Audio recorded at Buddha House Adelaide. Transcript auto-generated and AI-corrected; may contain errors.
About this talk. A vivid instruction anchors this 47-minute session: breathing in others’ suffering as black light — and imagined tigers and lions — while exhaling happiness as white light radiating from a wish-fulfilling jewel at the heart. Khensur Rinpoche builds to this taking-and-giving meditation through a six-stage sequence: equanimity, examining the faults of self-centeredness versus the advantages of other-centeredness (citing Śāntideva’s stark contrast between “children” who toil only for themselves and Buddhas who act entirely for others), the special kindness of living beings as the ground for all good qualities up to Buddhahood, superior love, and a committed determination to exchange self for others. He closes with a note on lineage — from the bodhisattva Sailingpa through Atisha to Tibet’s Kadampa masters, and now, he observes with dry warmth, to the dharma centers of Australia.
File metadata (for organising)
File: 38 3PA 1993 11 09.mp3
UUID: 2798250a-ec42-4196-bbc1-25d0f8ba269e
Teacher: Khensur Rinpoche
Collection: 3 Principal Aspects of the Path (Khensur Rinpoche)
Date: 1993-11-09
Recorded at: Buddha House Adelaide
Duration: 46.8 minutes
Words: ~3,046
So we’re looking at the fault of self centeredness. Through the power of our self centeredness that we we we simply leave aside others. We don’t consider them. And and through our self centeredness, we we have and through the factor of self grasping, we develop self attachment. We concern ourselves with our own happiness and the elimination of our own suffering.
And we do and so involved are we in bringing ourselves happiness and eliminating our suffering that we don’t we aren’t concerned with the with the suffering that we are bringing others in the process. But not thinking of others, then we go on to kill others. We go on to steal others from others. We go on to commit sexual improprieties and all the three types of physical unskillful actions and the four types of verbal unskillful actions and three mental unskillful actions. Therefore, is through these unskillful actions that we bring upon our we bring upon ourselves all the various undesired sufferings that we don’t want to experience.
And we we we these act an obstacle. These block the wanted happiness, the desired happiness that we want. So it is said that the self centeredness is the basis of all that is fault, that of all faults. On the on the other hand, other centeredness is the basis of all excellent qualities. On the basis of self centeredness of other centeredness, on the basis of other centeredness, we we will give rise to love and compassion.
And under the power of love and compassion, we will set about benefiting others. We will abandon harming others. We will abandon the various unskillful physical actions such as killing, stealing, sexual improprieties. The four types of verbal unskillful actions, the three types of mental unskillful actions. It is we will abandon all the ten types of unskillful actions on the one hand, and we will involve ourselves in beneficial activities on the other, you know, activities such as generosity and ethics and tolerance.
These are all all of these various abandonments, faulty ways of acting, unskillful ways of acting, and on the one hand, involving ourselves in beneficial ways of acting on the other, are based upon the development of other centeredness. And it is through the development of these the abandonment of unskillful actions and involving ourselves in skillful ways of acting that we are going to bring ourselves all our desired happiness and end all our undesired suffering. So Śāntideva who is the source of the lineage of the practice of exchange, equalizing exchange in self for others says that all suffering in the world arises through seeking to bring about one’s own welfare. That is to say, you know, that the suffering that all our suffering whatsoever arises through self centeredness on the one hand. Then he goes on to say that all happiness in the world arises out of concern for others, that whatever happens that sentient beings that may experience arises on the basis of other sentient beings.
And Śāntideva goes on to say, there’s no need to say a great deal. The children work for their own welfare, while the Buddhas work for others. Just look at the difference between them. So, you know, that is what is meant by children here is those who act out on the basis of self centeredness. What type of results do they achieve through their activities on the one hand?
And Buddhas, such types of beings as Buddha and the Buddha Sattvas, they act only for out of they act out of other centeredness. And what excellent qualities have they developed? So comparing these two, the ordinary beings on the one hand and and the Buddhas on the other, there’s not there’s much more that needs to be said. So in terms of the method of equalizing exchange themselves or or others, firstly there is the development of equanimity. Secondly, the contemplation of the self centeredness.
And thirdly, the advantages of other So, again, quoting from where he says, If I do not exchange exchange self for others, there will be no attainment of Buddhahood. And without the attainment of Buddhahood, I will continue to circle within cyclic existence where there is only suffering. So when one considers the faults of self centeredness and the excellent qualities of other centeredness which arise out of other centeredness then we, you know, and understanding that it’s faults that we don’t want. So we want to be rid of them, but in its excellent qualities that we want to to bring to ourselves and we want to cultivate them. So we we see that one is the source, the self center is the source of faults, other center is the source of excellent quality.
So we we we make a definite determination. I must, I have to exchange myself for others. It’s something I have to do. And we make a commitment to this end. And this is the fourth meditation within this tradition.
So when we consider other centeredness and they appreciate all that we have in terms of our human embodiment and we have a beautiful appearance and food and drink. That how did these come about? You know, we we through the observation of ethics which which is constituted of of abandoning the harming of others, we attained a human embodiment. And through our practice of tolerance, we attained an appealing appearance. And by means of our practice of Chenrezig, we now have food and drink.
And these are all these temporal welfares that we’re able to experience come about through the kindness of living beings. So then we there is a a special remembrance of the kindness of living beings. Now that that in terms of remembering the great kindness of others that are the compassion that we develop is is dependent upon the kindness of living beings. The love that we develop is dependent upon the kindness of living beings. The awakening heart that we develop is dependent upon the kindness of living beings.
You know, in order to attain Buddhahood, we must accumulate a vast collection of creative potential. And this arises in dependence upon living beings. If there was no living beings, there would be no possibility for us to to accumulate this vast collection of creative potential through our practices, such practices as generosity, ethics, tolerance, etcetera. So, you know, our attainment of Buddhahood is brought about through the kindness of living beings. This is the special kindness of living beings.
But previously, when we talked about the kindness kindness, it was in terms of remembering our mother’s kindness, in the context of the seven cause and effect instruction, where we recalled the the kindness of our mother and we were mindful of that kindness. But here, here we’re trying to develop a a special remembrance of kindness in terms of that whatever excellent qualities we may have are developed in dependence upon living beings. And this is the special remembrance of their kindness that, and out of the special remembrance of their kindness will develop a superior appealing love. Previously, we cultivated in the context of seven cause and effect instruction an appealing love, and it was thinking in terms of living beings as our mother. But here we’re going beyond that.
It’s even superior to that. And it it all beings are are seen also in in view with the quality of being continually kind to us even up not just in this life in past lives but even up to the attainment of our Buddhahood. Living beings are are kind to us because it is continually dependent upon them that we will finally attain Buddhahood. So there we’ve gone through six sections in terms of this practice of the tradition of equalizing and exchanging self for others. The first being equanimity and then the faults of self centeredness and the advantages of other centeredness.
Then the special remembrance of living beings’ kindnesses, and then the superior, the special, appealing love. And depends upon that we will finally develop an attitude of actual where actually determine there’s a determination where we actually exchange ourself with others. So we these empowers to where we commit ourselves, determine to actually exchange self with others. So we come to a determination that we want to actually exchange self with others. But when we say this, don’t mean that you become others and others become you.
That’s not what being referred to. It is in terms of our attitude toward others. We exchange there are present attitudes towards others and ourselves. So previous to this point, we have always had the attitude where we we simply considered our own welfare that we simply left others aside. We we found them we saw them in a lower position than ourselves and we were concerned only with bringing ourselves happiness, eliminating our own suffering.
But now we no longer we exchange that attitude, we no longer are concerned with ourselves, that we hold others well-being superior to our own. And that we out of our holding them dear, out of our our love compassion, we develop an attitude which wishes to bring them happiness, which wishes to eliminate their suffering. So it’s necessary that we exchange ourselves with others in terms of love and compassion. So previously, we we simply held ourselves dear and concerned ourselves with only our own welfare, trying to eliminate eliminate our suffering to find happiness for ourselves. But we’re trying to exchange that attitude.
We’re trying to instead of holding ourselves to to hold others in in the context of love and compassion for them. And so in out of in this ex in exchanging ourselves and others in terms of compassion, we develop a longing to eliminate their suffering. In terms of love, we we long to bring them happiness. So we determine to to to take on their suffering. We determine to give away our happiness, and this is a practice of taking and giving.
So, you know, looking upon living beings and holding them dear in context of one’s compassion, one develops the the attitudes of, it would be wonderful if living beings were free of suffering and the causes of suffering. May they be free of suffering and the causes of suffering. I will free them from their suffering and the causes of suffering. Suffering. But I must in order to free them, I’m I’m going to take on that suffering myself.
So compassionately, one takes on the sufferings of others in order to free them from their suffering. So in a an illus it would be a metaphor which we might look might use is if if someone was carrying a heavy burden on their back and one thought, you know, how how for all that poor person carrying that great weight upon their that great burden upon their back, let me take that off your back and let me and I’ll take it upon myself. So likewise, here, you know, merely thinking may you be free of suffering and the cause of suffering. It it it does not benefit that person. But but we so we want to actually take on that suffering of that person and the cause of their suffering upon ourselves.
Take upon ourselves, and then we lovingly give away. We send to others. You know, these living beings have they have no happiness. And seeing and seeing them without happiness, developing the attitudes, thinking how wonderful it would be if they had happiness and the causes of happiness. May they have happiness and the causes of happiness.
I will give them happiness and the causes of happiness. And then lovingly sending to them, giving away to them one’s skillful actions and all of one’s happiness. So an ex a a metaphor would be if we saw somebody who is who is in in pain from from hunger, they had no happiness, and they had no food. And we thought to give them food. And in giving them food, we would pacify we would bring them the happiness, happiness, which is a pacification of their hunger.
So then we practice the meditation on taking and giving. And this is done in coordination with the breath. The inhalation is in the course of inhalation, we are contemplating compassion. So looking upon these living beings who are experiencing suffering and have all the causes of suffering. And in developing the attitudes that it would be wonderful if these beings were free of suffering and the causes of suffering.
May they be free of suffering and the causes of suffering. I will take upon myself their suffering and the causes of their suffering. And then imagining that all of their suffering arising from them in the aspect of black light and coming toward you into and with the inhalation through one’s nostrils and down, and begins to destroy the self centered and self grasping at one’s heart area. So when we when we take upon ourselves the suffering others, we’re we’re taking upon, you know, all all of their that they experience as undesirable, all their suffering, you know, the poor health poor bodily health, the various afflictive emotions, the latencies, any faults they may have, undesirable which they may have been in contact with, and taking upon it in the form of black lights, but also in the form of tigers and lions, ferocious types of being creatures. And then we then we then that’s on the inhalation.
Then the exhalation and looking upon these living beings that they they don’t have happiness and developing the attitudes that it would be wonderful if they had happiness in the causes of happiness. May they have happiness in the causes of happiness. I will give them happiness in the causes of happiness. And then imagining that all all of your skillful actions, all of your happiness, is like a white a wish fulfilling jewel at your heart. A wish fulfilling jewel is able to grant whatever wishes a person wants, and it radiates out this white light from your heart area, which rises up and out your nostril and extends down to, you know, in coordination with the exhalation to these living beings before you, and giving them healthy bodies, giving them all objects of enjoyment, material possessions, all excellent qualities, they attain Buddhahood.
So in the context of exchange of self or others, we we meditate taking and giving. Do you do you think you could do that? So as we’ve explained previously, this such a practice as we’re outlining here is the practice of extremely courageous practitioners. They they have great intelligence and tremendous they carry on these these these vast practice practices, these far reaching practices. But for us, we’re not so courageous.
We probably have some fear anxiety involving ourselves with such a practice. But I think through my explanation of equalizing self with others that you’ve gone beyond those previous anxieties and fears. I think you’ve all become rather courageous and wise and, you know, with sharp intelligence and can carry on such a practice. This practice of taking and giving is extremely extensive. You know, we we take upon we look at the hell beings and all their sufferings and we take on their sufferings, you know, the suffering of the heat of fires and the and the the the sufferings of cold.
And we take on the sufferings of hungry ghost, you know, you might be anxious about taking on on such types of sufferings. So I know we’re going to stop there, but we still have the explanation of the exceptional resolve, and then finally the awakening heart. In terms of this, what we just discussed now, practice of taking giving. You know, we’ve explained this in an extensive fashion when we discussed the within the context of discussion of the sevenfold training of the mind. So, you know, we’re trying to transform our minds involved in the practice of mind training and trying to develop go beyond our previous self centeredness and develop other centeredness.
It is dependent upon such a means that we will be able to accumulate the collection of creative potential by means of which we will quickly attain Buddhahood. If we don’t involve ourselves in these vast mind training methods, there’s no way that we can accumulate the necessary collection of creative potential and therefore there will be no Buddhahood. So we don’t have our time is finished, but it will just take a short time for questions. So previously these these quintessential instructions that are being given were were held by a master who lived in Indonesia by the name of Sailingpa who was a great bodhisattva. And he passed these directly to the glorious Atisha.
And Atisha took these teachings to Tibet where he then taught them and passed them on to various great Kadampa masters such as Geshe Chekawa and Geshe Sharawa and So these practices, mind training practices of exchange of self for others, and they were — this was their central practice, the mind training. Central to their practice was the mind training. Now they’ve now they’ve come to Australia. We don’t know how things will go in mind training in Australia. Yes.
So the at at Adelaide, the the students at Buddha House in Sydney, the students at vajrayana. In Melbourne, the students at Tārā Institute in Queensland, the students at Chenrezig Dharma Center in Tasmania, the students at Tashi Choling Dharma Center are involved in the study of these these mind trainings. Atisha Bendigo? Bendigo. Yeah.
Perth? We don’t know amongst these various centers. We don’t know how which one is going to progress the most. Which one? Got a question?
This four this thirteen, fourteen? Oh, wait. The exchange itself? So, in general, the the the textual source for the equalizing self and others is the Engaging in the Bodhisattva Deeds, Bodhisattva’s Way of Life by Śāntideva and the precious garland by Nāgārjuna and specifically mentioned Ratnamala, precious garland. And specifically the nine-part equanimity meditation is from the teachings of Khyentse Chökyi Rinpoche.
And the Dalai Lama. Yeah. Yeah.