Audio recorded at Buddha House Adelaide. Transcript auto-generated and AI-corrected; may contain errors.
About this talk. Khensur Rinpoche opens this nearly 49-minute commentary on the Eight Verses of Thought Transformation with a four-way framework for evaluating any activity by its temporal and ultimate benefit or harm — a practical decision tool for determining what to pursue and what to abandon. He then unpacks the third verse, on watching the mind throughout all actions, explaining how afflictive emotions disturb mental peace by making the mind coarse and restless, using anger and attachment as vivid illustrations. The afflictions are named the thief of Dharma, and Atisha’s counsel to watch speech among others and mind when alone is cited as the same principle in different words. The session’s most memorable passage is the story of Deshek Ben, who tracked his daily mental states with black and white stones — scolding or congratulating himself accordingly — until he became a master of high realization. Rinpoche closes by introducing the fourth verse, on treating a person of deeply negative character as a precious find.
File metadata (for organising)
File: 05 8VTT 1992-Easter Retreat.mp3
UUID: 45ff5673-98b7-4219-9274-ee44fcd6d425
Teacher: Khensur Rinpoche
Collection: 8 Verses Thought Transformation (Khensur Rinpoche)
Date: 1992 (exact day not recorded)
Recorded at: Buddha House Adelaide
Duration: 48.9 minutes
Words: ~2,658
But in terms of spiritual practice, by placing the emphasis on others, to bring others benefit, to bring profit to others, then one’s own welfare, one’s own welfare automatically comes about. It is the view of the spiritual method that one needs to make no special effort towards one’s own happiness because it is brought about by caring for others. As I mentioned, if one places main emphasis on one’s own welfare, though there will be some small benefit, it will only be temporary. Ultimately, we are bringing harm to ourselves.
On the other hand, those who have great intelligence, those who have understanding and who are willing to make great effort, see that through emphasizing the welfare and benefit of others, they will in fact bring about their own temporal and ultimate happiness. It is necessary to think of the depth of benefit, the difference in degrees of benefit to be brought about by our attitude. In terms of self-cherishing, though we may bring about some degree of benefit to ourselves temporarily, ultimately, we are harming ourselves. On the other hand, if we think about the benefit in deeper terms, not superficially, we should try to think about the ultimate result of our attitudes. That if by emphasizing other-cherishing, though we may undergo some difficulty temporarily, we are in fact bringing about our ultimate happiness.
So we can we can do this. Four different ways of thinking considering this. So, the first of these four possible ways of looking at our various activities, and if we have some work or some activity that we’re thinking about pursuing, have to look at what is the quality of the results that we can expect. If we see that in fact it’s going to both temp in terms of it’s going to harm us both in temporal terms and in ultimate terms. It’s not going to bring us any happiness and obviously we leave aside.
We don’t do it. Then secondly, there are this type of activity and looking at the quality result results may be that though there is some small, a minor temporary temporary benefit to the game, but because it will ultimately not be a benefit, but in fact, will harm us in such a type of act should not be engaged into. It should be left aside. This is what one would say. And those types of activities which have both temporal and ultimate benefit, then we should engage in. And and, fortunately, additionally, those those activities which though temporary do it temporarily are difficult, but because they are bringing about ultimate benefit, those types of activities should be engaged.
So we should in this in deciding whether to involve ourselves in activity determine what is the quality of the result that we can expect In terms of both temporal and ultimate result. If at upon examination, if we come to understand that the act will bring about our ultimate benefit it. Whether in fact it will bring about temporal benefit or whether it’s a will bring about some kind of temporal difficulty, that type of activity should be engaged in. So we should practice. On the other hand, though though though the activity might result in some kind of temporal benefit if it’s going to or if it doesn’t bring us any temporal benefit, but if it’s if it’s going to that’s where it’s of no no ultimate benefit that or, you know, that harms us, then those two types of activities should be abandoned.
So of these two, those those which bring they’re bringing about some kind of temporary benefit if they bring about or no benefit. But if they bring about no benefit ultimately, they should be abandoned. Those which bring about some benefit ultimately, though they are temporary difficulty or whether they bring about some temporary happiness should be practiced. You think that’s true or not? Yeah.
I’m guessing. I’m guessing. Guessing. There’s four types of activity. So the the first category of activity are the is that type of activity which brings about no temporal or ultimate benefit.
That’s one such a type of activity we just throw away. Secondly, two. Yes. Number two. The type of activity which will bring about some temporal minor benefit as a result on the one hand, but on the other, is of no ultimate benefit or in fact may harm us.
Such a type of activity should be left aside. Yeah. Good job. Actually, Three. The third type of activity is that type of activity which brings about some kind of temporal benefit and also brings about an ultimate benefit.
And such a type of activity, we should do whatever is necessary, however much effort it takes to practice it. That type of activity which though temporarily may cause you some trouble. It will it will ultimately or finally bring about some type of great benefit. We should make effort to practice it. We we should emphasize in our mind the the ultimate benefit to be derived and temporarily practice cultivate tolerance.
So we should seek to respect all living beings and hold ourselves lower than them. You know, there’s nothing lower than water, which seeks the lowest level, and holding all sentient beings as higher than ourselves. And this includes all the various categories of people whether they be great, such as one’s spiritual teacher, one’s lama, one’s parents, or they be one’s peers, one’s brothers, sisters, or those who are usually looked upon as inferior positions such as children. We are to take all of them and hold them higher than ourselves, holding them dear and seeking to benefit them. And respecting others in this way and cultivating other-cherishing, in the course of this, there may be some temporal difficulties.
But because of the great result to be gained ultimately, we should practice in this way. So when we said that there may be some temporal difficulties, problems for ourselves in practicing this way, what is it that brings us this temporal difficulty? This teaching is given in terms of mind training or thought transformation. So we have to think what is actually causing these temporal problems, these difficulties. And this is set out in the third verse: throughout all actions, as soon as an emotional affliction arises that endangers myself and others, by facing it, I shall strictly avert it. So where it says all actions,
All refers to many types of actions, and actions means actually the different types of behaviors. And there are four different types of behaviors. There’s the going, rising up, sitting down, and lying down. These four types of action. So whatever we’re doing, whether we’re going or staying, whether we’re lying or arising, in all these various types of actions, we should be examining, and here “continuum” refers to the mind.
We should be examining our mind in all these various activities. So in examining your mind, what is the state of of your mind? What is positive states that good good minds, are they arising or negative states? A bad mind, are they arising? And one should examine whether one’s mind is in a negative or positive state.
If if it’s positive, then you can simply let it alone. But on but we have to see whether it’s in a negative state. So it’s important that we identify or recognize the state of our mind. So our our mind can be either good or bad. It can be either either in a positive or negative state.
And various positive states, which in general, are are those types of mind which bring happiness, which which are such as, you know, beneficial intention, respecting of, compassion, the awakening heart, our our various kind hearted attitudes that we have. These are positive states. They are bringers of happiness. On the other hand, there are negative states of mind. And these, in general, are the are the givers of suffering, the bringers of suffering, and these are the various afflicted emotions or distress patterns.
So what are we to do upon recognizing that afflictive emotions have been generated within our mind? We have to do something because we understand that such states of mind bring harm to both oneself and others. These afflictive emotions and negative states of mind are seen as unskillful. They lead to inappropriate activity, which brings unhappiness to oneself and harm to others. We have to understand what are the afflictive emotions.
It’s necessary that we be able to identify them because the afflictive emotions are our enemy, and it’s necessary that we recognize what is in fact our enemy. If we do not, then when we do develop these afflictive emotions, not recognizing them, they come to rule. They as if take over our body and mind. And out of this, we engage in various types of negative actions.
We bring harm to ourselves, and we bring harm to others. There is consciousness, and the afflictive emotions are a type of consciousness. In general, we can classify consciousness into two categories. Technically speaking, there’s mind and mental factors. Mind and mental factors.
And the afflictive emotions are a type of mental factor. And what is the entity or the nature of the afflictive emotions? They have the ability to disturb the peace of the mind and cause the mind to be literally rough, coarse, as opposed to smooth. The mind is very coarse. It’s disturbed.
Its peace is disturbed, and it’s very rough. So we illustrate this with the afflictive emotion of anger. You know, you’re sitting in a very relaxed state, you’re happy, your mind’s at peace. And then somebody else says some very harsh words to you.
And if you have tolerance, then there’s no problem. Those words won’t affect you. But if you have no tolerance, then immediately the mind becomes angry. And what happens when the mind becomes angry? The previous peaceful state, one’s relaxed state is disturbed.
One’s mind is no longer in a peaceful state. But additionally, there arises the coarseness of mind which seeks to harm that person. This rough coarse quality of mind which seeks to harm that other person. So one thinks, he can’t do that to me.
And one can’t stand what’s happening. And one looks for a way to harm that person. One’s mind is no longer pliable. It becomes coarse. It’s not smooth.
We also talked about an example using attachment. Previously, your mind is in a relaxed state, at peace with itself, but you begin to think about a particular object. And you begin to think about it more and more. And slowly, attachment begins to rise in your mind.
And that previous peaceful relaxed state is lost. And so the attachment as it’s generated disturbs the previous peace of the mind, but not only that. Then there arises the thought to do something about it: one wants to talk to somebody about how good that object is, or one gets up and wants to go after it, run after it, to take measures to get it. One loses that calm quality of mind. One becomes restless and isn’t able to sit still.
Yeah. Troubled mind. That’s right. One loses the peace of mind and has a troubled mind.
Out of the afflictive emotion, one simply is no longer able to abide. One has to do something. One’s mind becomes troubled. One’s peace is lost. One has to talk to somebody, maybe even go steal, maybe go kill, whatever.
And this all arises out of afflictive emotion. Also, even if one were practicing the Dharma, was trying to meditate, when the afflictive emotions arise, one simply can’t carry on one’s practice. One has to get up and do something. In such a state of mind, one can gain no realization or understanding. So considering the way in which the afflictive emotions are able to bring harm both to oneself and others, it’s important that we immediately identify them when they develop and that we overcome them.
So, just as if a thief were to sneak into our house and we were to see them, we would immediately yell, “Thief! Thief!” Likewise, the afflictive emotions are the thief of Dharma, of our spiritual practice. And we should try to recognize them as soon as possible and then employ whatever measures are according to our ability. And we should have tremendous courage in confronting them to overcome them in our Dharma practice.
There are many quoteachings that we could enumerate which speak in the same way as we’ve been talking about. For example, there’s one where it says that essentially, once meditation is done in order to bring the mind under control, if it doesn’t do that, then it’s not meditation.
Then, again, Atisha, in talking about how we are to engage in our various activities, he said that when we’re amongst many other people, then we should watch what we say. When we’re alone, we should watch our mind. And when we’re with many other people, and we aren’t constituents about what we’re saying, then we can create a great deal of negativity through our mouth. On the other hand, when we’re alone, we’re to examine the quality of the state of our mind, and we will see that there are many types of thought arising, and many of them are destructive states. So we are to observe our mind because there are different qualities of mind, and some are productive and some are destructive.
This is essentially what we mean by mind training or thought transformation. That is to say to recognize the quality of the various states of mind arising, those which are negative, we try to overcome them. And on the other hand, those which are productive, we make effort to practice them and to cultivate them. So let me tell the story about Deshek Ben. You know, Deshek Ben, he used to reflect in the course of his meditation about his various states of mind that would arise.
And he would, if negative states would arise, over here, he’d place a black stone. If a positive state arose, then he would place a white stone. So at the end of each day, he would add up to see which pile was bigger, the white stones or the black stones. And during this practice, initially, there were a great many black stones and very few white stones. But over time, the black stones decreased and the white stones increased.
At those times when he saw that the pile of white stones was larger, thinking about all the skillful actions which he had created in that way, he would congratulate himself, shaking his own hand and say how good he was. So from time to time, when the pile of black stones was greater, then he would scold himself. He would flick his own nose and say, “This is no good. If you keep this up, I’m not gonna give you any food.” This is the way Deshek Ben carried on his practice, and he eventually became a great master with high realization.
So our practice is in terms of the mind. When we talk about thought transformation, and especially within the universal vehicle, the practice is in terms of our own mind, in terms of the quality, whether our states of mind are negative or positive. So then we’re going to continue with the fourth stanza, which reads: when seeing a being of wicked nature who is forced by violent wrongs and sufferings, I shall hold this one, so hard to find, as though discovering a precious treasure. So when we see a being of wicked nature, by wicked nature it means someone who is very negative minded, the very nature of their mind would appear that such a person is very prone to anger.
They’re quite violent.