much more important than than ourselves alone and how kind they are to us. And then so then the first the first half of the verse was telling us that we must forsake our own our own happiness and then take onto ourselves the suffering of all the sentient beings.
And then the second half of the verse was telling us, if we actually cast away this this huge collection which is all the sentient beings, then needs is there to have the teachings of the great vehicle? Welfare of others, so then there is no need to have the Mahāyāna teachings. And then we proceed to the to the next verse of which is telling us so then, therefore, then for the sake of of freeing this limitless sentient beings, and then Geshe-la says, so then freeing this limitless sentient beings from the sufferings of cyclic existence, then one one then produces, gives rise to the the great this unsurpassable mind of enlightenment. And then and then the text proceeds, the verse of Gyelsay Togmey proceeds to say, having having given rise to this mind of enlightenment, then one proceeds to to abandon, to give up one’s own purposes, one’s own welfare, and and then strives to directly and indirectly to accomplish the welfare, the the benefit of others. And such a person explains, is is what he regards as as a great a great being.
And says then to that, says, then this is something which is very difficult to accomplish now, isn’t it? I mean, one has to completely forsake one’s own happiness, one’s own purposes and welfare, and then one must strive to accomplish the happiness of others. And Geshe-la says, but but what we have in actuality is that most sentient beings, they are, be they humans, animals, or hungry ghosts or whatever, they are always thinking first and foremost of their own happiness and benefit and welfare. So then and Geshe says, so then while whilst one is striving for one’s own welfare, for one’s own purpose, in which Geshe-la explains the Tibetan word which is used to translate as purpose or welfare. Geshe-la says it it means striving for one’s own happiness.
Then one engages in Geshe-la says that in that intention only brings only brings suffering to us. Then Geshe explains, because whilst one is striving to accomplish one’s own happiness, then one engages in all sorts of misconduct, one uses, how to say, harsh harsh speech and once once uses misleading or or or deceiving words and so forth. And in this way, one one’s end up generating suffering, creating suffering. Whoever it is or whatever it is, Geshe says, be it human or nonhuman, even an insect, Geshe-la says, if one If one has the chance, the opportunity when we will engage in all sorts of misconduct again, will cause harm to others, we’ll fight and how to say, engage in all sorts of of misconduct for the sake of accomplishing this one’s own benefit and welfare. So then Geshe-la says again, Geshe-la was was proceeding and saying so then when people, again, do whatever they can in order to to accomplish the welfare and the benefit to be if if maybe even even, how to say, getting a larger house or or or making it better looking and so forth, all sorts of of stuff.
So then Gesela Gesela says, so we all we’re always engaging in that. And then Geshe-la says, all sentient beings, well, they must they must they must accomplish their happiness. Yes. We all must accomplish our happiness, but we must accomplish ultimate happiness. And then Geshe-la says, so then if if we are if we were to to strive to to accomplish the welfare of others, then we would also be accomplishing our own welfare.
And because of that, we should then train our minds in in loving kindness, compassion, and of enlightenment and so forth. And then after after having quoted this verse of Gyelsay Togmey, we are told that Gyelsay Togmey himself, he not only said that, but he took this instruction as the heart of his practice. So then he was always practicing in order to accomplish the benefit of others. And then so and then we proceed to the next chapter to the next chapter, which is meditations and teachings on the relative or conventional mind of enlightenment, bodhicitta. And we start saying so then as for the the engaging bodhicitta, the engaging mind of enlightenment, then we have two meditations and teachings.
Then we have first, we have the conventional or relative mind of enlightenment. And secondly, we have the ultimate mind of enlightenment. And we start with the first one, which is the conventional mind of enlightenment. So then as for the first, the the as as for meditating on on the conventional or relative mind of enlightenment, then also we have two two ways to meditate on the conventional mind of enlightenment. And the first one is exchanging self for others during meditative equipoise.
And secondly, we have taking suffering onto the path as during post meditation. So then as for the first of those those those two which is then exchanging self for others during meditation equipoise. And we read the next verse of thirty seven practice of the Bodhisattva. And he’s telling us in the first half of the verse, he’s telling us, all suffering without exception springs from the desire for one’s own happiness. And perfect enlightenment is born from a mind intent on benefiting others.
And then and then the second half of the verses, is is telling us that that, therefore, it is the practice of bodhisattvas to authentically exchange one’s own happiness for the suffering of others. And is telling us that that’s how we should practice. That’s that’s how we ought to practice. Then Geshe-la says, now this this is something which is very difficult to practice. And and and he says, but even though it is it is difficult to practice, we shouldn’t we shouldn’t how to say?
We shouldn’t put it aside or give up on it just because it is difficult. We should persist on practicing because as we practice, meditation gets more and more powerful, and then eventually, we will accomplish the the purpose of this meditation. Is then quoting then a very famous verse from from the Bodhisattva way of life with where where where where is telling us that there is nothing there is nothing whatsoever that doesn’t become easier through familiarization. And says, so then, again, even though it is difficult, if if if if even if it is difficult, if we familiarize ourselves, it will it will get easier and easier. It’s bound to get easier.
And then is giving us an illustration of this process. Explains. So then all of us, we went through the through the process of of learning how to write, and then we we all can remember how difficult it it actually was to write just a few letters. We we had to put such a great amount of effort to accomplish that. And still nowadays, I mean, we we people write even when they are sleeping.
You know? It’s so easy after after having familiarized with it. Then Geshe lah is saying Yes, sir. And Geshe lah says, so then so then if we if we were to train our minds in this way, then eventually, we would be able to to accomplish this. We will be to accomplish this this this practice of bodhisattvas and of exchanging oneself for others.
And so then when when one talks about exchanging self and others, what what what what is meant by exchanging here? So then it is it is actually working to accomplish the welfare of others and whilst not working to accomplish one’s own welfare. And if one if one is doing that, if one is working to accomplish the welfare of others and one is not working for one’s own welfare, then one is doing this exchanging of self and others. One is accomplishing that. So then this is the instruction for meditation meditating on relative bodhicitta during meditation meditative, is to say it’s during during your formal meditation practice.
That’s so then this is the instruction that we have to follow. And Geshe-la says, so we when we are when we are in our in our formal daily meditation practice session, then we should we should be thinking of developing the wish, the intention that we I myself, I’m going to work for the benefit of others, and I’m not going to to think about accomplishing my own benefit. And said, as a result of practicing in this way, then, anyway, one one one will also get as a consequence as a mere consequence of of that, one one one one will get one’s own benefit accomplished also. And so then we are told that we we must strive for for the benefit of others. And even though we might not be able to do that, we can see when we are when when we are actually striving to benefit those people that are friends or relatives or loved ones, that we actually do strive for the benefit of these people.
And we can see that when we do that, we actually attain our own benefit. We can see that in these relationships that we have. And then and so then we can see how how this how this meditation would work. And then but still, for for the most of the time, we are we are how do you say? We are striving for our own happiness, and then eventually, what we get is our own suffering.
Then Geshe-la started reading from the commentary to that verse, and the commentary is just saying with with more wording. What what was said in the verse is telling us that in this in this place of of which is cyclic existence, which is saṃsāra, then whatever whatever suffering we experience, be it big or small, whatever suffering there is, all of it springs from, how to say, the wish that that self-cherishing mind, the self-cherishing attitude that wishes to accomplish one’s own happiness alone. So then it is that self-cherishing mind which which gives rise to which brings about all this suffering, all suffering, every suffering that we experience. And then and then on the other hand, we are told that the the the happiness of of complete of the complete of complete enlightenment and of of of full enlightenment and so forth. And so then here, the author is is talking about full the full enlightenment of a Buddha and also the enlightenment of of a Pratyekabuddha or an arhat.
And then so then all the happiness of of of full enlightenment and liberation, then be it be it worldly or or beyond this this world, then whatever benefits and and and and happiness there is, all of it comes forth, springs, how do say, springs from and arises from that mind, which is intent on benefiting others and holds others as as more dear than oneself. And then and then we are told we are told after after that, we are told, therefore, whilst holding others as more dear than oneself, then whatever whatever virtue and happiness that we have, we we we give it all away to other sentient beings. And then Geshe-la explains, so then we dedicate the results of whatever virtue that we have accumulated for the benefit of all the sentient beings. And then on top of that, so on top of of giving away our happiness and virtue to other sentient beings, then we also how to say? Whilst forsaking ourselves, then we we we take onto ourselves whatever negativity and suffering that that is present on the continuum of other sentient beings.
And in this way, for this way of practicing, then we exchange, how to say, our our happiness and other other beings’ sufferings. And then we we we the text the commentary concludes that this this authentic exchange of of these two which are then the mind that holds oneself as dear and the mind that’s how to say completely forsakes others. So the the authentic exchange of these two is the way that the bodhisattvas practice this meditation of exchanging self for others. Okay. And then and then we have after having that that explained to us, we have we have another quote from the Bodhisattva way of life of Śāntideva, which is telling us whoever wishes to quickly protect oneself and all others then should engage in this sacred sacred secret, which is called exchanging exchanging oneself for others.
And briefly explained that it a sacred teaching because sorry. It’s a sacred and secret teaching because very few people are actually able to how do you say, to accept this teaching, to to take this teaching onto themselves and and the the the minds how do you say? Very few people are are able to take it to heart. Yeah. And then and then we are we are we are told after the after that that verse of of Śāntideva, we are told that, how do you say, whoever whoever to be protected from both the fears, whoever wishes to protect oneself and others from both the fears and the dangers of cyclic existence and of peace, what is called peace, which is self liberation, of the liberation of oneself alone, then this this one should So Geshe-la wants to stop here today so to give an opportunity for people to ask questions.
Very hard to give somebody your happiness. Well, I’ve tried it, you know, with with different people, and they it just gets mean and not. You know? Maybe I’m doing it wrong, but wrongly. But how do you actually hear from me when you can do that meditation, but I can’t pull it out of my heart and put it in their heart?
So then Geshe-la says, so then this because this difficulty that you experience, that that’s Geshe-la says, that’s what is also meant when the text is saying that this meditation is a sacred and secret practice. In the verse of Śāntideva, we were told that this, how to say, whoever wishes to protect oneself and all others should engage in this sacred and secret practice, which is exchanging self and others. Geshe-la was saying. So then it is called sacred and secret because it is it is very difficult to do that. It is something something which is very difficult to do.
But still, Geshe-la says, if you were to keep on practicing and familiarizing yourself, eventually you will be able to get better and better. And when you when you actually do that, when you actually give away your your virtue and happiness, it’s not it’s not as if you cease to be or you destroy yourself or you kill yourself or anything. It’s just all all that happens is that your practice will get better and better. And then is explaining to you then if you were to meditate for five minutes, and then at the end of of your meditation practice, you were to to think or is if I take this virtue of with this five minutes of meditation and keep it for myself, then I will only be benefiting one person alone. So I will give instead whatever virtue or merit that I have created that I have created, I will give it to all other sentient beings.
So then when you give when you give when you give this this virtue away to all sentient beings, you are creating an innumerable, how to say, an immeasurable an immeasurable amount of of merit. It’s because sentient beings are truly innumerable. And then but because you are the one who is giving. You are the one who is giving it. You are the giver.
You are the one who’s performing this action of giving. So you will get on the other hand, you will get back this benefit, which is in direct proportion to the amount of sentient beings that you are benefiting in this way. So then then Then Geshe-la. Then Geshe-la is giving another another illustration, which is which is very interesting. So then the Buddha Buddha Śākyamūni, where is Buddha Śākyamūni.
The Buddha the Buddha Śākyamūni himself, he gave he gave up all of his happiness and virtue. And he gave for our sakes, he gave it all away to all of the sentient beings, to ourselves. And still and still, we we we haven’t attained any enlightenment now, have we? He’s the one who attained enlightenment. He attained enlightenment.
We didn’t. Yeah. So then that that’s that’s the way it works. So then if you if you don’t think carefully in this way, then you will not be able to perform that giving. And and you you would just keep on keep on thinking of yourself alone, but then you have been thinking of yourself alone since beginningless time.
So you have so then that’s the shall I say, so then we have to think carefully about it. And the second part of that question was, did the Śākyamūni Buddha was he just like me once? Just hanging around? Yes, not only he was just like us, he was the number of times that he was our own father and mother is is innumerable. Actually.
Yeah. So then, so then he’s telling you that you you you have been you have been in with in cyclic existence, going around in cycle of this since since beginning of time, since time immemorial, since like this huge amount of time. Alright? And then and then also, Buddha, before he attained enlightenment, he was going around since time immemorial. And so, you know, we we have all been together innumerable times.
So, Ashley, you want to ask us something? Good. That feels good, and then you got attached to it. You get attached to that. I wish I could get attached to that.
I don’t have the It’s like there’s two two things going on at the same time. How do you not? Wouldn’t you think that is a good attachment, but I will ask. I will ask. Okay.
So then so then, yes, it is alright to do that because it’s alright for that to happen because you you you’re still doing that even though so when you’re thinking of of of the benefit of others and you’re disregarding your own benefit, and while you’re doing that, there is this good feeling coming about. And so then if this good feeling is the result of thinking about others, and it’s alright to to be attached to that because that you will keep on thinking about others That would just keep on keep you thinking about all this more and more. Mhmm. Feels like maybe it changes Not all attachment is bad. Like that motivation is actually really to help people, it almost changes to But you because it makes me feel good.
No. I’m passionate about doing bad things to changed you’ve it around a little bit, and it’s not quite you know, do you have to do you have to actually give up offer up your happiness that you receive from doing that action to therefore therefore not feel attached to it. That sounds a bit like old methodist suffering. Yes. Dedicate.
You So then then so then we we are striving to accomplish ultimate happiness. We We are doing that here. Mean that’s what we’re supposed to be doing at least. And so in order to attain enlightenment, which is ultimate happiness, then accomplishing. We meditate on accomplishing the benefit of all the sentient beings.
That’s what we are doing here. So we are trying to accomplish we are trying to accomplish the state of enlightenment to give rise to the mind that should to accomplish the state of enlightenment and so forth. In order to do that, we have to think. We have to give rise to produce a mind that is intent of benefiting others. Yes?
But you can’t avoid the bliss that comes with bodhicitta. Pardon? But you I mean, the the bliss that follows from bodhicitta, you can’t stop that. That’s what we’re striving for, generally. What do you You’re striving for the bliss of bodhicitta, but that is a natural It’s a natural consequence?
Natural consequence. Yes. That’s actually a little bit worried about that that bliss that sits grasping that comes with Well, if there is feeling that is that what you As soon as there is grasping, the the bliss will stop up. I can promise you that. So then Geshe-la explains, when one actually manages to develop, to to generate, to create, produce an uncontrived mind of enlightenment, then one does not experience any more suffering whatsoever.
And and then I I ask I ask Geshe-la then. So then one one one doesn’t experience any suffering. So when we will experience this great bliss, won’t won’t we experience that? And he says, yes. We will experience.
So now when we have that bliss, whilst we have whilst endowed with this this uncontrived mind of enlightenment, and we have this bliss, can we get attached? And then and then I explained to him, but there’s there’s attachments and attachments. and I asked, can we get attachment? Can can can the afflictive emotion of attachment come about? And he says, no.
No afflictive emotion. Okay. So so what you’re saying just cannot happen. Yeah. Yeah.
Appreciate it. Mundane sense. Then the sense is is you don’t have it. You know? So you you still don’t have the mind of enlightenment.
That’s that’s what is being said here. Once you have the mind of enlightenment, the genuine one, the authentic one, the mundane things doesn’t happen anymore. If it is happening, you don’t have. That’s what Geshe-la just said. That’s the the necessary consequence of that.
If you have the uncontrived, which is uncontrived, it’s a permanent thing. It’s there twenty four seven, mind of enlightenment. You don’t have any suffering, and you don’t have any afflictive emotion. And if you have afflictive emotion, if you have this, what you call, grasping your attachment in the sense of afflictive emotion, then you don’t have the other one. You wanted to ask something?
The more I thought about it, I sort of answered my own question, but it was to do with the appropriateness of sharing the idea of Tonglen practice with others. The appropriateness of Yeah. Because just because Geshe-la said it’s very special. It’s really precious. And sometimes when you talk to people about it, they have a problem with the notion of taking on other people’s suffering that then it may cause them somehow.
Yeah. So then so then so then, it is that’s what what happens when we we we talk we talk about it with with people because nobody actually wishes to take that suffering. Everybody’s afraid of that and what what that might imply or whatever. And then I I asked, so then should should she is it alright for for for one to be talking about this practice with this anybody? Geshe-la says, well, we talk about it with those who do who do want to give rise to the mind of enlightenment.
They want to attain enlightenment. And if they don’t want to, then we don’t we don’t talk about it. So then Geshe-la says there are all sorts of people. And then some people will say, ah, I don’t believe in that. This will never happen.
This is silly. So these people, we don’t talk about it. And then other people will say, oh, maybe, you know, they they start giving a little bit more thought to it and they say, oh, maybe there’s something here. And then you and then you talk with them. Yes.
Is that okay? I just gotta say, I was just thinking about Gabe’s comments that people think when they take on the suffering of others, they’re gonna get used up. That’s a very big notion in Australia. I’m not gonna take on your stuff because I you know, I’m protecting myself. It’s not in Australia.
It’s keep your stuff. It’s everywhere in the whole of cyclic existence. It’s not a privilege of Australians. Brazilians do that too. Tibetans also do that, by the way.
Not only Australians everybody and then because nobody understands what is is real happiness and what is suffering clearly. So then So then so then Geshe-la says, without having carefully studied the Buddhist teachings, it will be very difficult to to understand this and and to and then to put it into practice. And Geshe-la says having having studied it well, then one will start to wonder if if if maybe that that is not the case. The teachings what what the teachings are telling us is not actually the case. Exchanging self and others wouldn’t be a good thing and so forth.
One has to has to think over many different reasonings to establish that. And and and it isn’t without meditating a lot that one will start gaining a how to say, an under a wholehearted understanding of it. As Geshe-la says, then we all need we all need ultimate lasting lasting happiness. But still, we do not we do not know what it is. We do not know lasting happiness.
We do not know what lasting happiness is. So we keep on striving. We keep on holding onto suffering as if it was happiness, and we keep on striving to obtain it. And and and if one does not think carefully about it, then one will not understand this fact. So then, let’s give you an illustration which is so then the the cattle, cows and bulls and so forth, they are always eating grass, aren’t they, and they think to themselves, oh, this is very very delicious, this is true happiness and they hold on to that as if that alone was happiness and they remain ignorant of the fact that there are many other foods which are which are much more delicious than grass.
But the the cattle doesn’t know that. You know? Doesn’t know that momos are more tasty than grass. And then in the same with us, we do not we do not know we do not know of the existence of the happiness of liberation and omniscience. Okay.
Thank you very much. And this one. Yeah. Okay. So right now