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 Buddhist path through two interconnected foundations. He opens with refuge—the essential turning toward Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha—explaining how to cultivate genuine refuge by first meditating on the fear of lower rebirth: imagining the suffering of hell beings, hungry ghosts, and animals; recognizing one’s own karmic causes leading there; and developing sincere trust in the Three Jewels as true protection. He then details daily practice: remembering the Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha in all actions; taking refuge mentally six times daily; and understanding that refuge works not through external salvation but through your own effort to purify negative karma and accumulate virtue. The second major topic, introduced at the end, is karma and causality—the root of all higher rebirth and spiritual progress. Geshe Sopa emphasizes that Buddha cannot wash away karma like water washes dirt; rather, the Buddha teaches the precise mechanisms of cause and effect so you can redirect your actions toward wholesome outcomes. He stresses that understanding this relationship between action and result is the foundation of all Buddhist practice.
File metadata (for organising)
File: 15 LP.mp3
UUID: 8c047f68-fc8b-432a-bbf2-e1f716bd6a33
Teacher: Geshe Sopa 1986
Collection: A lamp that illuminates the path (Geshe Sopa 1986)
Recorded at: Buddha House Adelaide
Duration: 49.7 minutes
Words: ~5,108
Or the or those in the advice and precepts or the or dharmas taking refuge in the Dharma or or the negative negative way, any kind of harmful activity. Dharma means wholesome or the development in a mental or body or action and although like that way. So main main noble actions comes noble attitude or understanding. So, therefore, dharma is development inside a noble or wholesome or things. All that wholesome things is based on nonharming or love to others or compassionate or loving based on that kind of mentality.
So, therefore, opposite is the any kind of harmful direct or indirect harmful action and thought are the opposite of Dharma. So try to as much avoid those area. Other, that is a negative side. And then the positive side, those in the only teaching how to or or then producing a noble attitude and these various kind of teachings and even scriptures, etcetera, to respect and honor. Or All like that way.
That is done. All the sangha also same thing last night. The sangha also like that way. All the who practitioner or especially fully who are completely dedicated their life on therefore renounced in the worldly temporary pleasure or sensual or mainly pleasure, but mainly to follow all the spiritual goal and the path or more working toward the everlasting peace and happiness. Other for that, based on that, even the lifestyle or change or garment or change, or they are according to Buddhist teaching based on advice, certain kind of wearing certain things.
So, therefore, symbolic of this, you know, when you’re seeing also respecting, honoring, or some oneself in the peaceful, happy, and joy, or maybe sometimes wishing to myself also later become like this or fully like that kind of or or that is the way of taking refuge to the Sangha. Or, like or that is the those things in a certain kind of precept. Other than in or the and then and then those are the individual, Three Jewels that were or special kind of different attitude to or perceived or a precept or the one one’s saying, you know, doing both from the point of positive, from the point of negative, and each has its different way. All of those things. And then our general common or there are certain kind of qualities which are also the other common common in some of them, all of them, I’m not going to talk.
Or, anyway, other what generally, all the time, one is always remembering Buddha or Dharma or Sangha. One’s own if one has a strong respect, trust, or faith, One’s future or goal or spiritual or the everlasting goal to mainly relying on those three things, then every time one or wherever you go, you have to mindful those dharmas. Whenever you’re eating, or even a gesture of the or even offering things, you know, of which thing, like or whatever, all those things, or that that makes special kind of mental attitude development noble and positive. And, also, that becomes virtuous, virtues. Or even Buddhas and Dharmas and Sanghas, they don’t need food and cloth and offering.
Or but one’s own development, mainly, or the special to this virtue. Or then also or that if somebody who completely opposite to a wrongly understanding or doing everything wrongly or doing almost the net dangerous for or even oneself hurting this life on the future. After that, it will become or leading wrong way oneself or like those or beings, others, and when you see or try to help as much because one self, if you have understanding or certain kind of trust or common trust to that refuge, then direct or indirectly try to help to others. Other others also to lead toward the right path. Or to for that, whatever effort you should take, other those are the great or the action and virtues.
So, therefore, means to others also leading to the taking refuge too. All like that. Other those those things, other and they also bring all the benefit. Also, those kindness, benefit, or with a closeness or the action based on a following or not against to the three jewel or the always in the body and the speech and mind, general action, way of thinking, way of doing, way of connecting with other beings, all of these always when you’re doing mindfulness of the Buddha, Dharma, Sangha, Other that way, then to even take refuge or or if one can, three times during or day, three times, or during the night three times, and they take refuge. Or even by or then a mentally, not only that.
Even would say, I go for refuge to Buddha. I go for refuge to Dharma. I go for refuge to the Sangha. Other these and when you say word or it mentally may mean that way, and then or doing that, or it will mean or much much in the for good protection and accumulation merit and especially mind leading toward to the other or those spiritual path.
Now that that is the if one can or or or the six times at each or the or the or able to do, that is very good. That way. Also, the other one ever do, or someone since one’s new touch to Buddha or Dharma or Sangha or or whatever you do, only some kind of trust. Even the thing things is this the All the things Buddha is a perfect teacher. All the one who showed the right path, so or relying on him or anytime, whatever activity you do, more relying on trust based on what he has given as description.
On the action itself, also, whether that is safe safe or it is a danger or whatever those things. Or mainly if dharma if one has a special kind of trust to dharma, and then one are doing in local means trusting to fully rely on or trusted on that or what is taught to do that or doing on a based on that or or is trusted. That is whatever activity or big or small or medium, whatever you do, generally more attached to all them. The also means or when you attach to those things from the heart, sometimes it means not giving up or maybe dropped or giving up or giving up or that is even for the or, actually, when the time comes or, of course, or for for fun, doing some or something for or for fun. Or or opposite way of doing.
Or sometimes you take how to say? Or sometimes easy word, forgetting. Joke joke is a joke. For joke or for joke, you you don’t give up the Three Jewels. What is the Anyway, for for something, many people sometimes say, like like in the Christian and or something.
Whatever god god calling all these and whatever. Whatever say the name of god, even you are not mean or something true or not true or even for fun or you say name or for, like like, the oh, swearing. True swearing. What? That is I’m forgetting.
That’s the most easy easy one it should be. Oh, that sometimes happen. Okay. Anyway, swearing. No.
No. Like that way. For even even fun or little or you should not do like that way. Other that is there. Or or not only that.
Even a means even for comes for life. Or sometimes even if one has stone, of course, this is stone or trust, or realization. Or then you are looking in most important in those area. Or then even sometimes in the for example, or the even once losing or once even life of the if there is something or if some if somebody you should or they give up or they force or something or that that is not even for the life or should not giving up. Other that is the main saying.
Other that means in a main dharma and losing losing life and to some important sense, dharma or the or or giving up or the choices, certain choices. Or that that is the or one should choose even or some create losing one’s own life also. All that is the importance. All like that. Example, in Tibetan, king who invited Atisha or who was called by a king for searching and inviting great pandita from India.
Or then he he was caught. He was in jail. Oh, but he’s in a or the other try to release him or search many, many so much god. Other than still I mean, how much gold given to this king to to release, or he got almost the weight of the full life size over body side. Or then given, but still he won’t release.
Or now you have weight of the body side, but now still you’re lacking the weight of hat. Or that much, and it’s still more needing, wanting to anywhere, or that that prayer to the nature. He would talk in jail or send a message to his old king in jail. I have had this much good and still not releasing. But the rest of them, I will try to find soon as, oh, god, then I will release you come to release you.
Oh, please stay. But but the king old king saying, all these gods are not for me, not old man to release. It’s nothing. My main goal is to dharma, to bring into Tibet. Also, therefore, the greatness saint or Atisha has to invite.
So therefore, no need to pay any single one here. All these, whatever you got, go take those to India and bring all the Dharma. So therefore, for the Dharma, he or giving up his own one’s own life. Something like you like that way. That is example or analogy.
Or that that’s okay. Now that’s enough. And they’re taking refuge or refuge in various way, detail, and much more one can learn. And this is the one of the most important in Buddhist teaching. Other actual, the name meditation or or doing how the of the take a refuge when you’re taking actually practicing, practicing, of course, or there are or there are practice of, etcetera, or even sometimes guru or Buddha or and in or one in front of in one’s own space and imagine or sometimes up there or like those.
And then down, all in thinking, and after all the life after, all the detail of misery or suffering of the lower rebirth or from lower rebirth, hell beings and hungry ghosts or animals, etcetera, each of their ordinary life and their experience of misery or suffering and how the the or the severe or long or harsh or miserable suffering. Those things, again, or we didn’t have this time to discussion all of these. Wanna wanna learn those things in detail. Or then or as much you learn, as much you can think of much more detail. When you’re sinking all these comes, and then that time, all the oneself sometimes in the first oneself already there or born in that situation or imagine oneself there and then thinking or concentrating on those things.
All of that things happen then more is the bringing to oneself, all of these, and then imagine in there, at the situation. Then how how what? How will one feel? How or frightful? Or how or or or this or something or like that way.
And then then that is the first imagination or saying like that way. Or and when you think like that way or second will the or although right now is I’m not actually not born there. I’m not there. Still not yet. That is somebody else’s mystery.
I’m not there. I’m still human. Or one may thinking like that way. Or that that or then or next is the if I’m not there, but the do I have the cause of those to born? What makes to born?
What makes to be there? If I have those causes or not, if I have the protection or prevention or certain kind of the power or method do I have or thinking like that way. If one does not see any kind of real protection there and oneself seeing or maybe lot of negative karma action or mentally done so much evil thought, harm directly or indirectly harmful things to others, thinking concentrating out of attachment to one’s self selfishness, self centered egotistical view based on these or direct, indirect, and then mental thought or bodily action, speech action, or whatever you have done. If one have lot of those everyday, daily life, only thinking how many positive things, how many all negative things, you know, all these way to weighing. If one sees much more much more negative things, much more black actions or the picking up the positive things.
Oh, I have done a prayer or something. I have give something give to something or or something small or I did some meditation or something or the Some little things here and there when you think. And then there’s also the question whether those are real, actually pure thing or not. All of them may be some or with the or egotistic or dominating selfish center or some of them for fame or some of them for able to control somebody, some of them getting back something, etcetera, Although they are maybe maybe nothing there, those also on a purest sense, noble or virtuous karma may not be there much. Or negative karma is in a very, very in a public way created or for the motivation and the way of doing after you’re done or satisfied.
And then or they rejoice to or I’m I’m happy or sinking I have done this and this or still wanting more to do at all. All the tool to the negative always naturally without much effort effortlessly coming. So all certain things when you concentrate, sinking like that, well, then, of course, all the all these things will bring to lower rebirth. Or if these are not if I not purify before or before death, or if I have a much more stronger positive action or prevention for those things or then or or right there, assume one’s right there will be thinking like that way or these kind of means fear or the object or main cause of taking refuge is some kind of fear to not prepared, prepared for the for the journey of leaving this body and toward the next journey and not prepared. All of those things area when you concentrate and the fear, when it rises, all of that fear as much fear rises, all of that makes or taking refuge.
Other taking refuge, sincere, earnest, or strong refuge will come as one side with fear or as much you have. Other refuge refuge is the, of course, all the proper method or proper activity doing, all these things, all the Dharma practicing, all the mainly. So this way, refuge refuge with deep trust with the on where how to do one who shows that is in good trust to Buddha. Or what to do, doing things or not killing, not stealing, etcetera, or all these negative things, or try to as much every day to of preventing or stopping, strongly mental will to stop, or thinking like that, where what already done, or that they are merely mere cause of trouble or or oneself kind of regretting or that those area or doing that, those with the purification for those purpose and a certain kind of various kind of practice with the regretting attitude toward what negative things done. Other that purification and accumulation, the virtues, these two together become stronger and stronger.
Or if they make more or strong, that will that that will protect, yeah, all the those fears. Other like that, where these are the symbol as example like that, how Dharma protects one’s own fear or means like that way. Other than or for example, killing evil thought with destruction or other killing, for example, will bring to bad life or or life which can receive many, many injuries or oneself being killed or tortured or many miseries. Those things can help. Or the opposite way to dharma, to regret those things or willingness and then then the desire to do this in a happy joyful way, that is the negative.
But regretting opposite against thought itself also that the power of negative action will much, much reduce or purifying those. And then, again, against positive other action to releasing other’s life or to save other’s life, to benefiting to other’s life, wanting to mental action and body action to kind to others or the opposite activity. Other these will bring more powerful other force. So those are the Dharma or Dharma practice. So these are become higher, and then that tool saves from oneself falling.
Although those are the some of the examples, whether that is why or take vows and try to strictly try to follow. And even there are some hardship, difficult inconvenience, but when you have or giving up the certain kind of pleasure and enjoyment, or instead of that taking a certain kind of inconvenient, hardship, or something by seeing or understanding positive situation. So when you or that way, then to whether one self done like this or the what cause to those things when you see and then fear. When fear comes, the third main meditation or third concentration is: who can save?. What are and then Buddha, Dharma, Sangha, real trust of this, what aware of the somebody who or showing properly and then teaching itself as treat as real or safety.
Dharma itself, real safety. Who can any assistant to do that reinforce on building or the spiritual friend, spiritual community, who can reinforce this or develop much more mental and physical or action become more stronger. Or like that way, all of those things, you know, also. So those three are together, maximum, more powerful. Or that is the way of taking.
From the ah. That’s in the that’s in the ah. Ah, finish and then about refuge. Ah, ah. Now the second topic sub second topic will open maybe or tonight in a little bit.
Or that that is the the. Or the second topic is the the root of good result or precious good result. The leg kunchok, the well-planted, happiness, or fruit, or which other that is the leg kunchok, means the or or from the beginning in some sort of level, for example, reborn high rebirth or not only rebirth on high rebirth like human or, for example, human rebirth. Every human rebirth is the a higher rebirth among the rebirth. But even the rebirth there, and then then during that life, and then again, many, many are the different qualities, other every aspect of higher quality, for example, or or physically, mentally, healthy in in everything, of environment.
And then the necessity condition. All the all of these very things, different levels of those things. So, therefore, these are are blissful. For. And then from there, higher blessed for or or the or to emancipation, enlightenment, all of these.
Root of that root of that is the first, the beginning is the most important. It’s or, again, faith to the and it is result in the fruit. That means oneself have pretty much understanding or trusting belief in good actions or wholesome actions will bring on a good result or beginning of a good life. And during that life, many, many excellent experience or even higher or like that way. That karma will definitely bring or bad, lower, or rebirth.
And only not only rebirth, but during that life also, many, many consequence, many, many negative, or piling into so many kind of disadvantage or negative. Those things can be rises. All of these things are good or the cause and effect or this relationship or the understanding or the and they have special kind of strong trust and faith. Or that that is one of the root of good things. When you have this trust on this, then one will learn wanting to learn this relation of cause and effect.
And then one wanting to follow those negative actions and thought as as like enemy to always try to against, try to or positive thought and actions also or like friend. All of these all doing things, the rest of the are based on this trust or faith understanding. So, therefore when you have this trust and faith, then doing following cause and effect, positive and negative, that itself is the reinforce of taking refuge. For example, if one wants to take refuge to somebody in ordinary sense, somebody like gun or the bad thing or guilty thing or whatever, Somebody have a big fear for something all happen. All then powerful or man or or like king or state or somewhere you take refuge.
All then all they can protect. They can have or something whom you have trust. You understand to taking refuge. But that means when you take refuge, then what the what that object or say or or that they were or or if he’s he or his way to have to you have to do certain things, what you exactly should be done his way or certain things avoid that if it’s not his way, opposite way, not doing or following exactly. Otherwise, other than a lot of problem.
So same way, we take refuge to three jewel means, like, first, take refuge. But then what that mean means and opposite way, doing all the time opposite way, then I bow down or I take refuge to Buddha, Dharma, Sangha. And it or what you do is the what the Buddha says is not following opposite way. Or then the Dharma, opposite way of doing or all negative things accumulating or like that way. Other than again, or cannot or they achieved one’s own goal.
So like that way, these two closely joined. Buddha or the or dharmas or how they are pure and perfect, how they have complete ability to save all beings from misery and suffering or to free from life some sort of life, etcetera, have power or ability. That doesn’t mean or without without or we or doing something or what the part of sentient beings, Buddha, or what they are aware of what they’re supposed to do is almost complete. For the benefit of other sensitive beings, oneself become perfect or enlightened, omniscient to those. Omniscient, especially what we need, method, or the path and the fruit, etcetera.
Only fully realized. After realizing, given us, like, medicine or, like, many, many or curing or method, so many different levels, so many other way. All the all of these fully given, explained. But Buddhas way of saving us, all sentient beings. There’s no way of, like, means sometimes dirt is washed by water.
Or Buddha cannot wash our own sins or negatives, misery just by, like, water or something through. Also, we have all these desire, hatred, ignorance, and jealousy, and all of these cause of misery. We have all these method to how to get rid of all medicine or, like, teaching method completely explained. But without following that, how much you say a thousand millions times take go go refers to Buddha it doesn’t mean anything because he cannot take our negative mind and thought like when you stick a thorn in your feet and we can take it by hand to pull out or not like that way. Buddha has cannot take out from us our the new cause of misery by hand through some or garbage or something like that.
That is the what Buddha’s have the perfect realization or what is happening, what is caught, what is the good and the bad and the connection, everything, knowing, method, everything. Now so then he has all those realizations that is his own realization on a perfect release. Means he cannot help us his realization put insert in our body or something put in there because because you can’t do that way. Other that way, it doesn’t have. What do is what can have is show the or truth.
We have so many false perception. False thought, conception, or full of heavy darkness, so to say, ignorance, darkness, mental, not knowing the truth. What is the good and the bad? What is the method to lead on? Blissful.
And what leads to the miserable and all these detail on this and how you remove the those things step by step. Everything as it needs, like so called like, four noble truths. For example, like, four noble truths, sometimes you translate. Anyway, four truths, like truth of suffering or truth of cause of suffering or truth of path, all truth of path which is get rid of those suffering And then method or truth of cessation, finally, all complete removal or ceasing all the cause of suffering and all suffering themselves free from complete freedom or cessation, nirvana like that.
All of those things are way of explaining, the showing in that way without error. Or if followed or his prescription or that has full power to release or to obtaining emancipation. Or that that way, the main method of the help to other sentient beings. That is the only main main method. Or the the other way, some some other way can here and there or sphere do, but completely leading to sentient beings lifting up to the ultimate enlightenment of Buddhahood by way of all of these earlier what we are talking, there’s nothing.
If that is then possible, then by now, nobody left in the world, because who does perfection, perfect knowledge, they are our compassion is, you know, they are loving to all sentient beings. They he has perfect power or ability, all of those things, then why we are here? Although that is the that side is completely done. They have already this side now have to have. Other like that, like, something, but it’s heavy thing to lift up from there, and you need even a hook there.
But down there, where you catch the hook, it’s nothing there, and then you cannot lift up. Other up there, you need hook. Down here, like a ring or something, and then you can pull. That ring is our faith, trust, or what you mentioned or taught, or learning those things, then put into the practice as accordingly. Other than it, that is the main thing.
Other than doing this with the all his teaching detail of cause of misery or suffering, karma or detail many, many karma, or these other karmas, or positive karma, or negative karma. And then each has main result, maturation. Or then a similar kind of or just kind of different result where we are giving. All of these have many, many details we are explaining. So those area, when you’re understanding, all the faith and trust is the beginning something trust or faith of misunderstanding.
That is the most important. And the second, any following, all of those things. All the any spiritual Buddhist practice or teaching practice or how yogis practice is nothing which in it or based on this cause and effect, understanding and following that, mainly doing all that. That is the main. All that that is the This is called also when you have started, learned karma and it result, how they functioning, how it works, and understanding more and more, and then through or looking various way and how or then one’s self reveal many, many things more, and one’s own experience and many things, and finally put together full of trust when you have.
Or then rest of the develop work or much more. Or then also lot of negative things will reduce. And, also, a lot of we have always pointing somewhere else. Everything what oneself having got problem or misery or suffering, whatever effect one comes, or sometimes, you know, we only tend to blame to somebody. Or then there’s nothing have done oneself much or mainly to try to blame somebody.
Once you thinking of understanding without lack of understanding karma relation and then thinking of outside blaming to somewhere else, and that itself will be lead or another negative action. Or in a continuous circle like that way or misdeed or after, you know, like that way, circle like that. Once you have the no problem too, or what this received is also my fault or also also inside or certain kind of miss negative action is there or create these. That negative action also negative mental. Negative mentals are ignorance, desire, hatred, all of these various those things.
Other these things, other our final root is the Buddhist teaching. Its root is ignorance. Other ignorance, the main root of the all problem. Other Buddha teach all the different levels and finally, taking to the what is the ignorance or to remove ignorance from the root. All the all of these are teachings have.
So, therefore, when you lack that, there’s no understanding, no faith or trust or anything or something or or something superficially, something unrelated to some unrelated way, or the properly not understanding or wrongly viewed or wrongly perceived, and acting based on that. Other that means in the word means most miserable or suffering or negative or undesirable events, all of these coming from not knowing. Or there are two right views called or view on the right view of the or sometimes or the conventional view, and sometimes ultimate view, or sometimes the mundane view and the supramundane view or anywhere like that. Some of sometimes a relative view or anywhere or the one that this view is the understanding two ways. One is ultimate reality.
You see the the realization of the true nature of all phenomena, which is or right now, we won’t have time to discuss or about realization of called or emptiness, whether there’s high level of the view or understanding. And then other understanding is the relat relatively cause and effect. Among the cause and effect also, this karma and wholesome and unwholesome karma or action and the proper fruit.