Audio recorded at Buddha House Adelaide. Transcript auto-generated and AI-corrected; may contain errors.
About this talk. In this 49-minute teaching, Geshe Sopa explains the foundational meditation on impermanence and death from the Lamrim tradition, using the framework of three spiritual capacities. He begins by introducing the Three Scopes—inferior, intermediate, and superior practitioners—through verses from Tsongkhapa’s A Lamp for the Path to Enlightenment, clarifying what distinguishes each aspiration. The inferior capacity seeks to avoid lower rebirth and secure a higher human or divine rebirth; the intermediate seeks liberation from saṃsāra entirely; the superior seeks enlightenment for the benefit of all beings. Geshe Sopa then focuses on the foundational practice: meditation on death and impermanence, explaining how a genuine fear of future suffering and a vivid sense of life’s brevity naturally redirect the mind from worldly concerns to spiritual practice. He walks through obstacles—the tendency to deny death, to procrastinate, to believe practice can wait until old age—and describes the meditation’s results: when death becomes present and immediate, one’s energy naturally flows toward Dharma preparation rather than accumulation for this life alone.
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File: 04 LP.mp3
UUID: 08ca3ccf-e8c7-4be7-9af5-25eacbdee09a
Teacher: Geshe Sopa 1986
Collection: A lamp that illuminates the path (Geshe Sopa 1986)
Recorded at: Buddha House Adelaide
Duration: 49.7 minutes
Words: ~5,065
All so much. All the so they were mostly living there. Once you go down there and they circle from there and after one dies and another life another life because of this surface coming surface cause is difficult down there to producing any meritorious virtues or karma. Also, therefore, only mostly living down there. But sometimes in sometimes sometimes the beings, aeons after maybe explains the negative karmic resulting suffering, etcetera, explain.
Then they may, sometimes they are turning subtle virtues in it or, you know, a seed of many, many or or some of the these subtle seeds made there, and then wrapping those or sometimes come up on the surface. That means like human or devas. So like that way. Other those other like that, these other analogy. Other than a golden golden yoke is the like specialism of especially, other that is the on the surface, that is the pure other pure all the spiritual all teachings available or or teaching.
And then which can if you are able to catch is the difficult most because pure spiritual goal or teaching on future, what these things are in the in the world, they are so rarely or also sometimes here appear somewhere in corner or somewhere and then some another some another place in a very little spot here and there, but actually, widely covering to whole ocean. You see nothing there. So therefore, it’s most difficult situation like that way. Other those things in the net, that is the one, analogy of the or how difficult to obtaining. Other those or there are many, many other analogies.
Other so, anyway, other this this kind of meditations are then brings the or this is called a topic is it there Tibetan language is exhorting to oneself to to take or or the act or practice for the essential goal. Or that is by thinking those meditation and realization, those will oneself on other urged. Other that is the one topic. And then now all the all the that is actually, then before that, I was sinking to all the and this text of talking about teaching or the three these levels. And among the three levels, first, inferior or being or the inferior spiritual goal to practice how if in brief, or the spiritual goal, if one was seeking first level, that means their main concern is falling into low rebirth.
Next slide. And do something or special kind of effort, method to save from that and to also have one higher rebirth. That is the main objective goal. So for that or to put that in it, what to do is work all hard on this life. And this life shouldn’t be wasted or this life or for have to provide all these method and in preventing measures and all of these should be done in this life.
Also, therefore, that is the main thing. And then what are the what are the methods? What are the methods is the now beginning starting from there. First, the urging. First, the one said, we usually no urging or not thinking or mostly life in it from day, from morning, wake up, and sleeping.
There’s nothing concerned about that. Nothing to prepare for that. Even all one to know night or somebody who wake up this morning and then go to sleep next day if doesn’t wake up or without preparation, without doing nothing, or that is the end or finished or like that way. So, therefore, every day, on expecting or something like that, anytime that can come. So, therefore, this way of urging is how if if I have obtained and if it’s all difficult, if it’s loose, and then or or greater shame or feeling like that way, one strives all the time or wanting to practice.
Whether that way, practice itself becomes strong or practice itself become all the most in how to say? What earnest or sincere or strong or practice will produce that or meaningful way. And then then after this kind of urging or the guarding or from inside, and then what is the or next is the actually, the or practices. That is the all that this has first main goal is the goal has three goals. Is imperial and intermediate.
And final and inferior beings are the has goal that has The main topic is the means first to produce a strong mind or mind which strives for the in the next life or future life or next life on good thing and not bad things to prevent good thing. That is to produce strong wish, strong, powerful, or mind to put into the for the next life. All the that is the producing that kind of attitude. And then second is the on showing the what are the method of those happiness of the in a or good for the good life for in the next life. Other these two main topics will come there.
Other starting from here and then or this is in a root Lamrim text. All the detail explaining. Now I am thinking is the first since I did in other center also or the since this text is short, mainly root text, and we have the traditional tradition in Tibetan teaching. This root text, again, teaching lineage come from at the himself from there to one disciple one disciple from there one. Also, oral oral lineage oral lineage are up to all this point without breaking oral lineage.
So, therefore, sometimes people want to get an oral or lineage, unbroken oral lineage. Unbroken oral lineage means words, phrases, whatever x or first taught and exactly read through all that. Other based on that certain explanation and the description questions are the different all the level or the or spiritual teacher and the disciple between the or some are more extensive or some are intermediate, some are brief, etcetera, and based on different. But right author who the first who written or who or the a special kind of structure with So they will without putting any words on extra or missing or anything just as it was on read through. Other that kind of oral lineage sometimes, you know, people want to get.
So therefore, maybe or maybe here also or since I have from getting all many different gurus and all this oral lineage or have gotten all from great teacher, then my teacher, one of the content, Trijang Rinpoche. Or then all his own lineage, various gurus have lineage. So therefore, maybe you can have the niche. So therefore, maybe quickly read this first in Tibetan. Then then we can go from there.
So that is the name. Maybe we’ll do quickly. Okay. It won’t take too long. So So now we are finished.
So, anyway, all done. Right? Nothing more to say. So so now the I think the first or first three shlokas are root text, mainly other subject is the as we’re talking this morning, other identification or characteristic of the those three different spiritual levels there, they mean what these three spiritual beings’ distinction. Their characteristic, briefly explained first in a few lines.
So maybe maybe maybe you can one of you can read English easier to everybody or understand. So translation you have there. Who has a good voice? Okay. Or then the beginning, the translation, that translation here, with the beginning.
Who is that? I think there’s two different translations. Both of them maybe both of them read. Okay. That’s a bit.
Okay. Two o’clock. I bow in great reverence to all past, present, and future victors, to their doctrine and community. I shall light a lamp for the path to enlightenment at the request of my good disciple, Jangchup Wosel. And that they are inferior or mediocre or superior, persons should be understood as three.
The characteristics of each are very clear, and I shall show how they differ from one another. One who by every means he finds seeks but the pleasure of Samsāra and cares but for himself alone, That one is known as the inferior person. Yeah. Do you understand? So that is the what we were talking in view of a person, a characteristic or is the one self.
The the or such kind of to the any or whatever means to wanting to the or wanting or striving for the happiness for happiness, which is the part of belonging to some rather than behind but within the happiness. That means born higher rebirth, human or life. That is this seeking that situation and free from misery or suffering of the lower rebirth. That is mainly talking. Next.
Who puts life’s pleasures behind him and turns himself from deeds of sin yet cares only about his own peace. That person should be called mediocre. Mediocre or intermediate. Whether that is the intermediate or the being’s main objective goal as it is. On who sees the any samsaric happiness within the samsaric happiness, there are those are not real happiness.
Seeing within the saṃsāra all of this subject to misery or suffering. So, therefore, one’s own mind even turn way or back toward some sort of even happiness. What? Also, therefore, One who wholly seeks a complete end to the entire sufferings of others because the sufferings belong to his own conscious stream. That person is a superior.
Uh-huh. Okay. What is that suffering? Belongs to his own consciousness? Because their suffering has belonged to his own.
Is that that That’s right. Anyone who is realizing the suffering pertaining to his own being wishes for the total elimination of all suffering of others as a person having the supreme aptitude. Okay. Although that’s anyway, the so what we are gonna be able to explain to this this three part this morning. So, therefore, main day or the second one is the more oneself or interest or seeking for oneself total emancipation from all saṃsāra.
So, therefore, even or the even happiness of saṃsāra level is not desirable. He sees this also situation of suffering and misery and it belongs to the great jail of saṃsāra. So, therefore, all from total emancipation from this saṃsāra. Now that is the intermediate or or mediocre objective goal and the person who seeks that is a mediocre spiritual being. Or the third one is suffering of the belong.
It doesn’t mean they’re suffering belongs to oneself. Doesn’t mean first, sinking one’s own misery or suffering. You know? Or some sort of suffering to watch experience to oneself. All that is the first, the concentrate meditating oneself on the first.
And then later, or realize that the same kind of similar or suffering, everybody has that problem or seeing that completely to all, finally, or switched on one’s own attitude to instead of seeking for oneself or seeking for merely for the other sensitive beings to free from those misery or suffering, suffering which oneself or sees to one one’s own belonging or the same way others like that way. Other, that is the a person who completely dedicate or or seeks or for purely for the benefit of other sentient beings. Other that is the or superior other being. Other that is the or like that way. Of course, these three these three different, distinctions.
And the first two are steps for the supreme, superior, and it being’s objective goal. So they were first two are step for the third. So basic ground foundation. So they will have to build beginning from first and then move second and then finally, third one. Or like that way.
Or that this is in there. So rest are most teaching. And then most teaching is there all for the spring or in super beings who is seeking for completely the or for the benefit of other sentient beings and how to practice the all the method and wisdom. And then for the benefit of other sentient beings, all the activities, all of these in the beginning, with this act of how taking the and taking, etcetera, or beginning starting that in a whole up to tantric or practice on rest of the explaining or the rest of the teaching. So, therefore, first first two or the brief here, not too much details, but then how you get or the for example, first one is the one strives for the the merely samsaric happiness to wanting to obtain samsaric happiness reverse meaning is the from here, after death, you don’t want to go or some sort of misery, which most powerful misery is the down or the level or animal, hungry ghost, hell being.
Have so much great in the misery or suffering for life like that way. All the oneself free from death, seeing higher rebirth, devas, humans, and good life. That is looks like seemingly too good for all like that way. So happiness or or wanting to obtain that other, mainly seeking for that and then practicing. So therefore, practice means here, it doesn’t mean usually what we do or usually what we samsaric pleasure or or doing all the selling and buying and eating and all doing all this or or essential pleasure in this life that is not we are talking.
That is even inferior of inferior. Or does or like that way is not even belong to any spiritual practice or other. But the next spiritual goal practices, you are working this life for beneficial or some kind of a special purpose. Purpose which is the happiness in the future or next life or better life, high rebirth. So, therefore, the goal is the or temp even it is temporal goal, but it is the.
So means high state or high rebirth or high life or structure. That means within the saṃsāra. Or that’s for that, it is self also not easy to not easy to obtain. It is in the most difficult. From here, it’s most difficult.
So first, go step on the even level of first, this goal to let this life not let go downward, to bring up and prepare in this life much of the seed plant, you know, much more things or even a spiritual higher development to all learning and starting on and concentrate and put the seat in in in impression into one’s own mind. And then with that, if one falls down, or then all these may lose and then eons eons may not able to come. So therefore, right up and able to next rebirth also higher rebirth. And from there, where we are or continue to step practicing further and the plan born right place, meeting or right situation or having a naturally right interest or having the mentality also or special way in all these kind of built in this life, so therefore, one can ready to have those things. Once you have this situation, then, of course, higher, most or wider practice can be done.
So therefore or that that is the first part. So therefore, first part, how one’s self very strong life itself or even oneself lost most time of life or maybe wasted maybe most time. But even or how much left or if we want to have left quite a bit longer life, and they can be done much more or accomplish. Even if you have short or small or left or still can be during that, what is the remainder of that put into the all such positive situation. Or positive situation if too too moved, and there’s proper understanding, proper motivation, or proper effort.
On all those things when you meet or even a short time can be on accomplish many or many things. And also store many or seeds or the potentials in the mind or even in the or the before then or before that. And then once on completely attitude, mentality, on an emphasis, or turn into different directions. Or if one has been a powerful, strong, that kind of when you have, all that will happen in the or next life immediate next life. For example, even or the or the karmic karma works like this way.
How one said at about the time of death, they must have hundreds and thousand of the positive karma or negative karma and all kind of actions are made in our mind have so many of these like seed, potentials built built. So, therefore, as a result of that, are there are future type of life or other. So this in the coming result, which one come first or after after death? There are hundreds and thousands of karmas, which one comes first or generally, you know, or state or karma or in generally, what even heaviest, in this life, what even heaviest or that one will, generally comes first. Or that means, for example, black or white or, like, that way.
If the time of death, black is so giant, white is little, and then other ones are going down or the pulling down by that. Next slide. Other if they are other white is in in opposite way. Or if they are equal equal, then what’s even the combo. Combo means more or in this life more custom.
Even this life or some are from the past, some are this life or time or death or close to the death that it have the name equal amount, then which one are first more in this life, what one has more custom. To to what area more custom that will rise first. If customing both equally on then how and closest toward the just before that time, which is the more positive or negative, which in the comes first or that is close toward to the now death, and then those things may, come first or the like that way. So therefore, all person has a lot of negative karma creates or some and then if somewhere or certainly switch or understanding realization of certain things and then to put the rest of the life to the energy for the positive action. And the mind always in a positive or action and the mind to become custom, you know, like that way or at the time of death or with the or the the it is so much ordinary or training and the customer.
Therefore, it may arise that the time of the the more on recent pressures or or the, I would say, or new this effort will may effect like that way. Other the those things or other situation like that. So therefore, also that at the time of the doing, how strong. Practice itself, how sincere, how honest, how strong or way of doing. Or there are so many negative mind, which can interrupt many things.
Most negative thing or negative dominating mind is the of considering or or thinking of the only worrying about this life or for this life. And then also, most one of the odd or the obstacle is the mind of permanency or or thinking, not remembering or not thinking about dying or death. Instead of that, our mind or taking side of taking the side of will not not die or not die. Not die means or it’s not we will in intelligent enough humans never die, we will not think because so many experience, seeing, and all these things, but they not die. That is the not die for long time or something or that that cannot die not die in this next year or even closer this year or even very, very old or sickness or something, I will not die this month or this week or something.
Even not dying attitude will even on next moment or a dying person, almost just dying in a in a moment, dying person. Also, I will not die today. What are that kind of hoarding like that? What are these? Once you have the strong mind or dominating mind not dying or and that makes to stay or the staying attitude more dominating rather than leaving and or journey.
So journey or living from here and go somewhere, and if we have strong attitude, a strong mind, then preparation to goes to to a journey side. Or staying attitude and a stone and then how to preparation of how to live and stay and then prepare or go preparation for how to live. Or the new food, and the shelter, and the cloth, and the friends, or just try to make as much for living. And other things completely forget nothing looks like nothing even exist or something like that. Or even sometimes you would have there that is the even or never think.
Or, generally, we want to do is even you don’t want to think or try to ignore or that that kind of. So they will always that makes other strong, powerful, preparation for staying. Therefore, so much effort to put into the for this life. So therefore, now starting from there, teaching first the beginning, is the meditation or is the or in meditation on impermanence of life that is started beginning or like that way. Other that is the means to first, we have to be cut to rise any kind of thought to starving for the to future life behind this life.
Whether that is the producing or rising in order to rise that or some special kind of method. Other and, actually, then in one have spiritual or practitioner in this and in future next life. And once on the mind, more emphasis, main emphasis goes to the journey or behind this life, worrying those area or preparation making those area. And this life is now seeing is nothing much important, already obtained something, or now is it utilized, how to utilize this for the or longer or preparation or longer journey or not worrying up too much in it, how long staying because thinking is this won’t be or staying too long. And as as one attitude of short attitude and more than worrying toward the journey.
Like, for example, in somebody going to far away on a journey or many, many months where I have to go to a journey or something. And then somewhere, do that or somewhere, if you find kind of a class, a resting class, and then almost the old house, almost a few days maybe fall down or something like that kind of situation even you see. And then you are staying there only one night, next day, and long journey coming. And what do you think there? Instead of preparation for long journey, you don’t want to spend there to repair all those things on the one for one night.
Or instead of this two two night, it is it is in a so that’s enough. No need to worry about main concentration is from next or the day and here on and all all these or the investigating what kind of area, what kind of problem, what kind of the good things, and then how we get there, what are the effort, method. And and all of these, we prepare all these things before your or take long journey, especially if you have on a or or spiritual, what’s it, problems, preparation, all things, food, cloth, and whatever necessary for the journey. provisions.
What does provisions? What are they? If you have enough prepared provisions to long journey, and you are ordinary or going there and much, much happier. If you don’t have a pervasion, not prepared, and certainly going all long journey, what will happen and a huge dark question or nothing knowing if they are hurting. There are awful many things may happen or that is the but there’s no way of prevention or anything if we do are prepared, other that journey will be other most difficult, and it can be no. So preparation, like that way, all the in all that this human and noble, all the precious life, this life when you have can be complete.
Whatever those three area or can or this life can do. So, therefore, all the main thing is the once our mind to move to interest or toward to those future life on the temporary and long and longer goal or long-term preparation On the worrying also a longer situation. All that this has to have to produce. Until that happens, we naturally completely dominate to worrying just on the surface in this our present life. So therefore, for that prevention, next preparation, practice of the meditation of impermanent life.
Other that is the producing or stopping the other than future or future future goal or future life. Other than after the impermanence of law has been several topics, you know, or realize, understand, meditating that way. Finally, that spontaneously, you know, when arise that, then one’s own mind completely switched or changed all the time looking now or the future or next life. On the all the then what what are the best to for those things? They they seem there were Tibetan word, it means method.
Method, which is the be happy or pleasant, good for in the future. Now what to do? What are those tops after that? All those method. If one does not have this strong attitude toward to on and for the worrying, fear, concern, the future, then whatever method in the future of good things, whatever method shows, it won’t practice, it won’t help because still wants our mind here and how to instead of living and then on, you know, to stay.
Other for this always energy put on that. So therefore, all the main antidote is that this or impermanent life. Other this has For example, a meditation on this, the teachings also here says the force of not forgetting of the death. So many force or many, many force you can think and introduce. The benefit of the or this kind of mindfulness of the or impermanence or death has it brings so many novel things, so many good or or real since preparation practice will bring.
So, therefore, benefit of the remembering or the thinking of the impermanence. Other days, nature or a nature of the remember how you remember, how you think of the nature of the death it is self or the dying meditation. So this has a level of meditation and concentration. If one think properly, if one spend on this, then finally, all the time, one feels or even one’s having healthy or life or situation, wherever you go, or then feeling that is not far or that is in front of me or between that and me only breathing breathing in and out. There’s no miles miles have to go or so many preparation doesn’t need this breathing in and out stops.
That is that. So for that, nothing much, and that is always right in front of me thinking like, all this kind of with the special kind of through this meditation. If one remembers all the time that and then all these for the all negative things, doing all kind of things for living, survivor for this, all long preparation for staying in here, or that that will stops or that will stops. And then all the preparation, what is the most valuable or useful tool to them, then or or once spent or devoted to Dharma. Other that is the main purpose.
Other other than other than the if one does not have this kind of mindfulness, and then, of course, they always mind in control and emphasis or to staying. And then, of course, this body needs more on food and dress, etcetera. Or there are enough simple things, but then much more or much for food, accumulation of much more food, only cloth, the shelter, all the in order to make one’s own all the friends and power and all kind of things, you know, looking all these concentrate. Only for these, you know, what are you or what is that, you know, that is the when you try to do this, each of those, they are on the way, many, many obstacles, problems, relation with others, other beings. Then when soon those comes on, then all these negative thoughts, anger, hatred, or jealousy, proudness, and then doing action, direct and indirect or negative toward to others.
What are all of these create? So therefore, whole action become dominant or negative side Other like that way. Other those things in there are false or not reminding. Otherwise, therefore, if one does not have any thinking about the impermanence of life, there are faults. Also, even talking of the six of them. Nemesis.
Nemesis falls off, not mindful on any Dharma or teaching or the practice or something. And then or the second, a even sometimes in the the remember all those things, but not immediately not doing or not not doing on right way. Uh-uh. Although there is many, many problems of not doing, not remembering any religious practice or preparation? Even you have sometimes comes into the thought in a way you can even start learning, hearing, teachings, and wisdom understand.
Only wisdom says, oh, that should be done. But then also, although the mind is still in a or thinking of should be doing thinking, but not do right way. Or sometime, like now, I have to do this and that and this and afterward or something, maybe a few years later. Or worst one is when I’m getting old. Or that means when I have almost exhausted, then I will do.
Oh, that is too late. Or that kind of tissue, and it pushed me further. Or some there are many degrees or like that where a few years later, a few months later, or a few weeks later, or in the evening, and last one also, not today or tomorrow or something like that. Tomorrow at least, you know, or something like that. If tomorrow, I mean, with the or being