Audio recorded at Buddha House Adelaide. Transcript auto-generated and AI-corrected; may contain errors.
About this talk. In this 34-minute teaching, His Holiness Sakya Trizin outlines the Mahāyāna path through five progressive stages of mental development, beginning with the distinction between ordinary bodhisattvas and irreversible (transcendental) bodhisattvas. He explains how practitioners work with two equally important accumulations — merit (through generosity, moral conduct, and patience) and wisdom (through meditation on emptiness) — moving from the path of accumulation through the path of application until they attain the first bhūmi and realize emptiness directly. From that realization onward, bodhisattvas are no longer forced into samsaric rebirth and progressively purify subtle defilements across the ten transcendental bhumis until reaching Buddhahood. He then addresses questions about motivation, the limitations of bodhisattva knowledge compared to Buddha’s omniscience, and the historical loss of female monastic ordination lineages, grounding each answer in karma and individual effort.
File metadata (for organising)
File: 19 FfK 1988 05 28.mp3
UUID: 203b2a19-6df4-4b40-ba8a-cf42042e45c5
Teacher: HH Sakya Trizin
Collection: Freedom from the Known (HH Sakya Trizin)
Date: 1988-05-28
Recorded at: Buddha House Adelaide
Duration: 34.5 minutes
Words: ~3,197
Then after that, I will give some time for question and answer. Irreversible bodhisattva actually means there are two types of bodhisattva or sentient beings. Not to say sentient beings, are two types of beings or two types of the practitioners. The first one is called the worldly beings and the second one is called irreversible being or bodhisattvas. Or the first one also worldly bodhisattva and irreversible bodhisattvas.
So the worldly bodhisattva means that according to the Mahayanas the people who has taken the enlightenment thought or who has taken the bodhicitta vow from that onwards until one becomes Buddha is from that onwards until one reach the first bhūmi is called worldly bodhisattva. Because as long as one has bodhisattva means the one with the bodhicitta, one with enlightenment thought. So as long as you have a bodhicitta or bodhisattva enlightenment thought, you could be called bodhisattva. So let’s say here all of us those who have taken the bodhicitta vow they can be called the worldly bodhisattvas which is much different from the ordinary sentient beings. But then when we develop our practice, when we practice the Mahāyāna path then slowly our mind develops step by step and then that is a development of path because path actually is not outside, path is inside in your mind and path is a type of mental development.
So when your mind develops that your path is becoming more advanced or becoming greater and greater. So that’s why in the Mahāyāna there are five paths which are called accumulation, path of accumulation and path of application, path of seeing and path of meditation and the path of no more learning. So there are many different translations. So the part of the accumulation actually means during which we apply or we put effort more on the two accumulations equally which means the accumulation merit and accumulation of wisdom. So accumulation of merit means if you do the first three perfections of the six perfections as there are six perfections if you have practiced the first three perfections which are giving and which are moral conduct and patience, as long as you practice these three then these are called accumulation of merit and the second one accumulation of wisdom is the meditation on the emptiness or on the non-self, because through the non-self, through the meditation on the emptiness then the actual wisdom arises.
So that’s why the method or practice which causes wisdom is actually named as a wisdom, accumulation of wisdom but the accumulation itself is not wisdom, this accumulation causes wisdom. So it’s a cause of the wisdom therefore it is named accumulation wisdom. Understand? So the first from the beginning we have to we have to apply both. We have to practice both equally sometime during the meditation of course we meditate on the emptiness or on the reality of the phenomenas and when during the off-session then we should practice generosity, moral conduct and patience or tolerance, and diligence is for both.
Diligence is for both, both for the accumulation of merit and accumulation of wisdom. Diligence is needed for both practices. Okay? So when we apply on these two, then our our mental development is becoming greater greater.
We can develop our practice mental practice you know slowly and later on when you you are this mental development become much greater than the previous then that is called accumulation, sorry, the path of application because that time we apply mainly on the meditation of the emptiness rather than we apply more towards the accumulation merit. Do you get what I mean? So then in that way again we have to carry on that that practice but while we are meditating on the emptiness is not the actual emptiness because we have never realized that actual emptiness. So what we realize while we are meditating on emptiness is the general meaning of emptiness. So through this meditation on the general meaning of the emptiness one day we will be able to realize the actual emptiness or the real emptiness.
So at that time when you realize the actual emptiness of the phenomena or reality of the phenomena then that is called the first Bhumi which is called an irreversible or non-returnable path means from that then you will never be born as an ordinary being in this world. While you are on the first two paths you will be born again back to the Samsāra or universe without your own wishes but when you attain the first Bhumi then you don’t have to be born without your wishes. Of course you can be born out of your compassion, out of your loving kindness but you don’t have to be you are not forced to be born as we are now. And then from that onwards, you are called the transcendental bodhisattva or as His Holiness says irreversible bodhisattva or a non-returnable bodhisattva which means you will be never be returned back to the Samsāra without your wishes. Understand?
Then that is the first Bhumi and that that realization itself is called the seeing path because that real realization sees the reality of the phenomena. And from that onwards again you have to meditate on the emptiness while you are meditating and during the off session what you should do is mainly to put your effort on the generosity. So like that your mental development develops, your mind develops higher and higher and you will gain another realization but the realization through these ten bhumis. Ten bhumis are transcendental bhumis or stages from the first to the tenth before you become Buddha that is according to the Mahāyāna not the vajrayana. vajrayana is different way of explaining.
According to Mahāyāna there are ten bhumis you have to you have a your mind should be developed into ten stages before you become Buddha. Then at the end when you already become Buddha that is already the eleventh stage and you are already Buddha. So before you become Buddha, there are still many defilements to many defilements to be eliminated. And when you reach the first bhūmi, you have eliminated already the self-clinging and you have realized the selflessness or egolessness. But you still need to cut the the roots of the ego and the roots of the self clinging to the self and also you have to eliminate many other defilements.
So in order to eliminate or uproot or eradicate your self-clinging and to completely purify your defilement or your mind then you have to again meditate on the emptiness and like this then you will slowly be able to meditate able to eliminate the roots of the self-clinging and then finally you will reach the Buddhahood. So this is what His Holiness means by irreversible bodhisattvas and then if you have question I will stop here for a while. Yes? What do you mean by artistic talent? Uh-huh.
Uh-huh. Separation from the soul. Mhmm. Yeah. Then conflict.
Yes. So now what is your question? What did you say? Well, it could be conflict and it could not be conflict, and it depends on your motivation. Because if you really pursue it for that selfishly thinking to have your you know own achievement for your own purpose then it could be some sort of you know impure or defilement or something like that but if you are doing something for your own part and for the other people then it may not be impure or defilement because according to the Mahāyāna whatever you do out of compassion and loving kindness or good motivation whether it’s wrong or right it can never be the defilement and it will moreover helps you to purify your mind.
So that’s why the compassion and loving kindness is the base of the Mahāyāna practice. Questions? It may be according to the correct way of within the Buddhism Buddhist traditions. So I think may say in that way. Right?
The seventh is equal same as the. Right? Seventh. Yes, yes, seventh Bhumi’s name is called irreversible but this is different from what we are saying because that time that’s the very very subtle clingings so until the you reach the seventh seventh bhūmi you are called although you are transcendental bodhisattva on the first Bodhisattva, sixth and second Bodhisattva, third Bodhisattva, fourth Bodhisattva, fifth Bodhisattva, fifth Bodhisattva third Bodhisattvas, fourth Bodhisattvas, fifth, sixth, seventh are called irreversible. But it doesn’t mean they can come down to the they will be born to this universe as an ordinary individual.
It is only, you know, it is mainly to praise the eighth Bhumi. Understand? The comparison between the bhūmi’s or stages between the stages that from the first to seventh and from the eighth to the tenth just to compare. There’s some sort of comparison between these stages but it doesn’t mean that they will lose the bodhicitta or something like that. What sort of mistake you mean?
Well, because they they still have the subtle obscurations. Can they can they make a mistake in perceiving someone’s karma or dispositions and No no they won’t they won’t be making this step but they may make some sort of mistakes because until you become Buddha you are not pure right? You’re not completely pure so I mean you may make something mistake on your meditation or something else although it doesn’t affect other sentient beings. It’s karma. Is that what you mean?
They’re doing skillful works. Mhmm. Doing compassionate works for sentient beings. Mhmm. Could they miscalculate and therefore make some karma through We won’t say they make karma necessarily, but they may may make miscalculates because they are clairvoyant.
When you do when you help these people or when you do something for the people, you always have your own judgment. Right? So you do out of your own judgment. So Bodhisattvas also they will help the sentient beings out of their own judgments. So their judgment depends on their clairvoyance.
So their their clairvoyance is very limited, not same as Buddha’s one. Limited in the sense like first bhūmi, first Bodhisattva. Bodhisattva who were on the first bhūmi, he has the ability of knowing the how you translate in kalpa in English? Eons. Right?
The first hundred eons what has happened before the first hundred ounce and what will happen for the next hundred eons but beyond that they have no ability to know you know they don’t have such clairvoyance that can know what will happen after the next hundred eons or what happened before the past hundred eons. And also they have a power to see the Buddha’s hundred Buddha’s in one time and they have a power to go to the hundred types of Buddha realms but not more than that. Then this quality increase Bhumi stage by stage. The first Bodhisattva’s quality increased hundred times. When you have the second Bodhisattva then the quality of first Bodhisattva’s multiplies hundred times.
Thus the first Bodhisattva can see the hundred types of the Buddhas and can go to the hundred Buddha realms can yourself manifest a hundred but when you reach the second bhūmi then you can go to the one hundred thousand Buddha realms. You can see the one hundred thousand Buddha in one time. You can manifest emanate it yourself one hundred thousand types of form. So the quality increases like that until the Buddha when you have become Buddha that it is limitless. All the qualities even clairvoyance you can see everything, you can see what is happening in all the future, and you have ability to know all the past.
Yes. We even don’t have the ability to see one Buddha, right? It’s because of our bad karma. To be making a mistake, that again would be our perception, our karma. They they couldn’t like to make some something that, you know, we can’t understand their actions.
Mhmm. But what I’d like to know is is it possible for them to make a mistake or is it it must be our perception that they misjudged and so there are some social ramifications. We wouldn’t necessarily say that they will make mistakes because they are more careful than us. They wouldn’t do anything without their judgment. Right?
Yeah. So they will they when they helped, they they are sure that they could help us. Understand? Yeah. Even though Yeah.
Anyway, you said they can’t make karma because they’ve understood emptiness. Is that why if somebody has the realization of emptiness? No. It depends on what do you mean by karma. karma related to yourself or related to others.
karma on their own behalf. Some sort of mistakes. Yeah. Through, you know, some schism being formed because of some teaching that is given. Mhmm.
And they can, you know, be some some separation, some confusion in some people’s minds, things like that. No. They wouldn’t have such such mistakes. Their mistake may be very, very subtle. They wouldn’t have the gross mistake that we have.
Bodhisattvas can be in many different forms. Yes. When you are on that stage, you will know automatically. Yeah. But because if you are asking whether the other people knows or not, then that’s difficult.
Maybe they wouldn’t know. But they may be able to know because if you study the scriptures like what do you say? Yeah. The written by the Buddha Maitreya and also other scriptures which tell the signs of this Bodhisattvas. Yeah.
Those beings maybe whose minds are not purified, whose mind are not purified. Right? Otherwise, if you are really practitioner, you shouldn’t have schism or conflict. You should take it as a karma. But that is the mistake of the people, not the mistake of the Buddhism.
What’s got lost, you mean? Mhmm. Yeah. It is very easy because last time when Buddha was in India, there are a lot of Buddhist lot of Buddhist practitioners. Now why there are very few?
It is because the less and less people are getting interested in Buddhism and similarly the ordination, the lineage of the female ordination is lost is because later on the less and less female are interested in being nun or bhikṣuṇīs. Because if the lineage of the female bhikshuni or female, I say, bhikṣuṇīs is only hold by a males then it is you know what you say caution is alright but when you ordain the female fully ordained there must be female nuns also five nuns who hold a lineage and five monks who hold a lineage, at least ten together. Now the in the place where is not the Buddhism is taught then at least five. Least five More is good but at least must have five nun bhikṣuṇīs, five female bhikṣuṇīs and five monks. So although the monks there is a monks who are holding the lineage but if there’s no nuns who are not who are holding the lineage you cannot transfer your lineage to the female understand Mhmm.
No. It’s everything depends on our karma. And Buddhist Buddha has also taught that time of the existence of the Buddhism. He never said that Buddhism is permanent. Permanent.
One day Buddhism also get lost you know. So it is the degeneration. Why Buddha said there will be the degeneration in the future is also because of our karma there’s a degeneration. Yes. Yes.
No. It’s a holiness. One of the holiness talks for the last two days says that Buddha said he can never remove our defilement with his hand. He can never wash our defilement with the water. What he can do is teach the teaching and do yourself.
So it is also our karma and one day it also be the the lineage of the bhikṣuṇīs will also be, know, vanished one day. Yes. But mainly, you have to purify your defilements. Right? Otherwise why we everybody practice already Buddha one person has got enlightenment and why he doesn’t transfer the enlightenment to us?
So it is totally to the individual karmas and individual efforts depends on individual efforts and individual karmas. That it it will be in other realms? Yeah. I mean, it’s not not here. Not here.
Yeah. But it could it it also doesn’t mean that there will never be again the Buddhism. There will be the revival revival of the Buddhism. But because Buddha’s omniscience is omnipresent, that means it pervades everywhere. So it’s isn’t that the only our karma because we can’t perceive that and we’ve lost it on earth.
It doesn’t mean that it’s not existing there and it’s not existing in other years. Yes. That’s right. So if we have enough karma we will be born other world, other part of world or other part of the planet, and women can be ordained as bhikṣuṇīs there. Yeah.
This is to help the sentient beings because I I will tell you one story do you have time. When Buddha was there in India and Ananda, I think Ananda was requested by one person to be ordained. By that time, if you do not have the seats of the virtues, then you are you are you are not supposed to be ordained by those Buddha or Ananda or whoever. And one day there was one person and he was requested Ananda to be ordained and another refused saying that you don’t have the seeds of merit or seed of virtue. And then Buddha says, no.
No. You order him. He has got already the what’s the seed of merit or seed of virtues. Because Buddha knows the you know Buddha’s knowledge is greater than the Ananda and Ananda also have the clairvoyance but it is limited. Why this person has got the seed of merit is one time this person was a pig and he was chased by a dog and automatically he has to circumambulate the stupa and that time he has already planted the seed of merit but Ananda didn’t have the ability of knowing that.
So you need this sort of enlightenment to know that what the situation of the sentient being is and in in reality we also says that until you gain the first bhūmi you cannot teach the people just like that because you wouldn’t know what state she has and what sort of teaching is suitable to that person. The pig was pig, ordinary pig. Pig was pig, ordinary pig, and dog was also ordinary dog. So dog chased the pig and the pig ran away and happened to circumambulate. So usually circumambulating the stupa, the temple is the merit.
Right? So by chance, he happened to have one round. Well, sometime there is such things, but not this time. Uh-huh. You mean will they experience?
Is everybody Yes. Is a very realistic thing, but not very solid thing. Yeah. It’s very realistic. Okay maybe we end here, but it is about time to stop, right?
Thank you.