Audio recorded at Buddha House Adelaide. Transcript auto-generated and AI-corrected; may contain errors.
About this talk. What happens the moment you think “I won’t help that person anymore”? Geshe Pema Tsering opens this 85-minute session by showing how that single thought collapses a vow to benefit all sentient beings. He covers four practices for keeping bodhicitta intact in this life — recollecting its benefits, retaking the vow six times daily, resisting resentment, building merit — then four black dharmas to abandon and four white dharmas to cultivate across future lives. The bulk of the session walks through the eighteen root downfalls of the bodhisattva vow with concrete examples, noting that only wrong views and abandoning the mind of enlightenment constitute a full transgression on their own. A closing Q&A addresses restoring broken vows and why mantra recitation without genuine regret cannot purify.
File metadata (for organising)
File: 2007 12 02 Geshe Pema Tsering – bodhisattva vows Dec 02 2007.mp3
UUID: 5725e452-db4a-48d4-829a-e11cfbb819b7
Teacher: Geshe Pema Tsering
Collection: z Unallocated multiple years (Geshe Pema Tsering)
Date: 2007-12-02
Recorded at: Buddha House Adelaide
Duration: 85.5 minutes
Words: ~4,336
So then Geshe-la explained the ritual for taking the vows, the process of taking the vows, the bodhicitta vows. So we approach Geshe-la wants to to skip into the straight to the next topic. We’re just saying having been taking the vows, how how to keep them from degenerating. And there is two major parts to it, and you you can follow it on page seven hundred and sixteen. There are two sets of of instructions here.
So one is in relation to the the trainings regarding the the aspiration of bodhicitta and the other one regarding the engaging bodhicitta. So then as for as for regard in regards to the first one, the device which is related to the aspiration of bodhicitta, and you have, again, you have two parts. So first of all, then the advice on creating the causes for keeping this bodhicitta that you have developed from degenerating during the present lifetime. And then secondly, creating the causes for for not for not being separated from it, from the bodhicitta in in the future lives, you know, in the other lives. So then as for the first first one of those, which is then advice on creating the causes for keeping the bodhicitta from degenerating in the present lifetime, there are four instructions.
The first recollecting the benefits of Bodhicitta. So the benefits of Bodhicitta. And secondly, then retaking the vows of Bodhicitta three times at day and three times at night so that you do not lose the Bodhicitta that you have already developed, and then you you help it increase also. Then, thirdly so that preventing your development of bad thoughts, such as preventing one’s giving up bodhicitta through bad thoughts, such as when somebody does something that that hurts you or that obstructs you in any way, they think, oh, I’m not gonna work for the sake of this person or that person. And then lastly, building your accumulation of merits so that you increase the bodhicitta that you have already developed.
So then, Geshe-la, was going through the first two of those four topics. First, recollecting the benefits. Again, we have already gone through the benefits of the value of bodhicitta, et cetera. Can see we already have an understanding of how beneficial it is. Secondly, then taking the bodhis the bodhisattva vows three times during the day, three three times during the night.
So that is to say, during six sessions, you you take the bodhicitta vows. And then the third one, which is then avoiding avoiding giving up avoiding giving up bodhicitta when I was explaining expression of the sentence saying again, there’s an expression which which is indicated that when when we are benefiting people and some people, some person might cause harm or hurt us in in return, then we we should prevent, how do you say, giving into such thoughts as, you know, I won’t work for that person. I won’t work for that for that person’s benefit anymore. Explaining that when if we if if it happens that this such thoughts occur to us, then that amounts to one’s giving up one’s. I was explaining that’s because you have give when you give up one person, you have already given up that that bind, which is intent on on the benefit of all sentient beings.
So if you give up one person, it is not all sentient beings anymore. So then then that degenerates that damages one’s one’s bodhicitta does. And then the last the fourth of those instructions, which is then, how do you say, gathering the causes to increase one’s bodhicitta by gathering the collections. The collections refer to collection of merit and collection of wisdom, and that amounts to meditating, making offerings, and so forth in order to increase one’s bodhicitta. So there is, to say, every virtue that we are going to engage in, we engage with the motivation of bodhicitta, with the motivation of, know, I’m going to in order to attain enlightenment for the sake of all sentient beings, I myself attain enlightenment.
I will do anyone engages in all these virtuous activities in order to accomplish that, in order to increase to increase one’s. So then we approach the so first, we approach the topic, which was So then Gesela was first approaching the topic, which is saying how to keep and increase one’s bodhicitta in this life. So that’s why we and then now the one from gathering the causes for not being separated from one’s bodhicitta in the future lives. And there are two sets of four actions. Right?
So the four actions that are to be abandoned, the first set, which is the four actions to be abandoned, amounts to trying to deceive or confuse one’s guru, lama, preceptor, and so forth, with lies, with untruths. Is explained with regards to the word that that translates as lies or, you know, deceiving or confusing one’s teacher perception and so forth. Visualized explanatory look is not just every lie. If one is lying with intention of benefiting or if one is jokingly playing with such things, that’s all right. Only the lies that are done for the sake of with the motivation of obtaining profit for oneself, those are the ones to be avoided And then the the second, how do say, the second action, which is to be avoided, the second of of the fourth to be avoided, is then causing others to regret their performance of of virtue.
So then when when when we say somebody performs a virtue, we say, oh, that’s not that no. That’s not good. That’s not right. And we cause the other person to regret, and we not only damage that other person’s virtue, but we also damage our own. And then the the third one of these black dharmas, which is then out of anger, then denigrating or insulting or saying, how to say, harsh harsh things to bodhisattvas.
And then, also, lastly, the last of the these four black dharmas, which is then without without a the altruistic intention, without this superior determination of of the mind of enlightenment than deceiving or or misleading other beings. And Geshe-la was explaining. So then without without having this the mind of enlightenment, having the the intention of benefiting others. And then for the sake of obtaining profit for oneself alone, deceiving, misleading, and so forth, those also another the fourth of of of the black dharmas, which are to be abandoned. This. This one?
Loss. So as for these four white white dharmas, they are to be cultivated. And the first one is to attentively abandon lies, then keeping straightforward, honest intentions towards all the sentient beings and not deceiving them, not misleading or deceiving them. Thirdly, regarding all bodhisattvas as one’s teachers and then giving them praise. Fourthly, causing sentient beings who are maturing, whose mental continuums are ripening, to uphold And these are the four white dharmas that are to be cultivated.
Oh, yeah. So then we approach the next topic, which is then the training on the engaging bodhicitta. And that is first. So then it’s a it’s a it’s a it’s the teaching is on the eighteen root downfalls and the forty-six secondary downfalls. And there’s a teaching that was giving in detail on the necessity of studying it studying these and not or damage these vows.
So then is approaching the eighteen root downfalls, which is these ones that we have in the Xerox here. And, again, the first one is just as you can see, they’re praising yourself and belittling others out of attachment to receiving offerings and so forth. And Geshe-la was explaining, so it’s it’s not just any, how do you say, self praising praising of oneself, but is is the one that is deliberately how can I say? Which is not recollecting how can I say? Deliberately recollecting which is not recollecting the the shortcomings of doing so which is intent on on on obtaining offerings and profits for oneself and which is doing that without any shame or or or embarrassment, any of these mental factors.
So this if you do not have if if you are lacking or, like, no if you have no shame, no embarrassment, and you’re doing that without profit, without recollecting the shortcomings of it and so forth, then that will amount to a root downfall. Otherwise, it it wouldn’t lose. Yeah. Yeah. So is then reading that that first line of the Tibetan verse, and is is saying that there are four in this first line, there are four four root downfalls being referred to here.
So the first one is praising oneself. Right? The second one is belittling others. The third one is when asked to not giving the dharma. And when asked to give money or material wealth, not giving the material wealth.
And that you could see that in the first and the second of the English version that we have. Okay? So Karisa. So what what Gesh is saying is that for the first approaching the the third the third that’s the the third of the English version that we have. Okay?
The third vowel of the English version we have. And the first part of it in the Tibetan, Geshe-la was saying when somebody Geshe-la was giving the illustration of what’s of what it means. So if I, for example, if I do something wrong and somebody comes and calls my attention to it and you shouldn’t do that and and and, you know, I shouldn’t do this and that, what I should do is listen to what the person is admonishing me to and then apologize and and so forth. If I don’t, then ignore the admonishing and then just do as I please, that would amount to a root downfall. That’s how Geshe-la was illustrating it.
And then the next root downfall is giving up the Mahāyāna Dharma. So then saying saying such things are it’s too difficult. I cannot do it. So if it occurs in one’s mind that, okay, you know, we have to give we have to practice generosity, and we have to practice all this is perfection. We have to do so much hard work.
How how is it that I will ever be able to accomplish some such a thing? If if this thought occurs to oneself, then that amounts to giving up Mahāyāna madharma. And then the next, root is taking taking offerings, taking things, objects, which were offered to the Three Jewels. So was explaining. So then every every any offering that was given to a lama or or to representations of the Three Jewels and so forth are taking it.
Or, again, in the in in our case here of Buddha House, so taking something that belongs to Buddha house, all these offerings here that belong to Buddha house. There are offerings to the Three Jewels, taking them also that amounts that amounts to this. So another another root downfall is this giving up the Dharma. Then Geshe-la wasn’t saying, you know, just saying, oh, I I won’t be able to practice it, or or I cannot do practice the Mahāyāna Dharma. I cannot practice the Dharma.
And Geshe-la was giving the illustration of people who come here and and and think it is too difficult and cannot do it, then this is giving up a Dharma. And then the next the next one, which is so next one. So then explain the difficulty is there’s a very abbreviated version in the ritual, and there’s a very extensive version in the translation here. So is giving his take on on on those cryptiseed syllables of the ritual. Okay?
And then the the the next expression, which which has only three syllables. If I explain, look. The first one of the first two of these are making reference to any people, any person, male, woman, male, female with any sort of vows, be a a vow of renunciation or novice or fully ordained or or Void Sattva vows. And when when they when these vows degenerate, when they incur any any downfall of such vows, then that amounts to this root downfall, I guess, that I was explaining here. How do you translate in in English?
Yeah. Yeah. Do you do you know a good translation for that? There is there is in the Vinaya. Great great loss, you could say?
Great loss. Yeah. There is there is a for monks and and nuns, there are these four fundamental vows, which correct me if I’m wrong. You know you would know better than me, but it’s the the vow of no sexual conduct, lying, killing, what was it, and stealing. These are the four main vows.
And and any monk or nun so a monk a monk has these four fundamental ones. So if if they commit any of these deeds, they completely lose their ordination. That’s how how grave this this is. And then the the nuns, they have eight of of these vows. There’s this four plus another four, which I’m absolutely not familiar with.
And then, again, if they if the nuns would commit any of these eight, again, they they are so grave that they completely lose their ordination. They have to they have to take it it again, isn’t it? There is no way to restore them. It’s not like a secondary or anything like that. Lose.
Oh, yeah. And then the next three. One refers to committing any of the five heinous heinous deeds. Then holding wrong views, you know, not believing in past and future lives and and and the actions and the results and so forth, and then destroying villages and so forth. And Geshe-la was explaining, look.
This doesn’t Geshe-la was explaining, does not refer to actually actually destroying the place or bringing the place down. But it’s Geshe-la was explaining, he’s going to a village or a town or a city, performing all sorts of misdeeds and misbehaving and then damaging people’s faith in oneself and the teachings. And then the next the next rule don’t fall, number eleven in the text, and that is pretty much it, teaching emptiness to those who are not yet ready to receive these teachings. And then the next one, which is then turning away from complete enlightenment. And then one is one things one’s thinking to oneself, I’m not able I won’t be able to attain full enlightenment.
So then one turns turns to individual liberation, to self liberation, you know, to to the instead. And then the next one is giving up the vows of individual liberation. And then these vows, if I was looking at, there are eight, eight different classes of vows of individual liberation for men and women.
So then the novice, fully ordained, and so forth. Then one one thinks again, one one thinks the way the Geshe-la explains it, when one thinks to himself, oh, I’m not able to practice this. I’m not able to keep these vows. Wonders, and and that amounts to abandoning, giving up these vows of individual liberation. And and then the next the next root and fall is depreciating or deprecating the Buddhas, the teachings, and those surrounding them.
And then and then the next one is telling great lies and then saying, okay, I’m saying to people, you know, I’m I’m very good. I’m very knowledgeable. I can I can teach you this? I can teach you that. Telling such untruths.
And then the next the next vowel is explaining it is so there was there was before that, there was a vow which was making reference to taking offerings of that that were made for the Three Jewels. So saying, you know, like, I am I work for Buddha House. I need this money to work for Buddha House and taking this money that was offered to Buddha house for oneself, making use of these offerings. And then this this this next vow, Gesela, as the way Gesela is explaining it, is basically surreptitiously stealing offerings that were made for the Three Jewels. So without anybody knowing without without allowing anybody to know just stealing these offerings.
So then and then the next root downfall, as Geshe-la is explaining it is, how can I say, evil, bad moral conduct or morality or ethical conduct? And Geshe-la was in just giving one brief obvious illustration of of killing an animal in order to make an offering, and that’s that would amount for such bad morality, if ethic evil ethics, and so forth. Yes. And doing that amounts for Oh, And then so that we should if one does that, that amounts to a root downfall of the Bodhisattva vow. And then, again, given the illustration of killing a goat or a bird or something to make offerings, and there’s a lot of that in in India, probably not much in Australia.
I’m I’m not sure if I completely understood that, but it’s revealing these to others who are not proper vessels to listen to such vows as the tantric samayas and and vows that shouldn’t be revealed. Is that what it is? So then the next the next And then there’s these four instructions which regards with regards to all the the the eighteen. So the first one is saying, having gained a knowledge of the eighteen. If one then disregards the shortcomings of engaging, of incurring any of these.
So which which is there’s instructions here at the end of of it. So with regards to all the the the vows and downfalls. So one is not seeing the shortcomings of one’s actions, knowing that they are downfalls, but ignoring, overlooking it. And then secondly, And then so then not then it’s exactly like the English version we have here, not turning away. So when one does something wrong one day and one does not generate the regret that what that one should generate, and then one does not think, oh, I I won’t stop.
I won’t do it again. I won’t do it again tomorrow and so forth. One does not generate this this thought that one should generate loss. And then also rejoicing or or or taking delight or or enjoying committing negativity. Then when committing negativity that one should regret instead of it thinking of one’s own profit, taking joy and that’s okay.
I that’s why it’s good that I did it and so forth. And then the fourth the fourth of these attitudes is being shameless, having a lack of shame and lack of embarrassment so then again Geshe-la was explaining shame is refraining from engaging in shortcomings and so forth with respect how to say with respect to oneself and then the embarrassment is restraining oneself from engaging in this one and so forth with respect to others and there’s being shameless and inconsiderate. Inconsiderate is a is a good translation for for this lack of embarrassment. It’s basically that’s what it amounts to. And then Geshe-la was explaining, with regards to these eighteen root downfalls, for each one of them to be how can I say that for the these four these four attitudes these four factors must be present in order for for it to be a complete root downfall?
Otherwise, it is not a complete root downfall, a complete transgression of the vowel. So then sixteen of those root downfalls need these four attitudes to be present now there are two of the root downfalls which which is wrong views and giving up the mind of enlightenment they do not need these four elements present they by themselves they amount to a full transgression. Okay? The wrong views. So then the wrong views and giving up the mind of enlightenment.
They they in and of themselves, they amount for full transgression. They do not need all these four elements present. Sorry? For binding afflictions. For binding, you say.
Binding afflictions. So, Geshe-la, I wasn’t saying that the the the the forty six secondary downfalls, they are not listening to this text that Geshe-la has in his hands. But Geshe-la wasn’t saying those are downfalls which harm one’s one’s bodhicitta vows a little bit. And Gestalt wasn’t saying, well, it could it could also amount because I was suggesting that it could also amount to this eighteen root and falls, which where where where the four binding how do you say that? Four binding afflictions.
Where the four these four binding afflictions are not present. Was saying, look. With regards to this root down falls and the down falls, he he personally has not studied this text in detail. So he was just looking at it and and commenting on the words that he had in front of him. But and then I was telling him, look.
Important thing is is for us to develop. So so what did the? So, you know, that that’s that’s that’s the one thing that very good about is that he he teaches us what we need, irrespective of what we think, what we wish, what we want. Yeah. That’s we need, and and that’s that’s the mind of enlightenment, compassion, and so forth.
If you have any questions, we’d like to ask any questions. So please. If we break a vow, what do we do? So, Geshe-la, what we have to do is take the vow again. And by taking the vow again and I was asking, do we have to to confess?
And Geshe-la said, oh, in the confession, in the taking the vows, you confessed that. Sorry. I have to take a. Have to take the vowel again with that our teacher. So then with with the lama, with the preceptor.
So if it is a restoration of how how do you call that? Restore the vows. The the percepts that we take usually here, that you only need the first time to take with the or the teacher, but later on, you can take it by yourself. But then, because I wasn’t saying there’s no there’s hasn’t there there was no indication in the text that we could do the same with the. And then I was asking, so what what about the teaching that instruction on on on preventing one’s vows from the deteriorating degenerating in this life that talks about us taking the bodhicitta’s vows three times at in the day and three times in the night and says, yeah.
But that that is not the same. That is just to avoid the degeneration of the vows, but not to recover from downfall or downfall. And he says that, you know, personally, Geshe-la hasn’t seen any instruction on on taking the vows by oneself. And then as for the the the precepts, the the precepts are mahayana precepts, the mahayana vows, but they are there’s a difference in the time and the duration. The precepts are only twenty four hours.
And and in the precept in the instructions and the teachings of the percepts, there is it’s clearly stated that one can take them. After having taken from a preceptor, from a lumbar so forth, one can take them by oneself. And and with with the he’s not clear right now. Maybe there there are some instructions in this regard, some teachings in this regard, but he’s not clear if one can or cannot do by oneself. So what role does the purification using Vatra Sūtra practice have?
With regards to this? If you should break a if you incur a root downfall, for example? So, Geshe-la, saying, look. If you incur such a root downfall, then, of course, it is beneficial to practice the purification of Vajrasattva because it involves also a confession. And so you you have to purify the downfall, the root downfall, whatever the negativity was.
And then that will diminish the the effects of of the negative that you have performed, the the root don’t fall in the case. But one still has on top of that to retake the vows. Okay? What we have to is engaging ways to develop bodhicitta, to produce bodhicitta in our minds. We have to meditate on compassion.
We have to meditate on loving kindness. We have to meditate on renunciation. And if we can accomplish that, then we will be able to take and keep vows and practice practice the vows and so forth. And all these vows so forth, they depend on having the bodhicitta. And bodhicitta depends on having compassion and loving kindness.
Compassion and loving kindness depend on having renunciation. And one has to understand that well, then one will be able to practice these teachings. What we need is the mind of enlightenment. Without going through any hardship, any hard work, we the mindfulness and emptiness without any hardship. And was then saying, look.
Doesn’t matter how many hundred syllable mantras you say if you do not have the regret and the determination to turn away from the negativity and can recite as many mantras as you like, you say, you know, without thinking that generating the thought that may not I I won’t commit it again in the future and so forth, then the that negativity will not diminish. The force of the negativity will not diminish. And Geshe-la was saying, making reference to what we have gone through in the text. The is saying, you can practice tantras and secret mantras and so forth, but without bodhicitta, you know, you end up being born as a ghost or or as a evil spirit and so forth. So if you if you’re practicing a confession, a purification, then you you need both the regret and the determination to turn away from the negativity.
Okay. The Lam Rim? Mandala? Oh, yeah.