Audio recorded at Buddha House Adelaide. Transcript auto-generated and AI-corrected; may contain errors.
About this talk. A question Geshe Pema Tsering raises early in this 102-minute commentary cuts through comfortable assumptions: can wishing to be born in a pure land actually count as “desire for future lives” if the motivation is personal happiness rather than benefiting all beings? This opens a sustained focus on renunciation from Pabongka Rinpoche’s commentary on Lama Tsongkhapa’s Three Principal Aspects of the Path. After recapping death meditation — showing how the phrase “life’s not long” encapsulates three roots, nine reasons, and three contemplations — Geshe-la walks through the four characteristics of karma: certainty, increase, inescapability, and imperviousness to loss. His own bout of shingles serves as a concrete teaching on karma ripening beyond our control or intention. A Q&A closes the session with the striking claim that karma’s subtle workings are harder to understand than emptiness itself.
File metadata (for organising)
File: 9. Day 4 AM Teaching.mp3
UUID: 3401cfd6-3188-4ea0-8cd3-4c6090581466
Teacher: Geshe Pema Tsering
Collection: z Teachings DTL (Geshe Pema Tsering)
Date: 2006 (exact day not recorded)
Recorded at: Buddha House Adelaide
Duration: 101.8 minutes
Words: ~7,717
Thinking of wishing to bring all sentient beings without exception to the set of enlightenment, then one must attain enlightenment itself. For that purpose, one is going to study this text on on on on the stages of the path, and then one is going to meditate accordingly. And then in this way, we just generate this condition, and one is now going to attain enlightenment for the sake of all sentient beings. So then the text is telling us then that we must we must take Dharma practice, spiritual practice now. If we don’t, then we don’t have much time left in this life, and soon the impermanence of death death will catch up with us.
And then furthermore, the text is telling us it doesn’t it doesn’t suffice to just to to to just think about death and and just tell yourself, oh, I’m going to die, Gershell was saying, just saying, everybody can think and and and I’m going to die and say that I’m going to die. We we all understand that. But it’s that that does not suffice. One must just merely thinking about it lightly and and intermittently or not not practicing constantly. I was just saying, one must practice it at all times.
At all times, one must meditate about impermanence and death. And then the text is telling us itself that one must give rise to such a strong conviction of of of one’s impermanence and and death. And and for that purpose, one must engage in in a very fine analysis and then of this of this topic of of of one’s death. Okay? And then in this in this one text of of the three principal aspects of the path to enlightenment, where in that verse, which was the last verse of the text, what is it?
Mhmm. Where where in that verse, it is it is said that life’s not long. Just that one little expression is is where the teacher, Lama Tsongkhapa, is expounding and is is showing us the teaching on on how to meditate, how to recollect death, impermanence. And then so then just in that one little sentence, life’s not life’s not long, then showed us the the whole teaching on recollecting death, which involves then, how to say, the the benefits of recollecting one’s death, the the shortcomings of not recollecting one’s death. Then as for the main body of of death meditation itself, of the the the meditation on remembering death, Then there is the three he showed us he made reference also to the three roots of this death meditation, and then the nine reasons, and then the three contemplations, and also the meditations and teachings and teachings and teachings and teachings and teachings on the aspects of death, of the dying process itself.
And then the text concludes, if one can train one’s mind in all these topics and then train, recollect death in this way, then once recollection of death will be very strong, and with this, then one can one will be able to how to say? That’s that’s mind, which which it then turns turns away from from from desire for this life, for the things of this life, then that mind will come. Okay? And then the the text the text is telling us that if if one can then recollect death always with with with with these meditations and teachings and teachings and teachings and teachings and teachings in mind, with these reflections in mind, and then give rise to this to this mind in one’s mental continuum, then it is said that this person has then take has then taken a firm footing into the the virtuous virtuous Dharma practice. I guess I was just explaining that if one is able to then give rise to these convictions about death through those meditations and teachings and teachings and teachings and teachings and teachings, then whatever activity one does, it will be in accordance with the Dharma.
And then also those those the the detailed meditations and teachings and teachings and teachings and teachings and teachings on on death and what’s all the other meditations and teachings and teachings and teachings and teachings and teachings that follow after death, such as the meditations and teachings and teachings and teachings and teachings and teachings on on taking refuge and meditations and teachings and teachings and teachings and teachings and teachings on actions and the results and so forth, one must know them from such explanations as as one finds in the extensive texts on the stages of the path to enlightenment. Okay. And then the in this one text of Lama Tsongkhapa, the three principal aspects of the path, then the teachings on the sufferings of the three lower realms and the teachings on on refuge, even though they were not, how to say, overtly explained, they were conveyed by by implication. Okay. And then so we follow on to the second part of the commentary on that on the topic of renunciation, and then we read the second half of that verse in renunciation, which reads then thinking over and over how actions and their results never fail and thinking about some sort of sufferings, then one then we are told to stop desire for the for the future.
So then we are we are we are told then what is it what is it that is meant by a desire for the future? Desire for the future is then that mind which is wishing for oneself to to have to be born as as as a god such as Brahma or how to say, the the gods of the the hundred blessings or to be born as as will emperor and and have all the the the the beautiful bodies and all the the the enjoyments and the possessions and in a in a nice place with with all the excellent happinesses and and and and pleasures that one can imagine. And that’s that mind which is wishing to have that, that that happens to oneself, that is what is called desire for the future. It’s what is meant it was referred to for by desire for the future. Okay.
This is what we have to to this is the mine that we have to to stop. And then it’s just that there’s a it’s very dangerous because we are all we are all practicing virtue, and and then we all practice practice virtue for the sake of of attaining happiness. So then these these these thoughts can very likely occur to us that we might wish to to have the happiness of gods and and so forth. So Geshe-la says it’s very dangerous. And then the text is telling us that there are there are people who who pray to be born in a in a Buddha field, in a Buddha land, a pure land.
And and these people, they they pray once they are praying to be born in a in a pure land, they do not have in mind as as the motivation, the the of the welfare of all sentient beings. They do not have in mind the benefit of all sentient beings. So then the others, And thus, these people are very likely are people who still have this desire for the future. These people who are still overwhelmed by by desire for for the happiness of future lives. Mhmm.
Even though they are apparently born in Pure Land. Geshe-la was saying that. So then what is it where is it that that it comes? Well, what is it that that distinguishes this this this this thought? Is it the fact that they are doing that for their own for for themselves alone?
They are doing that for their own happiness. So then, Geshe-la is saying that out of out of this self-cherishing mind that we have, then we we wish for happiness, And then and then we we when we see such beings as as the gods of of of of the Brahma realm and and and and real emperors and so forth, all the the enjoyments that they have, and we believe that to be happiness, and we do not understand that that all all those things are actually in the nature of suffering itself. So then the Geshe-la is emphasizing certain expressions in the text. The text is again Geshe-la was reading again for the same sentence where somebody who does not have the motivation to benefit all sentient beings, to accommodate the causes for benefiting all sentient beings, and then wishes then to be born in a pure land where where he wants where this person won’t experience any suffering and will experience only only happiness with this thought in mind. Then the author, Pabongka Rinpoche, is then telling that it is for this person, this type of person probably, possibly, is a person who still has attachment for for the happiness of future lives.
And Geshe-la was emphasizing this word which which translated as possibly. They possibly are are still attached, and then says it remains to be investigated. Okay. So then Geshe-la is then saying that why why is it why is it that he said that he remains to be investigated, this subject? Because, Geshe-la says, we must we must start to to investigate if by having been born in a pure land, there is still the possibility of falling back into impure realms of existence, the desire desire realm and so forth.
And or or not. If there is not a possibility, if one once one is born in a pure land, there’s not a possibility of falling back into into impure realms, then that is not the case that the person is then still desiring for happiness of future lives alone. And if if if there is, then the possibility of falling back then into impure realms of existence again, then it is the case that the person is being, I say, yeah, fall falls into the category of of being someone who has desire for future happiness. So, Geshe-la was explaining I had I had some some doubts. Geshe-la wasn’t explaining that there is there is not clear it’s not completely clear if if it is possible from for someone who has born into into a pure land to fall back into impure impure lands.
It is not that’s not clear. But Geshe-la was saying, if if it was possible and that person did not have as a motivation liberation or enlightenment and has as as a motivation really only his own happiness in future lives, then probably his falling back into impure lands meant that his motivation was of of no benefit. Again, he didn’t have the the renunciation that was necessary for true liberation and enlightenment. And then he, again, he falls into saṃsāra, and again, is impelled by by actions and affective conceptions. Okay?
Is that making sense? I don’t think so. Okay. Interesting. And then the text is telling us that usually in the in the in the text text on the stages of the path to enlightenment, in the part in that part of the text where the path of the beings of small scope is being explained, that’s within that teaching within that teaching, then actions and the results is explained for the sake of, I would say, abandoning giving up attachment for for this life.
And then in the path of the beings of middling scope, then the ways to oppose desire for future lives is explained. Okay? And then we are explaining that in this text of the three principal aspects of the path to enlightenment, then it is that this text is a bit different in its exposition of these meditations and teachings and teachings and teachings and teachings and teachings. In this text, we have then the verse that refers to the leisure and fortune of a precious human rebirth and the meditations and teachings and teachings and teachings and teachings and teachings on impermanence and death, I would say, to use as a as a tool to oppose them attachment or desire for the happiness of this life. And then the teachings, the the second half of the verse, the teachings with actions and the results the sufferings of cyclic existence, then both of them together, they are used to avert the desire for the happiness of future lives.
They are taught here in this way. And then the reason why this is so is because it is said that if one does not know well, how to say very well, these teachings, one does not understand very well how actions and the risk the results work, then And then because it is said that if one does not understand well this how actions and the results work, then one will still be producing accumulating the causes for that will impel one how to say, will produce more getting more causes for cyclic existence for being impelled around in cyclic existence and and how do you say? And Geshe-la was understanding in the context, someone who is who is then aiming at at liberation, then there’s someone who is meditating on the four noble truths, which I briefly explained before. Geshe-la was then saying that this this then emphasis on actions and results is traced back on on the fact that one has to meditate in the four noble truths and the truths of suffering and and true origin and so forth. And then one is then with with a good knowledge only with a with very good knowledge of actions that results, and one can stop the causes of for more suffering, for more cyclic existence.
So so then for that so then, again, for for the the sake of stopping or or getting rid of all karma, of all karma that produces, of all actions that produce cyclic existence, that impels cyclic existence. And then, Geshe-la was then saying, in cyclic existence that is produced by both virtuous and non-virtuous karma actions. And then Geshe-la was then saying, that purpose, then to oppose that completely, then this teaching on actions, the results was given here in in in relation to abandoning, giving up attachment to future lives. Okay? So then so then, again, in order to attain liberation from cyclic existence, one must know one must then adopt what is called the virtuous actions and then abandon, how to say, the negative actions in accordance with the teachings on actions and the results.
So then we are told then that in order to accomplish that, then in order to accomplish this practice, we must first believe have a a belief and or confidence in actions and the results. In order to accomplish that that confidence, that belief, then we must reflect over it over actions and the results. Okay? And then as for the way then to reflect on actions and the results, then are given this teaching by the Buddha himself, which is then saying, given the four characteristics of karma and the results, actions and the results, is saying karma is certain, karma increases, then one cannot meet with a result if he or he has not committed the action, the corresponding action. And once the action has been performed, the result cannot be lost.
So those are the four characteristics of actions in the results. And then if one then reflects in detail over this, then this very strong conviction and faith, which comes out of conviction, of understanding, then on actions and the results will be developed, and then it will be easy then, how to say, practice adopting virtuous deeds and abandoning non virtuous deeds. And then Geshe-la is in explaining what is meant by karma is certain or actions is certain. And then Geshe-la is explaining that is that is what was taught by the Buddha to mean that from from one action, we are certain there is certain to follow a result. And then not just not just that, but it has to be from a non virtuous action that it that can only that can only they will only follow, and they will certainly only follow suffering result.
From a virtuous action, they will certainly only follow a happy result. And then from a neutral action, they will certainly follow only a result which is neither happiness nor suffering, which is a neutral result. But then it is certain, and it’s it’s yes. It’s this in this exact way. And from from I guess I was then saying, there’s no possibility of them having we having experienced a result of happiness out of a non virtuous action or a result of one of suffering out of a virtuous action.
So then just like So then, Geshe-la is going to give you an illustration, it’s just like when we plant we plant a seed of rice, what we have is is a rice plant. When we plant beans, what we get is is a bean plant, and when we plant a barley seed, again, what we get is a barley plant. We do not get out of having planted rice, we do not get barley or beans. Out of having planted barley, we do not get rice or beans and so forth. Just in this way.
And That’s right. And then as karma increases or actions or the results of actions increases, means to say, again, that the results are greater than the actions. So then Geshe-la Zin explained that even though we might the action we might have performed was just a little action, the result will be way greater and bigger than that action. And so, again, just using, again, the same example of the rice, even though we just planting one little grain of rice, what you get out of that planting that that grows out of it is many grains of rice. And again, with just a small little virtuous action, what you get in the future is a lot of happiness.
And from a small, little non-virtuous action, what you get in the future is, again, is a lot of a huge amount of suffering. Okay? And again, as for the third third characteristic of actions and the results is then that one one cannot meet with a consequence if she or he has not when when she or if she or he has not committed the action. And again, Geshe-la is then explaining, giving again the same example of the rice. If one does not actually plant the rice seed in the field, then one will not reap the rice afterwards.
So the same with actions, if one has not performed virtuous actions or non virtuous actions, one will not experience happy results or suffering results. So then and then and then we we we then Geshe explains then the the the last of these characteristics of of actions and the results, which is then that karma is certain, the once the action is is performed, then the result cannot be lost. And so then as I was saying again, so then once one has performed no virtue, then in the future, even after after many, many years, if a huge amount of time, this result does not grow weak or or grows old or anything, the result is is going to come. And the same for virtuous deeds. But then Geshe-la has been saying, there is not exactly so with every with every action that we have performed.
Because if if, for example, in the case of of a non virtuous action, if we have performed a non virtuous action, if one applies the four opponent powers, applies the the antidotes, and and makes a proper confession and so forth, then those suffering results, they will be how to say? They they one will get rid of the suffering results. One will stop those suffering results. And on the other hand, because I was going say, if one applies the antidotes, then one gets rid of the suffering results. If one does not apply the antidotes to those non virtuous deeds, then certainly one will experience the suffering results.
And then the same goes for virtuous actions. Then if one has produced, has engaged in virtuous actions, but then those those results, those happy results of virtuous actions can be destroyed by anger and pride and and so forth. So then, again, if one has anger and pride and so forth, those happy results can be destroyed. If one does not have then anger and pride and so forth in relation to this, then one will certainly experience again this happy results. So then as as for as for actions, as for what is referred to for by actions or karma.
In English, as I’m explaining, it is all those actions that we perform with our body, with our speech, and with our mind. Again, also, one can refer to the ten non virtuous actions. Those are all actions. Those are all karma. And furthermore, I guess I saying, all those afflictive emotions or conceptions that come through through our minds, the attachment, aversion, the pride, and so forth, those are all actions.
And then, Geshe-la was saying, our minds, even though we might not be performing any deeds with body and speech, our minds are just like those flags in the wind. They never stop they never stop quiet, they never steady. So we are always producing actions all the time. So those those actions of body and speech, they are bit coarse. So it is something that we are actually able to guard.
We are able to watch over our actions of body and speech. Even though we we might not be great meditators or great practitioners, still we are able to to guard against no virtue deeds of body and speech. But then as for for the actions of of of our mind or thoughts, and this is very difficult to guard against against those. When we are meditating and when we are giving rise to the mind of enlightenment, we are thinking to ourselves, oh, may I attain Buddhahood for the sake of all sentient beings? And we think that, and then immediately, we start thinking, what about going to that place?
What about eating that food? What about doing this? What about doing that? We we like this, we have already accumulated so much so much karma, we have already engaged in so many actions. Then this teaching on actions and the results, It is it is very, very important and is very difficult also.
And then again, Geshe-la, I was reading again for the last part of that sentence, and then we we read, then if if one then reflects in this way in great detail on actions and the results, then again, this this faith that comes out of confidence, that comes out knowledge, then we will have then this faith towards actions and the results. And if one if one then can can can give rise to this strong confidence, to this strong faith, in essence, the results, it will be easy then to understand what actions are to be discarded, what actions are to be adopted, what easy to understand then the results and so forth and practice accordingly. And then and then in the in the usual usually in the in the texts on the stages of the path to enlightenment, then after after teaching about impermanence and death, then they will they will follow a teaching on the sufferings of the three lower rebirths and teachings on on refuge that will be explained usually. But in so then so then Pabongka Rinpoche is then saying that here in this text, that that is the intention of this text, even though it is not explicit, that that is the intention of this text.
Then now that he when he was commenting, he says now now here, he will then talk a little about those. And then Pabongka Rinpoche is telling us that after we die, our consciousness does not go out like a candle flame. We we will have we will sure have to take another rebirth. Okay. And then the place of the rebirth of that consciousness can only be two two generally, can only be two different places.
It can only be a happy rebirth or a miserable rebirth. And then we are told then that we we do not have any choice as for where we want to go, where we are going to be born. We have to we have to follow the whims of our of our karma, of our own actions. Geshe-la was then saying that it’s it’s not up to us to say, oh, that place is not nice. I don’t want to go there.
We have to go wherever our karma is taking us. And then if we have if if we have out of out of practicing virtue, then we we are going to be impelled to happy migrations, to happy rebirths. And out of a non virtue, we are going to be impelled to a miserable rebirth. I think, Geshe-la is then giving an illustration of how how it is that we do not have any power, Geshe-la is then saying, when we are young and then we we grow up until we are fifteen years old and and then everything is okay. But then later, you know, we we all have we all have to get sick.
We all have to grow old. We all have to die. There’s nothing there’s nothing like saying there’s no place there’s nothing like saying, I don’t want to get sick, and then you don’t get sick. I don’t want to grow old, and then you don’t grow old. I Geshe-la was then recollecting last year when he was here in the in this in this very seat, he had shingles, and he was sick with with with shingles.
And there’s nothing like saying, oh, I don’t like shingles. I don’t want shingles. And then he goes away. No. You have to experience.
It’s out of it’s it’s it’s out of the previous karma, the power of previous karma, and you have to you have to experience that. And there’s there’s nothing there’s nothing we can do about such a for example, in in in the case of of shingles and and in the case of an illness, there’s nothing we can do about it. Until the power of that karma is exhausted and it goes it disappears by itself, there’s nothing we can do about it. There’s nothing there’s nothing much that a doctor can do. There’s nothing that relatives can do.
There’s nothing that friends or or or companions can do about it. It’s all about the karma. So then again, guess I was then giving example, when when again, when he had the shingles and he would eat he would take a lot of Panadol, would take a lot of painkillers, and and still even even even though the painkiller might might be might give some relief and make the the pain subdue the pain a little bit, still the the disease, the illness is still one hundred percent present. It’s still there, and that doesn’t do anything about the the power of that karma, the power of that action, and and and the the duration of that of that experience. And then when the when the power of that action then is exhausted, then in the same way, at the same time, then the result will disappear also.
And then this and so then in this in this illustration, this example that Geshe-la was giving was was an example of of a very obvious suffering, a very obvious pain, suffering of suffering. And then so we can we can understand the karma, the actions, and and the potency and and exhaustion and so forth for this example easily, but we do not understand. We do not see how how we are how this this the the karma, how these actions that we have performed in the past are producing the other kinds of suffering that we experience, that we are experiencing. We do not understand that, nor do we? And then furthermore, that we are told that out of a of a great non virtuous action, out of performing a great non virtuous action, then we are born in the hell realms.
Out of performing an average non virtuous action, we are born in the hungry ghost realm. And out of of performing a small non virtuous action, we are born in the animal realm. And then, again, out of performing a great virtuous action, we are we are born as a god of the two highest realms, the form the formless realms of existence. And then out of an average virtuous deed, we are born as a god of the desire realm. And then out out of a small virtuous deed virtuous action, we are born as a human being in the within the desire realm.
And then we are we are given then a verse from Nāgārjuna, from Ārya Nāgārjuna. And then the this verse reads something like this. Non virtue non virtue brings all suffering and, likewise, all miserable rebirth. And virtue brings all happy rebirth and happiness in all one’s birth. Okay?
You said it was ten thirty. So then I’m suggesting I was suggesting I like that we start now so you can ask questions if there is any questions. If not, we can we can proceed. Yeah. Yeah.
Okay. With the shingles, Geshe-la said that karma, when it ripened, well, okay, just a typical example of when you had the shingles or any other illness, whether it’s Geshe-la or anyone else, their reaction to the experiencing of that karma, does that affect the potency of that karma? In other words, if you react badly to when you’re experiencing negative karma, does that make that karma last longer or does it create more negative karma? So then, let’s say, it’s not that it affects the karma that produced the illness itself, but that anger, for example, if you get angry, for example, then that anger itself is karma. That anger itself is an action, so that you are producing more negative karma at that time.
And not only that, Geshe-la says, you will be destroying a lot of roots of virtue that you have accumulated previously. So then the next question is, so for example, you took lots of medication, that’s a good thing so that you would not react so badly to the experiencing of the karma? So then, yeah, it is alright to take, for example, painkillers in this case for the sake of avoiding getting angry, for example, with the whole situation, or also for the sake of diminishing the pain itself, whatever it is that you can do to how do say, to diminish the suffering experience, it’s alright to do. So in case I didn’t explain. Then, for example, in the case of of of his shingles, that was not the result of only one negative karma.
That was a result of many, many having performed many, many negative actions in the past. And then if then Geshe-la eats Panadol or he takes painkillers, that is even though that might diminish the suffering experience, that is a result of those negative actions, still, that does not, how to say, destroy the causes of that suffering experience itself. And Geshe-la was saying, in order to completely rid oneself of of the cause of suffering experience suffering experiences, one one has to realize emptiness. Explain that this this topic of actions and the results is very important. It’s a very great topic.
And then we have no way to know the very subtle workings, the very fine workings of karma and its results. We cannot know. Only a fully enlightened being, only a Buddha can know. Yeah. The the all the workings the energy actuals the results in every detail.
Oh, you you walked over the the book. It goes. This is not good. It’s a very it’s a very bad thing to do. Could I ask again, just following up a little bit from George’s question, the second of the four groups within the eight worldly concerns, I think, not feeling happy when you feel don’t feel happy when you feel good or unhappy when you feel bad.
Is that meaning like when you’re sick or is that the same as what George was saying, even though you’re sick, don’t get unhappy about being sick, or is it a wider meaning to that? So I I I asked I put forth a very simple question. I I don’t think I I don’t think I I actually conveyed the meaning of what you asked. So I asked, what is the relation of those two worldly dharmas of being happy being happy about happy happy experiences and being unhappy when suffering arises? And then this this teaching on on actually the results.
I just asked what is the relation. I guess I said, well, there’s a clear relationship. So when we’re talking about these two worldly concerns, then it’s this this this mind is then wishing to have happiness. This is a mind that that wishes to obtain happiness for oneself. Mhmm.
Then this this is not actual ultimate happiness. This is saṃsāra happiness. This is the happiness this is a a mind of attachment that’s attached to the pleasure of saṃsāra, to the happiness of saṃsāra. So then then, again, this and then out of this attitude, we out of this wish to attain that happiness, that pleasure, we we engage in all sorts of of activities, and then we might even produce virtuous engage in virtuous activities, and then we we experience happiness in the future. Oh, good.
But they will all be samsaric happiness, all be contaminated happiness. And then furthermore, Geshe-la was saying and then as for as for being unhappy when suffering arises, which is the second world concern, then, again, we we don’t we have a mind which which wishes not to meet with with suffering experiences, with pain and so forth. Mhmm. And then And then, again, we we engage in all sorts of activities in order to avoid that, and that only produces more karma. Again, there’s a there’s a lot of contaminated activities from the actions that they produce more karma.
Most likely, this they how to say? Yeah. Explain in another way that when when this worldly con these two worldly concerns, these two worldly thoughts that being happy when we experience when we have happy experience or pleasurable experience or being unhappy when we have when we we meet with suffering experiences. Then is is when we’re talking about being happy about happy experiences or pleasurable experiences. And Geshe-la then gave the example of the mind that wishes wishes to to to have happiness.
May I have happiness? And then as I was gonna say, it’s not it’s not it is not a mind that is wishing to have to attain liberation or nirvana. It’s not a mind that’s wishing, may I have the happiness of liberation? May I have the happiness of enlightenment? And if you if it was that, that would be okay.
Okay. I feel good. If it was it will be okay. Okay. To be happy about it and to wish that is okay.
But it is not that when we’re talking about when because I was referring to wishing happiness. I guess I was talking about the things of this world, the things of this life, talking about sightseeing, nice size, nice food, nice house, nice car, nice clothing, and so forth, things of this life. And then out of attachment for the things of this life, then you produce you engage in all sorts of activities, actions. You produce a lot of actions, produce a lot of karma. And this karma is all just going to create more and more of some sort of cyclic existence.
Okay. So if we do a virtuous action that perhaps isn’t I’m not saying I could, but someone that maybe is in cyclic existence could do a virtuous action that would result in a positive result of being happy. So that would be a good feeling. I still don’t see how So so then it’s like this. If one if one is engaging in virtuous activities Mhmm.
With the for the sake of attaining happiness in this life, then all you’re doing is accumulating the causes for more cyclic existence, for more saṃsāra. You know you experience happiness, it’s contaminated happiness. Mhmm. And then virtue is contaminated virtue. That’s the meaning of contaminated.
So the guess, like I say, we when when we practice virtue, we we must practice it for the sake for the sake of attaining liberation in this life, with the motivation of liberation or enlightenment. This is very difficult because we do not understand liberation. We do not know liberation, what liberation is, and we do not even know beings who are liberated or enlightened. We do not understand that. We cannot see this result that we are aiming at, so then it’s very difficult to develop this wish to attain it.
Okay? Have a question about expanding karma. I wonder if I could that. It’s sort of easier to understand the energy, but if somebody gets extremely angry, is, well, reasonably easy to understand the energy that’s created from that anger and that would be in in the karmic bank, if you like. But I don’t really understand how karma can just expand and become more and more in a positive or negative sense.
So the Geshe-la was then is giving an illustration from from the sutras that Geshe-la was then applying to if if Geshe-la was for example, if if Luke was a bodhisattva, and and if Geshe-la were to say that Luke is just like a dog, he’s like a dog, and it is just like it’s just mere words, Geshe-la says. It’s just these little words. It’s a little it’s a little act. It’s a little action. It’s a very little action.
But because he was he’s a bodhisattva, then he would he would take, according to the sutras, at least Geshe-la would take in the future at least five hundred births as a dog. And this is what is written in in the sutras, Geshe-la says is in in reality is much more than that. So it’s just it’s just one little action again. One little action produces a huge result. Yeah.
I can’t understand that. So then it’s like this. Okay? I I was bringing bringing back to Geshe-la what what Geshe-la has said himself here, and we will going over it. So it’s like this what what Geshe-la said already, that only a fully enlightened being can understand and know directly the very subtle workings of cause and effect and understand them.
We cannot. And then on top of that so then, as I was saying, so then only only a Buddha would be able to tell how how long how powerful the the the just the small deed of calling someone like a dog, how powerful that deed is, for how long it will last, when it would ripen, and and when it ripen, what sort of result it would experience, for how long each result will be experienced and so forth. Only a Buddha can tell those things. Only a Buddha can can see those things. We cannot know.
And then Geshe-la was in he said he also gave the another illustration to illustrate how how karma and and the results and the results of karma work. The the example of of the seed, the one grain of rice, that you plant one grain of rice, and it’s still you get many grains of rice. And karma actions, the the increase the the increasing of actions is is just in the same way that a grain of rice produces many grains of rice. One little action produces many results. It’s the same way.
No. Mind. Okay? Yeah, I guess that’s an aspect of karma. I think we can all grasp the basic concept of karma.
It seems that that that that particular part, that karma expanding, seems to be incredibly subtle. And and I’ve heard the teaching that come that to understand the subtlety of karma is to realise it is more More difficult than realising emptiness. Than realising emptiness. That’s true. Is that the standing part of karma, is that one of the extremely subtle?
All of it, mate. All of it. Not about it. It’s not necessarily subtle and difficult to understand. So then it’s just it’s just like you said.
So then it is it is easier to understand and realize emptiness than to to understand all the subtle workings of of karma, actions and the results. And then I guess I was just saying, it is not just that topic of increasing that actions increase. There is subtle everything about actions and results is very subtle and very difficult to understand. And Only a Buddha can know those things. And it is usually said, it is usually said that it is very difficult to realize emptiness.
But in in in in relation to understanding actions and the results, then the teachings on emptiness is something very, very coarse. Geshe-la. Geshe-la. Can you please ask Geshe-la to give an example of a neutral result being larger than a neutral action? So then I just had to explain just like this experience that we have right now, which is not painful, not pleasurable, that is a neutral experience, which is a neutral result of a neutral action performed in the past.
So not having performed virtuous or a non virtuous action in the past, having performed in a neutral action in this sense, then we experience we have an experience which is neither suffering, neither pain nor happiness pleasure. We have this experience which is which is neutral. Now how is it how is it that a small neutral action turns into into a huge neutral result? It’s just that it doesn’t know. We have to we can only see for ourselves or every neutral experience we have, and and that’s this is what is meant by by neutral experience, so we can know firsthand.
Okay? Yes. From what I understand, the ideal is to be neutral, to actually react in a neutral way to all experience. So this would be implying that if you could see clearly that everything would be neutral in it. It’s like it might be it might be a bad experience or a good experience, but you are neutral towards it.
You don’t care. I mean equanimity. That’s equanimity. That’s a virtuous moment. But neutral means the same thing.
No. I would have thought. No? No. So is it okay?
What’s the difference between neutral and equanimity? So then it’s it’s interesting because in in in Tibetan itself, we we can use the same word, the same this one single word to to refer to to this different to two different contexts. Okay? So then in the context of the meditations and teachings and teachings and teachings and teachings and teachings on the Four Immeasurable Minds, okay, when we’re talking about equanimity, which is in Tibetan is one word with. Okay?
It’s the same word, and this is translated also as neutral. So when we’re talking about equanimity, and we’re talking about a mind that that is that regards all sentient beings as equally, be they someone who who do be some be a being who does good to oneself or who harms oneself, who is higher or lower. It doesn’t make a difference. We regard all of them equally. And that mind is a virtuous mind.
Okay? Now now when we’re talking about neutral, which is in the context of of suffering, happiness, and then actions or karma which are neither suffering nor happiness or sorry. Virtues and virtue, non virtue, and then virtue, virtue, and then actions which are neither virtues, non virtues, which we also call we also call them neutral actions. Right? So then then it is even though in Tibetan, it is the same word as to refer to equanimity and and and neutral here and neutral actions.
In English, we are using two different words. In Tibetan, it’s the same word, but the context is different, and it’s referring to two different things. Does that make any sense? It makes sense, it’s just I would actually use the same word. Equanimity is not a word I use much.
Neutral. Was but that mind is virtuous. Even though you’re using the same word Geshe-la was explaining that even though we are using Tibetan, the same word, it’s still it’s referring to two different things. And and you can use the same word if you want, but you gotta be able to distinguish when you are talking about one subject and when you’re talking about another subject, that word takes a different meaning, and that’s what we are doing here. So then, in Tibetan, this word that we’re translating as equanimity or neutral, then in Tibetan, you can use the same word to refer to three in three different contexts.
We’re talking about neutral actions, virtuous and virtuous and neutral. Right? And then we’re talking about the equanimous mind, the new which you call the neutral mind of the four immeasurables. And then also, Geshe-la was then saying, of the feelings. We have painful feelings, pleasurable feelings, suffering feelings and happy feelings, and we have neutral feelings also.
And it’s the same word in Tibetan. It’s a good question. Turn this on. Okay.