Audio recorded at Buddha House Adelaide. Transcript auto-generated and AI-corrected; may contain errors.
About this talk. Using a vivid image of a hundred-dish Chinese banquet, Khensur Rinpoche argues that practitioners must become connoisseurs who combine the full array of available methods rather than fixating on just one. In this 82-minute Lam Rim commentary, he opens with Tsongkhapa’s encouragement that even incomplete practice this life lays foundations for future realizations, then outlines seven qualities worth cultivating for future lives — long life, attractive appearance, status, wealth, convincing speech, power, and physical resilience — each paired with specific causes. The heart of the session is a framework for cost-effective practice: how the power of any skillful action amplifies according to vow-basis, motivation, field of activity, practice type, conduct, and dedication. A short Q&A closes on the relative difficulty of holding tantric versus individual-liberation vows.
File metadata (for organising)
File: 10 LR 1991 05 25.mp3
UUID: 7ecfcf67-f08a-4202-91a6-783ad1a932cf
Teacher: Khensur Rinpoche
Collection: Lam Rim (Khensur Rinpoche)
Date: 1991-05-25
Recorded at: Buddha House Adelaide
Duration: 81.8 minutes
Words: ~4,626
Begin by cultivating as our motivation the awakening heart. By appreciating the wonderful opportunity that has been presented to you having achieved a human life by means of which you can practice the Dharma, a life which possesses complete conducive conditions and an absence of inhibiting conditions, and you should rejoice in this very fact. So, each of us individually have this wonderful opportunity through the absence of inhibiting conditions and possessing all of the supportive conditions through practice, But if we don’t make use of it, it’s not going to last forever. It’s definitely that it’s going to deteriorate and we’re going to die. And at the time of our death, all of our wealth will be of no benefit.
Our companions will not be able to help us, and our body will have to be left behind, and we will go forth alone. We have this opportunity which we have gained through such great difficulty, we can make best use of it by directing ourselves toward the ultimate elimination of all our suffering and finding complete happiness. And what is the only way which can bring this about in fact? Our long term happiness can only be achieved through the Dharma in no other way. And if we’re going to practice the Dharma, we have to practice it now.
We can’t simply think that we’re going to practice it sometime in the future because death might arrive before that time arrives. And how are we to carry on our practice? It’s necessary that we, the best way that we can practice is developing a kind heart. Out of this kind hearted attitude various types of healthy and kind ways of conduct will evolve. And such a way of practice of Dharma is extremely vast practice and will bring extremely vast results.
And amongst all the various healthy attitudes that we can develop, this kind hearted attitude of the awakening heart is the finest motivation that we can possibly develop. And this kind hearted attitude of the awakening heart is embodied in reflecting that in order to lead all sentient beings to a state of beyond suffering, to free them from their suffering and to bring them the happiness and the causes of happiness, I myself must eliminate all my various faults and bring the consummation to all of my excellent qualities. For the next three minutes, seek to develop the kind hearted motivation for listening to this present teaching, that in order to eliminate all my various faults and bring the consummation of all my acts and qualities, I must cease all the various causes which perpetuate these faults and practice the various causes which will bring about these excellent qualities. And therefore I must implement various methods of practice to bring this about. In order to practice I must understand the various teachings.
In order to understand the various teachings, I must listen to them. Therefore, I am going to listen to this present teaching of the essence of the great vehicle, that of the graduated path, the lam rim, in order to having listened to understand and implement these practices for the sake of all sentient being. according to a verse by Je Tsongkhapa, in connection with our present discussion of the graduated path, the Lam Rim, and particularly the section on the being of small capacity and narrow perspective, and that having attained this human life, we should make use of it through our practice. And he goes on to admonish us or to encourage us that even though during the course of our present life we may not be able to gain all the various realizations of the great vehicle, For example, that we may not be able to develop a fully qualified awakening heart, that we may not gain the wisdom, understanding, emptiness.
But still, that we may not attain these ends during the course of this life, that such attempts will serve as a basis so that in the future lives we may be able to generate these essences of the great vehicle, the awakening heart and the realization of emptiness. And he goes on to say that having made effort at these various practices, and though during the course of our life we do not gain their full realizations, still we have created the basis for future realizations. And if in combination with this basis we go on to achieve an embodiment which is conducive to the practice of Dharma which has that capacity, that ability, then in connection with with the embodiment of a present existence, the embodiment of a future existence, along with that basis which we’ve created for realization, then it’s definite that we will be able to generate the qualities of the awakening heart and the realization of emptiness and we will achieve enlightenment. So it’s necessary that we achieve a future excellent embodiment, such as a human life. But not only just a human life, but it also must have qualities which will help us to carry out a successful practice of Dharma.
That we have to have not only a human life, but a long life. If we have a short life, then we won’t be able to bring to fulfillment our practice of Dharma. For example, Nāgārjuna was said to have lived five hundred years. And if we have a long life, then we can be assured that we can bring to fulfillment our practice. So we should seek to ensure that we have a long life in our future existence.
Can we go about achieving that long life? Do we have to create the causes in order to have a long life in the future? And some of the methods that we can practice to create those causes are that firstly, abandoning killing sentient beings. That is this, by shortening the life of sentient beings, we will experience a shorter life in ourselves in the future. So abandoning and killing, but over and above that, seeking to free those beings which are condemned to death, which are under threat of death, saving them from death.
Supplying food to those who are in need in order to prolong their life. Giving medicine to the sick in order to prevent them from dying. So all of these are methods whereby we can create causes for a long life for ourselves. So all of these methods are all of these are methods whereby we can create the causes such that in the future we will have a long life by means of which we will be able to carry on a long practice of Dharma. So additionally, we need to have attractive appearance, beautiful bodies.
But why do we need practice for our future practice of Dharma a beautiful body? It’s not so much for ourselves. It’s because if we are attractive, then when we teach the Dharma, others will be attracted to us. When they see us, they automatically have some liking, and therefore they, for example, in the case of Atisha, Atisha was said to be extremely handsome and that he attracted many disciples. And out of this, they would gather and they would listen and thereby they would practice and it was of great benefit for him to be attractive in attracting disciples.
So it’s important that in our practice, in the sense of teaching the Dharma, that we ensure that we have attractive bodies in the future for the benefit of others. So what are the causes that we can create in order to ensure that we have attractive appearances in the future? As we have continually explained, the most important is the practice of tolerance, or patience. Additionally, there are other various practices that we can create the causes by means of. For example, offering butter lamps before the image of a Buddha, something which creates a very clear bright light illuminating the form of the Buddha.
Any types of images of holy beings, painting them. If they’re in disrepair, repairing them. Offering robes to images of the Buddha for example. Additionally, offering clothes to the poor in general, things that will help, will comfort their body to the poor. So these are the various types of causes whereby we create as a means to ensure attractive body in the future.
So if we were able to implement those causes, then we can ensure that we have an attractive body in the future. Again, in order to carry on a successful practice of Dharma in the future, we must attain an environment which is one of having an excellent status. I mean literally the word that’s been used would be as caste. We must be born into a high caste, but that would be literally something into an excellent position.
What is meant here is that we would be naturally listened to, that what we said would have some impact on people and that they would freely make effort to fulfilling whatever it is that we sent, that are suggestions, and that we would be able to benefit them in that way. So being in such a position that people, we are liable to be listened to, and what we say people will freely do and follow. So if we’re in a lowly position, people have a tendency not to listen to what we have to say. They don’t implement, they don’t try to make effort in following what we say. But those who are in a high position, people quite naturally listen to them and try to follow whatever it is they say.
So what is the cause of being born in such a status of authority? And the cause is the elimination of pride. Thinking that, oh, I’m such a moral person, or I’m so wise, or I’m so beautiful, or I wear such stylish clothing, and having great conceit and pride in these things. Overcoming that, eliminating that sense of pride, but in fact developing a sense of respecting others and carrying oneself with a sense of humility. Whoever you meet, you respect them and oneself is humble.
That acts as a cause such that in the future others will respect you and they will quite readily seek to follow whatever you suggest for them to do, that your words have a sense of power such that people will freely implement whatever you have to say. The next cause for successful practice of Dharma in our future life would be that we have a great many possessions and have wealth. And wealth attracts a sense of power, and out of this we will be able to benefit those around us through our power, through our wealth, that we will be well liked, we will be highly respected. So the causes of gaining wealth in the future is the practice of generosity, making various offerings such as offering robes to the images of the Buddha, in general offering whatever is needed by others. For example, offering material necessities to the poor.
By being wealthy, you would be able to support the needs of many students. You’d be able to gather around you a large circle of practitioners and be able to support them, and in this way you would be benefiting them in the Dharma practice. Then in order to again to carry on a successful practice in the future, we must have convincing speech. And convincing speech is such that what we say has great meaning, that it’s not without purpose, but more than just having meaning. That for example if we were to teach the Dharma, that others would automatically upon hearing what we say think to themselves, what this person says is really straight, it’s really true.
What they say is very honest and they would out of this they gain a great sense of trust in what you say. Your words are able to have the power of convincing them as to the validity of what you’re saying. So the cause of this is to speak in meaningful manner. One says is in fact in accordance with the way things are, and one does not simply speak deceitfully or without any meaning. And additionally, it’s necessary that we be a powerful person, that whatever we do, whether it’s negative or positive, that we have the ability and the capacity to bring it off.
So the causes for being having existence which possesses power in the future is through respecting one’s lama spiritual master, one’s individual teacher, though anyone who has excellent qualities, one’s parents. In this way we will gain power in the future. Again, further, we need a strong body and mind such that minor types of sicknesses, of the physical and mental, don’t disturb us, that they don’t cause us any problems. For example, Milarepa, who had no food, no clothing, but it wasn’t a problem for him. He had these minor difficulties.
It didn’t hurt him either physically or mentally in any way. So what are the causes of a strong body and mind in the future? This is done through helping those who are in need of help, assistance. That if somebody’s not able to do some type of activity, then doing that activity for them or if they need help, assistance, someone to work with them, then working with them, helping others who aren’t able, having some difficulty to achieve some kind of activity, don’t have the ability, helping them. And this will act as a cause to develop a strong body and mind in the future.
So in order to carry on a skillful practice, it’s necessary that we understand the ways of the various methods that embody a skillful practice. If we know these various ways of creating skillful actions, then our practice can be very powerful. If we do not, then our practice is not going to be very powerful. We’re not going to have the ability to carry on a very powerful practice, and we’re not going to achieve powerful results. So then we can speak of the capacity to bring about powerful skill, the capacity of power of bringing about skillful actions in terms of the base.
And the basis here would be in terms of human life and in particular comparing the difference in the power of the base for those who have taken various precepts, vows and those who have not. Roughly speaking, we might say that the skillful actions someone who has not taken any particular vows might create over one month, an equal amount could be created by a person having taken vows in one day. So, again, proceeding in terms of the efficiency of creating skillful actions with respect to the basis, having a foundation, even with respect to someone who has a foundation of vows, that one who has taken novice vows has greater power in creating skillful action than one who simply has lay vows. Again, one who is ordained has more power with respect to creating skillful action than a novice. One who has taken the vows of the bodhisattva has more power.
One who has, and above that, the one who has taken tantric vows has more power with respect to creating skillful actions than with having taken the bodhisattva vows. So there are different degrees in the efficacy of the basis with respect to the power of the skillful actions which can be created in terms of them. And again, there’s a difference with respect to the effectiveness of the intention, that is to say motivation in terms of the degree of power that can be created in terms of the motivation or the intention. Effectiveness. For example, the power of the skillful action created by the being of middling capacity or middling perspective is greater than the degree of power of skillful actions created by a being of lesser capacity due to the quality of the motivation or the intention.
And then above that, those who have the vast perspective, that is to say that they have the motivation that they are seeking to implement this action for the sake of attaining Buddhahood for the sake of all sentient beings, that is to say that their motivation is the awakening heart. The degree of power of their skillful actions is greater than that of the being and middling capacity. So it’s a difference in degrees of intention brings about a concordant difference in degrees of the power of the skillful actions created. And there is also a difference with respect to the degree of powerfulness of the actual practice of the Dharma that we may be engaged in. For example, the practice of ethics is said to be greater in power than the practice of generosity and the creation of skillful actions.
Tolerance is greater in power than the practice of ethics. Joyous effort greater than tolerance. Meditative concentration greater than joyous effort, and wisdom greater than concentration. So this is in terms of the actual nature of the thing. This was in terms of the degree of the actual nature of the thing.
Then there a difference in degree of power of the skillful action created in terms of the field of activity, the field of activity. And this means that with respect to, if we were to give by way of example the object to which we were making offering to, the degree of the powerful scope of action created would be in accordance with the nature of the object to which we were being presented to. Those who, for example, if we were to make an offering to someone who had no vows whatsoever and as compared to someone who had lay vows, then if we gave offerings to one hundred persons without vows, this would be equal to giving offerings to one person who had lay vows. Again, those who have higher vows, then the degree of the effectiveness of the field in terms of creating powerful skillful actions increases going up through those who have the various individual liberation vows, the bodhisattva vows, tantric vows, the buddhas, the bodhisattvas, the buddhas, and then one’s spiritual master. That each of these is more effective in the creation of the ability to create powerful actions in terms of the vows in which they hold and their field as far as the field of object of activity.
So if we reflect upon the difference in degrees of the power of skillful actions created by means of these various methods in terms of the various basis, intentions, etc, then even if we have little time to practice and even though we have little we make little effort and we have little time and little material possibilities, we can be cost effective and we can create a great deal of powerful actions through understanding. So, we understand these, the various details of the way of practice, then even if we just make a small effort and have little time, we can create a great vast amount of skillful actions. On the other hand, even if we spend a great deal of effort and time, if we are not effective in the way we carry on our practice, we may end up creating a small amount of skillful action. And whatever we do in the course of our practice, we are essentially seeking to purify all our various destructive factors within our mind and to create skillful actions as a creative potential. And if we do this, then realizations will come of themselves.
So if we understand the various methods of practice and carry on effective practice, and we bring all of these together into our practice, all of these effective methods, bring them within our practice, then our practice becomes extremely powerful, and it’s an extremely skillful practice and we’re bringing about extremely great benefits. By way of illustration, if someone has taken the tantric vows and has not degenerated their tantric vows, then they have a very effective basis for creating powerful action, skillful action. But in addition, if this individual having this basis of the tantric vows, but in addition having the motivation to practice for the sake of all sentient beings, to lead them out of their suffering, to place them in happiness, that is to say, I must attain Buddhahood, that is to say that they have the awakening heart, then this becomes a very effective intention whereby to bring about powerful skillful actions. If we, in With respect to various types of ceremonies that we can practice, rituals such as the offering to the spiritual master Guru Puja or the one hundred deities in the joyful land of Tuśita, the Guru Yoga practices. These all involve a very effective field of activity, object of activity towards which we can practice and this becomes a very effective field by means of which we can create powerful types of skillful actions.
Then there’s various types of offerings that we can make. For example, we can make outer offerings, inner offerings, secret offerings, and the offering of suchness, And these differ with respect to their effectiveness in these are different effective capacities in terms of creating powerful skillful actions. So, the effectiveness of the capacity in terms of, in this case, offering. So this difference in degrees of effectiveness of capacity in creating powerful skillful action. So we’ve listed four different ways of practice differing in degrees of their effectiveness and bringing about powerful, skillful actions in terms of base, intention, field, and capacity.
Then if there would be the effectiveness in terms of conduct as to the creation of powerful skillful actions. Those types of conduct which flow out of a single-mindedness wherein the mind is highly directed. The mind is highly directed and the types of conduct which would arise out of this highly directed intention would be effective in terms of the powerful skillful actions that they create. So those types of conduct which arise out of a highly directed intention or single-minded direction of attention. Then there’s the effectiveness with respect to dedication as a means of creating powerful skillful actions.
This would be for example any type of skillful actions which are created. That holding them to be non truly existent and then sharing them with all sentient beings, dedicating them that for myself and the sake of others that may I achieve highest enlightenment for the sake of all sentient beings by the means of this skillful action. So way of, this effectiveness of this particular manner of dedication brings about the powerful skillful actions in terms of dedicating the skillful actions with an understanding that these skillful actions are not truly existent and sharing these skillful actions in terms of dedicating to highest enlightenment for the sake of all sentient beings. So even insignificant skillful actions which are dedicated in this way have extremely great results both for oneself and others. So the lam rim, the graduated path, is replete, is chock full of really excellent, beneficial, and powerful methods whereby to carry on a really powerful and successful practice of Dharma.
And it’s almost as if one person couldn’t practice them all. But we should try to understand as well as possible all the various methods which are being presented to us and try to collect them and condense them down into your practice to make your practice a combination of the most effective methods for us to carry on a successful practice of Dharma. That they’re all there just waiting for us to incorporate them into our practice. So it’s like this, a vast banquet has been set before us of all different varieties of flavors and delicious foods. There’s one type of Chinese banquet which has over one hundred different dishes.
And if we were to simply just stuff ourselves on one dish, that would be really silly. We’d miss out on all these delicious other foods. We have to be a connoisseur. We have to sample each one and appreciate each one and not simply take one and stuff ourselves with it. So the Indian way of eating is they’re presented with a variety of different foods and they can combine them in any way to their individual liking and create something very delicious for themselves.
So we have to become nutritional experts in combining the ways that we eat, combining the various elements of our diets that we develop a strong body. So likewise, in combining the various ingredients which are presented to us in the teachings on the Lam Rim, the graduated path, we have to become experts in choosing those various ingredients in order to combine them to make an effective practice. And the more that we are expert in these ways, greater the power that we can derive from this banquet, this array of practices which is set before us. And the more powerful and effective our practice is, the quicker that we will attain Buddhahood. So, Rinpoche is describing a particular game.
I think it’s Chinese checkers where you have a board, each person has the same number of marbles and each person has the same it’s the same what do you playing board and so each person has the same number of marbles. But one person is more skillful than the others and this person will win the game. So one person wins first, one person comes in second, simply depending upon their skill in playing the game. And likewise, That there’s going to be differences in expertise as respect to the practice of the great vehicle, there will be those who are extremely great masters at it, those who are middling, and those who aren’t very good at their manner of their practice, and this will accordingly determine how quickly they will attain Buddhahood. So it would be it’s extremely advisable to exercise our wisdom in developing each for ourselves the most effective practice that we can combine together for ourselves.
I’m not sure I’ll try it, you know. So we’ll take questions. Coordination? vows of? vows, vows of?
I see. Is it more difficult to keep your vows, tantric vows than? So there’s a great difference. The vows of individual liberation are mainly concerned with restrictions with respect to the body and the mind. They’re vows which concern the body and mind, whereas, I’m sorry, body and speech, vows which concern mainly the body and speech, but the tantric vows concern mainly the mind and it’s extremely much more difficult to gain control over your mind than it is your body and speech.
Which is the torma of them or is that something like? So this is an outer offering. Pardon? The different classes of So there are various classes of vows. For example, there’s the vows of individual liberation, and these would include the lay vows of male and female lay vows, the male and female novice vows, male and female monastic vows, Then there’s the vows of the bodhisattva vows, the tantric vows, and the vows and the twenty four hour great vehicle some vows are only observed for twenty four hours such as the great vehicle twenty four hour fasting vows.
Then there’s the lesser vehicle fasting vows which are observed for twenty-four hours. Then there are other vows which are observed for life. Yes? So the degree of the potency of creating powerful actions is increased on the basis of possessing vows, but also the degree of the negativity of unskillful actions is increased accordingly having taken vows. Without vows, again there’s going to be a lessening of both the negative and positive consequences respectively.