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 explores the consequences of negative karma at death and throughout lower rebirths, drawing on classical Buddhist sources including Śāntideva and Nāgārjuna. He describes the fearful mental and sensory experiences that arise for those with heavy negative karma during the death process—visions of wrathful beings, messengers of the Lord of Death, and the isolation of facing death alone. He then outlines the sufferings of the three lower rebirths: hell beings experiencing intense heat and cold; hungry ghosts tormented by extreme thirst and impossible-to-reach food; and animals trapped in ignorance and predation. Throughout, Geshe Sopa emphasizes that understanding these dangers is essential groundwork for genuine refuge. He concludes by framing the spiritual path as medicine: just as a patient facing serious illness must first grasp the gravity of the disease before seeking a doctor, recognizing samsaric suffering and the power of karma awakens the sincere fear and trust necessary for authentic refuge in the Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha. This foundational teaching assumes familiarity with Buddhist cosmology and is suitable for those beginning serious study of the Lamrim.
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File: 07 LP.mp3
UUID: e35976c5-dfba-45cf-b361-d95339b6c65b
Teacher: Geshe Sopa 1986
Collection: A lamp that illuminates the path (Geshe Sopa 1986)
Recorded at: Buddha House Adelaide
Duration: 49.4 minutes
Words: ~5,188
That means, And that is the even when when I or oneself, one time of death, even oneself in sleeping in in the bed. Even all relatives, every around in a circle there, only the feeling of the or separating the from all everything in oneself. All the that feeling of experience or only oneself will experience. That means at that time or at the time of death, you have dreamlike or especially the one one has the great negative karma created, which will be going to burn into a lower rebirth, hell, etcetera, whatever, as depend on how much karmic or strong or those especially strong power of negative karma, then at the time or just to be about the time of death or dream like even beforehand, even born there or some kind of, four elements in a reverse to pervert to kind of or wrathfuls way or changing within. So that appears certain kind of fearful things and fire and water and all of these one seven, all within a court in this area.
And then also the all the some kind of So, like, one is going to born in or or looks like one’s own comic appearance in, like, dreamlike like, or or the messenger or the something or strange fearful with the not unhuman, like or like fearful beings appears. It’s like that. So like when somebody who the with a big crime done in the human lives or something, or the next somebody who or or sent or, like, some kind of policeman or somebody catch and wanting going to give punishment, etcetera. Even those people on the comes to one’s self, all the name created the fear, Also much fear arises. That is the on here, the beings which ordinary common or same kind of common people comes to get you or they are also fearful like that.
And then at the time of the something which unseen, unknown, almost wrathful, fearful something dream like appears or at that time, great great misery or suffering at the time sometimes happen. So that is the, Śāntideva was saying. Something catching, hoarding, looks like they come to you, get in it, taking away from somewhere or feels like manifested like that way. At that time, what is it gonna help by relative or friends, whatever they are, what can help or nobody can help that time. Or even they don’t see anything about things, you know, just only one self see all these things experience.
Other that is or what that time only the is protection or is only is merits, virtues, or one’s own wholesome or or the karma or if you have the power, that is only means only one single that is helpful. But if they are that is not done. Once they are like that, then there’s a. That’s all of only that is the only or protection, but that also I don’t have. I haven’t done or something like that.
Holding like that way or carrying like feeling like that. Addition that one seven, or the present illness, maybe, or sickness, or death, or grief, or sorrow or with misery or which attacks separating life and then or then the body or this is some kind of or or the sickness, whatever or that is, know, means suffer or with the death or the outside in this or the inside the or that time or that means or at the time of that, sometimes they with the most powerful negative karma when you create to those in it or being as when you’re dying on seeing these on the is when you’re looking in the eyes also, when you’re great fearful, when most fearful situation, one have special kind of eyes which are on the or stirring some or stand well and looking everywhere or something like that kind of or the eyes stand wide and stare, searching in every direction. So choice in every direction or on it, try to looking some or help or on the net. Is there any way escape from this or is there any somebody protect me, harm me or thinking or feeling like that kind of situation.
Other to search. Other and then when every direction or no finding, no one was helping or supporting or other any anybody else and you’re seeing nothing there and to protect, to guard, and help or or then or that time or one’s all they become like completely or the mind is in a a crashed by every situation. And then at that time, there is no refuge or object of refuge. Or the and what can or one what can one do? Or there is nothing can do?
Or that is the time of too late or called too late. There’s nothing much to do. Or at that time, you know, at that time, even the Buddha is in front of you or cannot do or because the the power of Buddha Buddha’s or and the power of karma. The when the karmic cause is fully developed, fully matured, just instant of the cause and everything necessary cause completely, there’s no way of reverse. Or Buddhas and or spiritual teachers and teachings, Dharma have the great power.
Power means at the right time, if you utilize. If we beforehand or take refuge to Buddha or what giving powers by our Buddha or the and then these things properly utilized or then completely reverse. Even earlier most powerful negative karma which brings right into the or worst kind of the hell or whatever. All those powerful karma can be purified or can be on a on a completely stopped, purified, or pushed back away because between the black or some kind of powerful other positive, negative, because in the positive actions, karmas, created that maxim, there are many different levels of the elimination. Elimination means on or the or completely limited or distorted by antidote.
Or making it smaller, weaker power. Or making it result immediately next immediately, something coming ability to coming, but that can give or pushed way, not able to right way between the some other result and able to bring. And then while you do this karma pushed away, and in between there are some another life, good life gonna happen, or that time again, work on it. Finally, those karmas all can be or vanish like that situation. But those things are or or should not be delayed or the or that is much, much beforehand when the lord also called the lord of death.
A lord of death, there’s no somebody sitting in a space or somewhere a lord or task. We have paintings in the thangka. There’s a lot of or death or something with the task and fearful on and every hold, some sort of hold on this, that is the symbolic way. Other new call, death itself comes, Lord of Death comes. Other that way.
Other like that way, other for the Lord of Death and actually come or the time comes, and then there is no prevention or prevention. Order that is the order. So order that is the that purpose for that purpose or earlier or certain kind of understanding, knowledge, thinking, and what is the prevention or the what is the protection Or are those things fear and worry and the or that is the bevor more much more bevorhand or those fears or strongly if one have, other that too is or fear itself become maybe object of refuge. It will protect also. Or some of sometimes people think that fear is no good or or thinking like that web or those kind of fear or is a great thing.
So beforehand or fear of those things, the cause and effect, all of these have to understand. Uh-uh. Śāntideva says many time or many way. Other this purpose, all the at the time of death, like those fear, and then after that, earlier we were talking, since we’re not going to on this discuss about it or if the lost birth, hell, etcetera. If you were born in hell or this Karmavibhanga or Damdameshvara Sūtra or many different sutras, what explain the details or the or the or earlier mentioned, namely, eighteen different hell situations or eight of hot or eight of cold or eight.
And then there are is bordering hells or nearby. Or the occasional, or house, etcetera. There are eighteen of them explained or the each has different detail. All these when you’re thinking, what makes, what cause makes those? What why the experience like that?
Of course, all we always did do are very, very similar result. What we did to some other people or some other sentient beings or cooking in life, etcetera, or killing and chopping and cutting and all of these, we are doing the, like, eating, all those things cannot have done. So, therefore, each of those creates huge, much more, or that is like seed. One seed brings much more fruit on enormous or greater or multiply or the much, much double and triple and all more or like those powerful things occur. So these things like that.
Or else like or goes also like same way or much more or much more. Since you are not going to detail about and then all of those thing. For example, how do you go to what kind of misery you’re suffering? Or maybe one passage from Nāgārjuna’s. Maybe I will read, and then that can go.
All that details and the rest of them, we have no much time or in the future, no interest what they are or should be looking and starting learning. All these result is desire, greedy, attachment. One’s self for one’s self, and then doing something for one’s enjoyment. Or, for example, sometime to cover multiple taste in order to get one’s attachment, whole life is in a or cooking into ordinary fire or something, only life living, only we do or cruel crucial or cruelty, like those kind of thing. Other like that, all of these result is the result of the desire, attachment, greedy, powerful greedy made to, like, even that.
Of course, there are even a greedy makes powerful negative karma. Of course, the opposite way, anger or hatred or concentrated hatred, and much more even so. All like those things. So here, from that hungry or thirsty or hot and cold. And then our exhaustion, try to look everywhere miles and miles or just looks like well, barren.
Everything becomes like dessert or nothing which is it. Eat about, drink about, you useful. Because once karmic environment sees like that way, other life, you know, all these things. Sometimes when you like like a mirage or something like that, somewhere in the water or something on your thirst, on the sea, or many miles away or something. When you want to go there, only to drink at the time when you reach there or not there.
Or sometimes something food drink there or it will somebody guarding or it is turn it turns something or strange or nothing burning fire or something like that. Or sometimes means in or one self has an interruption or hindrance, which is the all the, etcetera. There are a lot of other there’s a. That’s that’s enough. Or or some of them, a preta karma, the life which are born as that kind of misery or suffering will have to explain.
So therefore, life nature is the huge or stomach. A huge stomach. Looks like mountain. Or the little tiny neck or little tiny holes of mouth or something. Means needles eye or like that in the mouth.
Stomach is like like mountain like that. Even all the nothing finding, even all dirty, old dirty, almost uneatable kind of food stuff. Also, even that much is not able to finding. Or the whether this kind of or there are many explanations. So it is one part of a small section quoting like that.
Or that’s enough. This is the only ghost all in a life situation like that way. Other than it, same way, those things for us because we haven’t seen, we don’t know. So they will usually like to deny that such thing as not there or cannot be like there. Because reason is when you’re thinking reason or else or hungry ghost or future life, what we ask, how many many times want to deny or denying reason is not there because we don’t know or nobody seen.
It’s not necessarily whatever exist things we humans, ordinary humans able to see, able to know. There are many things which we don’t know, we don’t discover. Even many some centuries ago, nothing of this found now finding some kind of so called scientific knowledge, means like that. Other like that where other there are same way, there are many, many cause and effect or situation, especially in our our the causality, inner mental, all these color causality, all human beings do not all see. Although what we are using is, like, usually, is not you know, cannot be there because we don’t see.
The final proof is we don’t see. All that means actually further and further, further when when a real final reasons is not exist because I don’t know. Other comes like that. I don’t know is the right reason. Whether that is the big question Other, that cannot be.
I don’t know is the right reason. Other other or nobody says that or nobody knows. How can you say nobody knows? Or nobody knows? That is also a big question.
Oh, but near my or relatives or friends in in this my world, nobody see that. Although some of those are final question must be like that. All of these are wrong or reason. But the new great other saints or great or these famous or or teacher like Buddha and his great many, many saints or or explained detail how they are or with the and many, many subtle details or explained who has far side. We have also we have on the side or just in the front, present, even the past and the future.
You or we can knowledge, something like that. Or vaguely, and then they can or humans can do or some understanding. But, actually, direct perception is only present. All of those greater than Buddha, many sages can see all future or far distance, past the far distance. Other other peoples, other beings in their life, are they able to read their mind, what is going on?
Other situation like some of only you, our mind is the free of more and more obstacles, and then these things more and more can be seen. Other like that way. Other What are those of these things in there? If one even at least not knowing also, therefore, my not knowing is not sufficient. Or if there is the if this actually happens, if this, then I am big trouble.
Or better to in a in a safety situation or better to do something with that if this and if it is case, even at least with some kind of little small question. But more side of direction trust, believe in that way, and then doing something in it. If if it’s the case, oh, I better to do something even that much even help or or doing something correctly. Other like that way. And then animal or the lives also, we don’t need so many details also explain explain.
Or or eating each other. Or big ones eating small one, small ones together eating big ones, or not knowing on a situation or how stupid ignorant in situation. Other than also they are used by others, and there are so many independent. There’s been a free lack of freedom. Other all kind of misery or suffering or the all those things day and night all the time with the fear or somebody eat you or somebody all like those kind of things.
Other many, many or negative things or misery, suffering. Other for those who want you detail on a as thought and then concentrate and meditate, one step, not wanting to be like that way, or the thinking or one step, like, oh, this week or today, I’m in human, or next week, it might be one of those things. Or next week, if I am this one, I will be in this situation, what will be? If this situation, what will be? One step put into those things, and then on a real fear or something, what are these rises?
When these rise is fear, and then what is the main method, effort? What what can do now? Or that that is the mainly? What are the net protection or or or refuge or or main refuge can come from there? Other for those, this kind of misery or suffering can cure.
Other or teaching of, like, Buddha or even if somebody ordinary disease sickness, one or got an ordinary, you know, bad disease on a court, then what that person do is the only to other or doctor, searching who can cure this best doctor, try to find such doctor. And then once you found other or you believing, trusting that the doctor can only cure, Other his medicine or also or real cure is his medicine. He has knowledge. He can show, you know, like this way, all real trust. And therefore, following exactly what the doctor’s prescription or whatever a doctor said or you follow.
Even on a treatment is some kind of harsh or whatever you what you drink and eating at a sort of bitter or you don’t like, it doesn’t matter. You have to do like that way. Even the doctor said you have to cut your piece of your limb or you have to follow like those things. All that that is there are are like that way, ordinary or the next sickness also are as follow exactly or to according to the doctor. Of course, no need to say.
When we see, means we we are on the order much, much deeper sickness. That the ordinary physical sickness is temporary, even is not great. But it’s sickness or like, which brings everlasting or which brings life after life or in the pain or suffering or disaster or those negative result, which are that sickness is the inner mental poisons or desire, hatred, or ignorance, jealousy, or the all of these various kind of or we are caught or that this disease. One of these disease in order to cure this disease or they is or in the world or the only or the other those who have high knowledge, who can give the real medicine, or for the freedom from those disease, or other from the root, or or in this desire had to address the three poisons, etcetera, from able to get rid of from the root or that that kind of medicine or teaching of Dharma, or that that is the best medicine, or the doctor who has a special knowledge, or that they that is the object to refuge. All the real rapport is like that way.
That means teacher. Remember, doctor. Or who is who is omniscience or like one who have achieved omniscience who see who sees all then all these cause and conditions, how this happens, are able to explain detail what can you use, you know, what can cure, or what can these develop, or all of these explain. So remember, or that that is the or omniscience one. Means order mystery or suffering or means from or take from the root or can be pulled out or his method.
Or that kind of medicine. And then when you find a doctor and the medicine, you find for such serious disease or or the if one not follow exactly accordingly or not following doing Or or that is or the is very, very or the or the ignorant or stupid or or it is it is great or or grateful or something like that. What are the those things what are as is explained? So so therefore now, we were talking what after this after death, what will happen in the or in the future life or next life, and then looking two of those upper and lower realms and the thinking series of lower realms or the misery of suffering. When you created fear of when you rises, and then there is a are the taking refuge.
Other refuge is the real medicine or real protection. Other are they or that is the Three Jewels. First, the topic which we earlier talking. Or we already discussed to producing the strong striving for the benefit of future life. That is all these will produce.
When you rise that strongly on wanting to do something for the benefit of other on the future life, and then very powerful strongly. Now what can we do? What is the method? Order for that method showing the method of the or the happiness or or peaceful or or or the result or the method of that is the are showing. Now there is another two topics in it or Lamrim at this is showing or the or the or like word as which you use.
So so we’ll say this. First, to do to doing refuge, the refuge to the three rare ones or Three Jewels or sometimes three. What do you translate? Three Jewels. Anyway, uttara tantra has name of the precious.
Other those are object to Three Jewels, which is like jewel or precious or or like that was what they for translate to Three Jewels or the anyway, other refugees to Buddha or Dharma or Sangha. Other taking refuge to them is the or also say means real door entrance entrance or gate to the or the next actually, the teaching or teaching of or the Buddha. Also, temple of. Is the the technique refuge. Other refuge other this refuge also have the our topic first of the the and then other have in order to clearly understanding of that topic like like this, for example.
You can let the first, taking refuge. When you take refuge, depending what it cause to take refuge. In order to take refuge, there is some kind of reason, cause, and condition. Without the cause, you don’t want to go refuge to anybody. Or or and this go to refuge means there’s something real reason.
So therefore, what is the cause? Whether that is the showing. And then then when you have that situation, you know, to whom you object, to whom you go to refer. That’s second. The third one is, Then how many attack refers to with this cause to those object to refer.
Only when you say, attack refers. Go refers. What is the meaning of that? The measurement or measurement of the actually, when you have refuge to the or that is the showing. Next one, And then also, if you do properly, actually, or take refuge, or that is or then benefit.
What benefits of that? Or that is showing. Certain kind of advice or the certain, like like, preset or the taking refuge. Other taking refuge means you have to do certain things. Other if you take refuge to somewhere another country or or the king or something.
You take refuge. That means you have to certain things you follow. Certain things you should not do. Certain things you should be doing. Or that is and I like that to a or those advice.
Or I like that to a or those five topics, five ways of taking refuge. All of that is oh, all the first one is now taking or the cause of taking or the or the cause of taking or the or if one have the real refuge, pure refuge, or the and the next sensor or pure refuge in order to have or they is the cause or condition. What this cause and condition or or right cause and condition when you have, you will have pure refuge. Or cause is not in a proper refuge will also in proper or like that. So other that is the or depend on this court cause.
Now what is the what is the cause? Other cause is the only generally generally, of course, when you people take refuge, for example, people take refuge to anything, that means there is some kind of fear or problem or something which is really ordinary or don’t like or can’t manage oneself. And without this, somehow, it is cannot be on from that, oneself strongly or wanting to or free from that or safe from that, protect from that. That protection or depend on somebody or somewhere else. Or that that is the one you refer, which is one is big fear or the fear of the something or disliking fear.
That is the sincere, honest, some kind of fear of something. That is the one cause. And then second cause, how with what what can protect? Or is there any anyone or anybody or anything which can protect from these? Other than searching that way, when you find other day is full power and and quality or condition to some somewhere or that can protect and able to protect god.
Or that is the when you find that, or that that is the so therefore, trust to whom you take refuge or that object has ability to protect or to save or special kind of stone or trust to to that, believing that. Other these two when you have, then when you go to that object or that refuge is real or sense of refuge or the strong refuge or that that with the refuge or connection or the whatever or linking or the object to refuge whatever given and oneself what you are receiving or properly treating in between that way or unable to or guard, you know, protect and say. Although that is so therefore, there are only on the two two main causes are fear, and then or trust to the object. Other that is there. This is the hearer also or some or disciple is also, he wrote.
Question. Or the answer is the or that wrote or himself wrote these questions. What is the main essential cause of the refuge? When you go refuge or special kind of refuge to or to Buddha or Dharma, Sangha, I go refuge Buddha. I go refuge Dharma.
I go refuge Or when you say, do or saying by word is not necessarily refuge, but actual real pure refuge. What is the net cause of or main cause of that refuge? What is that? And then ask that is left in question or. Whether this is one of the great.
Is the real refuge. Is it there? Answer is it there. One’s self or fear. Is very, very strong in the fear or to something.
Fear of the reborn into all lower rebirth or fear of whole saṃsāra or fear of situation of whole on the situation of some on the sensitive beings, whatever they are different object, of course, they are these three spiritual beings have different fear. A small being, spiritual beings, main fear is born into lower rebirth. Or that is the object of fear. Or the intermediate level is the fear toward to the whole samsaric, big samsaric jail or or samsaric. On the circle is the great object to fear, wanting to free on from that.
The Mahāyāna or great beings or Bodhisattvas, they are like kind of fear is the not for self, selfish fear, but the main things concerning is all the mother sentient beings, their situation. All beginning up to now, still now almost like endlessly circling or this kind of the mystery or suffering, aging birth, sickness, or death, all the turning up and down. All of these all of these are the object of the fear. Other refuge means other that is these are the different level of fear or so therefore, that is one. Then what second, one main important cause is the that means Three Jewels.
So all three are objective reference. Those three are have the ability, full ability to protect our god from that. And then or that is the having realized that way, then fully trust to those three jewels and then to, follow everything on doing or accordingly as what supposed to do or that that is based on three or three jewel, or that that is a real refuge, or the trust to the Three Jewels. Like, earlier, we were talking, or the patient. If all patients want to take refuge, some special kind of doctor on a medical treatment or something like that, order to do that, first, the ones have to realize how sickness it is, how serious it is, how this will make or what kind of damage, what kind of seriousness or fault of that disease or sickness. First, you have to fully realize.
All the very, very invariably without relying on some or medical treatment cannot stay like this way, thinking of how seriousness, strong fear of that, you have to have. Other when you have that, wanting to remove or protect. Who can do? Other that is the only ordinary worldly disease, of course, best doctor or looking that way or medical treatment. Or that has again, understanding whether fully what kind of doctor or what kind of medical treatment.
All of these things is something have to learn and finally fully touch on that. The doctor and medicine and they are all who assist to the doctor or, like like, nurse. Or doctor always cannot be with the patient all the time, but somebody closely watch and be with the patience together and doing what doctor wants carefully, doing who knows, who understand what should be done, what should not be done, what doctor doesn’t want, what doctor wants, all like those things in it, able to order that is called attendants. Or in the world, other big powerful disease in order to recover, we search all those three things. No need more than that.
Other those three things, main thing, ask a full doctor. All his or powerful medicine. Other, therefore, doctor can prescribe, give understanding, knowing the disease or cause, and then and then, antidotes, how to treat it. All of these, doctor know. So do but doctor cannot be take the disease in it by other way or he knows knowledge.
Then the real direct antidote of the disease is the medicine the medicine themselves. Other you medicine themselves. Other medicine will fight or to the or disease. So