Audio recorded at Buddha House Adelaide. Transcript auto-generated and AI-corrected; may contain errors.
About this talk. The shape of a monk’s upper robe — cut to resemble the open mouth of the Lord of Death — anchors one of the more vivid passages in this 45-minute session, where Geshe Pema Tsering explains how monasteries embed reminders of impermanence into everyday objects. The commentary works through two Lamrim foundations required before higher practices can take root: sustained contemplation of impermanence and clear recognition of saṃsāra’s faults. He argues directly against the temptation to skip these small-scope practices in favour of bodhicitta or tantra, using the image of decorating a ceiling before the foundation is solid. The session closes with a story of the Tibetan yogi Pelgön Drukpa, who refused to pause his practice even after a stick lodged in his thigh — the urgency, Geshe Pema Tsering says, that genuine insight into impermanence produces.
File metadata (for organising)
File: 06 w of sw 2002 03 30.mp3
UUID: 81355d67-b749-41f2-97c1-f4899ff660e9
Teacher: Geshe Pema Tsering
Collection: Wheel of Sharp Weapons (Geshe Pema Tsering)
Date: 2002-03-30
Recorded at: Buddha House Adelaide
Duration: 44.7 minutes
Words: ~3,396
So, from In the past, in my previous life, I have committed many negative actions under the influence of the self-cherishing mind and, from now on, like I’m making, kind of a promise to yourself, I would never go under the influence of this self-cherishing mind and only work in Dharmic activities and I will perform as much as possible. In that way, you should set your mind. So that’s how we should think or motivate ourselves and we we put this little effort during this Dharma practice. Nice. So we put this little effort in doing these practices and, we started with a good motivation.
So, that we started with a good motivation to start this practice and you shouldn’t just lose interest in middle, but encourage yourself to keep up with your practice according to your motivation at the very beginning. Sorry. In the very beginning, we started the session with a with a very, good motivation, altruistic motivation. And and now we are supposed to be in the in the middle part, the actual part of the practice. And while we are performing the actual part of the practice, you shouldn’t lose your interest, you should keep up with your practice and do it joyfully, Not not feeling discouraged also and so on.
And then finally, when it comes to the end, you do extend good dedication and you dedicate the merit for the sake of other sentient beings. So that, in the past, I may have disrespect, the scriptural teachings, or the in the in the Dharma teachings, but from now on, I won’t disrespect them. I will I will practice, the teachings, as much as possible, with with with effort. I’ll put great effort and practice the Dharma as much as possible. Like that way, you should train your mind.
So, this disrespecting the Dharma is what we should avoid doing. In the teaching, says that, that negative karma of disrespecting the Dharma teachings is regarded one of the very heavy one. Sorry. It is said that, excuse me, that if disrespecting Dharma teachings, the dharmas, that it has a heavy negative consequences. It is that in the future life, the heavy negative consequence is that you become further away from the Dharma teachings.
More disrespect you you are more apart from the Dharma teachings. So disrespecting Dharma teachings means like, for example, in general sense like, every text that that contains Dharma teachings, should be respected, shouldn’t be left on the floor or lower lower place. It should be always placed in a higher place and as as a form of respect. And and if you do that like paying respect and also making offerings to Dharma teachings, then you accumulate great amount of merit and that is the great amount of merit is what we need for for the success in our practice. Like previous masters, like Kadampa masters in the past in Tibet, like, even they are unable to get up because they are physically very old, weak to get up.
Even then they ask someone to, help them get up even if they see some Dharma papers lying on the floor, they pick it up and put it in a high place as a form of So, if we pay respect, we accumulate merit and if you accumulate merit, that makes us more successful in practice, understanding the meaning of the Dharma and that is that is, what we need. So, if possible, what we need is to achieve, the Buddhahood in this very life. If not that, then at least liberation. So not If if not even that, then at least, the little thing we can do is, to have a good rebirth in our next life. Next life, or to have a precious human rebirth again in our next life.
So for that purpose, we should do Dharma practice. So, so now, sorry again, I’m going next to next point, which is, we falling under the influence of delusions most of the time, like the attachment is or desire is very strong within us and same, we we tend to get easily angry or we have strong, we can, we get angry or we make others angry, that’s like going under the influence of delusions. So, why this happens is also one of our unsuccessful deeds that we did in our past. That is because we haven’t contemplated on the point of impermanence, how things are impermanent and so on. So contemplating or meditating on impermanence is, sorry, very important, especially for those who are performing Dharma practice.
So understanding impermanence or contemplating on impermanence doesn’t mean just understanding the meaning of impermanence that it changes moment to moment. It’s just understanding that is not enough. So so like, in order for us to achieve the full understanding, first where we start, we start, we have to start with, the Four Noble Truth and the sixteen, which is, the Four Noble Truth divided into sixteen parts, that is what we start with. And the very first part of the practice that we come to is the practice on impermanence. So, like, the gross level impermanence, how, the impermanence, what impermanence is is that just looking into ourself, how when I first came out into this world from now on up to now, how we grew up, how we have changed moment to, from day to day, or out our moment to moment.
And and and that, like checking on that and not only that, we are not Because we’ve been impermanent, we don’t know how long we will last. So we might die in couple of days time, we might die tomorrow or not even in couple of minutes time, we might be dead. So in that way, you contemplate on impermanence and when you have a very strong understanding of that realization of impermanence, then you you you tend to get a sense of fear within you. So at that time when you when you have gained a sense of fear, then, then that point is where you you, you come to realize, oh, I should do something. And what what helps me at the time of death is, the Dharma practice.
So, with that understanding, whatever Dharma practice you perform, your practice becomes tend to become pure practice. And and then also you have to contemplate on the the faults of Samsāra. So, when we say Samsāra being is known as also the Samsāra. And Samsāra, the body that we have, which is which is created by our karma and the delusion. That is known as the Samsāra.
So, so this body is known as, the the Samsāra and the being, that lives in this body, is the Samsāra being and that is which takes reverts again and again in different forms. So, how we circle, in in the saṃsāra, when the sense like taking a different rebirth of, which is different form, those forms known as which is caused by karma and delusions. So, out of, negative karma and the delusions, we have negative forms such as lower forms that we take, we take rebirth into and, through our positive karma, our virtuous action, we take a positive rebirth such as known as the higher rebirth. So, in that way, we should now, check this body that we have, within us see the faults of our body. So comparing our body with the body of the hell beings, like the hell beings, hungry ghosts, animals, our body is regarded much better.
So, this body is regarded a precious human rebirth that we have, which has these different qualities and it is, result of a good karma. So, it is a precious human body. It is very precious and it is the result of our good karma, but still it is regarded not, the true suffering, known as the of of those different type of suffering is known as the true suffering. So, it is the true suffering and how it is, it, because, how and we have to check, analyze these different faults and how what what causes it and so on. So, so when you analyze in that way then when you talk about the twelve interdependent links, which is the very first one is ignorance.
Out of ignorance, you come to create different karmas, contaminated karmas and uncontaminated karmas or different ways. So, so this body that we have is caused at the very beginning, out of ignorance, we create the karma, contaminated karma and that is what the body that we have is. So, so knowing that this body is caused by karma and delusions and and as now, for for example, now it acts as a base for experiencing sufferings. And it acts as a base right now to to to to experience this state of sufferings. And two, if we are not careful, it will leads us to to continue to experience suffering in the future.
So how we come to create negative actions on dependence upon this body again in the future is like we get attached to this body out of attachment, we get angry towards others or we get cold to protect that we, sometimes harm others, to receive help and so on. So, in that way, we create many different causes, of suffering independent, depending upon this body. Nice. So, if you look, if you analyze then it is from the past, it is, it’s created by common delusions. And now at present, it is the basis where we experience different sufferings.
And, in the future, it again, if we’re not careful, it causes us to create all the causes to experience suffering again in the future. So if you look into into its depth, really check it then, actually it doesn’t have any qualities, good qualities. No. Nice. So in that way, that’s how you check the faults of Samsāra.
This is this body. So, so that’s one example with our body, the Samsāra body and similarly all the things which surrounds us, the world we use to, everything that we experience around in Samsāra, as long as it’s Samsāra things, it is it always brings sufferings. It becomes a cause for suffering, it acts as a base for suffering and so on. So that’s that’s that’s the way of way of, like, contemplating the sufferings or, like, or the faults of saṃsāra. So, so when we come to realize that, the saṃsāra is nothing, not not what you really want, it is it is the cause for suffering.
Then, when you really understand that, then you have, you generate this wish, or want the wanting the wish that I want to get out of there, want want to leave that. So so so we seek for another another body, another form which is uncontaminated form that we are seeking for, which we don’t have to experience suffering. So for that purpose then, sorry, we seek, well, we practice the Dharma. So, two understanding the faults of Samsāra and getting the understanding or having insight into impermanence. These two is the necessary things for us to make our practice become the cause for liberation.
Without these two understanding, it it doesn’t really become cause for liberations. So, so at present, we love sleeping, we, we like, distractions. Don’t like, not liking to do the practice, Dharma practice and so on, is a result of our past life that we didn’t contemplate on the points of impermanence and also not contemplating the faults of Samsāra. So, now again, and this space before you have as you visualize your guru or the deity and you request for their help and the blessing, from now on, may you help me, that I mean, that, to success, to have success in my practice and not to commit any negative actions, onwards. So, so the point here again, pointing, to this body that we wanna have and that, seeing the faults of that as as being Samsāra Samsāra that it has these different faults, knowing that’s the important point that you have to realize that.
And and by realizing that you come to know, to understand that it needs to be abandoned, it’s nothing that it needs to be abandoned. So, practices shouldn’t like contemplation on impermanence and seeing the fault of Samsāra is regarded the practice of small scope or the being of the small scope. And you shouldn’t, see that, you shouldn’t put that down saying, oh, this is the practice of lower scope. I should do, practice of higher scope. You should you should start from the, here onwards.
So it happens for us that like thinking, because these like, the practice of impermanence or contemplating on impermanence, seeing the faults of Samsāra, the law of karma and so on, regarding that all these are the practice for the lower beings, or practice of the lower scopes and ignoring them and instead of doing these practice like aiming for more higher practice such as, the practice of, the greater beings, such as bodhicitta, bodhicitta practice and going on to tantric practice, like, those of the completion stage and, generation stage and so on, like trying to trying to do something like that with that’s sometimes happens to us. So if you do that, if we happen to do that, then it is a mistake. So because if we don’t have the real understanding of this contemplation on impermanence and don’t understand the faults of Samsāra, then our practice doesn’t become the cause for liberation. So all these higher practices such as the practice of bodhicitta or wisdom realizing emptiness or the Tantric practice, all these different higher practices, has to come from the foundation of these different practices on the basis of these and then you come to realize these different points.
So, for example, if you want to build a house, in order to have a good decoration on the ceiling and on the roof, you first have to have a very good foundation. And the foundation is important in order to build on top. So, if your foundation is not as strong, for example, for the house, if the foundation is not built well, then even though if you put like spend a lot of money to decorate the ceilings and the roof, might might be couple of months later, it will fall down. So So So similar similarly, like, if you don’t have a good foundation or known as the common practices of these, all these, the the practice on impermanence, knowing, the fault of Samsāra, contemplating the fault of Samsāra, if you don’t have that strong base, then without that, even if you do do practice on bodhicitta and so on, for the very beginning you might seem that you’re understanding some, you feel great about doing these practice, but then because you are one doesn’t have a strong base as a foundation of understanding of the other rest of the rest, that after couple of months or years of practice, one will fall down.
So, so because of that, that’s why, they put great importance in the practice of, impermanence, like from the very moment you get up early morning, being aware of impermanence that, we’re not not sure how long we will last And any moment, we will be faced with death. So being aware of that is important. So, so because of that, like, for the monks, like, in the monasteries to remind them the death or remind them impermanence, the upper part of the garment, the shaped upper part, like the way how it is shaped. So when you first, take the the the upper part of the garment of the monk’s robes like as Isla was showing, if you open it, it’s like the the mouth of the Lord of Death. That’s that’s reminding you that and the part that is hanging out here is regarding like a Yeah.
You see the two trunks of the You see that there’s two cut of one Really heavy. Two fangs showing is supposed to be a sign of two fangs like teeth and and to remind that as when you get up to put that on remind you the impermanence of that. So so from the moment you get up and pull your clothes on, it’s reminding you on that, you should remind, you you should remember impermanence, aware of impermanence. That’s what what it, what it symbolizes. So, same like other symbols like the Mala that we use in, for example, in Tibet, they use the string as the animal skin strings and they use that, so to remind the person that the impermanence of death, the impermanence.
Just when you see the skin, then you mind it belongs to some some beings and that’s how it reminds the person the impermanence. So so there are many different, like, physical like part which symbolizes, reminds your practice or impermanence and so on. Like even the shoes, the monks wear different part of the bed, different nurseries have different shoes that to remind you to step on top of the three poisons, attachment, anger and ignorance and so on, like that. To remind you that there are like three different points on the shoes and so on with different monasteries, with different great masters, they, to remind the monks or the followers, practice, they, what do call, they bring different, what do say, rules in the monastery. So to remind them to the practice.
Yeah. So, without being aware of impermanence, without understanding the impermanence, then, even if we try to do practice of Dharma, our Dharma practice doesn’t actually hits the target in a way. So, so, last practice being very important that one of the great meditator, somebody. A great meditator known as Pelgön Drukpa, a Tibetan Yogi, that when he was doing his practice, one day he just walked out of his cave and happened to, fall down and a stick thrown went right inside his thigh and, and then he didn’t even had that like, time to take it out the the stick, that is stuck in his on his thigh because he thinks that if I use my time pulling that out, I’m wasting my time.
So, instead I should just continue doing my practice. So, there are yogis or practitioners like that. So, for that practice that yogi have realization understanding of impermanence very strong. So that is that is that type of understanding of impermanence that we should have too. And when you get that then, then out of that understanding and you have a you have a strong sense of fear and that fear like, never stops you from practicing Dharma.
So, so, Geshe-la said, please do meditate on impermanence as much as possible from your side. And, if you first, understanding the importance of impermanence, knowing impermanence, then, then out of on on the basis of that, whatever you practice, your practice becomes, genuine and pure. So, going to the next point, say, like, not accomplishing what we are wishing for. For example, if you meditate, are not coming to get any realizations or if you try to read some teachings, you don’t understand the meanings. Even if you read the Dharma teachings, though you understand the meanings, doesn’t stay in your mind.
And, similarly, like, worldly activities if you, engage in such as if you do a business, you lose your business. And same Same with like that if you So similarly like that, if you if you’re working on a farm, you see other other people doing well off in their farming business, but once instead of going up, going down and not not having good company in in the family and so on. All these thing. So, so these are, all these happens, all these type of suffering that we experience because again, one of our previous life that we have went against the law of karma. We didn’t, we would, we committed many negative karmas such as engaged in killing, stealing and so on, or telling lies and mostly mostly engaging in negative karmas.
And there that is the result what we are experiencing now.