Audio recorded at Buddha House Adelaide. Transcript auto-generated and AI-corrected; may contain errors.
About this talk. Using a poisoned-soup analogy to show why samsaric pleasure and suffering are inseparable, Geshe Pema Tsering opens this 84-minute session — the second in a series on Lama Tsongkhapa’s three principal aspects of the path — by defining saṃsāra precisely: not cars or houses, but the powerless cycling under karma and afflictions, illustrated by a fan that cannot stop its own spinning. He then unpacks verse four’s six contemplations for reversing attachment to this life: the rarity and meaning of a human life with full freedoms and endowments, the certainty of death, the uncertainty of its timing, and the sole benefit of Dharma at death. He draws a worldly application too — that mindfulness of death can dissolve family grudges before it is too late. Aimed at students following the four-week renunciation segment, with a take-home exam announced for the final week.
File metadata (for organising)
File: 02 Three Principle Aspects.mp3
UUID: ace8791c-a0a4-439e-aa67-12a77f69167d
Teacher: Geshe Pema Tsering
Collection: The three principal aspects of the Path (Geshe Pema Tsering)
Date: 2002 (exact day not recorded)
Recorded at: Buddha House Adelaide
Duration: 84.8 minutes
Words: ~7,313
The essence of the Buddhadharma can be condensed into renunciation, bodhicitta, and the correct view. And as Lama Tsongkhapa has written a text about these three, and Geshe-la is giving teachings on it. So it’s for where we came in the text last week, we read up until the second half of the third verse. So last last week’s teachings ended with the lines, there is no way to attain peace without pure renunciation, the striving for pleasant results in the ocean of of saṃsāra. Okay.
We need to seek for ways by which we can prevent ourselves from experiencing the sufferings of saṃsāra. And one of these methods which allows us to not experience these sufferings is renunciation. How is it that renunciation acts as such a method by which we can avoid the sufferings of saṃsāra? Well, we have what are known as samsaric pleasures. And as there are samsaric pleasures, then we have a tendency to strive solely for those saṃsāra pleasures.
Renunciation allows us to to wear that tendency down. Renunciation allows us to turn back the tendency where we are striving solely for the pleasures of saṃsāra. And in that way, it can act as a method which prevents us from experiencing the sufferings of saṃsāra. The last two lines in the third verse read, it’s because of their hankering life. It should read something like, it says, it’s because of their hankering life as well that beings are fettered, so seek renunciation first, one might one might translate in another way saying that it is it is that very attachment to saṃsāra which which binds one to which binds one to saṃsāra.
Therefore, one must first seek renunciation. Now in general, we can one can say that there are many things which bind one to saṃsāra. In other words, saṃsāra has many many fetters which keep us within it. They’re things like grasping at true existence or karma and the afflictions and so on and so forth. But particularly in this context, when speaking about what binds one to saṃsāra, one focuses upon the tendency to be attached to saṃsāra.
It is that very attachment to saṃsāra, saṃsāra’s pleasures, which bind us to saṃsāra. Okay? One says that in general, things such as the eight worldly dharmas bind one to saṃsāra. In particular, it is the attachment to saṃsāra, particularly the pleasures of saṃsāra which bind one to that. So then one is give one receives the advice then, you must free yourself from saṃsāra.
You must be liberated from saṃsāra. It says, if if it that very if it is the attachment to saṃsāra which binds us to saṃsāra, obviously, you know, one should not be attached to saṃsāra or that that is what we’re told. So what does that mean? Does that mean we should not be attached to houses? Does that mean we should not be attached to cars?
Does that mean we should not be attached to Excuse me. One receives the advice, if it is attachment to saṃsāra which binds one to saṃsāra, then one should not be attached to saṃsāra. So then the question arises, is a car saṃsāra? Is the house saṃsāra? Are the trees saṃsāra?
Is water saṃsāra? If those are if those are right? Are are people saṃsāra? If they are here, we’re in the context of receiving the advice that we should not be attached to saṃsāra. Does that does and we and therefore, we need to be free from saṃsāra.
Does that mean we need to be freed from cars? We need to be freed from the house? We need to be freed from people? Do we need to be free from water? I mean, if you were liberated from water, if you were freed from water, it’d be a bit tough, wouldn’t it?
You’d be thirsty and you need water. So, I mean, before you understand what it means to be free from saṃsāra, first, you have to first, you have to understand what saṃsāra is. Oh. Okay? Are mountains and houses saṃsāra?
The question the answer to Geshe-la’s question is just no. Houses, cars, they are not saṃsāra. They are the place in which saṃsāra abides, but they themselves are not saṃsāra. So one can be freed from saṃsāra without being freed from one’s friends, without being freed from cars, without being freed from houses. In fact, these are necessary.
These so then what is saṃsāra? It’s explained in two different ways. Sometimes saṃsāra or from one perspective, saṃsāra is said to be these contaminated aggregates which we have which we have appropriated due to the power of karma and the afflictions. That can be stated in another way. Do we we fall under the sway of karma and the afflictions.
And due to being under the sway of karma and the afflictions, we repeatedly take rebirth in an uncontrolled manner. That is also described as saṃsāra. So what we are seeking to be freed from is this cycle in which we we are powerless over the type of rebirth which we are taking. We are trying to be liberated from the cycle in which we are under the sway of karma and the afflictions. Mhmm.
If you are freed from saṃsāra or being freed from saṃsāra does not mean you necessarily need to be freed from your aggregates. Mhmm. You need to be freed from this state in which you are powerless due to the fact that you are under the sway of karma and the afflictions. It’s important that we are able to identify saṃsāra as being a state of existence in which one lacks freedom, a state of existence in which one is without control. This is this yeah.
What what freedom means in this context is is explained by means of what actually we are now under the control of, that is to be free from this being under the sway of karma and the afflictions. It’s very important that we are able to identify it as such. We can describe this by means of an analogy. If you take a fan for instance, the fan circles around when you turn the switch on and the electrical current comes through. The fan itself is powerless, isn’t it?
The fan itself does not control its own spinning. Rather, the electrical current, which is, which is sent to the fan by turning on the switch controls the fan. If the switch were broken or if there were an electrical failure, this fan would be powerless to spin itself, wouldn’t it? Similarly, we cycle within saṃsāra in a powerless way, and we do not control our our cycling within saṃsāra, but rather our cycling within saṃsāra is controlled by karma and the afflictions. So once again, it’s very important that we be able to identify what saṃsāra is.
Now right now, we might have this vague understanding thinking, oh, yeah. Yeah. Samsāra must be something like that. But we need to take it a step further and really identify that saṃsāra is a state of existence in which one is powerless or lacks control, karma and the afflictions. Mhmm.
Now, Mhmm. Of course, at the very root of of this state of existence in which we lack freedom, we find the tendency to grasp at the self. And the tendency to grasp at the self is supported by or has as its branches the various types of afflictions. Of these afflictions, some of the most powerful and important are those of attachment. Now if we are able to recognize attachment and grasping at the self as being something which is faulty, then we can come to be free of them and thus be free of saṃsāra.
Okay? The advice we receive is not to be attached to saṃsāra. Yet if you were to ask any one of us, we would say, oh, if you’ve explained saṃsāra like that and and you’re telling me not to be attached to saṃsāra, well, they I’m gonna tell you that I’m not attached to that state of lacking freedom. I’m not attached to the fact that I am experiencing these things powerlessly. Rather, what are what are we attached to?
We’re attached to the pleasures. We’re attached to the pleasures and happiness of saṃsāra. We’re attached to these very aggregates. But in fact, these very aggregates and the pleasures that we experience are experienced in a powerless way. They are obtained and received in a in a way which we do not exercise total control over.
The problem is not that we are not able to recognize that we experience these things powerlessly because it’s clear to all of us that happiness and pleasure, for instance, is something which we do not have total control over. Mean, after all, it changes, doesn’t it? Yeah? We can’t make a stay for as long as we want. That’s an indication that it changes.
That’s an indication that we do not have total control over it. But despite the fact that we understand that not only these aggregates, but also saṃsāra pleasures are things which we receive in a powerless manner, still we are attached to them. We do not distinguish between the things within saṃsāra. It’s like if you have a soup, a bowl of soup, and someone were to have poured poison into that soup during its preparation. And so now that the poison has disseminated throughout the entire in the entire soup.
Well, you couldn’t you couldn’t very well separate that poison from from the soup, so you can’t very well partake of the soup without also partaking of the poison. Correct? We one cannot distinguish or differentiate between what is good for you and what is bad for you in that soup as it has come to pervade the entire thing. Therefore, if you do not want to experience the suffering which comes from imbibing poison, then you have to refrain from eating the soup altogether. Otherwise, as long as you partake of the soup, you’re going to partake of the poison as well.
Attachment to saṃsāra is something something like this. Although we may not be attached to the unpleasurable aspects of saṃsāra, we are attached to the pleasurable aspects of saṃsāra. And and those pleasurable aspects of saṃsāra are inextricably linked with the displeasurable aspects. So as long as we are partaking of one, we partake of the other as well. There’s no denying that there is pleasure within saṃsāra.
There’s also no denying that that we understand that we experience these things on in an uncontrolled manner. However, we never despite the fact that we know that, we never really investigate or examine these issues to to see that as long as we are attached to one, the other comes hand in hand. Once again, the verse reads, the last two lines reads, it’s because of their hankering for saṃsāra as well as that beings are once again. Yeah. It’s it’s that very attachment to saṃsāra which binds beings to to it.
So seek renunciation first. So in what way must we begin the search for renunciation? Well, one needs to take one needs to look at happiness. It’s not necessarily the case that all instances of happiness are samsaric happiness. In fact, samsaric happiness is only one type of happiness.
Samsaric happiness is happiness which one experiences in an uncontrolled or in an uncontrolled manner, a manner in which one does not have freedom over or control over. It is by nature, in fact, suffering. That is in the very name. That’s why it is called samsaric happiness. There is other happiness, which is non samsaric happiness.
In fact, happiness can be said to be a general category of which samsaric happiness is only one part. There’s also what is known as happiness of liberation. The primary obstacle which prevents us from from being free from saṃsāra is, in fact, attachment to saṃsāra happiness and pleasures. There’s also a second obstacle. There’s also a second thing which prevents us from being free from saṃsāra, and that is the fact that we do not strive for this these types of happy there this type of happiness of liberation.
As long as we are still attached to the happiness of saṃsāra and we are not striving for the happiness of liberation, we will not be free from saṃsāra. So if one is interested in being free from saṃsāra, one needs to abandon the attachment towards saṃsāra and begin to seek the happiness of liberation that thereby eliminating the two primary obstacles which prevent one from being free from this state. Attachment to the pleasures of saṃsāra can take two forms. We can be attached towards the pleasures of this life, and we can be attached towards the pleasures of future lives. And now to look at the ways by which one can reverse the attachment towards the pleasures of this life, one one must contemplate certain things, and those are covered in the fourth verse, which which begins by reading, Leisure and fortune are hard to find life is not long.
Think it constantly. Stop desires for this life, or we can say stop the fantasies for this life. If you look at the first line, it says, leisure and fortune are hard to find. Life’s not long. There’s really only two things spoken about here, leisure and fortune being difficult to find and the fact that there’s not a lot of time in life.
But the very wording of the very words leisure and fortune then indicate that that we have a a very meaningful opportunity or that we can actually take advantage of the situation which we have right now and make it very meaningful. So in fact, we can say that there’s three subjects covered here. First, the fact that having a life in which you possess leisure and fortune can be made very meaningful. Such an opportunity is very difficult to find, and the fact that there’s not much time in life. Then the verse continues oh, excuse me.
So this last topic of the fact that there’s not much time in life, which is stated life’s not long, can be broken down into three components. That is the fact that these have to do with the contemplations that death is certain, the time of death is uncertain, and at the time of death, nothing but the dharma is of benefit. In general, of all the life forms one can think of, the one possessing a human body is quite special. But on the one yeah. human body is just a general thing which is shared by by everyone, all humans in this world.
Amongst all types of of human existences, amongst all types of human body is the of the most or the most special is a human a human body which possesses the leisures and endowments. human body itself is important because it has this capacity to discriminate, and and even more special as that is the human body which does not only possess this capacity for discrimination, but also the eight leisures and the ten endowments. But without going into all eighteen of these leisures and endowments, the leisures and endowments can be condensed into internal conditions and external conditions. Basically, internal conditions and external conditions refer to methods which allow one to attain liberation. So someone who possesses all external and internal conditions and therefore has all the conditions necessary to be able to attain liberation is called someone who possesses a human body with the leisures and endowments.
External conditions refer to having free time. It refer refers to having one’s external one’s external environment and situation be not obstructive to the pursuit of liberation. So someone who is under the control, under the direct control of another person. In other words, if you are controlled by another person or if you have so much work that you have absolutely no free time or if you are suffering from a very grave illness which prevents you from using what you have, you what that that particular person could not be said to have the external conditions which allow one to attain liberation. The internal conditions refer to the particular thoughts and ways of thinking which you might have.
For instance, a person who investigates. What is the difference between happiness of liberation and the happiness of saṃsāra? Someone who thinks about whether it’s necessary to be liberated from saṃsāra, someone who thinks about the methods by which that might come about, someone who entertains such thoughts can be said to possess the internal conditions which are conducive to the attainment of liberation. So in order to be said to possess the eighteen leisures and endowments, it is necessary that one one have a human body and live in such a way or in such a situation so that the external and internal conditions conducive to liberation are complete. What’s that?
human if we’re one were to compare the number of humans and the number of humans who possess all who possess all internal and external conditions conducive for the attainment of liberation, one would find that one who possesses the all internal and external conditions are more rare than the general number of humans. For that reason, one can say that a human body possessing the leisures and endowments is difficult to find. The human body, whether it possesses the leisures and endowments or not, is a result. It came about in dependence upon causes. Similarly, a human body and a lot human life, we can say, in which one possesses the leisures and endowments, all internal and external conditions, is also a result.
It came about in dependence upon very special conditions or, excuse me, very special causes. As it is difficult to collect the causes, the special causes, are required to have a human life which is replete with all the leisures and endowments, then the result of possessing a human life as such is very rare. For that reason, one says that the human body or human life in which one possesses leisures and endowments is extremely difficult to find. A human life which is complete with all the internal and external conditions is also or can also be made extremely meaningful. In in order to make such a such an opportunity of such a human life extremely meaningful, the internal conditions are extremely important.
That means that it is of utmost importance that one engage in an investigation to try and determine what the causes of saṃsāra are. What are the causes of suffering? What are the methods by which one can abandon suffering in saṃsāra? What are the things which need to be abandoned along the way? Engaging in such investigations differentiating between what is good, what is bad, what is right, what is wrong, what is correct, what is incorrect are all very important.
And by doing so, by engaging in these very investigations, it is not only possible to bring about a state in which we no longer have to experience suffering ourselves, but we can also perfect our own well-being to the point that we develop the capacity to effortlessly and spontaneous accomplish the well-being of others as well. Such a state in which one is capable of effortlessly and spontaneously accomplishing the well-being of all others is, of course, the most meaningful state there is. And that in order to bring one to perfect one’s well-being to that level, it is essential that one has all of these internal and external conditions, particularly the internal conditions. In fact, this human body is so meaningful that it is more important than possessing millions of dollars. Because even if one possessed millions of dollars, as long as or excuse me.
Even if one possessed millions of dollars but lacked the internal and external conditions, they would be incapable of developing their own well-being to such a state in which they could effortlessly and spontaneously accomplish the well-being of others. And so therefore, if if that’s the most meaningful thing, then the most meaningful aspect of life is not going to be possessing millions of dollars, but rather possessing the conditions necessary to being able to actualize these things. And that is found in the leisures and endowments. Okay? In this first line, in fact, just in the first half of the first line of the fourth verse, then Geshe-la has covered three points.
The the verse reads, leisure and fortune or leisure and the endowments are difficult to find or hard to find. So first of all, leisure and endow the leisure and endowments refers to possessing, yeah, a human body which possesses leisure and endowments. In this context, Geshe-la distinguished between is, in general, possessing a human body that is living a human life and having leading a human life in which the internal and external conditions are complete. And then he mentioned how it is such a human life which is replete with the leisures and endowments is difficult to find. It is difficult to find.
Why? Because it is difficult to accumulate the causes which lead to taking such a rebirth. And finally, having a human life which is replete with the leisures and endowments can be very meaningful. Why? Because it is by means of having such a life that we can attain the ultimate type of happiness and eliminate suffering altogether.
So it was very this is very good for you because here you have through just a few words which you can take home, yeah, and perhaps even memorize and use to meditate. There’s actually quite a lot to meditate upon in just these very few words, isn’t there? Three basic points, but quite a lot within those. Okay? Then as for the second half of this line it says life’s not long and here we have three points to contemplate as well.
One might think that despite the fact that a human life in which we have leisures and endowments is difficult to find, despite the fact that it’s very meaningful, we oftentimes make plans on the basis of the thought that, Oh yeah, I’ll live for a long time and there’s always time to take advantage of this and do what I need to do, right? But in fact, when you consider the fact, these three points, which are covered in the statement life’s not long, you come to see that that’s not actually necessarily the case, despite the fact that we make such plans, you never know. Three points are of the three points, the first two are the fact that death is certain and that the time of death is uncertain. We all have the hope that, you know, we’re gonna be the one left over, yeah, without, yeah, without having to die. We all kind of hope that that actually rule, you know, we’re exempt from that one, but that’s not the case.
I mean, death is certain. Yeah. Even if we can recognize that death is certain, then we, you know, we at least think that, you know, I’ll I’ll hopefully be able to live about that long. But, you know, and as long as I can live that long, I’ve got my plans and so on and so forth. But in fact, one shouldn’t one shouldn’t think in this way either because the time of that one is one is going to die is not set.
We do not know that we have this much longer to live. In fact, the time of death is uncertain. And when these two come together, it’s quite dangerous, isn’t it? Not only is death certain, yeah, but the time of death is uncertain. It’s completely inappropriate to be making to be acting as if in making plans, as if we’re going to live as long as we plan to or and so on and so forth.
Therefore, just because yeah. Therefore, we should not think in such a way that just because I have this difficult to find opportunity and it’s very meaningful, there’s going to be time to take advantage of it, but rather we need to take advantage of it right now in light of these two points. Geshe-la himself feels that contemplating that death’s certainty and that the time of death is uncertain is important, not just in terms of a dharma way of thinking but also in a worldly way of thinking. I mean, of course it goes without saying that in terms of the dharma, contemplating these two points are extremely important because the dharma is essentially methods by which we can be freed from suffering and we, as death is certain the time when death is uncertain, we need to try and engage in these methods right now from this point onwards. Not putting it off at all but right now.
In a worldly perspective as well, it’s important to contemplate these two points. Think about it’s important to live a respectable life. It’s important to be close with others. It’s important to be a good person, isn’t it? For instance, if you have a family, yeah, it’s important that you contribute to the happiness experienced by that family and that you don’t spend all your time just arguing back and forth.
If you are mindful of the fact, if you recognize the fact that who knows when you’re gonna die? It’s certain that you’re gonna die, but you don’t know when. Then you’re going to you’re going to conduct your affairs in a different way, that you’re you’re not going to let the grudges stay as they are, and you’re not gonna spend all your time arguing and disagreeing and being unhappy within your family, but you’re going to try and resolve the conflicts because you’re not going to want to die and, you know, regretting the fact that you never made up with that person or regretting the fact that your whole family life was filled with strife and had no happiness. Being mindful of these points then is also important from a worldly perspective because it encourages one in a very strong way to conduct oneself responsibly and respectably and contribute to the happiness rather than spend all one’s time in disagreements. Yeah.
Of course, this text is speaking purely in terms of the Dharma, that it is saying it’s important to contemplate death’s certainty and the uncertainty at the time of death because we need to practice the methods which will liberate us from suffering right now. But Geshe-la himself mixes a bit of the worldly life with the Dharma life, so he thinks that there might be some benefit of explaining the beneficial effects of contemplating dharma points as they relate the world as well. As long as we’re not liberated from saṃsāra, we might as well try and live in saṃsāra as happily as possible, right? I mean, if you’re living in saṃsāra and you’re always experiencing nothing but suffering, I mean, that’s a great loss, it’s a great pity, isn’t it? Might as well, yeah, enjoy yourself and try and live in as pleasant a way as possible as long as you’re not liberated.
We don’t need to posit any reasons in support of these two assertions that death is certain at the time of death is uncertain. I mean, it’s clear to us all that that’s the case, isn’t it? We don’t need to resort to some logical argument establishing that that is the case. We know that it is. Furthermore, the faults which we incur are not faults which come about due to our lack of understanding these points because we all understand the death is certain and that the time of death is uncertain.
Rather, the faults that we incur come about through not being mindful of these points. Faults come about when we are not when we lack mindfulness, when we, in other words, forget that death is certain, that the time of death is uncertain. But there are many benefits to be had when we are mindful of these points. So of course, you know, young children might be the exception to this rule. They might not understand that this is the case, but once you reach a certain age, we all come to understand that and we see then that the fault does not lie in the lack of understanding, but rather in the lack of mindfulness and about that.
So we should come to appreciate that there are benefits to being mindful of this and faults to not being mindful of these particular points. Now the last point, which is discussed in connection with the statement that life’s not long, is that at the time of death, nothing but the dharma is of benefit. Unlike the first two points, then perhaps it’s helpful to look into the various reasons which support this type of assertion. The statement that at the time of death nothing but the dharma is a benefit is explained in relation to four different things. First of all, at the time of death, material possessions and wealth are of no benefit or yet cannot save one from that situation essentially is what that means.
One’s friends, loved ones, relatives, they are not of benefit because also they cannot save one from that situation. And also this very body itself is not of benefit at the time of death because this body itself cannot prevent what is going to occur. So none of these three things, material possessions or wealth, friends, loved ones, relatives, and this body are not beneficial at the time of death. What is beneficial at the time of death? Dharma.
Why is that? Because one leaves everything behind, and it is only the continuity of mind which continues after life. And so then along with that continuity of life are the capacities of mind. Whatever capacities that mind that have been placed in that mind, whatever capacities have been set into that mind previous to that point, those travel with the mind. In terms of the capacities which might be in a mind, are dharmic capacities and nondharmic capacities.
Those dharmic capacities can be described as dharmic attitudes or dharmic states of mind or the results of what has been of having cultivated those things. And so dharmic capacities of mind, dharmic states of mind or dharmic attitudes are going to lead to happiness in the future, whereas nondharmic states of mind, anger, pride, jealousy, the various types of afflictions, those are although they are also capacities of mind, they are negative aspects of mind and those will induce suffering in the future. So at the time of death, yeah, it’s not that it’s not that the mind alone goes, actually the mind and the capacities of the mind continue on and dependent upon the capacities which one has in one’s mind either happiness or suffering will be induced. So before one dies, the more one can familiarize oneself and habituate oneself with positive states of mind, that is dharmic attitudes and so forth, and the more beneficial that will be because that results in the placement of such capacities in one’s mind, which will indeed in the future induce, bring forth happiness or suffering. Do you understand this point which is made when they say that at the time of death, nothing but dharma is of benefit?
Actually, the whole assumption underlying this line of thinking is that past and future lives exist, correct? Yeah. I mean, assuming that future lives exist, then one goes on to, one goes to speak about what happens after death. So at this point, it’s important that one engages in an analysis in which one trying, one is trying to determine whether or not it is the case that one will take rebirth after death. If indeed it is the case that future lives do do exist, that is if it is indeed the case that one will take rebirth in the future, then, yeah, we might be in some danger.
Yeah? Never what type of rebirth will it be that we take? Yeah? So if indeed it is the case that future lives exist, then we need to start our preparation for those lives at this very moment. It’s important at this point, or I should say more literally, it’s very good if at this point in contemplating the dharma that one can entertain or one can look into this issue about whether or not past and future lives exist.
Well, if you were to ask, know, what what does he think? Is it would it be better? You know, just supposing, would it be better if past excuse me, would it be better if future lives existed or didn’t exist? His response will be, for somebody who isn’t able to, for somebody who doesn’t find themselves able to prepare for those future lives, he would say that actually, yeah, it’s better if there are no future lives. But actually Geshe-la has looked into this, at this point for many years now.
He’s engaged in a very forthright study of Buddhism and in his study and investigation, he’s come to see that there are many, many valid reasons which seem to support the fact that future lives exist and no reasons which are able to conclusively prove that that is not the case. Not only that, but Not only is it that he has found very many valid reasons supporting the fact that future lives exist and not found any which conclusively refute that point, but in fact, the deeper his study of Buddhism has become, the more clear it becomes that future lives must exist. So for somebody, although perhaps for somebody who finds themselves unable to make preparations to ensure that those future lives will be good, it seems that on a very honest and forthright investigation one finds that actually there’s more evidence supporting the fact that they do than they don’t. The text states that we must familiarize our mind with these six points which have been covered so that we may reverse the fantasies of this lifetime, that is reverse the attachment we have to the pleasures of this lifetime. So these six points are once again the fact that the fact that that there is what is known as the human life which possesses leisures and endowments.
It is difficult to find and it is extremely meaningful. And the last three are that the time of death is certain, time of the excuse me, the death is certain, the time of death is uncertain, and that at the time of death, nothing but the Dharma is of benefit. By familiarizing ourselves with these points and really meditating upon them and gaining some familiarity, then we can turn back this tendency we have to become attached to the happiness and pleasures of this life. We can change. We excuse me.
We can we can reverse this tendency we have to strive solely for the happiness and pleasures of this lifetime. By We can, in fact, change this situation in which we are working only for happiness in this lifetime. We can change that, reverse it. The way to do so is by contemplating these six points. Understand?
As it stands, if someone were to say something nasty or negative to us, if we don’t come back with a really good comeback, in fact, if we don’t come back with something which just knocks them out or something even worse than what they said to us, then it’s almost that we feel like we’re at a loss that we’re the one that lost out on that situation. If someone were to think, oh yeah, he’s not all that, look how he responded to that one. It’s almost as if we had this feeling that, oh, I’m worse off, I’m more poor than this person. But in fact, we shouldn’t think in this way. This is just an example of falling under this way of the eight worldly dharmas.
I mean, are many examples like this in which we can in which we see that conducting ourselves in such a way that we’re so that we’re so one pointedly focused upon, know, giving back, you know, coming up with comebacks which are which, you know, make the person shut up or being so one pointedly involved in these types of of things is inappropriate. Geshe-la was saying that he doesn’t need to come up with these types of examples. I mean, yeah, we’re we’re we’re the young ones in this audience, so in fact we’re probably quicker in terms of logic in this type of thing than he is. After all, he’s just an old guy. Me.
And some question? Joy of it. Do you have any questions you’d like to ask? Say what is this one? Is it what has this been clear?
Yeah. So if there are no questions, we’ll we’ll leave it there for this evening. Just oh, yeah. Just the last part of it is stock desire for the future. Yeah.
Yeah. Just a point. Like I said, I mean, I would translate in a slightly different way. My respect to the translator here, understand the difficulties of translating texts now that I’ve actually tried to do it. Yeah.
Those of you who’ve been coming to Chenrezig the past couple of months will know. So, yeah, nothing against the person who translated this one, but I might say that a more literal translation of this verse reads that by familiarizing one’s mind with the difficulty of finding freedoms and endowments and recognizing that there’s not much time in this life, one can turn back the fantasies of this lifetime. So I’ll ask Geshe-la to elaborate on turning back fantasies of this lifetime. Turning back the fantasies of this lifetime refers to turning back this tendency we have to to strive solely for this the happiness and pleasures of this lifetime. Yeah.
Right now, oftentimes, we we find ourselves working solely for the purposes of this lifetime. Yeah. To reverse this tendency is what is being referred to here. If you want to look at perhaps just look at what the fantasies of this lifetime refer to. Actually, you jumped to the end, didn’t you?
You said stop desires for the future. Yeah. Oh, you guys finished that. I’m fine. Yeah.
Let me finish what Geshe-la is saying, and then I’ll answer this one. Anyway, the happiness or excuse me, the the fantasies of this lifetime can can right can refer to the happiness which seems to be available to us. Right? Right now, there seems happiness appears to be, you know, within our our reach. There’s certain happinesses which appear to be things which we can attain right here, right?
Becoming attached to that is a tendency we all have. We see happiness or pleasure, we become attached to that. Really turning back to fantasies of this lifetime is speaking about eliminating the attachment we have towards the pleasures which appear to us, the pleasures which seem to be there. So if that wasn’t clear from what I was reading before for the other room, the question was is would Geshe-la please explain what the text means, stop desire for the future? I just read it.
I assumed you were talking about stop desires for this life, which was what Geshe-la just explained. Stop desires for the future has yet to be explained. So we’ll cover that next week. For these first four weeks, then Geshe-la will be focusing primarily upon renunciation. He will be trying give us a very clear understanding of renunciation.
So that will be the primary topic of these first four weeks. It’s important that we meditate upon these points because not only by meditating upon these points, not only will we become a bit familiar with these type of attitudes, but also will give rise to doubts. Yeah. If you if you spend some time yeah. Right now we see that we don’t really have a lot of questions about these things, do we?
Yeah. Well, if you spend a bit of time thinking about these things, you you think about these six points, Geshe-la thinks, oh, wait a minute. How can that be? What about that? What’s the consequence or extension of stating it in that way?
These type of doubts arise. And in fact, giving rise to doubts is a method for generating wisdom. Because being of two minds or being being unclear about certain things and having having doubts is an opportunity to clarify a particular point and thereby generate wisdom. So by meditating on these points, not only are we able to familiarize ourselves with such attitudes, but we can give rise to doubts, which then may lead to the development of wisdom. Don’t meditate when you’re driving.
Yeah. You’ll you’ll get in an accident. But yeah. Other than that. Last week Geshe-la mentioned that he would like people to do an exam at the end of these four weeks.
Now this exam which he proposed is not like the exams that we used to take at school. It’s not for the same purpose and it’s not of the same type here. The reason why one would take this type exam which Geshe-la has suggested for us is so that we gain a very clear understanding of how much we know about renunciation. What points are we clear about and what points are we not clear about? And when we cover bodhicitta in the correct view, the same can be said by taking an exam and being, being put in a situation in which you must answer questions about these points.
It, you, it might become clear about what type of understanding we have. So the idea is not, you know, not to take these exams to go after the highest marks, but rather to gain a better understanding of our own understanding of the subjects. Rather than perhaps it’s more comfortable for all of you to not have to come to Lam Rim Temple on Friday night and do an exam. So maybe on the fourth week, we’ll give out the question sheets and sheets of paper that you can write the exam on and you can take those home and at some point after that then you can do the exam in the privacy of your own home. And then in that way, then you can gain a more clear understanding of these points which we cover.
Yeah. So that’s that that’s the that’s the purpose of the exam. And if some of you really feel very uncomfortable with the idea of sitting in exam, that’s fine. No big deal. Yeah.
Okay? I will do something. Yeah. At the risk of sounding cheeky here, would it be useful to have the questions now so that we can ask? It’ll give us an opportunity to ask questions now as we’re listening to the teachings.
The questions for the exam now. Well, the questions that those questions may raise. The question is, might it not be good to get the exam questions right now so that we can start thinking about them in light of the teachings which Geshe-la is giving? That’s right. We don’t even know what the questions are going to be yet.
So you’re going have to rely on meditation to give rise to the questions. Okay. Maybe we’ll try and get the questions to you as soon as possible. Yeah.