So good evening everyone. So I guess among all the people who are here, I’m sure many of you must have been practicing the Dharma for a long time. And so for those who have been studying and practicing for a long time, there isn’t much any new things that I have to say or discuss, but it will be just more like reminder of the some of the things you have already studied, which you have been practicing, sort of reminding, which we always need time to time. Lot of things even though we know many of the teachings and practice even though we have heard and study, but sometime we get out of touch with them and disconnected from those teachings. Something which has gone in our from our ear to our brain, but which are no not been able to go here.
There’s a big gap between understanding. Dry maybe if I can put this way, more intellectual understanding, academic understanding. But it is very it become very dry understanding. We don’t actually bring that into our heart and implement it and make it a experiential understanding. So, hopefully, it will help hopefully, it will inspire you to bridge that gap if there is any gap.
If you if you are only in the practice, hopefully, it will help to give more energy, more fuel for your practice to shine and grow more rapidly and to have a better result. And there might be some new people as well who are who are just starting to study or learn whether it’s out of curiosity, whether out of by finding this is something which suits my mind state, my way of thinking, or my spiritual path. So whatever so for those, hopefully hopefully, I will be able to share some of the information, some of the knowledge that hopefully that it can be some benefit in your life, something you can something you can, cherish and something you can actually, work with it to to have the realizations, experiential realization of that that knowledge of that that understanding. Okay? So, again, I think some of you have been I think some of you have been doing their own meditation before I came.
But, anyway, I thought of starting with a very short breathing mindfulness breathing exercise just to calm down our mind to relax and then follow by a good intention, motivation for being here and then followed by the short prayer, and then then actual subject itself. If I can have one of those prayer. Okay. Thank you. So, again, make yourself comfortable.
Just relax. Let go of all the excitement, expectations or disappointment whatever feeling, thought we have for a moment. Just breathe normally. And as you breathe normally, just focus your attention on the sensation or the movement of the breath at the nostril as you breathe in and breathe out. Then try to cultivate or generate good motivation, intention.
For example, by thinking, contemplating, and feeling how lucky and fortunate that I am to have this precious human rebirth regardless of whatever small problem in our life. This precious human rebirth will have so much potential to bring a positive changes in one side and in others towards other as well. How fortunate and lucky even so, more so, to be still alive today now. Giving us one more new opportunity, life and chance to transform ourselves, to improve ourselves, to become an even even better human being. Therefore, I must not waste this golden opportunity, fully utilize it, and make my life more meaningful with a greater purpose.
And there is nothing more meaningful and greater purpose than to be able to contribute to reducing suffering and cause of suffering of not just oneself but all sentient beings as much as one can. And to be able to contribute and help in improving the level of happiness and to be able to lead to true lasting happiness of not just oneself, but all sentient beings as much as one. And to be able to that in most effective way, with more skillful means, without any limitations, I must achieve my highest potential, the fully enlightened state as quick as possible. The fully awakened state, the omniscient state, the fully developed fully developed state as quick as possible. In order to achieve and attain that fully enlightened state, I must actualize highest level of wisdom and compassion and bodhicitta and engage in the the practice of six perfections.
And to be able to develop those inner quality, inner strength, realizations, I must practice continuously and correctly. For that, I must be reminded of those practice all the time. For that very reason that I’m going to engage in listening and discussions. Also, need to study, learn more about those practices by reading, by listening, by engaging discussions, reflection, contemplation, so forth. For that very reason that I’m going to engage into listening and discussions so that I can cultivate and improve and increase the good heart, warm heartness of loving kindness, love compassion, and altruistic intention, bodhicitta.
And to be able to bring those inner qualities into the actions through the practice of six perfections and so forth. K. So if you had a prayer. Thus, did I hear at one time that Bhagavan was dwelling on Vulture Peak mountain in Rajagriha together with a great community of monks and a great community of Bodhisattvas. At that time, the Bhagavan was absorbed into concentration on the category of phenomena called profound perceptions.
Also at that time, the bodhisattva, Mahāsattva, Ārya Avalokiteśvara looked upon the bare practice of profound perfection of wisdom and beheld those five aggregates also as empty of inherent nature. Then through the power of Buddha, the benevolent Śāriputra said this to the bodhisattva, Mahāsattva, Ārya Avalokiteśvara. How should any son of the lineage train who wish to practice the activities of profound perfection of the wisdom? He said that in Bodhisattva, Ārya Avalokiteśvara, said this to the venerable Śāriputra. Śāriputra, any son of the lineage or daughter of the lineage who wish to practice the activities of profound perfection or wisdom should look upon it like this correctly and repeatedly, beholding those five aggregates also as empty of inherent nature.
Form is emptiness. Emptiness form. Emptiness not other than form. Form is also not other than emptiness. In the same way, feeling discrimination, compositional factors, and consciousness are empty.
Śāriputra, likewise, all phenomena are emptiness. Without characteristic, unproduced, unceased, stainless, not without stain, not deficient, not fulfilled. Śāriputra, therefore, in emptiness, there is no form, no feeling, no discrimination, no compositional factors, no consciousness, no eye, no ear, no nose, no tongue, no body, no mind, no visual form, no sound, no odor, no taste, no object of touch, no phenomena. There is no eye element and so on up to and including no mind element and no mental consciousness element. There is no ignorance, no extinction of ignorance, and so on up to and including no aging and death, and no extinction of aging and death.
Similarly, there is no suffering, origination, cessation and the path. There is no exalted wisdom, no attainment, and also no non-attainment. Śāriputra, therefore, because there is no attainment, bodhisattvas rely on and relying on perfection of wisdom, the mind without obscuration, without fear. Having completely passed beyond error, they reached the endpoint of nirvana. All the Buddhas who dwell in the three times also manifestly, completely awaken to the unsurpassed unsurpassed, truly, perfect complete enlightenment in reliance on perfection of wisdom.
Therefore, the mantra of perfection of wisdom, the mantra of great knowledge, the unsurpassed mantra, the mantra equal to the unequal, the mantra that only pacifies all suffering, should be known as truth, ceases not false. The mantra of perfection, wisdom is declared. Gate gate paragate parasamgate bodhi svaha. Śāriputra,, the bodhisattva, Mahāsattva, should train in a profound perfection of wisdom like that. Then the Bhagavan arose from the concentration, commanded the bodhisattva, Mahāsattva, Ārya Avalokiteśvara, saying, well said, well said, son of the lineage.
It is like that. It is like that. One should practice the profound perfection of wisdom just as we have indicated. Even the other gods rejoiced. The Bhagavan having those spoken, the venerable Śāriputra, the Bodhisattva, Mahāsattva, Ārya Avalokiteśvara.
Those surrounding their entirety along with the world of god, human, asura, and Gandharvas were overjoyed in high delight as spoken by Bhagavan. Mhmm. I and all surrounding sentient beings go for refuge to the Buddha, go for refuge to the Dharma, go for refuge to the Sangha. We prostrate to the great mother, Prajñāpāramitā, surrounded by all children, by the assemblies of Buddhas on both sides of the obtained direction. By depending on my prostration prostration to all of you, may this word of truth be actualized.
In the past, Deva king Indra dispelled the Maras by reflecting on the profound meaning of the wisdom gone beyond and reciting the profound word in daily recitation. In the same way, I also reflect on the profound meaning of the great mother, recite the profound word in daily recitation. May all disease, physical and mental disease, bad conditions, all the negative conditions that which happens due to the past karma, immediate condition. May all this be dispelled. May it become nonexistent.
May it be pacified. I go for refuge until I’m enlightened to the Buddha, the Dharma, and the supreme assembly. By practice of giving and other perfections, may I become a Buddha to benefit all sentient beings? I go for refuge until I’m enlightened to the Buddha, the Dharma, supreme assembly. By my practice of giving and other perfections, may I become a Buddha to benefit all sentient.
May all sentient beings have happiness and cause of happiness. May all sentient beings be free from suffering and cause of suffering. May all sentient beings be inseparable from happiness that is free from suffering. May all sentient beings abide in equanimity, free from attachment for friends and hatred for enemies. Definitely, I prostrate with my body, speech, and mind.
I present cloud of every type of offering, actually, and imagine. I declare all my negative actions accumulated significant extra time and rejoice in the virtues of holy and ordinary beings. Please remain now till the saṃsāra exists. Turn the wheel of dharma for living beings. I hear my own merit and those of all other to greatly enlighten.
This ground anointed with a perfume, strewn with flowers, adorned with the Mount Meru, four the sun and the moon. I imagine this as Buddha field and offer. May all living beings enjoy this pure land. O holy and perfect pure lama from the clouds of compassion that form in the skies of your Dharma wisdom. Please resist the precisely in according to the need of those to be.
So before we actually before I actually begin the the actual subject, which is the the practice of six perfections or the the six pāramitā, I would I would like to discuss a little bit how this practice fits in the frame of whole whole in the in the frame of the the whole Dharma. How it is how this practice is related with the other practice. So to have a some understanding about the whole practice and how this practice comes about in relation with other practice. So to begin with, it might be very helpful and useful to ask ourselves and contemplate what is purpose of my life? What is meaning of my life?
It might be very useful and beneficial for us to ask ourselves time to time and contemplate on that. Why I why am I in this world as a human being? There must be some good reason to be to have come as a human being in this world. What is the purpose of that? What is the meaning of that?
Of course, different people might have different they might look their life differently. We know some people have different purpose, different meaning of their life. So, of course, if I ask all of us, probably we might have different different answers. And especially if we ask some of the the young ones, probably they will have different ideas about meaning of their life, purpose of life, and many others as well. Of course, for some of the very young ones parting the whole night, drugs, alcohol, sex that might be what it means, meaning of your life, purpose of your life is to have all this enjoyment.
That’s all life is about. For some it is finding the good job, good paying job, to have cars, to have a big enough house with swimming pools. That is the purpose of life. That is the meaning. That is the and good relationship.
And for that is not the purpose of life, meaning of life. For some, to be able to serve others, to be able to contribute into the world, to be able to contribute into the the happiness or the for the peace peace of the world or others could be the purpose of life. That is how they might think. Of course, for some other, there is much more meaning and much more purpose than that. But, basically, if we all come to same thing one time he saw own the lama was asked, What is the purpose of life?
Same questions asked by one of the audience and he said the purpose of life is to be happy. And basically, think all different we just discussed our different purpose of minimum life. If we actually content, it is to be happy and it come to so everyone all of us want to be happy, do not want to we want to have the happiness and not to have any pain or suffering. That is our fundamental genuine wish or desire which every sentient beings, not only humankind. Every sentient beings has that wish, that innate wish or desire.
And not only it has that wish, it is our fundamental right to be happy and not to suffer. Not only human but every sentient including animal and all other form of living beings, sentient beings. That is the right of sentient beings. Not only human right but it is the right of sentient being. Right to be happy and not to suffer.
So on the basis of that innate fundamental wish and desire, then we all are searching to find that happiness, some level of happiness. So when we search for the happiness, of course, different people are looking for different happiness, level of happiness as well as other sentient beings. So when we talk about happiness, we can understand happiness from different level. On one level mhmm. On the base on the very basic, maybe we can say two level of happiness.
One happiness, which is very much related with our sense, so sense pleasures, which we experience by seeing very nice things, beautiful things through the our eye consciousness, eye sense and object of beautiful form, visual visually form. To be able to the happiness that we enjoy through the that we search for the happiness from that which come from listening, sound, beautiful sound, music, whatever. The taste that we will taste, delicious taste that we enjoy through the tongue sense or faculty of power and the smells and the touch. Touch. So all all the happiness we experience which come through these five senses and which very much depend on external objects for the for that that kind of happiness to enjoy or to have that kind of happiness.
So that is one level happiness. And in our in our in our world, you know, lot of people are running after that happiness with the hope that you will find true happiness if you are able to find all the objects which give you this that kind of sense pleasure. So most of us and many of many of us and most of the world are actually running after that that kind of happiness, looking for that kind of happiness, searching for that kind of happiness, and trying to maintain that kind of happiness which they have got to some level. From Buddhist point of view, such happiness is very unreliable, unstable, and with our own experience is quite sure. It’s quite clear.
We have tried all this kind of happiness. We had some sense of joy, pleasant experience, happiness at that one moment. But as we found out, in many cases, it actually lead to more disappointment. It has that kind of experience has deceived us and sort of made us more disappointed. Even if it has not lead to disappointment, Even we had not even such experience not lead to disappointment.
At least those experience hasn’t been stable, reliable. Because for such experience it has to depend on external object And such external objects are unstable, unreliable, ever changing, ever disintegrating. The moment the object is gone, the happiness which is comes which comes which very much depend on that object is no more than it’s gone. The happiness we enjoy from the food, once there are no more food that that food, the happiness is gone. The happiness that we we enjoy from having a hot shower during the cold days.
When there is no hot shower, that happiness is gone. Complain. Miserable. Our life becomes a lot of complains and miserable. The happiness that we get from by being able to wear smooth smooth and very smooth clothes.
When that smoothness smoothness is gone, then again, there is no more happiness. So such happiness in unstable and unreliable. And even the animal realms actually are searching for such happiness and trying to maintain that happiness and trying to avoid the suffering pain of sense suffering, sense suffering or pain which come due to the external objects. So even the animal has a many of the animals have incredible way of avoiding and protecting themselves themselves from such suffering, such pain. So that is one basic level of happiness.
And then there is a different level of happiness which does not depend on external factors or external object but which comes by depending on internal For example, the true joy, satisfaction that comes out of being able to love someone, to be able to show some affections to your dear ones, close one. One. The true love, true joy, satisfaction, which comes due to the inner qualities of the of true love, compassion, affections. Such does not depend on external objects. For such happiness, for such joy, for such satisfaction, which arises due to our mental attitude, our own attitude, or own feelings, our own thoughts, minds, does not depend on external factors.
Such happiness comes due to our own mind, internal. Such happiness are much more stable and reliable because our mind is much more stable and reliable than external object. Whereas we might not be able to take external object everywhere we go, all that external objects that it give us some kind of satisfaction, happiness, comfort. But whereas this mind, lead us to that kind of true happiness such as we can always carry wherever we go, no matter where we go. Do you get it?
The other external factors. The custom will not allow you. The chilli, the red chilli I’m attached to from Nepal. The Australian custom will not allow me that. So my happiness sort of limited in that sense.
Do you get it? So many things which I’m better attached to which sort of which I believe they bring me some sort of happiness. I cannot take them all everywhere I go. Whereas this mind, you can take everywhere you can go. At least at least so far there hasn’t come up with some technology where they are in custom where they are they don’t allow your mind to go together with you.
So as long as your mind is there, the basis for your true satisfaction, love your true satisfaction, happiness, joy is there, always with you. So if we build some kind of if we are able to if we are able to develop a way to cultivate such happiness, joy, satisfaction on the basis of such a mind, then it is always there, always here. So, therefore, it’s much more stable and much more reliable. And within this two happiness, two different level of happiness, the sense pleasure which depend on external physical external object, and mental happiness, which does not depend on physical external object, but which depend on internal, the mind itself. Such a happiness is much more stronger, the happiness which come the sense sensory happiness or pleasure.
Again, we have so much experience of that. The chocolate, the ice cream that you enjoy very much, which give you some sense of pleasure, some kind of happiness, normally, which give you some kind of happiness. But when your mind is totally disturbed by something, whatever disturbance that it might have so your mind is totally disturbed today for whatever reasons or whatever situations. That day, you cannot enjoy the taste of the ice cream or chocolate as you enjoyed before. Do you get it?
Before there is some kind of really joy and happiness to by having that chocolate or that ice cream or that food. But that day, because your mind is totally disturbed at that moment, there’s no more joy. Sometimes it might even make you upset by having that chocolate or that someone trying to feed you that chocolate or ice cream. So because your mind is totally in different state, it has in such a way that you cannot enjoy. And of course when you are feelings and thoughts.
Everything’s you don’t enjoy it. You don’t enjoy going out with your friends, which you normally enjoy it. You don’t enjoy going to the beach. Normally, we very much look for that kind of on a sunny day to be able to go to the beach and spend the normal happiness you find there when you are in that state of mind. You know, you don’t enjoy all these things.
There’s no more enjoyment with all these sense pleasures because your mind is totally overwhelmed by your inner state of mind, your mental state of mind. On the other hand, when your mind is very peace, totally content with yourself, totally peace with yourself, even you might not get the chocolate, even you might not get the ice cream, still you will be very happy, satisfied, content. Do you get it? Because your state of mind is in a very positive state of mind. You might not have a hot shower to take in a cold day, but still you can find some sort of peacefulness, calmness, happiness, joy, pleasant experiences because your mind has been uplifted by something whatever that situation, whatever that is.
So that small things does not disturb you at that moment, not being able to find. Do you get it? Normally when we’re normal, in normal cases, this not being able to find you enjoy, you are attached to, will make our upset, disturb us. But at that state when your mind is totally uplifted with such a great joy and happiness, satisfaction, it doesn’t disturb you in that way. So what it shows is very clearly the happiness and the the state of happiness mental state of happiness is much more powerful than the happiness of sense.
Do you get it? Mhmm. So that is here. So we are talking about happiness, meaning of our life, meaning purpose of my life, trying to find happiness. So we are discussing two so within this within this happiness, mental happiness, then we can think of different level of mental happiness within within the mental level of the happiness, within these two sense yeah.
Sensory sensory or sense sensory happiness and mental happiness. And then within the mental happiness, from Buddhist point of view, there are many different level of happiness. You want the happiness of future life, not only this life, mental happiness of future of this life but many future lives as well. More than that, the mental happiness of total liberation, nirvana, the blissfulness, the incredible blissfulness, true lasting happiness of nirvana or liberations, which is totally free from all the delusions, all the destructive emotion, all the negative thoughts, feeling, such state of the mind, what you call true nirvana, true peacefulness, lasting true happiness, such is one level of happiness, mental happiness. Then on top of that, the state of fully enlightened state, fully awakened state, fully developed state of fully enlightened one, such happiness is even more higher level than the individual liberation nirvana.
The state where you are not only free from the delusions or afflictive emotion, but the state where you are even free from the subtle obscurations, the imprint left by the delusion itself. So that is the highest level of happiness that we can find in the world or beyond the world. That is the highest level of mental happiness. So for a Mahāyāna practitioner, for a bodhisattvas, and those who follow a Mahāyāna practitioner, practice or they engage in the spiritual path to achieve that level of happiness, the fully enlightened state. The happiness, true lasting happiness of fully enlightened state.
And that happiness not only for oneself, for all sentient beings. So the for the bodhisattva or Mahāyāna practitioner, the purpose of their life or meaning of their life is to achieve that happiness. And to achieve that happiness not only for oneself, for all sentient beings as well. So not only not only you can achieve that happiness, but to be able to lead and inspire inspire them to lead to that such a incredible happiness. So that is the purpose for the Mahāyāna practitioner, the bodhisattvas.
For a Theravadan practitioner, for the other Buddhist practitioner, the purpose of life, the meaning of their life at the moment is to achieve the happiness of total liberation nirvana. For some other practitioners who doesn’t have the courage to engage in both the self’s path at the moment or who doesn’t have even courage to dilute the delusions and achieve nirvana, their immediate goal is to have a better future life life and better mental happiness in the future. So for them, the meaning of their life is to have a better future life. And then for some others, as we have discussed before, is to have a happiness of this life, sensory happiness. Do you get it?
So in short, in short, it’s very clear. We all the purpose of life, the meaning of life is for happiness. Do you get it? Even in other spiritual path, purpose to achieve heaven, to go to heaven and to find that happiness, lasting happiness in the heaven where there is no suffering. So basically, is everyone, whether you believe, whether you’re Buddhist or not, whether you believe in any religion or not, we all are the purpose of life, meaning of life is to be happy and not to suffer.
So that being the case, So that being the case, how can we achieve those higher level happiness? Happiness. How can we reduce and gradually eliminate all the pain, all the suffering? From Buddhist point of view, all our pain, all our suffering, all our problem are basically result of mainly result of our own unskillful actions, our own unwholesome actions. And such unskillful actions or unwholesome actions is result of our own unsubdued mind.
Our result of our own disturbing mind or thoughts or feelings is the result of our own undisciplined mind, is a result of our afflictive emotions, our own delusions. So therefore, to find true happiness and true lasting happiness by overcoming the suffering and cause of suffering means to overcome the very principle, the root cause of all this suffering and pain and problem, which means the delusions, the afflicted emotions, the distracted emotions. That is the only way to find overcome all the problem permanently forever and to find true lasting happiness, more stable lasting happiness. Until that, unless we do that, we’ll not be able to come the problems, the conflict, the difficulties, the suffering, pain in our life forever. Otherwise, we will be just trying to deal with the problem only on more surface level.
On surface, on better artificial level, better superficial level. We are just only trying to cure the symptom, not the disease itself. At the moment, that is what we try to do. When we have conflict, when we have some problem, when we have some pain, suffering, we try to solve on better artificial level, on better superficially on the breast surface, trying to change the the object, the person or the object, whatever, instead of dealing inside within ourselves, looking within ourselves and trying to deal with those the delusions. And that is why sometimes even though we thought we have we have learned the lesson this time and we have overcome.
And probably next time, we will not encounter same situation, but we find ourselves again and again similar situation from time to time as never ending. That is because it is you have not you have not cured the disease itself. You took you try to cure the symptom of headache or the pain by taking some painkiller. It works for a while and then again. Once the energy of that painkiller is gone, again, the pain start to come again.
Again, you take some pills. It helps for maybe day, two, week, or maybe some hours. Again, after that, the head. Until you deal with this disease itself, just by treating or curing the symptom is not going to go away. And I think that’s same here.
Until we deal with the root principle cause and condition of our problem. It is like that when we when you have some lice or lice. You call lice or lice? Lice. Lice.
And then also the bed bugs. When it comes, then you become itchy, you scratch, and the bug move somewhere else. And the itchy there is some kind of satisfaction. You are free from the itchy. And then, again, there is some itching here because the bug went here.
You started itching, and then, again, the bug moved somewhere. So if you continue until you actually take the bug out of your body, do you get it? Just by scratching and moving from one place to another is not going solve the problem for ever. It solved for a time being from one place to another place, but it never solved for for ever permanently. And I think that is why we find ourselves.
So many situation in so many time similarly because all the most time we try to solve the problem from external on the superficial level just the surface not inside. When there’s concrete problem, immediately this or that. Never look inside. And so I try to change this and that. I change the person.
Oh, I have completed my partner but I always, instead of looking inside, I always look there the way you speak. You don’t share my idea or same idea or this and that. You change partner but same problem after some time. You I mean, people have been merit five times, six times hoping they will find the right perfect partner, hoping that I’ve learned the lessons so next time I will be able to find the one really one and still unable to find it. Same with all it’s just example, one example.
That is same with everything. Until we subdue our mind, discipline our mind, transform our mind, just by changing the external object is not going to really solve the problem and find the solution forever. Only when we try to go inside within ourselves and try to find the very cause of that problem within ourselves and try to deal with that, we’ll not ever be able to do that. Once we do that then definitely you will be able to find solutions for more permanent base, more stable. So yeah.
Yeah. I was same with that job, isn’t it? With the job, with the places. You go to one places, you like at the very beginning, but then after some time you come learn the weather is not good or there is no beach. If there is beach, there is no forest, there’s no mountains, and then you go to another place where there’s mountains, then you say, oh, there is you like at the very beginning of the summer.
It’s good the mountains there, but I miss the beach. Oh, I miss that and that. That is how we keep on sort of changing and never being able to find true satisfactions and content because even though we change the external objects but because we haven’t changed inside, haven’t transformed inside that is why it’s like that. Same with the job. We always feel you know when you are doing one job, most of you, after some time you feel this is not the job for me.
And we always think there is another job which is more suitable, which will make you very happy and give you so true satisfactions. But there is no job like that any where unless you have transformed yourself. When we have transformed ourselves then we can enjoy every job. Any job can be very enjoyable, satisfactory. So that just to give some example that is how we find ourselves when we don’t really look deep inside for the principal cause of the the problem.
So from Buddhist point of view, these are the principal cause even though there are external cause and conditions to some level, but the principal cause and condition is our own our own mind. So with that understanding, then we’ll try to reduce in order to find more stable permanent solution then we try to work with our mind and try to reduce those afflicted emotions, those destructive emotions, those negative emotions, those unsubdued mind, undisciplined mind transform them, reduce gradually, eliminate them. So that is the way to find true happiness. Lasting happiness. So among all the delusions, afflictive emotions such as anger, hatred, jealousy, pride, miserliness, greediness, arrogance, overconfidence, and ignorance, and so forth.
Among all the delusions, there are two leaders of all the delusions or the two root among all the delusions which is the self selfishness, self centeredness, the egocentric mind which is all about me, me, me, I, I, I self-cherishing thought and the ignorance of self grasping. So these two actually are the the main principle leader among all the delusions. So in order in order to reduce and eliminate that two principle or cause principal cause or root cause of all the delusions, the ignorance and self-cherishing thought, we need to cultivate the counter productive, positive state of mind or constructive state of mind, the bodhisattva the altruistic intention and the wisdom understanding the emptiness. Okay? So with the wisdom understanding emptiness, we can overcome and gradually eliminate the ignorance and with the true love, compassion, altruistic attitude or altruistic intention of bodhicitta, then we can overcome and eliminate the self centeredness, the selfishness, the self grasping, the self-cherishing thought.
Without these two, we cannot overcome those two, the main principle delusions, afflicting emotions, and the negative thoughts, and will not be able to find true happiness or fully enlightened state. And we need both, the wisdom and the compassion going inherently to hand, complementing each others. As it is said in many of the Buddhist scriptures, it’s like the two wings of the bird trying to fly from one shore to another shore. In order to fly from the the shore of Samsāra to the shore of nirvana or the shore of fully enlightened state, we need the two wings of wisdom and compassion. Without one of the wisdom, we will not be able to fly there.
As it is said in one of the sutras. Compassion without wisdom. Yeah. Okay. The compassion without wisdom is bondage, and compassion wisdom is liberation.
Liberation without wisdom without compassion bondage. Wisdom with compassion is liberation. So as it is said, we need the both in order to achieve the true liberation of fully enlightened state. So it is must is must to cultivate those inner these two inner qualities, realizations in order to achieve that fully enlightened state. The highest level of happiness that we can achieve, the potential that we have.
So for that, we must cultivate the altruistic attitude or intention of bodhicitta which is induced by true love, compassion, and yeah. True compassion and love. So cultivating and generating such a altruistic attitude or intention of bodhicitta, which is induced by true unconditional, the great compassion and the love is must to achieve that. Our spiritual spiritual goal of fully enlightened state, the highest level happiness. But it is also very beneficial it is also very helpful in making our life very healthy.
Even if we do not have the wish to achieve fully enlightened state, but even to be healthy in this life, physically, mentally healthy, we need to cultivate such a such a altruistic attitude or intentions or good hardness, good heart, or warm heart of true love and compassion. It is very clear when we are when we are in state of true love and compassion, there’s much more calmness. There’s much more peacefulness. Mhmm. Your mind is not so disturbed as contracts to the others, which means and compassion, the selfishness, strong self-cherishing thought, strong self grasping thought.
When there is strong sense of me and I, we actually in that state of mind when there is strong sense of I in me that is when our mind is being disturbed most time. It’s very clear. It’s nothing complex, nothing philosophical, nothing doctrine. We just we just have to observe ourself. We just have to observe ourself, our mind, and it’s very clear.
When we have this true love, compassion, we have more confidence in ourselves. When we have more confidence in ourselves, then it gives us more trust in ourselves. Ourself. That confidence lead us to more trust. When there is more confidence and trust in ourself, it allow outer it it give us more confidence and trust in others as well.
You can just notice when we don’t have confidence in ourselves and trusting ourselves, it’s very hard to have confident trust in others as well. We find most people who have very difficult to trust in others is because most case there is somehow they are unable to have competence and trust in themselves. So that make them that So yeah. So that is quite clear. You just need to examine yourself and it’s clear.
Observe our feelings, state of minds. So with true love, compassion, definitely, it brings us much more competence in ourself and more trust. Because of that, we have more trust, confidence in others. Because of that trust and confidence, we are able to deal with others in a more positive way with much more calmness. And we are always more we are more in better position to find a solution to anything that when we have differences.
When we don’t have that trust and confidence confidence in each others, then it is always very difficult to find a solution to any conflict or any differences. So true love and compassion brings that. And absolutely there is sense of true joy, true satisfaction. It’s very quite clear When you are in the when we do the meditation on love, compassion, can better see giving you really some kind of real joy, happiness with that practice. Even though the practice is not so strong at the moment, even it’s very weak, still we can see strong level of calmness, peacefulness, peacefulness, joy, happiness, sense of satisfaction.
The more stronger your love compassion, the more stronger all these feeling gets, more stronger and more stronger as a result of that. So there’s no doubt how that helps for us to be mentally healthy. And it give you strength. Such a love and compassion give you a strength, inner strength. And of course, when you are the more compassion, the more loving person you have, the more people around yourself truly care, love you as much.
Do you get it? So you have more genuine friend, real friend, sincere friend. The more self-egoistic you are, the more self-cherishing, the more self centeredness, the more, yeah, egocentric, the less real friend there is less real friend around you. The friends who are willing to help you in the needs of help. Do you get it?
But when you the person who is more compassion, more caring, more loving, they will have much more people who are there willing to help you when you are in need. That is quite we don’t have to use any reason, logic, theory. It’s quite practical and we all know with our own experience. I’m willing I I will be much willing to help with someone whom I know is a better compassionate, very loving person when they are needs than to someone who is very arrogant, ego egoistic, self centeredness. Do you get it?
I will find it hard to help that person in a situation when they are in that situation. Much more harder to help them but much more easier to lend my help those people who are more compassionate, more loving, caring. So that is as and you have less fear and worry about others. As I said, with the true love, compassion, it give you more confident trust in others. When you have more confident trust in others, you have less fear from them.
Do you get it? Less worry from there. Whereas whereas when I don’t have that kind of feeling, when I don’t have the true love, compassion, and then I don’t have the as much strong trust and confident in myself and others, then there is always fear. When you don’t trust someone there’s more fear from them than when you have more trust to them. And of course, most cases unnecessary fears.
Unfounded, unnecessary fears. And all the physical level definitely also need help with compassion, good heart, loving kindness and the altruistic attitude or intention of bodhicitta help us to be physically healthy as well, not only mentally, but physically as healthy. There are a lot of research which shows clearly meditation or compassion, even for a short period, can help you to reduce your stress, help you to reduce your blood pressure, and many other things. I mean, they they did many research and just meditating half hour a day for just two weeks, they found huge differences. Just two weeks, not long, just half hour per day, and they found that the stress level, the blood pressure level has really gone down through that meditation.
There are many research which confirm more and more research. And then also they found that the brain activities of the the where the happiness is is much more active when you are in that state of mind, compassion. So so this confirm when you are compassion, you are more happy. Your level of happiness improve immediately. So cultivating true love, compassion, bodhicitta is absolutely necessary to achieve fully enlightened state.
And not only that, also is very helpful and necessary to live healthy life, healthy, positive life, physically, mentally, healthy, positive life. So is it enough just to cultivate the bodhicitta, the altruistic intention of bodhicitta. So it is not enough just to cultivate the inspiration, the aspirations bodhicitta or altruistic intention of bodhicitta because it is it is like that. As it is said by the in the Buddhist way of life, if you want to go to, let’s say, Sydney, first, you you first, you develop a wish to go there and visit for some purpose. But it is enough to develop that that wish.
It’s not enough just to have that wish or aspirations. Inspiration or aspirations. In order to really go there, you actually need to book your tickets or rent a car or whatever and start driving or flying. Do Do you get it? So it’s great.
Just even just cultivating that bodhicitta, that great compassion, it’s incredible that we have just discussed. Incredible. It is incredible. But it just by itself is not enough to achieve fully enlightened state, the highest level of happiness for ones and for others. In order to achieve there, you have to start, like, walking or or driving or flying, we have to engage in the practice of six perfections as a way to reach the destination of fully enlightened state.
State. So the first aspiration bodhicitta. So bodhicitta can be in two. What is called aspiration bodhicitta, engaging bodhicitta. The aspiration bodhicitta is the altruistic intention to achieve fully enlightened state for the welfare of all sentient beings driven or induced by true compassion and love, and engaged in bodhicitta is driven by that that inspiration bodhicitta.
You actually engage into the actions through the practice of six perfections. The practice of perfection of generosity, the practice of perfection of morality, the practice of perfection of discipline, moral discipline, the the practice of perfection of patience, the practice of perfection of concentration, concentration of calm abiding, the practice of perfection of wisdom. So through engaging in those six perfections driven by the inspiration bodhicitta, then you can achieve fully enlightened state. So that you can accomplish the purpose of yourself in favor of others. So that one can accomplish the ultimate happiness of oneself and others.
So one can accomplish ultimate purpose of oneself and others. Also that one can accomplish the perp the ultimate purpose of oneself or others. So six perfections in another way is like a precept of the once you have developed the bodhicitta then you become a bodhisattvas and then as a bodhisattva when you engage into the path as a precept, the six perfections like a precept or the six perfections as a way to achieve that enlightened state. The goal, your ultimate goal, your ultimate destinations through the practice of that. So that is how the practice of six perfections come into the how it fits in the whole.
The practice as in a minor practice. Yeah. So even though there are countless bodhisattvas practice, countless practice of bodhisattvas, the bodhisattvas are those who have cultivated the bodhicitta, the altruistic intentions. Even though there are so many countless, but all this practice can be summarized or contained into the practice of Six Perfections. Do you get it?
It will contents, summarize, they can be contents summarized into Six Perfection, the practice of Six Perfection. Even though there are countless practices. Yeah. I think maybe. The practice of all the bodhisattvas of all the practice are explained in the term of in relation of six perfections.
In term of the three higher trainings, the higher training of morality, the higher training of concentrations, the higher training of wisdom, if we look from that perspective, three higher trainings. Again, all these six perfection are con contained in three higher trainings as well. Of course, the wisdom in the higher training wisdom, the concentration of Samatha as the practice of higher training or concentration Samatha. Then the the the practice of morality or discipline as a practice of the morality. And then the generosity as a way as a like a preliminary for the practice of morality.
Generosity means to be able to share, to be able to give without any sense of clinging attachment. So when there is no attachment to the things or belongings or possession, then it helps us much easier to keep our practice and keep our moral discipline purely. Do you get it? One of the reason why we are unable to keep our moral or our discipline purely, our our precept, our vows purely is because of being attached to certain things. And then on the process of that, we break one of those precepts, the vows.
So when you are non attached through the practice of generosity, then it helps you to keep your morality purely. When you practice the morality purely, when you refrain, when you restrain and refrain from engaging any action which brings harm to one side from others, then it becomes much easier to practice the patience, not being disturbed and not trying to retaliate negatively when someone tries to harm you. Do you get it? So in that sense, the patience become like the the result of morality. Do you get it?
So therefore, this the practice of generosity, morality patience content of The right word I’m trying to find. Mhmm. Include in the practice of the practice of the higher training of morality. Okay? And then the the practice of the practice of perseverance falls into all three.
Morality, the practice of higher morality, concentration of wisdom as well. So from that perspective, from the perspective of three higher training, all the six perfections can be contained in that from that perspective. So if you have any questions, you might ask the questions. Yes. Helps.
Mhmm. Yes. The practice of generosity will help you to able to practice the morality better, more purely without being polluted or contaminated. Contaminated. And through the practice of morality, it will help to practice the patient much better if we are able to practice the the morality purely.
So, therefore, you can look that in as a way the morality as the main practice from one perspective. We are just looking from one morality as when we are looking from the perspective of three higher trainings, The morality as the main practice, the generosity as the cause conditions for this practice or preliminary practices, for example, and then the practice of patient as the result of consequences result of consequences of the practice of morality. So that is how from one perspective, how you can look that. When you look try to look six the practice of six perfection from the point of view of. higher training.
So that is how we try to understand. That is how we can understand from that perspective. Yeah. Mhmm. Of course.
Yes. The Buddha did mention that these sequences is sequences of death in a way. As I said, if you practice the generosity, the prac through the practice on non attachment, it help you to keep an keep your precept or the practice morality better, more purely. With that, it help you to refrain from engaging unwholesome or negative way to others when someone try to behave nasty or badly towards you because of your practice of morality. You try your best not to harm that person back in active way.
So that help us to keep the practice of patience. That will give us a through the practice of patience, will give us much more courage encouragement, more confidence. And because of that encouragement, it will help us to develop the and perseverance or effort or energy. What we need is courageous to continue our practice, to be able to persevere in our practice without giving up easily, without losing our energy. So for that, you need a lot of courageous and confidence.
So with the practice of patience, it gives you a lot of courageous, confidence. So that will help us to develop our perseverance, the practice of perseverance or diligent or effort. And with the practice of diligent and the practice of this effort or perseverance, then it make us much easy to cultivate the concentrations. One of the reason why we are unable to develop calm abiding Shama’ata concentration is because we don’t have enough consistent perseverance. We easily give up by small obstacles here and there when we are encounter.
So that perseverance, you you will not easily give up. So you will have you’ll find a much more more energy, and that energy will help you to develop the calm abiding śamatha of concentrations. And with that tool of concentration or śamatha of calm abiding, then it will give the tools to cultivate the wisdom that you need, the special insight or the wisdom to develop. So in that senses, each sequences of the practice leading to the next sequences of the next practice. Definitely, it helps in that way.
Yeah. And, also, it is explained that those different practices, each one is general the practice generally is easier than morality. The practice of morality is easier than practice of patience. The patient’s practice is more easier than perseverance. And perseverance more easier than śamatha or calm abiding.
Shamatha, which is, easier than the wisdom. So, again, also one reason why did they explain sequences is in term of that issue. The previous one is more easy and the subsequences is more difficult to cultivate. Also, it is also explained in term of gross and more subtle. So the practice of the previous each of the those previous practice is more gross and second, the sub subsequences are more subtle and subtle.
So that is also one explained. Any questions? It’s quite strange. We don’t have any questions. Yes?
Oh, no. I might be in trouble. Oh, you mean the practice of morality? Yes. Morality.
Yes. The vows. Well, of course, even in LA, there are many different level of vows. Prātimokṣa vows, the five lay vows. That can be the basic.
That’s the basics. Yeah. The five lay vows. Yeah. And on top of that, then there is both set of spouse tantric vows for some practitioner as well.
And even if we don’t have any vows at the moment, at least, the practice of refraining from ten non-virtuous actions the practice of ten virtuous actions can be the but the very foundation or basic for the practice of morality. So, of course, for that practice, you don’t need to take any vows, but, of course, that become a basis for your practice of morality. And not only for lay, for lay as well as all then, everyone. That become the very basic foundations. Yes.
Mhmm. Yes. The novel aid novel aid path, again, contains into three higher training. The practice of morality, the practice of concentrations, the the practice of wisdom. So eightfold noble path actually actually are part of that.
If you content, then it contains in three higher training. And then as I mentioned, because all this six perfection also contents into that, so then it is contained. Yes. For example, in the eightfold noble path, Right speech, right livelihood, they all fall in the practice of moral higher higher practice of morality. Right view in a practice of wisdom.
Right thoughts and these are fall into So now you have to come up with the eighth list of the eight noble path. So what are the eight? Can can anyone remember? All the eight list? Six.
And so what are the six? That view. Yes. Okay. Here on the top part.
Okay. Mhmm. Yeah. Livelihood. Not I think accents.
I don’t think and then there is one speech. Right? Speech is one of them. So, yeah, I can it it give you some view is concentrations. The right cons no.
Right view is the wisdom. The right concentration is concentration. Concentration. Then the rest, the right speech, right livelihood, they are part of the the hygienic morality. And I think the right thought also in the morality.
So yeah. So therefore, the all eight noble path and the six perfection are some way related in that way. Related from the point of view of the three higher trainings. Yeah. Any other questions?
If not, then I think we will do So before we do the final dedications, let me guide through the dedications before we decide the prayers. Due to all the virtues, virtue of karma that we have created in past, which we will be creating in future, having created now all three times, may dharma flourish and benefit countless sentient beings each moment each second. Due to that, may his holiness the lama, Kirti Tsenshab Rinpoche, all the Gurus, all the holy beings have a long healthy life. All their great wishes and projects be successful without any obstacles according to their wishes. May all the spiritual center, Dharma center, particularly a Buddha house, may it expand, grow, flourish, and benefit countless sentient beings with different program activities.
And may whatever obstacle they are, may they all be pacified immediately. May all the staff who have given so much their time, energy, resources from the very beginning until now, all the sponsors, benefactors, all the students who participate in different program, and all the sentient beings, may they have long healthy life. May all the sickness, obstacles, whatever those obstacles of those different each of them, may they be pacified immediately. Have a prosperity and successful life. All their wishes be fulfilled according to the dharma.
May there be no war violence? Poverty, sickness, disaster, and unhappy mind in the world. And there always be peace, happiness, tolerance, prosperity, success, and happy mind in the world. May each and every sentient being be able to actualize and fully develop the bodhicitta and wisdom understanding emptiness as quick as possible. Those who have already actualized not diminished but increased more and more.
May we be able to follow the perfect example said by all the enlightened beings in engaging our spiritual path in helping and benefiting others just like themselves. May our prayer and dedication be same as the prayer and dedication made by all those enlightened beings. Due to three time of merit, which are empty from its own side, May I, which is empty from its own side, achieve fully enlightened state which is empty from its own side for the benefit of all sentient beings which is empty from its own side. Then we can do the dedication prayers. Page number six.
May all beings everywhere plagued by suffering in body and mind, obtain an ocean of happiness and joy by virtues of my merit. May no living creatures suffer, commit evil, or evil fall ill. May no one be afraid or belittle, the mind weighs down by depression. May the blind see forms with the deaf hear sounds. May those whose bodies are worn with toil find rest.
May the naked find clothing, the hungry find food. May the thirsty find water, delicious drink. May the poor find wealth, those weak find joy, and may the follower find hope and constant happiness, and prosperity. May there be timely rains and bountiful harvest. May all medicine be effective and wholesome prayer bear fruit.
May all who are sick and ill quickly be free from their illness. Whatever disease they are in the world, may they never occur again. May the frightened cease to be afraid. May those who are weak. May the powerless find power.
May people think of benefiting each other. For us alone, specially, may all I, sentient beings, remain. Until then, may I also remain to dispel the misery of the world. Due to the merit of those virtuous actions, may I clearly attain the state of Guru Buddha and lead all living beings without exception into that enlightened state. May the supreme jewel bodhicitta that has not arisen arise and grow, and may that which has arisen not diminish, but increase more and more.
In the lands encircled by snow mountain, you are the source of all happiness and good, all Chenrezig, Mañjuśrī, and Vajrapāni. Please remain until saṃsāra ends. You who have followed the subdue of moral way, who serve as the bountiful bearer of all, sustaining, preserving, spreading, the victorious doctrine, who must have fully accomplished facing prayers. with a hundred and eight. Protect all my self and other, your disciples.
Please, please lead us all. Thank you very much, and good night. Thank you.