Audio recorded at Buddha House Adelaide. Transcript auto-generated and AI-corrected; may contain errors.
About this talk. In this 103-minute session, Geshe Pema Tsering traces the seven-fold cause-and-effect path to bodhicitta, opening with a sharp illustration of how anger erases memory of others’ kindness — ten years of care undone by a single grievance. He addresses students who find the mother-kindness contemplation difficult due to troubled family relationships, offering practical substitutes. Three reasoning paths then show why we should feel drawn to all beings equally: past lives, each being’s indispensable role in generating compassion, and enemies as opportunities to practise patience. He distinguishes carefully between first generating loving kindness and then cultivating it until uncontrived — a point unpacked through an exam question. The Q&A covers curbing anger without prior meditation, how compassionate intentions purify karmic seeds, and how working practitioners should pace sessions across all six causes.
File metadata (for organising)
File: 07 The Three Principle Aspects .mp3
UUID: 9023ddd4-b335-45c2-9973-ec31526f7baa
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: 103.3 minutes
Words: ~8,660
Now Geshe-la spoke all about renunciation in the previous period of time. And then in this this month’s teachings, Geshe-la has been speaking about bodhicitta. There’s been two sessions. And this and this so over the past two weeks, Geshe-la has been speaking about bodhicitta. In the first week, Geshe-la spoke about the nature of bodhicitta, what bodhicitta actually is, as well as mentioning the reasons why one needs to generate bodhicitta.
And in the second session on bodhicitta, Geshe-la spoke about the what is required for generating bodhicitta. And in this context, he mentioned the uncommon cause of bodhicitta. The uncommon cause of bodhicitta being great compassion. In order to generate bodhicitta, one needs great compassion. Great compassion is an attitude of compassion which is not partial, but rather extends towards all beings equally.
That means that in great compassion, one has compassion for friends, enemies, and strangers alike. In order to bring bring about this type of great compassion then, one must cultivate equanimity. So this was discussed in last week’s teaching. In order to generate great compassion, one needs to first generate loving kindness in which one feels drawn to towards all beings. Now, a word about the translation.
To say to develop a mind which feels drawn to all all beings is not an exact literal translation. Literally, it is to develop a mind which sees beings as pleasing to oneself. So we can take the essence of this to mean that one cultivates an attitude in which one feels drawn towards all beings, and this is required to generate loving kindness, which is required to generate great compassion. Now in terms of giving rise to a mind which feels drawn towards all beings and then loving kindness, there are two different ways in which one might generate this. The first is by coming to understand that all sentient beings have been one’s mother, recalling their kindness and then seeking to repay their kindness.
The second way in which one might generate this attitude is by engaging in the contemplations known as equalizing and exchanging oneself and others, which involves contemplating the shortcomings of self-cherishing and the benefits of cherishing others. This Geshe-la will speak about later. First, we’ll deal with the first way to generate the an attitude in which one feels drawn towards others in this special type of loving kindness. The way one does so is by coming to understand that all sentient beings have been one’s mother, recalling their kindness, and seeking to repay that kindness. If we were to engage in a very thorough investigation, we would probably conclude that the one person who is closest to our heart is the mother.
I mean, there’s good reason for that as well. Yet, just as we have spoken about in the past, we see that once becomes older, then perhaps because the relationship between yourself and the mother is not a very good one, or perhaps because it’s even a bad relationship, we distance grows between oneself and ones mother, and one’s one’s mother no longer is the person closest to one’s heart. But that’s a specific situation which applies, you know, in certain cases. We can say, however, regardless of that, in general, the person who is closest to our heart is the mother. One of the shortcomings of anger is that it causes us to forget all of the kindnesses which have been extended to us.
So well, all the kindnesses which have been extended to us by that person whom we’re angry with. So that if one become if you become angry with someone, it’s almost as if you’re no longer able to see the fact that they have been kind to us, regardless of how kind they have been and how many times they have acted acted positively towards us. So that if you had someone who was kind to you for ten years, if after ten years of kindness in the eleventh year, they were to do something which upset you, for instance, cause you harm in some way, then you might give rise you will probably give rise to anger, and that anger might be strong enough to make you forget about, to completely destroy or prevent you from seeing the kindnesses which they did for you over ten years. In fact, you might become so angry that you’re even capable of of killing them despite the fact that this person was very kind to you for ten years, and so anger is something which is very negative. We can say that anger is bad.
One of the major shortcomings of anger is that it makes us forget the kindnesses which have been extended to us. Mhmm. Okay? We also one of the other shortcomings of anger is that we due to anger, we might even become capable of killing ourselves. And in any case, in the in the the the Buddhist teachings say that it’s very important for one to recall the kindness which our mothers have extended to us.
We ought to appreciate the kindnesses of the mother. And this is a general teaching which is given and applies to most situations. But it’s certainly possible that there might be some people who really have experienced difficulties in their relationships with their parents, whether it be their mother or their father. And for such a person, it might genuinely be difficult for them to accept accept this teaching that mothers are kind or mothers embody the kindness of sentient beings and so on and so forth. In fact, there’s a student up at Chenrezig who helped quite a bit with the nuns community whose name is Debbie.
Whether it’s her father or her mother that there was a problem with, Geshe-la doesn’t quite clearly remember. But in any case, one of her parents, she had a difficult she has a difficult relationship with or had a difficult relationship with. And so whenever the teaching on recalling the kindness of the mother came up, and she would always feel uncomfortable thinking, oh, this is not at all something I can accept. But Geshe-la said that regardless of the fact that whether whether the relationship has turned sour, whether they the parent has done something negative from their own side or not, it’s still important that one works with one’s attitude with towards the situation. It’s still important that one tries to transform one’s mind and come to appreciate the kindnesses which have been extended to oneself.
It might definitely be the case that they have done something inappropriate and done something wrong, but that does not negate all the kindnesses which they might have extended to us. And so it’s still important for one who has a negative relationship with the parent and finds it difficult to accept this teaching to try and work with their attitude and appreciate kindnesses which which have been extended. Sorry, Tina. Because Geshe-la says that if if a correct reason is posited and one is really straightforward and honest, then one ought to be able to recognize that this is a correct reason and take that on. Yeah?
He himself is ready, is prepared to do so. If someone can truly posit a correct a correct line of reasoning to prove that a mother is not kind in any way, then he is certainly willing to accept that that is the case. However, most of the reasons which are given, which which reputedly disprove that the mother is kind, probably aren’t actually correct reasons. Okay? Geshe-la doesn’t it does not say that we must accept this teaching because the Buddha said it, because this is the Buddha’s teachings, because this is what the Buddha taught.
I mean, in fact, the Buddha himself said that that we are not we as Buddhists are not allowed to posit that as a reason for defending his teachings. He said the Buddha said that you cannot just say because the Buddha said to establish that something is the case. What Geshe-la is saying is that there are reasons for making the statement that mothers are kind, and we must we must we must come to see what those reasons are. We must be introduced to what these reasons are in order to in order to be able to accept this, not just because the Buddha said. In past weeks, Geshe-la has spoken about how beings seem to fall into these categories of being a friend and enemy, or a stranger.
These are rough categories, of course. But in any case, these people appear to be either a friend, an enemy, or a stranger. Yet these peep people do not exist as an enemy from their own side, but rather it is due to the type of relationship which we have that someone becomes a friend, that someone becomes an enemy, that someone is a stranger. If we have a negative relationship with somebody, then then that person appears to be an enemy. Whereas if we have a positive or a very close relationship with another person, then that person will be considered a friend.
It’s important to recognize that these people do not exist as friends, enemies, or strangers from their own side, but rather are that due to the type of relationship which which we have with them. If you think about the people whom you are whom you whom you consider a friend, then we certainly feel drawn to them. They they they seem to be someone who is appealing to us. And just as we feel drawn to them and feel close to them, we also must cultivate an attitude in which we feel drawn to enemies and strangers. If we are unable to develop the attitude in which we feel drawn to enemies and strangers just as we feel drawn to our our our friends and loved ones, and we will be obstructed from developing loving kindness, and we be we will be obstructed from generating great compassion and what follows from that.
So it’s extremely important that one be able to extend this type of attitude towards all beings, not just one whom one feels close to, one who is considered one’s friend. So for if if a particular person just has difficulty feeling drawn to their mother because of a negative relationship or for whatever reasons, if one is uncomfortable with this with this type of contemplation, then instead of meditating upon the kindness of the mother, then one can think about the way the way in which one feels drawn to one’s partner or one’s friend or one’s brother or one’s sister, or one’s relative. In any case, if the mother is, for for whatever reason, inappropriate in in that particular context, then you can you can think about another person whom you feel close to, another person who you feel drawn to, and use the feelings you have towards them as an illustration of the type of feelings you ought to give rise to towards enemies and strangers. The contemplation in which one comes to know all sentient beings as one’s mother is done after one has already cultivated equanimity. And so the perspective from which one gives this teaching is that is the perspective from which one has stopped attachment towards loved ones, stopped anger towards enemies, and stopped indifference towards strangers.
Thus, one should one is one is has a has yeah. From the perspective of the excuse me. The point at which person is begins to engage in this next contemplation then is from having stopped attachment, anger, and indifference. And then having done so, one is seeking to give rise to an attitude in which one feels drawn towards all equally. Think about the person whom you are closest to, whether it’s your mother or whether it’s your friend or your partner, whatever the case may be.
Think about it. When you hear their name, when you think of them, when you see them, think about that light feeling of pleasure and happiness and joy, which accompanies the the sight of them or the mention of their name or or or the thought of them which arises in your mind. That same type of joy which arises when you think of the person whom you’re closest to needs to be it ought to ought to also arise when you think of or hear or say the name of even the worst enemy. So this is what we are trying to bring about. It’s a a situation in which the sight, mention of, or thought of a person who who would otherwise be your worst enemy brings the type of joy which comes when you see, think of, or hear of the person whom you are closest to.
We must continue to engage in this practice of knowing all sentient sentient all sentient beings to be your mother, or if you per prefer knowing all sentient beings to be your brother, your sister, your friend, until we feel the same type of joy towards the worst enemy as we would towards the person whom we are closest to. Okay? So Geshe-la thinks that perhaps if you were to introduce us and introduce the reasons for excuse me if Geshe-la feels that if he were to introduce the reasons which lead one to recognize all sentient beings as having been one’s mother or brother and so on and so forth, in an ordered manner perhaps it will be easier for us. So first of all, one line of reasoning which might easily allow one to generate this conviction that all sentient beings are indeed or have indeed been our mothers is by thinking about past and future lives. So if you feel comfortable with the thought of past and future lives then this might be a good method for you to employ.
If you feel comfortable with past and future lives, then you might find that this way of contemplating the issue leads very easily to the understanding that all sentient beings have been one’s mother. So in accord The the reason being be because the reason the reason has to do with the fact that we see those people as kind to us who are kind to us in this life excuse me. The reason the reason why this might allow one to understand all sin he means to have been kind to us and acted as our mothers in the past is because we recognize the kindness which is extended to us in this lifetime is the same as the kindness which is extended to us in the past lifetimes and times before that. And by understanding past and future lives, one comes to see that all sentient beings have acted as our mother, have acted as our brother, have acted as our partner or our friend, and so on and so forth. And thus, the kindness of the mother of this life is the same as the kindness of a mother in a past life.
The kindness of a friend in this life is the same as the kindness of a friend in a past life, and thus all sentient beings in that way are seen to be like our mother, our brother, and seem to be kind to us. The second mode of thinking which one might employ is to think about this issue in relation to the generation of ultimate compassion. We have this thought that we would like to generate great compassion, but in fact, great compassion can only be generated in dependence upon all sentient beings. So when one recognizes that that that to be the case, one sees that each and every single individual actually plays a part in giving us great compassion. Because if it were not for this one single person, we would not be able to generate great compassion.
So it’s actually in dependence upon every single individual that we are even able to generate this all-encompassing great compassion. And thus, when one thinks about it in that way, they are integral to this development, and thus, they are someone who is extremely important, someone who is very kind. Thirdly, one must think about the fact that these beings are sentient sentient beings. And as sentient beings, then they are under the sway of the afflictions. And although they might act out against us in a negative way, perhaps even they’re act acting towards us in a positive way, whatever the case may be, they are controlled by the afflictions and they are not actually completely independent or control or in control.
And when they act in a negative manner towards us, they are just being controlled by their anger or one of the other afflictions. And thus, by appreciating that they lack freedom, that they are under the sway of the afflictions, then we see that actually we need to generate compassion for them. Even if we feel some dislike towards someone who causes us harm or acts acts out towards us in a negative way, we ought to appreciate that that person is providing us with an opportunity to practice patience. One can’t properly practice patience with those people who are terribly kind to us and those people who are always treating us well. In fact, it is only those people who present us with difficulties.
It is only those people who act to harm us that allow us the opportunity to practice practice patience. If we are not afforded the opportunity to practice patience, we will not be able to develop great patience. If we do not develop great patience, we will not be able to attain Buddhahood, the ultimate goal. And so we come to see that that such such beings who afford us the actual opportunity to practice patience are in are in fact very important to us. They are integral to our development.
Whereas those beings who are extremely kind to us cannot perform the same role. The same is true with compassion. Actually, proper compassion or pure compassion can is very difficult to generate in relation to one who is always, very good to us because our feelings towards them are always imbued with attachment. Thus, those people who provide us the proper opportunities to practice patience and cause us harm and so forth also give us an opportunity to generate pure compassion. Thinking in this way, one develops a very particular type of attitude towards beings who who offer us these these chances.
These three ways of thinking are really means by which we can we can develop an attitude in which we feel drawn to all beings. And and thus, by thinking in this even if one thinks in a worldly type of way, yet those those beings who we have good relations relationships with, they give us some type of happiness and pleasure, don’t they? Mean, here we are despite the fact that we’re we exist within saṃsāra and we’re just wandering around endlessly in these cycles with people. When we have good relationships with them, we experience some happiness. We experience some pleasure, and we appreciate that.
And we begin to think of those people who who who contribute to these experiences of happiness and pleasure as being very kind. So even from a worldly point of view, we recognize those people who afford us the opportunity for happiness and pleasure as being kind. The same is true in terms of a dharma perspective in the sense that we in the sense that those who act as basis for the generation of compassion and those who act as basis for the generation of patience are also affording us this opportunity for happiness and pleasure and are very kind. So one can think about these issues both from a worldly and dharmic perspective coming to see coming to see the these all all beings as being very kind, which can which allows us to generate this feeling in which we feel drawn towards all sentient beings. So if we were able to gain an appreciation of the fact that that that all sentient beings afford us with the opportunity to put into practice these best best of practices, compassion, patience, and so forth, and we will come we will come to feel drawn to these people.
We will develop this attitude Geshe-la has been speaking about in which we feel drawn to these people. When we appreciate that they are the very basis of these best type of practices also, we will begin to appreciate their kindness, and thus, in this way, we we generate the realizations of coming to know all sentient beings as one’s mother or brother or friend and and also coming to appreciate their kindness or to recall their kindness. Once one has generated these realizations and and and truly recalls or is mindful of the kindnesses which which others afford us, extend to us. And the then the thought arises, how can I repay them? I must do something which benefits them.
I mean, even in a worldly when someone does something kind for you, you yeah. The thought arises. Oh, what can I do for them? How can I repay this kindness which they have given me? But in terms of the dharma then, one takes into consideration what is the one thing which all sentient beings without exception seek?
What is the one thing which all sentient beings desire? They desire to be happy, and they desire to be free from suffering. Of course, there are many things which sentient beings desire. There there’s a multitude and a variety of things, but it’s very difficult to to give sentient beings all the various things which they might seek. So we choose the one thing which which which all sentient beings seek and which we we have a chance at actually providing them, and that is the opportunity to experience happiness and be free from suffering.
So, thus, in seeking to repay the kindness that sentient being that we the excuse me. In in seeking to repay the kindness which we recognize sentient beings as extending towards us, we seek to bring them happiness and eliminate their suffering. Once one has generated the realizations of recalling the kindness of all sentient beings, then one is on the verge of generating loving kindness. Because as we have seen, when one generates the this the realization of recalling the kindness of all sentient beings, then one gives rise to the thought that may I seek to repay their kindness? And the best way to repay the kindness of sentient beings is to provide them with happiness or is to seek to provide them with happiness and seek to remove their suffering.
So the thought then is, of course, is may I be able to or or or may their suffering may they experience happiness, for instance. And in fact, this very mind, may all sentient beings experience happiness, arises from an appreciation that all sentient beings are kind to oneself is the mind of loving kindness. Thus, after having generated the realizations of be of recalling their kindness, one is on the verge of generating, one is on the verge of generating loving loving kindness. So having generated that that that loving kindness in which one one thinks that may all sentient beings experience happiness, one must familiarize oneself with it. One must actually cultivate it.
So the one the way one the way one meditates and familiarizes oneself with the with loving kindness once it has been generated is by recourse to the previous reasons which facilitated its development. One must think about the fact that that one must contemplate this feeling of being of being drawn to them. One must think about the kindnesses which they extend to us and and dependence upon these reasonings and this the appreciation of the role that they play, and one familiarizes oneself or meditates upon loving kindness. So one engages in analytical meditation. In the exam for this this week, one one of the questions is, in what way does one generate loving kindness in which one feels drawn towards sentient beings?
And in what way does one familiarize or excuse me. In what way does one meditate or cultivate loving kindness? Now, there’s a distinction is being is being drawn here, not so much a distinction, but what is what the point of making these two or excuse me, the point of asking these two questions is to illustrate that it’s not merely enough to generate loving kindness. Having generated loving kindness, one must meditate upon it and cultivate it even further. So it’s not just enough to think to generate the thought, may all sentient beings be may all sentient beings experience happiness.
In addition have in addition to having generated that, one must meditate upon that. Now the question which I ask Geshe-la is, I don’t see a great difference excuse me, I don’t see yes, a great difference in the way one generates loving kindness and the way one meditates upon loving kindness because both of them come down to the fact that one must one must contemplate the process of reasoning that all sentient beings are kind and so on and so forth. And Geshe-la said, well, there is indeed a difference. The difference is primarily the fact that in one case, one has merely generated it and leaves it at that, and the next case, one one has one is trying to take that generated mind and make it natural, make it it uncontrived. So, from an English perspective, and this is good for you guys to take note of who are going to take the exam, that, the way in which it express the question is asked is in what way does one generate loving kindness?
In what way does one meditate on loving kindness? I mean, fact, both ways depend upon thinking about the fact that all sentient beings are kind to oneself. The real difference between the two is that yeah, is that one is a process of trying to generate, the other is a process of trying to take that generation and make it uncontrived. So you should know that despite the fact that the question appears to be asking for two different ways, in Geshe-la’s answer, there is one way. The difference is, yeah, is to be found in another area.
Thus, the process of analytical meditation is essential to both generating and meditating or cultivating loving kindness. So if if it’s not clear, then the the then the the reason behind asking for the difference between the two is to illustrate that it is not merely enough to generate it, but rather having generated it, one must cultivate it and try and render it render it or trying to try and make it so that it is an uncontrived feeling or thought. Now, if one is able to generate loving kindness and contemplate, cultivate and meditate upon loving kindness, in which one thinks may sentient beings experience happiness, then a natural extension of that is the thought or the desire to see sentient beings freed from suffering because one appreciates that as long as one is not freed from suffering, one is not going to experience total happiness. I mean, long as someone is still stuck within suffering, the happiness which they experience is unstable. And thus, compassion, is identified as a mind which which seek which wants sentient beings to be freed from suffering, arises as a natural extension of loving kindness, a mind in which one seeks one wants sentient beings to experience happiness.
Similar to needing to employ a process of reasoning to generate loving kindness, one might all one must also think about, one must also engage in analytical meditation in order to generate great generate compassion. One must think about the way in which sentient beings suffer in order to generate the thought that may sentient beings be freed from that suffering. So one employ one employs this line of thinking in order to generate this this this thought. Having generated compassion then, once again, just as loving kindness, just as we saw in the context of loving kindness, it is not merely enough to generate the thought may sentient beings be freed from suffering, but one one must cultivate that thought after its initial generation, and thus, we have a way in which one generates compassion and a way in which one meditates upon compassion. If one were to try and consider why is it necessary to generate compassion, one would come to the conclusion that it is necessary to generate and meditate upon compassion because without doing so, one will not give rise to the highest intention.
The highest intention being a thought in which one thinks, may I, myself, work to, work to ensure that sentient beings experience happiness and are freed from suffering. And thus, one must engage in these meditations and teachings and teachings and teachings and teachings and teachings in an ordered progression because one because the latter depends upon the former. One must generate loving kindness, meditate upon it, then as a natural extension of that arises compassion, which when generated then must be meditated upon and cultivated. Without doing so, one will not give rise to the highest intention. People and you get annoyed or you find yourself growing angry over silly things.
And I was wondering whether okay. Obviously, you’ve been saying just recently in the conversation that you must meditate to generate that feeling of compassion so that then you can counteract any feeling of anger or annoyance with that loving kindness meditation. Is that right? And if you haven’t done any meditation like that, is there something that you could think of when you’re in a situation like, say, tomorrow or the next day, to help yourself recondition into stopping getting angry or annoyed and becoming more patient with people? Okay.
So let me repeat the question to try and make sure ensure I after, I think, first read this little talking, and then after, read Can can your question Wayne? Yes. Yeah? Okay. Okay?
Yeah. Be be sure to ask it again, though. Yeah. Okay. So Geshe-la is explaining the way in which we can give rise to bodhicitta by following this process of first developing equanimity and then coming to know all sentient beings as one’s mother, seeking appreciating or being mindful or recalling their kindness, seeking to repay that kindness, which then leads to the development of of loving kindness in which one feels drawn towards all sentient beings, and then one generates great compassion, which then can lead to the development of the highest intention, which is the the step preceding the development of bodhicitta.
So perhaps it’s beneficial if beneficial if if Geshe-la can explain this process in its entirety and perhaps different questions which might arise along the way and will be answered by, for instance, a point which Geshe-la has yet to cover. So if we can just if you have questions, fine, but just leave them until the end and let’s see what’s what remains to be explained. Now in relation to meditating upon loving kindness and compassion, the more extensive one can one one meditates upon this, in other words, the more vast one’s focus, in meditating upon loving kindness and compassion, then the stronger sense of loving kindness and compassion one is able to generate. For instance, if you were to think about all the fish in the sea. These days, you can see on television fish fish in the sea.
You can see the way that the creatures live in all sorts of different environments. Look at how many types of sufferings they experience. Look at all look at how the hardships which they have in their everyday lives. Just in their in their their their existence, it we or excuse me, we know certain features about their existence and we can appreciate the sufferings which they which they experience. If we think about all the different sufferings which beings in all sorts of different situations experience, think about how strong our loving kindness and compassion could become.
We come to that that all beings of all types are under the sway of the afflictions in samsaric states and experience suffering and dependence upon that. The deeper our appreciation, the more vast we extend our perspective and the stronger, the loving kindness and compassion we, we may generate. Because by taking into consideration all these different types of suffering, eventually we might come to feel that we cannot bear the thought of all these different types of suffering. The suffering becomes so apparent that we that we feel that we feel we cannot bear it, and that serves as a very strong basis for generating strong loving kindness and compassion. Thus first one one, of course, needs to generate loving kindness and compassion, but then having generated loving kindness and compassion, one must meditate or cultivate those those attitudes to make them to to strengthen them.
And after a certain point, these attitudes become so strong that one develops this this thought that one or one develops the feeling that one cannot bear the fact that all that sentient beings are undergoing this type of suffering. Once one gives rise to these this this thought, then naturally, another thought arises is which is, are there any ways in which we can in which sentient beings can be freed from this state? If there are such ways, what are the ways? And what having and knowing those ways, is there any way that I myself can employ those methods? Because having having given rise to a feeling in which one thinks that one cannot bear the fact that all sentient beings are suffering in this way and wanting them to be happy.
And one thinks I have to do something. I must do something from my own side. And this is of course the development of the highest intention. The thought that may I myself do something to bring about the happiness of others. May I myself do something to eliminate the suffering which is experienced by others.
In this in this contemplation, when one takes into consideration whether or not there is anything we can do for suffering sentient beings and comes to see that there is, and one comes to see that there are different methods, but we need the we need the capacity to employ these methods from our own side, and we give rise to the thought that may I develop those capacities? And one comes to then understand that it is by developing ultimate, or excuse me, in order to alleviate the suffering of sentient beings and bring them happiness, one needs wisdom, one needs compassion, and one needs a certain capacity to act for their well-being. But just having these in a small amount is not enough. In fact, one needs ultimate wisdom, one needs ultimate compassion, and one needs ultimate capacity. Coming to appreciate that one needs ultimate wisdom, compassion, and capacity in order to effortlessly and spontaneously accomplish the well-being of others, then leads to the one generating the desire to attain those states.
When one seeks to attain ultimate wisdom, compassion, and capacity for the so that you yourself may be able to eliminate suffering of sentient beings and bring them happiness, you have generated bodhicitta. And thus, having generated loving kindness and compassion, one needs to meditate upon them. Having meditated upon them, one gives rise to a sense that one cannot bear the fact that they are suffering, and that leads one to consider, is it possible to free them from suffering? One comes to see that it is indeed possible, but in order to do so, one must generate certain qualities. When one generates the desire attain to develop those qualities oneself so that one may bring about that goal, one has generated bodhicitta.
And thus, there is a progression from loving kindness, compassion, the highest intention in bodhicitta. A story is told to illustrate the type of attitude which arises when one develops what is known as great compassion, and the story has to do with it’s really an analogy, or in any case, to do with the a mother and child, both of whom have great love for one another. They have extreme love for one another, meaning they have a very deep concern and care for one another. Now, if for instance the mother were to experience some unbearable type of suffering, then the child would of course want to do something for the mother immediately. The child would want to alleviate that mother’s suffering.
And so if given a choice to make a cup of tea and sit down and have a tea, or do something which will lead to the end of that mother’s unbearable suffering, whether it’s calling a doctor, fetching a doctor, you know, giving the mother the medicine which she requires or whatever, then the child, of course, is going to choose the second option. The child is going to choose to do something which helps to alleviate the suffering of the mother rather than first chooses to make a cup of tea and sit down. This type of attitude arise is said to arise when one generates great compassion. Okay? So one must one must meditate then by recourse to reasoning and thinking about the reasoning until one generates this type of of thought.
Last week, I in the second session on bodhicitta or excuse me, yes, in the second session on bodhicitta, then Geshe-la explained the meanings of the seventh and eighth verse. The seventh verse reads that they are swept along by four fierce river currents chained up tight in past deeds which are difficult to undo. They’re stuffed or trapped in a steel cage of grasping grasping at the self, smothered in a pitch black ignorance. This is in accord with Geshe-la’s commentary last week. This verse is said to explain the five or six features which characterize samsaraic existence.
Actually, this is also the way to meditate upon compassion as well because the way in which one generates compassion is by contemplating the features whether they be enumerated in five or six, which characterize the existence of beings within Samsāra. So Geshe-la assumes that, yeah, that we’ve all retained this information, have have a hold on it. Yeah. So now perhaps now is the time to open the floor for for questions. Would you would you like to ask?
Yeah. I guess I’ll rephrase it. I was just from my perspective, I haven’t done any meditation to generate great compassion or anything, so it won’t be happening, I guess. I don’t know. But if I was faced with a situation where I realized, oh, I could practice practice patience now because someone is doing something to me that would normally, you know, cause me suffering by creating anger or annoyance or whatever, any of those afflictive emotions, is there something that I can do when I haven’t yet generated ultimate compassion and patience to help that process anyway?
Like, is that does that make sense? Yeah. If I can just restate the the I’ve been asked to say that my repeating of the question is for the purposes of the tape not to allow you to refine your questions. In any case, what is being asked is what can one do to stop or prevent the arising of the afflictive emotions, be the anger, annoyance, and pride, and jealousy? If one has not meditated upon them before.
Yeah. So barring meditation Yeah. Preparing oneself for it, is there anything we can do to prevent those from arising when we actually experience the a problem, for instance, when when we become annoyed with somebody because they did they’ve done something. It’s a yeah. If you’re hungry, but you haven’t made any delicious food.
Yeah. It’s difficult to, you know, to do something to get deli you know, it’s a bit difficult to to to satiate your hunger with delicious food, isn’t it? Well, just to state state it again, it’s very important, in fact, vital that one one does prepare oneself by meditating upon loving kindness, compassion, patience and so forth. When one has the opportunity, when one is in a relaxed state of mind and one is not actually faced with the situation which one has to put that into practice. So just to state the importance of that.
But also, even understanding the reasons underlying loving kindness, compassion, patience, and so forth can actually help if somebody when they face such a difficult situation, even if they haven’t meditated on those before, for perhaps you didn’t have the time or something. So if one understands that we exist in this cycle of harming, you know, of harming one harming another and getting harmed back ourself, and we understand that sent that we as sentient beings lack freedom and independence, that we do not have total control, but in fact we are under the sway of the afflictive emotions, that can help to prevent us from falling prey to them even further in those actual situations. And thus understanding the reasons underlying these attitudes and why then the reasons why we feel and feel these these ways can indeed help even if one is not able to meditate. You care? Yeah.
Therefore, first understand important, and then meditation. Otherwise, what freedom contained and aversion to what suffering. That’s a So Geshe has just reminded me to repeat the question in English. In cultivate in cultivating bodhicitta, is there the is there a danger that we reinforce attachment to, you know, being free from suffering and aversion from excuse me. Yeah.
Yeah. And aversion from experiencing suffering. Correct? There isn’t actually a danger that that would be the case because one proceed because one of the initial steps which one meditates is upon equanimity. I mean, fact, we all very naturally crave happiness and do not seek suffering.
But there isn’t the danger that that that our meditations upon bodhicitta exacerbates that or or increases that because in in cultivating equanimity, we are stopping attachment and anger and indifference and so on and so forth. This clear? If it’s not, say so. It’s okay. Perhaps I have to think about If one meditates in a proper way on the steps which which Geshe-la has just outlined, then there isn’t a danger that those meditations will exacerbate the the seeking happiness seeking happiness and pleasure and and being and the desire to be free from suffering if one meditates in the proper way on these steps.
Yeah. Oh, yeah. There’s generally, countless former lives, there’s that what I was explaining where we’re gaining a deeper understanding of something. But what is happening now to the flowering of those karmic seeds when an individual comes back into our life stream? Are we just are we just gaining more mastery over ourselves, or is the or is the flowering of the negative karma being mitigated in some sense?
So certain beings might we have continuous relationships with them throughout successive lives, and some might, for instance, be someone who we feel angry towards, we might have negative action towards, and thus we obviously have karmic seeds to react in that way to those people. So if we are able to employ this line of thinking which Geshe-la has suggested, then how does that impact the karmic seeds? Does employing this does employing this way of thinking help to eliminate the karmic seeds which lead us to act react negative negatively to them? Indeed, employing this way of thinking or adopting these attitudes certainly impacts the karmic seeds. In fact, fact, in and of itself is the best way to purify such karmic seeds.
If you recall, Geshe-la has on many occasions, drawn a distinction between being upset and being angry, correct? One can be upset but not be angry. Being angry means to feel ill will towards another person. So if we find ourselves in a situation in which we feel anger towards that person or being upset is about to arise. If we become upset and we’re about to give rise to anger towards that person, if we employ this line of thinking or adopt these types of attitudes, then it’s certainly possible that we might be able to give rise to the thought, may this person experience happiness, may this person be free from suffering. In fact, by the someone who has developed these and contemplated these issues to a high enough level can actually take that person suffering and actually give that person happiness.
It’s actually possible to do so, but even if it’s still operating on a mental level, by giving rise to the thought, may this person experience happiness, may this person be free from suffering in place of giving rise to the thought to cause them harm. One is placing a karmic seed of a completely different type. In fact, one is placing a karmic seed, which is the best way to purify the negative karmic seed, which was there before. The right to the next, or is it better to actually meditate on one and then go, you know, to some level and then go to the next, and then meditate on that to some level and then go on to the next? So, yeah, these ins the instructions which Geshe-la has been giving this evening are known as the six causes and one result.
And so there’s six different stages to meditate which lead to the result of bodhicitta. bodhicitta. Is or is it best to meditate for instance on all six causes in every single day, or focus should we only meditate on, for instance, equanimity until we develop that to a certain degree and only then move on to, you know, coming to see all sentient beings as one’s mother and so on and so forth. Correct? Suggestion is that for those people who have to work, yeah, those people who don’t have all the time available to them to meditate then, perhaps it’s good for them to meditate upon all of them.
But the way in which one does this is is has also has also been suggested. For instance, That one first for a week or a month that one focus primarily upon equanimity. So one spends the most amount of time, but one has a lot of a meditation on meditating upon equanimity. But then one meditates a bit on the subsequent stages as well, I mean not just momentarily, but one spends a bit of time on it, but certainly the majority of the time is devoted to, for instance, as the first stage is equanimity, equanimity, to meditating upon that. Reason being is that we never know when we’re gonna die, and we certainly want to try and familiarize ourselves at least a bit with each of the elements in this part.
We don’t want to have it incomplete in any way. So for those of us who have to work and incorporate or incorporate our meditations into a working life, then perhaps it’s best if we focus upon one initially, but and devote the most amount of time in our meditative session to that one, but then also do brief meditations on the other ones. And then after this week or this month, which is devoted to, for instance, equanimity, that one changes one’s focus to the contemplations one does in relation to coming to know all sentient beings as one’s mother. Once again, one, of course, begins with equanimity equanimity, but spends less time on that, spends, we say, the lion’s share. If you can really focus only upon equanimity until you develop an experience of that, some some a sense of that equanimity, and only then do you move on to contemplate the second subject.
Actually, in the text, one is advised to meditate upon these six causes and one result in this way. Only move on to the following step after having gained an experience of the previous step. But Geshe-la says we have to combine it with, you know, with the with the modern day situation we live in, and therefore his suggestion for people who work is to do you know, is to spend the majority of the time on one, but also make sure to spend some time on the other one so that we may we may at least have a little bit of familiarity with each step, and thus we do not approach the time of dying without familiarity with any of the latter five stages. Yep. Of course, one should also meditate upon bodhicitta as well.
Yeah. So having meditated on this on this sequence, one meditates upon bodhicitta as well. Alright. Is it is it the question is is it contrary to think, yeah, may this person experience happiness and be free from suffering despite the fact that you don’t wanna see them? So assuming in that case, you don’t feel drawn to that person.
Yeah. Well, to use your words, you know, Geshe-la has asked me to translate the question in the exact words you’ve used and he says that it’s not unethical. Yes. It did. I said contrary, but, you know, Geshe-la’s response, yeah, it’s not unethical.
Ben? Question? Some? Yeah. In the in the early part of this was both about anger being evil.
I think you said bad and yeah. Uh-huh. He he he But yeah. Yeah. Then he talked about our enemies Yeah.
As being as our blessing that they’re they become our friends because we have to have them. Uh-huh. Surely, anger, we lose from our anger and that that’s our blessing as well. Uh-huh. Earlier, Geshe-la spoke about how enemies come to be come to actually, what he said was the kindness, I believe, of of people who are our enemies comes to be appreciated in us.
And thus they become almost like our friends, although Geshe-la didn’t actually say that, but the implication is that the status of an enemy becomes equal to that of a friend because we appreciate what they give us, the opportunity for happiness and developing patience and compassion and so forth. And so what you’re saying is that anger, we can also learn we can learn from anger and a similar and and thus anger provides us an opportunity to grow and learn as well. So is there not a blessing to anger as well? Just as there’s a blessing to enemies? Well, in fact, in order the the reason that underlying the statement that there’s a blessing to anger is the fact that by becoming angry, we can come to see the shortcomings of anger.
Correct? Yeah. But in fact, it’s not necessary to become angry to see those shortcomings, is it? Yep. So we don’t So we don’t mean So we don’t we don’t actually need to generate anger in order to come to see those those shortcomings.
In fact, we we by thinking about anger and thinking about its consequences, that that that process of thought or contemplation itself is what allows us to see those those shortcomings. Anger, if you recall, is necessarily having a sense of ill will towards others. Yeah. So that would be all for this evening.