Audio recorded at Buddha House Adelaide. Transcript auto-generated and AI-corrected; may contain errors.
About this talk. In this 104-minute session, Geshe Pema Tsering unpacks why Śāntideva called equalizing and exchanging self and others a “secret instruction” — not hidden knowledge, but teaching too easily dismissed by anyone without Mahāyāna grounding. He distinguishes the three types of suffering (the suffering of suffering, the suffering of change, and all-pervasive compounded suffering) and argues that clearly recognizing each is the necessary foundation for genuine motivation to be free from it. He then presses the precise meaning of the exchange itself: not balancing concern for self and others, but completely relinquishing self-concern — a harder reading he contrasts carefully against a softer version many practitioners hold. Two verses from Śāntideva’s Bodhisattva Way of Life anchor the argument. A student Q&A closes the session, pressing the philosophical paradox of why one would practice at all if one’s own welfare becomes irrelevant.
File metadata (for organising)
File: 2008 07 13 Opening Our Hearts 13-07-08.mp3
UUID: 80173a77-599f-44c3-89fe-295bef45f15b
Teacher: Geshe Pema Tsering
Collection: z Unallocated multiple years (Geshe Pema Tsering)
Date: 2008-07-13
Recorded at: Buddha House Adelaide
Duration: 104.3 minutes
Words: ~7,691
First of all, to give rise to good motivation, then with the intention then of benefiting all sentient beings, we ourselves must attain enlightenment. And with this intention with this intention of attaining obtaining enlightenment, then we we give rise to with this mind of enlightenment intention, then we give rise to proper motivation. Then we start with the preliminary prayers. We start with the the Heart Sūtra. Surrounded by all the children, by the assemblies of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas of the ten directions.
By depending on my prostrations to all of you, may these words of truth be actualized. In the past, Devendra Indra dispelled the maras by reflecting on the profound meaning of the wisdom gone beyond and reciting the profound words and daily recitation. In the same way, I also reflect in the profound meaning of the great mother, Prajñāpāramitā, and recite the profound words and daily recitation. May all diseases, spirit possessions, bad conditions, all negative conditions, that which happens due to past karma immediate conditions. May all this be dispelled, may become nonexistent, may be pacified.
For friends and hatred for enemies. Why you do that to me? So one fourteen. How do you know that? So is quoting a verse.
They do it. You know? Yesterday. So Geshe was asked to teach on equalizing and exchanging self and others. So Geshe-la started by quoting a verse from the Bodhisattva way of life, which I don’t know what it is, but basically the verse goes something like this.
Geshe-la was explaining the meaning of the verse. Was saying if if if you wish the verse is telling us that if if we wish to to live to rid ourselves of of the sufferings of both ourselves, oneself and others, all other sentient beings, then we ought to practice, we must practice this teaching on equalizing, exchanging self for others, which is in the very last last line says, which is a very secret teaching, and this is what I’m going to teach here. That’s what was saying. No. This one.
Okay. And Geshe-la is explaining why is it that is Śāntideva’s was a secret instruction. And it is called it is secret because it is not suitable to be taught to to it is not appropriate to be to be taught to unsuitable vessels, what I refer to being said, which I refer to as unsuitable vessels. Because, there are those those who are unsuitable, if taught to them, then it won’t be of any benefit. I guess that wasn’t saying so again, it is said to be secret because again if you were to teach or give such an instruction to such people, then it it wouldn’t come across.
They wouldn’t they wouldn’t they wouldn’t be able to listen to you. They wouldn’t be able to to take it too hard to believe. They would actually doubt it strongly and Geshe-la was saying, Geshe-la was saying, what’s the expression in English? People without saying how can it possibly be, could never happen, that could never be done, that’s how people would think of us. And just I was saying, when we’re talking about the great vehicle, again, when we hear about the great vehicle, know, those who who have little experience of the great vehicle will say, oh, how can that possibly be?
Again, you know, that that that cannot be done. And this is what what comes to to our minds. So again, Geshe-la goes back then to the very title, the very name of the practice which is equalizing and exchanging self and others. In Tibetan it first self, others, equalizing, exchanging. Those are the words.
So self stands for oneself, for I, for me. And then stands for every other sentient being which is not oneself, which is not me. Then equalizing and exchanging. How is it that we exchange this self and others? So Geshe-la was saying, first of all, Geshe-la was saying, how is it then?
How how is how can we possibly exchange self for others? How can I possibly possibly exchange myself for others? It doesn’t come across. We even hear it. Cannot even hear it.
Think Geshe-la was saying, first of all, we have to understand that we have to equalize self and others. And we do that by understanding that we are let me put it this way, myself and all other sentient beings, we are equal in that just like myself, do not just like I do not wish for any suffering and I only wish for happiness, also every other sentient being do not wish for any suffering and only wishes and only wish for happiness. So again, in this way, we are equal. And and Geshe-la was saying, so then how from then from this place then, how how do we exchange self and others? So first of all where did Geshe-la start?
So Geshe-la was saying — oh, I lost the train of thought. First of all, we have to get rid of that that mind which has a total disregard for others and instead generate this concern for the happiness of others. Geshe-la was saying as it is by the force of our self-cherishing mind, we are only concerned and we only have regards for ourselves, for our own interest and happiness alone. And we have complete disregard and lack of concern for the happiness and the welfare of others. So when we are just exchanging self and others is disregarding one’s own interest in happiness, giving up that, and developing a concern for the welfare and the happiness of others.
And Geshe-la was Geshe-la first said this is something which is very difficult to understand, this sort of teaching, that’s why again it is referred to as a secret instruction. And now when we’re talking again Geshe-la was referring to the difficulty to understand. He’s probably thinking that you might be having some difficulty understanding it. I guess I wasn’t saying we must exchange of self and others is something that we must do and the reason we must do it is because of the equality of self and others because self and others are equal in that they do not wish for any suffering and only wish for happiness. This is the reason why we must exchange self and others.
So then, first we have then this mind which holds oneself as being very important, very precious. And that is what is referred to as the self-cherishing mind. And then we have the mind that cherishes others, or you could say the other cherishing mind. And again, which holds others as as very important, as more important than oneself, as very precious. And then when we can when we can develop then out of the wish to relieve all other sentient beings from suffering, with compassion, when we can develop this practice of exchanging self and others, when we can bring it to perfection or to completion.
Again as a result of this practice what we accomplish is great compassion. When we are able to that mind, perfectly produce the mind of exchanging self and others, then again we have at that moment we have realized, we have also realized the mind of great compassion. So again, Geshe-la makes makes reference to the difficulty of of of understanding assimilating these teachings. Again, Geshe-la wasn’t saying we we even though we do not we do not wish for any suffering and we only wish for happiness, Geshe-la was saying, still we do not really know what real happiness is. Because of that, then we are also unable to know just in the same way, like others do not wish for suffering and only wish for happiness.
We are unable because we do not know what real happiness is for ourselves and we are unable to know what real happiness is for others also. Happiness is. And so what what is we we we remain we we stay as it is. We live as it is holding that which is not happiness. We hold it to be happiness.
We hold it as if it was happiness. But but what is then what is then real happiness? Real happiness is what is referred to as as true cessation, liberation, which is the eradication or the abandonment or the riddance of every afflictive emotion and conception. And so then what is this true cessation? A true cessation is something which directly averts or stops an afflictive emotion or conception.
And Geshe-la was then illustrating, so when we, for example, when we manage manage to stop one afflictive emotion or one afflictive conception from ever arising again, when we completely rid ourselves of an afflictive conception, then we have accomplished a one true cessation. And then we have accomplished a little bit of lasting happiness, of real happiness. We have accomplished one piece of real happiness. But we ourselves true cessation is real happiness, but we keep on holding to the the things of of of the pleasures of this life and and the and the pleasures of of higher realms of existence, the pleasures of of the happiness of humans and gods as being actual happiness. Happiness.
When we think of when we think of I do not wish for any suffering, I only wish for happiness, we think of this sort of contaminated happiness, the happiness of this life and the happiness of higher realms of existence as as being actual happiness. But that is contaminated contaminated happiness. That is a kind of happiness, a very coarse type of happiness. So then it’s a very coarse type of happiness. Making a distinction between coarse and subtle happiness.
So then there is this coarse type of happiness, this contaminated happiness is it’s it seems like happiness. It it feels like happiness, but it is it is a phenomenon. All this all this sort of all all of this samsaric happiness, they are phenomena which are in actuality, are in a nature of suffering. And they are what is referred to as the suffer as a suffering of change. No.
The suffering of change. Yes. It is suffering of suffering. Suffering of change and all-pervasive compounded suffering. Right?
Suffering of change. So this is why it’s called as a referred to as a suffering of change. And then and then there’s subtle happiness is which through cessation, liberation and so forth, which is lasting happiness, reliable happiness, stable. Geshe-la says it looks and feels like happiness and is also in the very nature of happiness itself. That is real happiness.
So Geshe-la was making this distinction. Now it is very difficult for us to come to realize that this samsaric happiness, Geshe-la was making a point here, is difficult for us to realize that those so called samsaric happinesses, they are actually in the nature of suffering. And Geshe-la was just making reference right now to the three types of suffering. Understanding those things as to be actually in the nature of suffering, Geshe-la was saying this is something which is very difficult for us to understand. So Geshe-la makes reference to the three types of suffering.
There’s the suffering of suffering, the suffering of change, change, and the all pervasive compounded suffering. And Geshe-la was making reference to a teaching which says that as for the suffering of suffering, again even animals want to have that mind that wants the wishes to be free from the suffering of suffering. As for the suffering of change, again, even non Buddhists have have a mind which wishes to be free from that suffering. Now as for the happiness of liberation and as in relation to all-pervasive compounded suffering and again the attainment, the wish to attain, to develop a cessation and attain liberation, again only Buddhists can learn that. Only Buddhists can know that.
So we must know, we must recognize these three types of suffering. And again, Geshe-la said, we if these things which Geshe-la just said about just said about suffering, again, we if we think about it, we will we will be able to understand those things. So again, that animals do not wish for the suffering of suffering, it doesn’t take much thought for us to understand that that is actually the case. They do not wish to die. They do not wish to get sick.
They do not wish to experience any hunger or thirst or anything like that. So it’s very easy to understand that they do not wish. They do not have the wish to experience the suffering of suffering. They want to avoid the loss. So again, as for and then Geshe-la says, as for the the non Buddhists, again, who also have the wish to be free from the suffering of change.
Again, they can accomplish that in a temporal way. They accomplish that, is it the best translation? In a temporal way, they can accomplish, they can arrest the suffering of change. When they attain by the union of calm abiding and especially insight, they can attain the higher concentrations of the form realm and the formless realms of existence. By the force of this union of combined special insight and attainment of these concentrations, they can arrest any manifestation of the suffering of change.
I was saying, Geshe-la was going say, using the word nekab, which makes reference to something which is in time, which is temporal, as opposed to ultimate. So they do that temporarily. They can do that in a temporary way but they cannot do that ultimately. And then as for the the third type of suffering, is this compounded suffering, again, it’s only but for only only Buddhists, only followers of the Buddha Dharma, only Buddhists can know that. Only Buddhists understand that.
Other beings have no way to recognize it, to understand it. And Geshe-la was gonna say now this compounded suffering, all-pervasive compounded suffering is something which is extremely difficult, to understand. And and it has to do, Geshe-la was gonna say, with understanding actions and afflictive emotion conceptions, contaminated actions and afflictive emotion conceptions. And how every phenomenon from moment to moment arises, come into existence in this this in relation to this causal relationship of actions or afflictive emotions. And again, one moment leads to the next and to the next and to the next and so forth.
And in this and this chain of of this chain of events, Geshe-la was saying, it was it is is what is referred to as Samsāra, as the cycle of existence or or also referred to as the cycle of conditioned existence. And this it is only when one can arrest this cycle, this process that one can attain liberation from cyclic existence and attain real happiness, lasting and unchanging happiness. So we have we’ve seen there are three three sufferings and there are the three respective happinesses which is freedom from each one of these types of sufferings. Now as for a what we would say as for a literal translation, a fully characterized happiness, what is it? The real thing, there is only one.
Only one of those three is the real thing. So again, Geshe-la goes back to the topic of today’s lecture. Again, equalizing and exchanging self and others. And again, in order to do that, we we must understand, again, is what is real happiness? And and we have that in in equalizing self and others.
Have do not wish for any suffering and only wish for happiness. So we have to know what real real happiness is. And we have seen three types of happiness here. And on the same vein, have also seen the three types of suffering that we want to avoid. And then again Geshe-la was saying, so we must know these three types of happinesses and we must obtain these three types of happiness.
Again, we have to accomplish freedom from every type of suffering and we have to accomplish every happiness. When we say do not wish for any suffering, no wish for happiness, we’re talking about every happiness. We need one to accomplish the other. We need one type of happiness to accomplish the other types of happiness. And we need to get rid of all types of suffering.
So again, and and and this is a very important logic, and in order to to able to develop the wish to attain all the three types of happinesses. Again, we have to be able we have to gain a very consistent and solid knowledge of the three types of suffering. Without knowing a suffering, we cannot attain the wish to be free from it, leads to a type of happiness. So we need to know, and guess I was making a very strong point here, we need to gain a very deep knowledge of the three types of suffering. We need to study about them.
We need to think about them. We need to contemplate them a lot. And that’s let’s put it it’s not I was saying that and that’s I just said that that’s not really happy thing to do, is it? I guess I wasn’t saying no, is not. And to put it in in an English way, it’s not a walk in the park.
So then, again, we have done that, then again, I wasn’t saying the same way that so when we have realized that, again, I do not wish for any of the three types of suffering. I I and I wish to accomplish the the three types of happiness, which is freedom from the three types of suffering. Because I wasn’t When having accomplished that, then we exchange self and others. Others also do not wish to experience any of the three types of suffering, and they wish to attain the three types of happiness. And then we do that change.
So then again, have to do that, exchanging them, having realized those things, have to do that exchanging them, then we have to engage in ways to then accomplish the three types of happinesses for all other sentient beings and to alleviate the three types of suffering from them. Every that we can do is good. We have to develop then the thought and the heart that thinks, I’m quoting Geshe, thinks how good it will be if they will have all the three types of happiness, if all sentient beings will have all the three types of happiness. And then and and then on the same vein, how how how how peaceful it is that sentient once sentient beings experience how sad it is once sentient beings experience the three types of suffering. Did I say it right?
How good it would be if they had the three types of happiness and how sad it is that they experience the three types of suffering. So when and when we have developed this mind, this heart, in in uncontrived fashion, and when have made it second nature second nature in us, then we have accomplished this practice of exchanging self and others. So before I say what Geshe was just saying, forgot to mention that in the and at the same time that we are doing that, Geshe-la also said, and at the same time that we are developing this wish that all beings have been endowed with every happiness and be free from every suffering in this practice of exchange of self and others. At the same time, we have complete disregard for whatever it is that happens to us. If the Geshe-la was asking, the attitude that we cultivate in relation to ourselves is if happiness comes my way, if it happens to me, that’s okay.
If it doesn’t happen, that’s okay. And if suffering happens to me, that’s okay. If it doesn’t happen, that’s okay. It’s an indifference and a lack of concern for whatever it is that happens to one’s self. One is only concern with others.
Then Geshe-la says right now, and then so we can see then how difficult a practice this is. It’s a very great task. It’s something very big to be accomplished. It is not easy to accomplish that. And then so then again we can see how you know accomplishing developing in this this thoughts of accomplishing every happiness for every being and relieving them dispelling dispelling every type of suffering and developing them with and this whilst at the same time having complete disregard for whatever is happens to us while whilst we are striving in in every way to accomplish that.
You know, if whatever suffering comes our way, you know, we have complete disregard for it as long as we are accomplishing this purpose, the welfare of others. And and when we have then developed this wish that we I will do so all the way until attain enlightenment, and that is a very long time. And and so when we have to develop this mind in in an uncontrived fashion, and when we have made it spontaneous and second nature, again, we have accomplished we have accomplished this practice of exchanging self for others. We have accomplished great compassion, we can see them because of the enormity. You can put it on silent mode if you wish.
You have to learn how to use your mobile phone. I’ll teach you afterwards. I can do that. So so Geshe-la was saying that because of the enormity of the task, Geshe-la was saying, that’s why going back to the very verse Geshe-la was quoting in the beginning, that’s why it is called a secret instruction because not everybody is able to understand it. It’s not everybody is able to to hear these such such things.
So that’s why it is it is it cannot be carelessly carelessly shared with just anyone. And so only those who have some already some experience with the Mahāyāna teachings, with the teachings of the great vehicle, they will be able then to, you know, stop and start thinking about before they turn their backs to it and before they have any sudden reaction to it. They’ll be able to hold on to it and think about it and understand what the purpose is. Are you laughing? So I guess that was just saying, it’s very important.
The whole this this this very practice of of them the practice of this practice is very important. And the reason it is very important is because if you do not accomplish this practice of exchanging yourself for others, then you won’t be able to accomplish great compassion. If you’re not able to develop great compassion, you won’t be able to give rise to the mind of enlightenment, to bodhicitta. If you’re not able to develop bodhicitta, you’re not able to attain enlightenment. And if you’re not able to attain the full enlightenment of a Buddha, you are not able to accomplish the welfare of both yourself and all other sentient beings.
So again Geshe-la was saying, again if in order to attain enlightenment then one needs to develop great compassion and one needs then to learn and practice and accomplish this practice of equalizing and exchanging self and others. Again, and so Geshe-la was saying, if you you if you feel like you need to accomplish enlightenment then you must engage in this practice. If you do not feel like you want to accomplish enlightenment then you do not need to practice equalizing yourself and others. All you need to do is go straight to contemplating the meditations and teachings and teachings and teachings and teachings and teachings on emptiness, trying to realize emptiness. If you realize emptiness, you attain lasting happiness, stable, lasting, real happiness, free from negative emotions and conceptions.
So again, if one goes this way, then we can attain liberation. But one will not be able to attain enlightenment. Again it is only by developing through this practice of developing compassion that one can attain enlightenment. The danger here, fault here is that if you do not if you do not engage in this practice of exchanging self and others, if you do not have, in order to accomplish this great compassion in bodhicitta, you need to have a complete disregard for your own interests and happiness, You have to completely give up any concern for yourself and strive for the happiness and the benefit of others. Again, the danger here, if you do not practice that, if you do not engage in this practice, is that you won’t be able to rid yourself, even though you might attain liberation for yourself, won’t be able to rid yourself of the self-cherishing mind.
The mind that cherishes oneself, how can I say that, strongly cherishes oneself, cherishes oneself more than anything else? So you you won’t be able to get rid of that and if you cannot get rid of that self-cherishing mind again you are not able to attain full enlightenment. And, Geshe-la wasn’t saying that. So, again, if you do not rid yourself of the self-cherishing mind, again, you won’t be able to attain enlightenment. And we instead, keep on even though because the reason I guess I was saying the reasons behind what Geshe-la is just saying is is that the self-cherishing minds, the self-cherishing thoughts are the very cause of every suffering of every suffering there is.
And and on the other hand, the mind that cherishes others is is the very source of every happiness. Was gonna say so again, is in actuality, all other sentient beings are extremely kind to us, but we we are unable to see that. We keep on thinking. We we live our lives thinking that, and I’m gonna put that in first person, that I I I get, from my own efforts, I accomplish every happiness for myself. And, you know, and some people around me, they help me and they benefit me, and some people, they they they are they are my enemies and they hurt me and they they hinder my happiness.
And and and we fail to see the the actuality that is that every other sentient being in actual ity is a friend, is benefiting us and is extremely kind to us. Everyone without exception, we cannot see that. We keep on thinking in this other way. So Geshe-la is quoting a verse from the Bodhisattva Way of Life and I’m asking him to give me give me, you know, line by line so I can I can translate everything properly? So the first line of of the first two lines of the verse, the first half of the verse is saying that every happiness there is, all of it comes in dependence on wishing for the welfare of others, wishing for the benefit of others.
So again, again, says whatever whatever happens there is in the world, all of it without exception comes in dependence on on working for the welfare of others, on wishing the welfare of others. Do you find it? Amazing. So then again and then two verses. So I’m going to read it before I tell what Geshe-la was explaining.
Whatever joy there is in this world all comes from desiring others to be happy. And whatever suffering there is in this world all comes from desiring myself to be happy. But one need is there to say much more or to say anything else. The childish work for their own benefit. The Buddhas work for the benefit of others.
Just look at the difference between them. And then again, Geshe-la was just explaining it lastly, explaining this last verse, paraphrasing in a colloquial way, I can say. So there’s no need to to say anything about anything anything else. Childish people are only concerned with themselves. The Buddhas are only concerned with others.
And all we need to do is look at them and see the difference. There’s nothing else to be said, Geshe-la. And then, again, Geshe-la points out we can see how how very evil actually this self-cherishing mind is and how very good the opposite which is cherishing others is. Again Geshe-la says every every happiness every suffering is sourced in the self-cherishing mind, cherishing oneself. And every is sourced in cherishing oneself.
Every happiness is sourced in cherishing others. So it comes down to these reasons that we must then, this is why we must then exchange self and others. So then these are the reasons and this is how we contemplate and how we practice, how we engage in this practice of exchanging self for others. And Geshe-la is explaining again, this is what we are exchanging. We are exchanging cherishing ourselves for cherishing others.
This is what we’re changing or exchanging in our minds. Okay? And the Geshe-la is explaining that so this exchange itself and others again it is we this practice where we give up any concern for ourselves, any regard for ourselves and we are developing the concern for welfare of others. We cherish others. So we exchange this.
We give up, cherish ourselves, and cherish others. That’s the exchange. That’s the the real the real thing. Now Geshe-la wants to say there are those there are people who who say it is slightly different. There are people who say that you can still cherish yourself or wish for your happiness, also at the same time develop this wish to cherish others and wish for the happiness of others, while also at the same time wishing for your own happiness.
A wish is for both the welfare of oneself and others. But but without having given up any concern for oneself, without having developed in disregards for for whatever happens to oneself. And Geshe-la was saying that’s there are people who say that, that you can do that, and and you can in this way, and they say that that in this way, you are exchanging yourself and others. Is that correct? But Geshe-la was saying this is not the real thing.
The real thing, the real exchange of others is one where you completely give up any concern for yourself and then you this you solely you only think of cherishing others and the welfare of others. So again, Geshe-la says Geshe-la explains, so then there are those people, and we see it happening with us. It happens to us. We wish happiness for others and also we wish happiness for ourselves at the same time. Do do cherish others, one does cherish others, but one has not completely given up any concern for one’s own interests.
And in this way one still has compassion for others and so forth. But one does not develop the fully characterized complete great compassion. And one does not again, develop or accomplish the fully characterized or complete or the real practice of exchanging self for others. There are people who think in this way, and probably most of us do. I guess I’m gonna say, So this happens, and you cherish others and you cherish yourself.
But then if that is the case, then that is not the real practice itself, fully characterized practice, let’s put it that way. So we must then develop this disregard for oneself or for whatever happens to oneself. And in this way we have to think solely of accomplishing the welfare of others. And if we can do if we can do that, then whatever activity, job, action we engage in, that will become an action. That action will become a Mahāyāna action, an action of the great vehicle, and all of that will become the cause of enlightenment, of that.
One keeps on cultivating oneself in this way and practicing this way and living in this way, then again one all those things with compassion, mind of enlightenment and so forth. And so again, Geshe-la says, again, one is going to meditate, if one is going to cultivate one’s mind in any way, then it it ought to be it ought to be this way. It ought to be, we ought to be developing the thoughts that, you know, whatever happens to me, it doesn’t matter. I don’t care. If if suffering comes my way, I don’t care.
It doesn’t matter. It doesn’t make any difference. If I whatever I am, I am born, it doesn’t matter. If I’m born in the hell realms or peril realms, doesn’t matter. I don’t care.
If I’m born in hell realms, know, may may I then take the suffering alleviate the suffering of all. May I may that accomplish the benefit of all. And again, if if if we are able to live our lives in this way, if we’re able to cultivate this heart and and in this way and live our lives in this way, then every action we engage in will turn into a Mahāyāna action. An action of the Mahāyāna of the great vehicle will turn into a cause of enlightenment. And points out to this to this verse, but what need is there to say anything else anymore?
The childish work for their own benefit. The Buddha’s work for the benefit of others. Just look at the difference between them. And Geshe-la was gonna say, have to hold it, such a verse, very close to our hearts, very dear to our hearts, and completely contemplate and constantly contemplate that. Bring it to mind.
And if we contemplate such verses like these, again we’ll be able to understand how every fault originates with a concern for ourselves, with the self-cherishing, and again every benefit and every good quality comes about by cherishing others and in dependence on others. And then we’ll be able to see the difference between cherishing oneself and cherishing others, and how one is a source of suffering and the other is a source of happiness, and then we can do that. So again, Geshe-la, I’m saying, again, contemplating this way we understand the difference between cherishing oneself and cherishing others. And for self-cherishing, cherishing oneself, we have been doing so for an immeasurably long time, what is referred to as time without beginning, beginningless time or time immemorial. We have been cherishing ourselves and working for our own benefit.
We have worked so much already for our own benefit, and we haven’t accomplished much. Just guess what I’m saying? Just we haven’t accomplished much. And then and then we have we have ever thought about cherishing others and whatever little good we have came of it. So again, English language then saying, asking us please, cultivate your heart in this way, cultivate your heart wishing that you know, may I be able to develop this mind that cherish others, to give up any concern for myself and and cherish others in this life.
And if I’m not able to do that in this life, maybe able to do it in the next life. And in this way should Geshe-la is asking us to cultivate our hearts in this way. So I I was wondering if you have any questions. Yeah. There seems to be almost an linguistic quality to what’s being said, and that I’m wondering how one can generate motivation and manifest the effort to practice the Dharma if there’s if one if there’s absolutely no regard for oneself and one’s suffering and one’s desire I’m saying is if our own happiness doesn’t matter Yes.
Then why would we practice the Dharma? I I appreciate this to help others, but but if we if we ourselves have no consequence, won’t it be hard to manifest that that drive? What what’s your name again? Sorry. Kane.
Kane. Kane. Yeah. Let me just think how I’ll put that in Tibetan. At this point, we want to be free from our sufferings.
That’s why it is called the secret instruction. It is difficult to understand, of course. But it comes down to this, was saying. If if you benefit others, you benefit yourself. If you harm others, you harm yourself.
But we do not understand that. So It is actually by helping others, by benefiting others that we experience happiness. But we keep on living our lives thinking that every happiness that I have, I have accomplished that. I have given that to myself. Others have not given me any happiness.
Doesn’t come in dependence upon others. That’s how we go about our lives. But in actuality, again, says, even though this is the way we think, which is a very what’s the the best way to say? Arrogant or shameless is shameless? Well, it’s a very it’s a very shameless way to think or arrogant way to think also, you can say.
The fact is that everything, every happiness that we have ever had in the future will have again comes in dependence on others. Benefiting others we are generating, we are creating virtues, those are virtuous actions and result of virtuous actions is is future happiness. So, again, every every happiness comes in dependence on others. And if if if it was I guess, I was pointing out the fact that there is there’s nothing that we could accomplish by ourselves alone without relying on another sentient being or another person. There’s nothing.
And if if if we were to be in a place where there were no sentient beings around, we wouldn’t be able to accomplish anything. Nothing. We’d probably die. Again, this self-cherishing mind is the I, me, which is the the the source of of of suffering, the cause of suffering itself, and then the cherishing others, the mind cherishes others again the wish happens for others and all that this is a source of every benefit and happiness for them. So then that self-cherishing mind that I, that me in itself is deluded, is distorted, is a distorted mind, is a wrong mind.
Things excuse me. The mind which thinks you know I’ve done it, I’ve accomplished it, I’ve given it to myself, my car, my motorbike, my house, my clothes, I’ve got it from my own efforts and so forth. This mind is wrong, it’s distorted. The mind thinks that I’ve done it myself without anyone’s help. This I, this my, this me mind, again, is a is the source of every suffering in this way because it is distorted in itself.
Again, this is the source of every suffering. And, again, the mind cherishes others on the other hand, which is the direct opposite of that, and this is the source of every happiness. And then, I guess I wanna say, if we think about it, we will be able to understand this. Geshe-la says, you know, soon or immediately after we wake up in the morning, what we think is, during weekdays, of course, for most of you, What we think is, you know, I must go to work. You know, I must go I must get ready for work.
And then and and the reason is because, you know, I must earn money. I must make a living. You know? And that’s again, that is there is a mind of of attachment and there is already a distorted wrong mind. So again, out of this attachment we have for the money, and, again, we think I must go to work.
And if, if something, the way, goes wrong, or hinders hinders us in any way, then again we get angry. We start getting angry with people because of that. So again, we can see the basic motivation of both attachment and aversion. Then out of these two very fundamental minds, afflictive emotions, and again every other disturbing emotion conception comes about. And Geshe-la was gonna say, now what doesn’t happen is that when we wake up in the morning, as soon as we wake up, we think, I must work to accomplish the welfare of all beings.
And that doesn’t happen, does it? It just doesn’t come. It doesn’t matter how hard we try, not come about. The thought does come about. And so again in order to produce that we need to work hard at it, need to contemplate it a lot Geshe-la says after having thought a lot about that mind of enlightenment and and accomplishing the welfare of others, again, we get tired, and we give up, and we think this is too hard.
I cannot do that. And then and then, remain again living our lives happily accomplishing the causes of suffering and then avert from the causes of real happiness. So, answer to your question that it comes down to it and that’s why we need to exchange self and others and that’s why we need to cherish the welfare of others. Is that good? So first of all, he saying, and he saying look we need to study a lot and we need to reason and think a lot about it before we can start developing some real understanding and clarity about it.
But again if you think about it eventually you will come to understand that the I, the self is the source of every suffering, that others are the source of every happiness. Think I just said something interesting which I just forgot. Oh, Geshe-la was saying if if the self, if the I were actually able to accomplish any real lasting happiness, then we would have been experiencing happiness since begin this time all the way until now. And it’s just not there. So I and then again, now now the Buddhas, the Buddhas, they have attained lasting happiness.
They have attained Buddhahood. They have attained lasting happiness. And then and they tell us that this is how they have attained by cultivating this heart that cherishes others and by cultivating a realization of emptiness, understanding of emptiness. And again, Geshe-la points out to that verse again, to the last verse Geshe-la was quoting, but one need is there to say any anything else anymore. The childish work for their own benefit.
The Buddha’s work for the benefit of others. Just look at the difference between them. And then Geshe-la Keep it in your heart and think about it. Is that okay? Can I leave him with one last question?
Yeah. Absolutely. Yeah. Why why attain happiness if if it is of no consequence? Say that again?
Why attain happiness is if it is of no consequence? Isn’t it the same question? If you give up any concern for yourself, the point is that by giving up any concern for yourself, you accomplish real happiness. By giving up any concern for yourself, you accomplish pure virtue. You will accomplish enlightenment by doing that, and not otherwise.
And again, by not giving up concern for oneself, by cherishing oneself, you will keep on living your life thinking, I need, I must obtain happiness, I must be happy. And you will go on about your life working and striving to obtain whatever it is that you call happiness. And once you obtain it, it is not really happiness. It is all saṃsāra. Is that okay?
Do you understand? And again, live our lives this way. We think, I must go to work. I must get some money. And once we get the money, we think, Now I’m happy.
It’s not happiness there. Understand that, right? Oh, absolutely. There you have it. Do you have it?
There you have it. Again, making reference to the fact that we all go about our lives, go to work for the sake of obtaining money. And there are those who go to work and they work one hour and they earn one hundred dollars an hour, which is a fairly good deal. I guess I wasn’t saying, you know, they obtain that money and they think to themselves, now I’m good, now I’m happy, they think that way. It real happiness, obviously.
And I guess I was just saying what they have actually accomplished is more attachment, which is the cause of more suffering. And because of that, for that reason, this is why we need to give up concern for ourselves. We do not give up concern for ourselves, concern for our own welfare, again, we won’t be able to do ourselves any good. We’ll keep on accomplishing the cause of more suffering. And and on the other hand, having given up concern for for one’s own welfare and then going to work, and then you’re gonna be doing that work for the for the sake of others.
Again, you’re gonna do the same job. You’re gonna get the same money, and you’re going to be accomplishing the causes of happiness, pure ones. You still got the money all the same, but without the any harm involved. And, again, Geshe-la was gonna say, if we can think also that if I for example, if I don’t if I don’t do not go to do my job, I can now damage those people I work with. You be damaged in some way.
So I must go. I must go to help them, to keep on benefiting them. And in this way, guess, what I’m saying, it’s a slight it’s a tiny little difference between going for concern for one’s own welfare alone and going to help others. Still it’s the same job, it’s the same money, but a tiny little difference every it’s a great difference. Difference.
So again, and this this is important to think about it because if I can if one can give up concern for one’s own welfare, again, in the end, one will profit. And if if one cannot, then one will lose. Okay? Is that okay? Yeah.
Yeah. Shall we do the dedication? Page page seven. Brinson, will will you will you lead for me, please?