Audio recorded at Buddha House Adelaide. Transcript auto-generated and AI-corrected; may contain errors.
About this talk. A monk who calls a colleague monkey-like takes rebirth as a monkey five hundred times — this story opens Khensur Rinpoche’s 49-minute exploration of karma within the Three Principal Aspects of the Path. After a brief compassion meditation, Rinpoche focuses on the second stage of renunciation: releasing attachment to future lives — to favorable rebirth, wealth, companions, and pleasant surroundings. He covers karma’s four characteristics (definite results, amplification from minor causes, no result from uncommitted actions, nothing lost) with examples: an insect accidentally circling a stupa earns liberation; one corn kernel at Sera Monastery becomes three thousand. The session ends with a wry exchange: an elderly grandmother, convinced by the karma teaching, declares she is heading for hell — and warns Rinpoche he may be too.
File metadata (for organising)
File: 25 3PA 1993 09 07.mp3
UUID: 189b96f2-ba2e-4b9e-8c2a-d89b0e03235b
Teacher: Khensur Rinpoche
Collection: 3 Principal Aspects of the Path (Khensur Rinpoche)
Date: 1993-09-07
Recorded at: Buddha House Adelaide
Duration: 49.2 minutes
Words: ~2,812
In the context of a kind heart, we’re going to meditate for ten minutes cultivating the awakening heart. Beginning with the prerequisite attitudes of first compassion expressed in the thought, it would be wonderful if myself and all living beings were free of suffering and the causes of suffering. And love expressed in the thought, it would be wonderful if myself and all living beings were happy and had all the causes of happiness. As this these are prerequisites to where one develops the attitude that I myself will lead all living beings to a state where they are free of all suffering, where they have complete happiness. But in order to free others from their suffering, it is necessary that we ourselves be free of suffering first.
So one must, in order to free others, free oneself from suffering. So therefore, developing the attitude that in order to free all living beings from the suffering, in order to bring them complete happiness, I must remove all my various faults and bring to consummation all my excellent qualities. In order to free ourselves and all living beings from suffering and to bring them happiness, what is it that we have to do? It’s necessary that we accumulate the two collections within the universal vehicle. In order to accumulate these two collections, the collection of creative potential and wisdom, it’s necessary that we realize the three fundamentals of the path, the development, the determination to awaken, the awakened heart, and the view of emptiness, or the awakening mind.
In order to achieve that end, I am going to listen to these present teachings and then I’m going to reflect upon their meanings. And finally I’m going to put them into practice through meditation. So according to the text of the Three Fundamentals of the Path where it says, If you think again and again about these effects and the sufferings of cyclic existence, the emphasis on the appearance of this life will be reversed. That is to say that the relationship between actions and their results is invariant. And considering the sufferings of cyclic existence, we will reverse the priorities in terms of this of future lives.
So it it it says the the literally, it says the subsequent appearances or later appearances, future appearances. And this refers to future lives. And as we’ve talked, and as we’ve discussed in terms of the development of a determination to awaken, renunciation, there were this was done at in two stages. One in one in with respect to reversing our priorities our priorities with respect to this life, and here with reversing our priorities toward future lives. So in this phrase, literally it says to reverse the appearances of future it says reversing future appearances, the emphasis on appearances of future lives.
That is to say that our priorities are future lives. You know, what what type of priorities are they talking about and and what they’re how how and what way are we to reprioritize our understandings toward future lives. If they are talking about our various attachments to, or clinging to, such states of rebirth, such as that of a human being and or even that of a wonderful embodiment of a wonderful embodiment of a celestial being. And and not only these types of embodiments, but also in terms of having complete prosperity or or or a material wealth in in the future. And not only that, in terms of a very wonderful type of environment.
Also having many companions. So these the factors which constitute what we normally think of in terms of a happy life in the future, in terms of a particular type of embodiment as a human being or a celestial being, having wealth, having a wonderful place to live, environment, having companions. And so what these are the priorities which we are seeking to reverse in terms of to overcome our clinging or our attachment, our emphasis upon these in future lives. So the method that we employ to achieve these ends in future lives, in order to realize our motivation toward these in future lives are such means as practicing generosity, tolerance, ethics, joyous effort. So there are these are these do represent possible attainments that we can strive for.
There are two types of attainments achievements we can speak in terms of. Those temporal achievements or attainments and ultimate achievements. And what we’ve spoken of here in terms of a particular type of embodiment and wealth environment companions, these are temporal or temporal attainments, achievements. But in terms of our ultimate attainment or achievement, this is a state where we experience only happiness, completely divorced of any suffering. That is to say liberation.
And in order to achieve that, we have to remove all our various faults and bring to consummation our excellent qualities. That’s the ultimate attainment. So we might begin to wonder, well, you mean I’m not supposed to these are in fact temporal attainments. These are objects of of of a practice which are to be attained in the future. Am I don’t I need these things?
Am I supposed to turn away from these temporal attainments? What is gotten at here in in when it says to reverse our our priorities toward future lives is that we are to reverse our in terms of our attachment. We are to we are to remove our attachment toward these attainments. You know, we want to achieve a human life. We want wealth.
We want a pleasant environment, companions. But it is so we aren’t saying that one is not to achieve these ends, but one is to give up one’s attachment to these ends. Out of attachment to these, we we develop involve ourselves in many afflictive emotions, many types of creating many types of actions which bring about suffering. So it is not these ends in themselves but our attachment to them which we are to reverse from. So if we here we are talking about reversing or decreasing our attachment toward these future qualities of a particular environment, a particular embodiment, environment, wealth, companions.
So how are we to cease our attachment towards such ends? And the the we the method which is being presented here is the method of reflecting upon karma as actions and the results, and the sufferings of cyclic existence. It’s through cultivating an understanding of these two together that we are able to to overcome our attachment to these ends. So attachment is a desire which is to be brought to an end or to brought to cessation. So it is through the contemplation of karma as actions and the results and the sufferings of cyclic existence that we are able to overcome our attachment toward these various elements of future existences, future lives.
Then how are we to proceed making use of these two means of karma and the sufferings of cyclic existence? How are actually, to implement these means? And these are it’s extremely important first to gain a conviction with respect to karma. And in order to gain a conviction with respect to karma as causes and the results, there are four characteristics of karma or actions that we’re to consider. The first of these four is that the the the results of actions, the the the results of actions, the relationship There is an invariant relationship between causes and the results.
There is an invariant relationship between causes and the results. That’s the first. The second one is that the results of actions are amplified. The results of actions are amplified. That’s the second.
The third is that the results of uncommitted actions are not experienced. The results of uncommitted actions are not experienced. That’s the third. And that the results of actions are not dissipated or lost. The fourth is the results of actions are not dissipated or lost or wasted.
So we’ve discussed karma as actions and the results previously. And we said, just roughly speaking, there were two overall categories of karma. There’s positive karma and negative karma. And positive karma, we said, are those actions which are engaged in under the influence of healthy states of mind. That is to say, beneficial states states of mind which wish intentions intended to benefit others, an intention to benefit others.
Out of that beneficial intention, under its influence, we engage in physical and verbal actions benefiting others. And these all constitute positive karma. On the other hand, under the influence of negative intentions intentions of harming others, we engage in physical and verbal actions which bring about the harming of others. And these all are negative karmas. What So that is karma, but what about the results?
Those, you know, in terms of negative karmas, those actions which are negative, in terms of our physical, verbal or mental actions which are negative, they bring about a suffering result. They only bring suffering. They in no way can bring happiness. So this is what is meant by that the results of actions are definite. So then the same holds true with respect to healthy states of mind.
That is to say, actions which are of which are motivated with the beneficial intention. Having a beneficial intention, engage in various activities of of physical and verbal activities benefiting others. And these are positive karmas, and and they bring as a result, positive results. That is to say happiness, and they they never bring suffering. Therefore, again, the results are definite with respect to karma.
Generally, we can say that skillful actions definitely bring happiness, unskillful actions definitely bring suffering. So that is the invariant relationship between actions and the results. And the second characteristic karma we said was that the results of actions are amplifying or increasing. And this means that from even a minor or insignificant action, a great result can arise. And this holds true for both skillful and unskillful actions.
From a minor skillful action, a very powerful result in happiness can arise. I’d say a very powerful result can arise. And in terms of unskillful, even a minor or insignificant unskillful action can bring about a great suffering or a powerful result. So to illustrate this amplifying quality of results, there’s an anecdote where there were two monks and they were out on their alms round. Just as in Thailand, for example, they they go out the monks go out into for their alms and begging for food.
These two monks were out walking on their alms rounds, and they came across a small stream. And one of the monks, agile like, had with great agility, jumped over the stream. And the other monk, marveling at how agile he was, said, oh, you can you just you can jump just like a monkey. And this, you know, there wasn’t any hurtful intent. It’s not a very harsh harsh thing to say that you that you jump like a monkey.
But as a result of having said that that that those words, the the monk who said that took rebirth as a monkey five hundred times. And the same a similar anecdote is told in connection with another reciting texts and he had a very unpleasant voice and it it sounded like that. And so another monk overheard him reciting texts and he says, you know, your chanting sounds like the howling of a dog. And as a result of those words, the the the monk who spoke those words took rebirth five hundred times as a dog. Just a few words brought about a rebirth in these states five hundred times and brought about an extremely amplified great result.
On the other hand, there are antidotes which show this amplifying effect in a very positive way. There is the case of a there was a reliquary monument, a stupa. A monument, a reliquary monument, a stupa, in a particular country. And around it there was some water. And there was a piece, a stick which was floating in the water.
And the wind was blowing it like a, in a, in a fashion that eventually circumambulated, circumambulated, went around the stupa. And there was an insect on the stick. So insect just being it had no idea what was happening, but it was being blown on floating along on the stick, blown and circling the the monument, the stupa. As a result of that that skillful action created through this circling of the stupa, this acted as a cause to achieve liberation. And another illustration of the amplifying effect would be if we were to give even a morsel of food to a dog with the motivation that one is doing this for the sake of all living beings, that they be free of suffering, that they have complete happiness, then that action created with that motivation would bring about would cause one to achieve Buddhahood.
So this increasing effect also applies to external phenomena. If take, for example, at Sera Monastery, we plant corn. They grow corn at Sera Monastery. And just through the planting of one corn, one kernel of corn, a corn stalk grows. And on this stalk, there are perhaps three ears of corn, each ear having perhaps a thousand kernels.
So from one kernel of corn, one kernel of corn, three thousand kernels grow. So from one kernel grows three thousand kernels. And the next year, if we were to plant those three thousand kernels, we can begin to get some idea of the great amplifying effect which takes place. And if there’s this tremendous amplification or this multiplying effect in terms of external phenomena. It’s even more powerful in terms of internal phenomena.
So this is in terms of planting external seeds like as we do at Sera Monastery but you’ve seen this for yourself. You understand this. So there is this increasing or amplifying effect in terms of external phenomena. From insignificant or minor causes comes about vast results, fruits. But it even is more true, this characteristic of internal phenomena that is to say, the internal phenomena of skillful and unskillful actions within our own minds that their results can be So to illustrate this amplifying effect, that if one person were to call someone a thief using harsh language.
You know, Tibetan, the word for thief has two syllables. In English, only has one syllable. But anyway, it doesn’t make any difference. Just this one syllable or two syllables whether it’s in English or Tibetan. Two syllables.
That is an unskillful action. That’s like one unskillful action. And then tomorrow, that would be it doubles. It is as if two unskillful actions have been committed. The day after tomorrow is as if four.
The day after that, eight and sixteen. It it continually doubles in this way. And therefore, even from, just a small, just a few syllables can come about tremendous results. But on the other hand, having created this negative action, if in the night we were to review what we did over the course of the day and and think to ourselves, that was really wrong of me to say that. That wasn’t a good thing to do.
That was unkind. And developing some some regret, you know, let us say acknowledging or declaring the negativity negativity that you’ve created, that we can even if it’s a superficial sense of regret, we can at least block this doubling effect, this amplifying effect. It’s still the negativity remains but it no longer doubles. It no longer longer is increasing or amplifying it. If we apply the four opponent powers strongly and very deeply, then we can purify the negativity completely.
So there’s a tremendous benefit in such a way of practice. So the same holds true for skillful actions, this amplifying effect. That if we’ve created a skillful action and we it’s not destroyed through anger, then tomorrow it’s going to be doubled. And it’s it’s it’s potency is continually increasing in this fashion. Okay.
So, you know, a lama was giving it a lama was giving a teaching on this very subject of the of the definite definite the definite results of karma and their amplifying effects. And having given this talk, this teaching to there was a there was an elderly grandmother in the audience and she said, Well, you know, if that’s the case, then no question, I’m going to go to hell. And she and she said and she said she said And she says, I’m I’m I’m going to no doubt I’m going to go to hell. I’m I’m ready. So I’m ready I’m ready to go to hell.
But But you you’re you’re you’re in danger of going to hell too, or yourself. You’re in danger of going to hell yourself.