Audio recorded at Buddha House Adelaide. Transcript auto-generated and AI-corrected; may contain errors.
About this talk. Geshe Sopa introduces the three spiritual goals that form the foundation of Tibetan Buddhist practice. In this 48-minute teaching, he explains why understanding rebirth and karma is essential for meaningful spiritual life—moving beyond the animal-level concern for food and shelter that any creature pursues. He then traces the three progressive aspirations: the inferior goal (avoiding lower rebirth and aiming for higher human or divine rebirth), the intermediate goal (seeking complete freedom from the endless cycle of conditioned existence altogether), and the great goal (awakening to Buddhahood not for oneself alone but to liberate all sentient beings from suffering). Throughout, Geshe Sopa emphasizes that humans alone have the mental capacity to grasp these teachings and generate the motivation to pursue them. He concludes by explaining why the Lamrim—the graduated path teaching—condenses Buddha’s forty-five years of diverse instruction into a practical manual suited to human understanding.
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File: 02 LP.mp3
UUID: 82f08260-a65f-474b-b2e6-73952f399d24
Teacher: Geshe Sopa 1986
Collection: A lamp that illuminates the path (Geshe Sopa 1986)
Recorded at: Buddha House Adelaide
Duration: 48.2 minutes
Words: ~5,346
Then how what kind of this life can do? This life have what kind of possibility, capacity to do capacity. Other capacity, what we are not looking very ordinary, common, or worldly things, but behind ordinary worldly goals, what others what can do? What? That is for that purpose.
Objective goal. When you’re talking objective goal, spiritual objective goal, other spiritual object to goal, which beyond common ordinary sense. When you are talking about this, there are the especially what we are going to talking about this Lamrim or Lam Rim or Lamrim teaching, root of Lamrim teaching is Lamrim or which is the the whole subject whole subject is the three aspect of other spiritual goal. Other approach or goal we can try to gain are three things. Or generally, first, for example, spiritual goal is the temporary or called temporary goal, or the final everlasting goal, or two things.
We have temporary goal or everlasting goal. The temporary goal or temporary goal is the or temporary goal is not for the enjoyment, happiness, pleasure, etcetera, essential pleasure, which we usually are doing by that can find by food, cloth, shelter, or fighting with others and then try to or many things doing. That is the even animals, insect, every life can do. It’s not super special thing for human. There’s that everybody can do.
Or or but they are more behind that human mentality can do. Is it there? Or seeing, understanding understanding this life has how much worth and what can you do in the behind this life? Behind this life means after death. Or the according to Buddhism, of course, life is only final life.
There’s nothing going from here. And then when you dies, everything dies with that. No other things. Then it’s okay. Anything you can try to do.
Whatever enjoyment you can do, there’s no worrying about. Or even you stealing or even you fighting or whatever you you can gain something in this life, then you can do. But or that is not the case. Other every life or after death or but dying means just temporarily this life condition. On physical, this body dies separate.
Other life or mental nature or some continuum of the life or mentality or goes to next life. Other than next life, where you go, how you go, all that this is the and then a rebirth called rebirth. Other rebirth is the if rebirth is the same repeated, human is born as human, or wealthy woman born as wealthy woman, or healthy woman when dies, healthy woman or something like that, what does not do that way. Other dies after that, another form another forms may good one may bring again another human or if it’s not, may be born in other animals or insects or even more further caught some other or hungry ghost or even if according to Buddhist way, there is hell denizens or the worst kind of life also can experience or the like this or the all of these are different can be. Also, therefore, from here from here can go up or higher life was above the human, the devas called deva.
There are there are three world system. Our world is a lower world, the world of desire, so called. On the form world, on the formless world, there are worlds. Those form world, formless world are called devas. Other, they are temporary base.
They are much, much superior than human life or superior meaning for during that time, peaceful life. Other like those, one can born in those classes or one can born human. So there are six different realms of the life or any of these can be possible to born. How did these things determine? How this determine is the how much we do on the before going there.
All that is called karma on action. If the karma or action, good, wholesome, or positive, much more mentally or physical action, all of these are built. And then these actions deposit some kind of seed or potential to the mind. And then when you are born, this based on those seeds in the ripening. So therefore, in environment condition and the life nature is the higher or lower or or worse, you know, or all of these things.
So therefore, other this detail will determine karma and individual six realms if if the have people have teaching or detailed teaching or those Buddha taught many, many detail with a special kind of or with a story or an example or analogy or many, many different way, and then these things can clearly explain or detail or like that way. If all that is then or that is in this situation. So therefore, if there is the life is not exhaust here and because oneself cannot know. Why not to know? If people say there is no all life, that doesn’t mean actually no or no life.
Or is there any reason not believing or there is no much reason. There’s more reasons also believing on that cause and condition. No one’s own mind in the dark. On that situation, actually, totally dark. So therefore, it’s the much more secure saver as clearly explained here, a life after or such such life.
And then that life is conditioned with detail called karma. These karmas will bring this kind of life. These karmas will cause this kind of life. Whole detailed explanation. If one’s mind are will open and under try to learn these things, then a wisdom or picks up these things, then with that dealing with that how to deal with all of those things.
If one if one have some kind of understanding or belief or able to grasp those cause and effect properly, and then also this life, how can prevent those future bad life? And how can one approach those in the future or better to be born in a better life, a life which can constantly and again to work toward to the highest peace, happiness. Other, there are many, many levels. Other, if this life can be accomplished, three area. The the best and intermediate goal or lower goal or inferior goal.
But at least inferior goal as is the on this life, the understanding what causes to oneself for lower rebirth, worst or the bad life, bad migration. There are three different realms and though. These things or the two or two. Once you born there, what their life nature or what they how they born, by what causes. And once you’re born there, what is looks like, or what kind of mystery, what kind of suffering, what nature.
All of these details, when you learn, understand, or only concentrate, meditate, or finally, one will have great fear, or one one strongly just don’t like to born there, don’t like to be there, or wanting to be back as like human or maybe better life. That is the more objective goal. After this death, you don’t want to fall or in a very, very unhappy or dark. Those are such kind of bad, evil, or destiny, or wanting to born higher on a rebirth or at least in human or in devas, etcetera. Or even these are temporary goal within the within the saṃsāra.
We call saṃsāra. Other saṃsāra life. Samsāra life. Samsāra. Samsāra.
Samsāra is the impure life cycle is the or saṃsāra is the or born in by under the power of karma and then all the and then on this negative kleshas or the afflicted mind or afflicted kleshas or that these in it or do which means desire, hatred, ignorance, all of these are the afflicted mind. Afflicted is impure or this negative in the mind mental. The negative, this mental and the karma, this combination creates a lower or the the karma which joins with the this afflicted mind, then it create is a life situation condition or effect. So, therefore, life anywhere you’re born, life with this impure karma and afflicted mind powering by this, and that is the samsaric life. Because those lives have no their own independent freedom.
Because anytime karmic karma will pull down or wherever you stronger karma that blow, and then life goes that way or or like that. Even one life during human life also are between or from young and up to death. There are so many different huge can be changed also or slow change or different effect. All of these come result in appearance. So therefore, this kind of life is called saṃsāra.
Although there are some saṃsāra life is a temporarily higher peace, but still a subject to fall down because that peace life peaceful life is still as a result of some, better karmic result experiencing. But when you fully experience or end, and then again, some other karmic potentials still there, impure, they will pull down for again lower. Other that is the, even high report endeavors and they can fall easily down or after they finish the higher state, like like, if you let the bird with the sting tied with in in the feet, I let it go freely and go and kind of fly fly in very, very high, but that bird is not still independent or has no freedom to go anywhere, even endlessly higher because sometimes soon, then a string finished. Or or then sometimes string will pull down. It can be down.
So it’s subject like that. So any saṃsāra realm, how high you born. Also, if they haven’t purified the karma and the next karmic string still there. So after you finish their lifespan, then it can be it can fall down. Also, therefore, that situation, we may also born sometimes highest to the samsaric, sometimes intermediate, sometimes very low down.
Most of the time, low lower life or sometimes come up like this way. Although, anyway, this kind of life is the samsaric life. Among the samsaric life, so therefore, there are three higher realms or three lower realms or you have lower than women. Other those other these are the understanding this situation then merely first immediate fear of the falling or lower rebirth and then wanting to born as be all human or devas or like that way. What are the causes?
Although there are virtues, non virtues, and action created in this life, hold this life for for venerating or for guarding from oneself from falling lower and guarding or the free from lower rebirth and born high rebirth. Other for that purpose, then it can be many other practices, other can be done in this life. So therefore, when at the time of death, one’s self secure, one’s self confidence that one will not be born low or like that kind of if if that much come finish in this life, then is the again, a meaningful life, life which makes meaningful. That is called small or goal or practice or path or whatever you have, those things in the coordinate. Or then a person who mainly are doing or or practice or spiritual practice, doing virtues, conduct, or pure conduct, etcetera, or prayer, whatever you do, or then a good, you know, meritorious activity in order to purify negative action to going to a lower birth and positive karma try to create a higher better rebirth in even within the saṃsāra.
Or that that is the at least, goal, spiritual goal. Although that goal is the, not highest or perfect or even less goal is not is not, you know, so therefore, called inferior. So past path practice, that is the inferior practice. So therefore, here introduce means the three spiritual beings or teaching of the three spiritual beings. Other, is a small being.
Is intermediate. Is great. Other, there are all the and then there are spiritual beings when they divide it into three or spiritual beings. Or then small in the mediocre or great or inferior or whatever you call small or inferior. Other that is the like that way.
Those things are divided. All these three beings, how you make these three beings, all the they’re not divided by all the physical big or small intermediate or on wealth or power or any kind of wordly concern, not made like that way. All the main big and small or intermediate means or objective goal, mental scope or the mental scope. Or the scope is the for for oneself only worrying about to born in the future after this life and there’s something or or disaster or something greater in a misery or suffering or such a kind of nature or the realizing that way or wanting to or strongly preventing every exercise method. Try hard to prevent to burn lower and then or to stop any kind of action or any kind of mental, physical, own action, all of these or whatever you are in from from there and try to stop.
And what already has been done, there is a method to purify those things or other doing purification and stopping, not doing those things, and mainly working to on higher rebirth are likely what is the what positive action karma should be taking. On those things mainly all the time concentrate on the whole life or rest of life concentrate preparing preparation preparation for or to the journey to next life rather than the main emphasis on how to stay in this life for even looks like. Usually, what we are doing is looks like we’re staying many many thousand years in living here. So therefore, preparation goes whole life just merely preparation to stay rather than to journey to living. When you’re preparation to stay, when we have done so much hard and whole time, when the preparation finished, then you leave.
That is what we do. But we what we should doing is the preparation for journey is the main focus. Beside that, and then as long as you this life when the preparation is the most important, so therefore, this life stay as long as able to do. So therefore, poor maintenance or some kind of for, on a minor purpose to protection and nourishing and certain things stronger. And in order to do those, you know, most important object to call one seven strong like that way, then that is beside, I mean, I should be doing like that way.
Or then that is the person who doing like that. Main scope is for one step to three from lower birth or higher. Other, that is the or that is the new called or the inferior spiritual being or the that path practice also then caught in small or inferior. But that is one way called within these three or from those called small, but it is not actually not small at all. That itself also great practice.
Even one should not consider that is something not worthwhile because it is small or that is much, much greater than doing purely everything for this life. All that is the all the all that is the the small scope, this is their mental responsibility. What their responsibility is the responsibility not much in concern, any other life or anything, but oneself. Oneself also not in it. They are much, much greater for not thinking whole circle is also problematic, but not seeing that kill much, but mainly worrying about immediate or right after this life, that is the area or mainly, or that is the, taking care of responsibility or that is the, and a small also as a lower vehicle or its life is as used small vehicle or small vehicle is the vehicles.
Some big big vehicle can carry much, much load or intermediate like same way, small vehicle, small things can take. Like that way, this with this life or objective goal like that mainly use and then from the point of spiritual, it was small. Or an intermediate or intermediate or intermediate goal is the when you wish to open to learn, study, examine, understanding, or because they are full of teachings in in information through this understanding oneself fully aware, then all these life different, these lives when you free from lower rebirth and born higher rebirth like human devas. Or or that is that one way within the saṃsāra is something good object to go. But that self, those things also born, those classes also actually still they are not real free, or they have so much naturally.
They have so much in it. For example, human or have many, many misery or suffering, etcetera. All of these detailed on meditating, concentrating, understanding. Even a born high rebirth, the devas, etcetera, even temporarily some peace, worldly peace, but that is not everlasting peace. They are subject of, again, come down.
So therefore, can circle in the saṃsāra. Other therefore, seeing a whole situation of circling is not good. Well, that is like, this is called big big jail. Samsāra is like big jail. Big jail maybe have some some are worse, some are intermediate, some are little better, maybe upstairs or somewhere.
I don’t know. I haven’t been there anywhere or that that anywhere like this big jail or like that within the saṃsāra, they go up and down and even how much up the whatever going up is going down naturally or the like like face here. Right? Face here. Face here.
We we know a face here. We are here in the west. Going up. That doesn’t mean until easily go up and higher. Going up means going oh, still a path to going down like that way on the point, then you limited.
You’re not allowed to go from further, go down. Or like that way, that is the other life is goes like that way. So therefore, even born high rebirth, human or devas, etcetera, still is the nature of cold suffering. Suffering means it is the conditioned. It has no real freedom.
It’s tied by karma. So how long they last have no one set power because karmic karma, how much lifespan they the first. And then, so when you that finish have to calm down or whatever other life or other karmic result. So therefore, the main goal is to break that circle out of that circle. If you go higher and from higher point, then instead of going down, little further and outside that circle.
As long as that circle, there’s no real freedom or it is naturally, it’s round circling. What? Like that where other some sort of wholesome side high or low or doesn’t matter. It’s temporarily different differences, but actually they are same in a miserable situation or like that we are seeing that way. Then the one or one seeks or one is seeking for total emancipation from whole saṃsāra life.
Like that way, that is mainly, that is the emancipation. Freedom means free from circling life, or conditioned or karma and klesha or klesa. Whether this kind of the new circling life is the main main or to distort or to get rid of. From this, once you’re free from getting out of this, then real freedom means. Now if everlasting or freedom means there’s no or one will born into the saṃsāra by power of karma.
But one can come in the in the world as a manifestation, as one’s own free choice, and whatever manifested one have full, more than power to oneself is not tied by pulling by karma and impure these causes or like that way. So though when you achieve those level on then real freedom or that is the new emancipation or they are the one who are mainly looking for that. All that is the only achieve that mainly for one’s own purpose or selfish or other salvation. On on working toward to that, and then finally, achieves that even called arhat arhat. Or this is get to arhat means or the arhat.
Or arhat means maybe ara, or maybe ara means enemy, or han means kill or something or the story or like that to a combination one which kills enemy. Actually means enemy doesn’t mean we what we usually call enemy, somebody or a person to destroy another person. That doesn’t mean enemy means inner enemy. Inner enemy, which makes all this some sort of trouble or problem is the inner or this negativity or karma and which creates this all negativeness mental or desire, hatred, these poisons, etcetera. Or one of these are all from the root or destroyed by producing or high wisdom and method or joining these two together and then destroy those things, oneself become free.
All these ups and other samsaric or circle on a condition. All that that is other other that is the second objective goal, a mediocre objective goal or intermediate or the person who mainly seeking for that or practicing main objective goals, total freedom from a circle of saṃsāra. And then for that, what should be what need to be done? Or the method or many or in a Buddhism teaching or special on a teaching emphasis or those each object to goals, what kind of main things one should be practiced, what kind of main obstacle one try to remove. All of these are taught as accordingly, then they are one self educated, and then not only educated, then put into practice and exercise.
Other like that way, when exercise, one develops in within one’s own mind higher and higher, and then other negative obstacles, step by degree degree by degree, on lower and or finally remove like that way. So, therefore, those steps of the inner or practice or realizations or special account development of motivations or an attitude or positive attitude, all of these in a special account of conduct or whatever you have, those are the path to emancipation. Other than so therefore, a person who on whose life is completely put on their life power or fully toward to that or not doing that or that is the inferior intermediate or mediocre spiritual being. Other that is mediocre means or that is the higher than first one or it its objective goal is much, much greater than first one is almost half of Samsāra or some part of some wanting to free from some part of Samsāra. This one is whole Samsāra.
Right? And so therefore, this other intermediate. What that is or that this for this goal, one who seeks for this goal are also special, again, teaching. What what kind of an emphasis on a one doing practice or meditation or what the main practices are and how you get this kind of a special kind of motivation and attitude and strong spontaneous how you get. All the all these methods are, again, taught in teaching or special edition, what Lamrim teaching.
That is an intermediate or point objective goal. Then the third, the greatest, highest spiritual being or or goals of spiritual being is the the new goal itself is it a even oneself working out with this understanding whole samsaric nature is like great jail or misery or suffering and no freedom or not independent. Also, like that way, and then within that, what kind of each life has in the problem, mystery, or suffering, detailed one understanding. When these things finally, out of that, one wanted to strong desire to want free from this saṃsāra or wanting to have highest peace or everlasting peace. When you arise that, when you’re thinking that way, then even oneself free from all saṃsāra, completely freedom, emancipation.
But then thinking all one’s own, all the dear ones, living parents, relatives, or relatives, the rest of all all sentient beings, Other days in the same subject or problem or misery or suffering or like this way. Then as one’s own experience based on that to others also, and then again, thinking to others same situation. And then also, if they are still same way suffer, one is our own for example, one is our own dear mother or dear children suffer the situation like that way, even one has freedom, it is not something really any good thing. Also, therefore, what whole or desirable is the all the other sentient beings.
They are also developing to loving to all sentient beings, compassion and love, and dearness to bring into one’s own mind everybody equally or to one’s mind for most dear attitude, cherishing, cherishable, all this kind of great love and compassion when you develop order through teaching. And that way, finally, one seeks not one’s own freedom, but the freedom of all sentient beings or then of wanting to or lead all mother sentient beings to freedom or perfect or perfect to go. Other like that way, all free from misery or suffering and then having all highest peace and happiness to all sentient beings. That is the main objective desire to go. And for that purpose, also, that is not merely wish.
May they have happiness, may they free from saṃsāra, etcetera. Not only that living like prayer manner, but one self wanting to do, taking responsibility. I want to so I myself should be responsible to do something. I should be accomplished for the all my sentient beings. Then taking responsibility of the freedom and the highest attainment or for oneself.
Other, therefore, one or fully on taking responsibility of all our mental sentient beings or they feel. On for while you’re doing that, and then finally, on in the mind have answer or questions, how I do. All the new oneself, and thinking like that way, these two way, one still same like this situation to working as much one can to help to others. All first oneself quickly to become equipped. That means oneself quickly obtain perfect freedom or all obstacles, all the knowledge, all compassion and love, and all of these pure perfections level as like Buddhahood.
When when you reach there and then unable to do or much, much greater than right now situation. So therefore, what is the best thing is the in order to own not one’s own purpose, but in order to save other sentient beings to help to others quickly able to many or then spontaneous or have to others or therefore that purpose, one wanting to obtain perfect Buddhahood or enlightenment for the benefit of other sentient beings. Other that kind of mind, which is called bodhicitta, and then from now on, many of you already have studied and learned a lot of these terms, you know, teachings may have heard, Or some of you may not have heard. Also, anyway, this is called bodhicitta. Or bodhicitta, means chitta is a mind or or buddhi means enlightened.
So therefore, or wanting to the enlightened mind for the purely order for the benefit of other sentient beings. Or one who rise this mind through practice method. And this mind not rising one time or just sometime, but this practice or meditation special method. Finally, this become all spontaneous. All the naturally rise all the time.
Or when you rise that, then all the all that is called in actual complete bodhicitta. Or the one you have that, you know, bodhicitta. Or the this person has become great being, great spiritual being. All this is called Bodhisattva also. All that has big averse, great.
Great is the from the mental scope, objective goal, objective goals, enlightenment, and also that the also the or for the purpose, not only once, for all mother sentient beings. Therefore, great. And then also amount of like that in the grid. And then also what then wants is it not from only from freedom, on on on lower report or freedom only in Samsāra, but all in high all mother sentient beings lead, wanting to lead highest or enlightened or perfect or the being. Also, therefore, that is the various kind of goals and other nature also great or that mind is in or even you have Buddhahood also or the same kind of mentality.
There’s no holiest mind. No other other other than this other this is the taking whole responsibility for all the, ordinary and for the benefit of all sentient beings. Although, therefore, this is the goal of the, obtaining enlightenment for the benefit of all sentient beings, that is the highest goal or great goal, or that is the objective goal, is the highest goal, and then any kind of practice for that goal, or that is in the the path path of the great on the other spiritual goal or therefore, this path or practice or called Mahāyāna path. Mahāyāna also Mahāyāna and Hīnayāna, you have heard sometimes Buddhism, Mahāyāna Hīnayāna. Maha is the sense that it is great.
Yana is vehicle. Hina yana means hina means less or lower or small. Vehicle is again, yana is a vehicle. So therefore, great vehicle or small vehicle or less vehicle or whatever you call. Other that means those other great vehicle, this is a great vehicle means other like that to a vehicle by this kind of method or path is taking whole responsibility for all mother sentient beings.
Also, sentient beings are leading to highest objective goal or freedom from all kind of problem or misery. So therefore, mental scope is great. Also, therefore, other great or that’s when or that that is the final or the highest or the goal. So therefore, all of these goals, three different levels of goals, human life are are suitable for those goals. human life has capacity for those goals or the potentials or the to human lives or the have.
Except human life, this other other life, any other lives lacking many point of view. Most of other lives have no much. Also, these teachings designed to the human mentality. So therefore, we human mind can be project long those object goal or can be understood those things. How do those goals achieve method?
human mind can be analyzed, examined, finally understand. When you understand, human mind can put energy or to tour to those goals or very, very skillful way effectively. All of those things and all teachings in in all these mainly for those purpose. So therefore, other human humans should be doing like that. Other that is the other bravely since we are, again, all Lamrim or this inner teaching or this great short and concise book, which mainly are most essential Buddhist teaching.
Buddha’s teaching, Buddha taught many, many for forty five years and after his enlightenment, teaching and teaching and so many different levels of teaching. Many, many when you later collections and the teaching scriptures and many, many volumes and volumes or commentaries, etcetera. All of these essence of the teaching, main key teaching into practical manner. All in there, like, manner of the all in all teaching. All in this contained, the ram rim.
Like almost like that way. That means means when you churn the milk or milk churn, churn, churn, what will come out? Or the essence of the milk is butter. Right? Butter is essence of the milk.
All this it it has many, many, elements. Milk has water and all the cheese and some other things. And all there are a lot of element, but churn churn. And finally, all the essence of the what is come out is the or butter. Other like that way, all the teaching of the holy Dharma or subha means, if you’re looking to those, like subha means whole teachings examine, analyze, and the deep study, learning, and all of these things, what will come out of these real essential teaching, most important area, all that the teaching, all the Mahāyāna, and then this