Audio recorded at Buddha House Adelaide. Transcript auto-generated and AI-corrected; may contain errors.
About this talk. Using a vivid analogy — two Indians who have never heard of Australia, only one of whom is moved to emigrate — Khensur Rinpoche opens this 79-minute Lamrim session by arguing that without genuinely seeing saṃsāra’s faults, no teacher, not even the Buddha, can lead a student toward liberation. He outlines two methods for developing renunciation: contemplating the sufferings of cyclic existence, and reflecting on liberation’s qualities. He then unpacks the four features of true cessation — cessation, peace, excellence, and renunciation — including a striking image: liberation’s happiness is like trying to describe a taste; you can say “very sweet” but cannot convey what the tongue actually experienced. A Q&A covers compassion for distant suffering, the Kadampa principle of completing one’s own purpose before serving others, and the swift path of tantric practice.
File metadata (for organising)
File: 26 LR 1999 09 08.mp3
UUID: 425d9728-0a64-49fe-9470-e5efd16ba2f9
Teacher: Khensur Rinpoche
Collection: Lam Rim (Khensur Rinpoche)
Date: 1999-09-08
Recorded at: Buddha House Adelaide
Duration: 79.3 minutes
Words: ~4,484
So before the teaching, we recited the prayers, making supplication or prayers towards the guru we recited the guru pujas, the making prayers of requests and, towards and also offerings towards the teachers, the the the master Tsongkhapa, his lineage and master Tsongkhapa who who composed this particular teaching, the Lamrim or graduated path. And the purpose of making guru pujas or the prayers is that because our purpose of listening or receiving the teaching is mind and also develop the good state of mind and bringing all this bad state of mind into the, abandoning the bad state of mind and, yeah, abandoning the bad state of mind. So so the making So we we So so we The method The wisdom and method of, doing search, the cultivating a good, good mind and eliminating the bad side of mind are clearly written in the teachings and as well as, teachings which are taught by those masters. And so so we are the proposed so we are we we had made those, offerings and prayers towards the master is because requesting him requesting him to to bestow the nectar or bless our mind so that that so that so that our so that our mind be purified.
And by receiving by the blessings from him, then we, the our obscured mind which is, conjoined with the disturbing emotions and so forth will fade or be eliminated and develop a wisdom, wisdom of, wisdom that understand reality. And by developing that, we can attain the final goal, which is Buddhahood. So for here, the great master called Acharya Acharya Āryadeva and has stated that, has stated that we are here, we are onto the, the intermediate level or the, on the middling scope. So, so the master has said that in order to, if one if one can if one has not developed a intention or or develop a a develop a knowledge which sees, knowledge which sees, the faults or the disadvantages of taking birth, disadvantages of being in the saṃsāra or a cyclic existence, then one will never ever wish to wish to or or try to cultivate or obtain a obtain obtain a a happiness of liberation which is, yep, which one will try to attain a happiness which is, which comes by abandoning the cyclic existence or saṃsāra. And also said that if, no matter what kind of person, is, if the person lacks a mind wishing to free from cyclic existence, then no matter how how much you, teach to that person, there there is no method or or one cannot lead that that person into liberation with any kind of skillful means.
So it would be, better to give an example so that that, so that you can understand more clearer. For example, so the example here is that the the two Indians who have no idea about Australia. And so one Australian saw met those two Indians and telling them that the disadvantages or faults of India, for example, like saying it is very hot in India and lots of mosquitoes and the place itself is dirty, so and so, lots of disease, etcetera. So, and mentioning, telling them that Australia is a beautiful country and it has, it’s very clean and good food and many places to go around. I mean, look around and you can have lots of movies to watch so and so.
So and so by telling the the two people the two people, so one might so one person find it true and the other he didn’t. So what happened is now the person who really finds Who find that the explanation is true will will develop a wish to go to Australia and by wishing, having that wish, then the person who tells about Australia will tell him to, okay, you arrange your passport and so forth and I’ll help you to get to Australia with all the documents. And eventually by getting a visa and so forth, finally he will to know later the person will reach Australia. Whereas the one who didn’t take it true or or seriously will not have intention to go to Australia and then he also find, yeah, I love India. It’s a good place.
So then he will never reach Australia reach Australia. So it’s not that. So so it’s like the person who wishes to go to Australia will eventually, by helping him that the person will reach Australia. Whereas other one who says, no, it’s not India. It’s not a hot country.
I’m fine with it and don’t care with mosquitoes, even if I get malaria fever and so forth. So then he will The person will never develop a intention to go to Australia and a one who wish to help can do nothing because the person will never go because he has no intention. And I don’t care about Australia. So so by this, say one will eventually reach Australia and one will not. And it is because that one has developed an intention or a wishing to go to Australia and he he reached Australia.
He he arrived Australia. And whereas others other whereas other one has never developed intention that they’re never wanting to go to Australia and because of that he will because of that he didn’t arrive Australia and been in India. So finally, it came to know about the whether one has intention to go or not. So so taking that as example, we we we we have So we have to train We we need to We have to travel in the path of liberation. And to to train oneself in the in the path towards liberation, of course, one needs to have a intention that wishing to to to free or wishing to attain attain the liberation.
Liberation. And by having that intention and and sooner or later with the part, with the, with the skillful means, with the skillful means and the wisdom, one can gradually, gradually one can reach or attain liberation. Whereas other, other who, the one does not develop intention to attain liberation and seeing the cyclic existence or saṃsāra as pleasurable or very comfortable. And by this, so by lacking the intention to freeing or attaining liberation, he or she will stay in the cyclic existence and will undergo through the sufferings sufferings of the cyclic existence. And for a time being, one can do nothing to free those things if from, yeah, from from the cyclic existence.
So we here, the the both the teacher and the and the students, you know, need maybe could could be about thirty five in number and have all have intention to to, to attain, yeah, intention to attain the liberation and by showing or by by training in the method of attaining it sooner or later, one, the one can attain the, and yet one can attain the liberation. And so and to some might not have the intention to bring freedom from the cyclic existence, But their mind can be changed by showing the method of attaining or developing such an intention that’s been freeing from cyclic existence or from saṃsāra by telling him or her the disadvantages of the the the disadvantages of being in cyclic existence and and telling him the qualities of attaining attaining the liberation and the happiness of having obtained the liberation. And through such a method or a teaching, we may or one may, help that person to develop intention, such intention. Person to develop intention such intention. And it’s someone called Bob from America to whom I know and he always says that I’m very happy in saṃsāra or cyclic existence because because when I feel hot, can swim in the water and when it’s when it’s cold, I can use the heater so it’s very, very comfortable and I’m happy in some So one who really sees that I feel very, saṃsāra is very happy or source of happiness, then so for that person, even Buddha himself would come to the person and he can do nothing to lead that person from cyclic existence.
So so the the having a intention to wishing to free wishing to free from cyclic existence is like a basis or an intention to train in the path because it’s not, to to do a business, one needs to have a principle or something, yeah, for the principle of the money. So without having a principle, one can hardly do any business. So likewise, to have to train or to travel into the path one wish to have, one has an intention to free from cyclic existence as basis or a foundation foundation. So in order to develop such intention, there two ways, through through two ways one can develop that intention. On, yeah, the first one is by seeing the faults of the cyclic existence as well as thinking about the the the sufferings of the saṃsāra and and how one, receives those unwanted, sufferings or or meeting with an unwanted objects.
Seeing the faults and the sufferings or disadvantages of saṃsāra is very important. For example, for saṃsāra or an object or a person, if you see the disadvantages and the sufferings of the suffering of the particular object as well as and knowing that the person or that those things or phenomenas are not reliable and so forth. By knowing this one can, one can, develop intention to being free from such things or objects. And another way is knowing or seeing the qualities or the advantages of this of liberation and the the benefits of obtaining the benefits benefits and the happiness of attaining the liberation. So it’s important.
And by and and by seeing all these call good qualities of liberation or being free from cyclic existence, then one will one one will find it very necessary to attain. So if one has those two qualities or those two skillful means that seeing the disadvantages of the cyclic existence and seeing the good qualities and so forth of the liberation, if one has those two then there is no difficult to difficulty or difficult difficulty to develop intention to free from cyclic existence, attaining the liberation, so to attain the liberation, no? So this is the reason at this stage we can’t we have we we have not we are not able to develop such intention or or the intention the intention we have developed is not so stable or or very firm. It is because because we can’t rarely see the advantages of this of this of of some liberation and disadvantages of the cyclic existence. So today we’ll deal with the the the qualities of liberation.
So now, so for here the Lord Buddha Śākyamūni turned the first wheel of Dharma at Varanasi, the the four noble the teaching of four noble truths and teaching that the true suffering, origin of the suffering, and the true cessation and the true path two two part yeah. Two part. So the first two are showing the the the disadvantages of the cyclic existence, and then next to next to which third and fourth are the the qualities of the liberation. And so so he has taught the true cessation. And for the as for the true cessation, has four features which are the true cessation, peace, excellence, excellence, and the the renunciation or or wish to free from cyclic existence.
So those three the explanation the the purpose of explaining the four features towards the third which is true cessation, is to see the qualities of the of the liberation and and develop a wish to attain such a happiness or liberation. So the first feature is the cessation itself, the cessation. The cessation here means which implies implies, it sees something. What it sees is it sees or it stops all the unwanted, those, unwanted sufferings of the cyclic existence, like the the birth, old age, sickness and death as well as like those the the suffering of change, suffering of pervasive conditions and so forth. And which also helps you to attain the happiness without suffering.
So if briefly summarize here then it it it sees or it’s what it stops is it stops the first the first truth which is the true sufferings. So so by by through this cessation, attaining that cessation, it stopped the the the first two, which true suffering which we do not wish. No. No. And then the second second feature of the true cessation is the the peace.
No. No. So the second feature is called peace. And with the peace is that because because it’s being freeing this mind from the second truth, which is the origin of the suffering. And and it is because because, it’s called peace because when when when when when our mind is being being with the disturbing emotions and by conjoining with it and due to that we perform an action and which becomes the causes for all the sufferings.
And by mixing those mind with the disturbing emotion, then then one, one one will have one will not have a peace or calm mind. And and by performing an action by the influence of those disturbing emotion, one one, the action which one could perform is a bad action and due to that, it causes lots of sufferings as well as, it causes, huge discomfort and conflict and so forth. So, and it’s also been said that the there are the the eighty four thousand self grasping attitudes or disturbing emotion and by the influence of those, we performed the bad actions and we did, one will not have peace and so forth. So by abandoning the second truth, which is true origin of the suffering, is the, yeah, causes of the suffering. And by abandoning this, one attains the peace.
So peace here refers to the abandonment of those second truth. So and the third feature is called the excellence. It is because the the first feature, the cessation, the third truth to cessation and it has four features. First one is cessation which abandons the unwanted suffering which is the first noble truth, which is true suffering. And the second feature or the peace, peace which which which abandons the second the origin of the suffering or second origin of the suffering, and which is the causes of the suffering.
So by by abandoning those two, the suffering and its causes, third future is so the happiness or joy or happiness gained by abandoning those two, those two, the suffering and the origin of causes of the suffering. And the third pleasure is such is inexpressible and and and and and immeasurable. So so such a place such a pleasure or excuse me. Such a happiness is called the excellence, which is the third third features. To me is So the third future is the excellence or the it’s the the is the happiness which is inexpressible and it’s like yeah.
It’s it’s been attained by abandoning the the the to causes of suffering. It is like eating very delicious cake and saying that, it’s very sweet and so forth, saying, It tastes fantastic and delicious and very sweet. This is how this is all you can express to others. And if one asks how sweet it is, you can just say, yeah, it is very sweet. But but you but but act the what you you cannot cannot express what you have what your tongue has tasted.
So likewise, the happiness derived from by the the feelings or the happiness you have physical and mental happiness you have had or attained by abandoning the suffering and the two. The origin of the suffering is is the third one which the third feature, excellence, that you can say, very happy or very pleasurable or excuse for that. It’s very say, huge happiness is there. So you can you can just say it but you you cannot really express what actually your physical, mental and physic your feeling mentally or physically or you you cannot explain the feelings you have, your body and the mental feelings. Yeah.
And then also, such happiness is a very stable or a very firm happiness. And and by attaining that, one one is likely or one can, be on a meditative equipoise and being equipoise on that happiness or that peace and living in that and staying and absorbing within it for aeons and aeons, like sleeping on it, just meditating on that happiness or peace. And the the fourth feature is renunciation because by attaining such happiness and it is stable and very firm and one will never lose it. And because because because one has had the level of renunciation which will never let all those disturb, which will never let those disturbing emotion to come back or being, yeah, so develop or never let those disturbing emotion to return or come back. So due to that, one has that renunciation, the relaxation, which is the fourth.
So way of practicing or entering the parts of the great vehicle or the Mahāyāna path are two ways of, yeah, two ways. Is that once the practitioner who from the very outset or from the very beginning joined the path of accumulation of the great vehicle, whereas the other who joins the who train in the parts of the Hīnayāna or the lower vehicles, Hīnayāna parts and by completing all the completing the accomplishing the parts of the Hīnayāna schools or the lesser vehicle, then he starts, the one joins the Mahāyāna, the great vehicle and yeah, joins the great vehicle. So one who has joined the great vehicle from the very beginning will will attain the enlightenment very quickly. And one who who starts from the Hīnayāna part will take longer time than the other one to to enlighten.
So there’s huge differences or or yeah. Or or yeah. Of attaining the enlightenment means you how fast one the other attend. It’s like the the one is to be on driving through the the one is one is driving a car or or car and one is being on a horse, just riding a horse. So huge differences there.
It is because one who has started from the Hīnayāna part is that whenever he attains that liberation and the happiness, the happiness one attained or one gained by abandoning the saṃsāra or cyclic existence is inexpressible as we said. And that person sees it’s very comfortable and very happy and sometimes there is a danger of the person just being on a meditative, living on a meditative equipoise or absorbing into that happiness for a long and for a very long time. So a person will take a time or quite a longer time to attain enlightenment because so he he absorbed in such happiness, like sleeping. And and while he was in a such absorptions or in such sleep, the others will just travel. So that that the the happiness of the liberation is inexpressible and and it’s endless.
And for example, when we talked about the sufferings of the hell realm, then the the the the Within the suffering of the hell, the hell of the very bottom of the hell, is the unceasing. Yeah, so it’s called the Avici. And whereas before happiness, called the most perfect or the and yeah. Of the suffering the happiness is has been stated that the happiness derived from attaining liberation is the is the inexpressible or the or the great happiness. And the the yeah. It is such that the hell of the the very bottom is called the the hell of unceasing suffering.
The the yeah, so that when we talked about the true cessation, the four noble, the third noble to it is the happiness of those attaining the liberation or happiness of liberation. And now, and the fourth noble to it, which is the true path, has been said to attain is showing the method and the wisdom of attaining such cessation or such a true cessation now. So in that in that two part, we are meditating in the part of of meditating in the part on the qualities of the qualities and the benefits of advantages of the cycle of the liberation. So it is like a business knowing or seeing the profits of the business. So if he or she knows the profit of the particular business, then no matter he or she will undergo through hardships, they have to, they will because they know the profit of the business.
So here today, we have briefly now explained the advantages and the qualities of the liberation and which is to develop the intention to free from cyclic existence. So we’ll stop here today, and we’ll and take some questions if you have. Okay. Is that a question? If you have such thought like forsaking oneself, seeing others undergoing more suffering, truly more suffering than oneself, then it’s great.
Yes. It’s like feeling that that forgetting about oneself and being involved into helping others and being freeing others from the suffering and taking seeing those I mean, others important oneself. And by having such, it’s like one is turning or becoming a bodhisattva. Very, very good. So, yeah, it’s true that here we we have enough food and financially okay to live by oneself and has all this, you know, food, clothing, and shelter, and so forth.
Whereas, and other in people in other countries, they are undergoing huge suffering, like in war or, like, in Africa, starvation and so forth. And by and it is true that their sufferings are twice greater than ours. And and if you know that they are undergoing through huge sufferings and develop a compassion toward those beings, very, very good, if you can do such. And there are still other sentient beings who are who has or who have greater suffering than that, who are the beings in hell. Okay.
Or right. Here, the abandoning spiritual path refers to coming to Buddha house. Right? Yeah. Okay.
And this word, Yeah. And the the by doing such, you you are stopping or I mean, you are not able to come to listen come to listen for listen to teaching, but but you are not stopping the spiritual part because by working to others, seeing bringing help towards those beings and developing compassion to those beings is the is the practice, so religious practice. And so yeah, the only thing you stop is just coming to listen to the teaching, but you are you haven’t stopped the spiritual path. So according to the great Kadampa masters, lamas, and when they have said that the place, first self attaining or completing self purposes, is before others. And it is because because without perfecting one’s purpose, one will not help others.
And so one should try to first accomplish one’s purpose and self purpose or oneself or yeah. Yeah. So and the way of perfecting or accomplishing self purpose is not just focusing on oneself. In order to benefit sentient beings, others, bring them free them from suffering, free them from the suffering and bring them to the state of ultimate happiness, for that purpose, I shall perfect my I mean, to accomplish my purpose or self purposes. And so so to so to accomplish the self purpose, one one one has to have such a such motivation that it is just done for the sake of others.
And so by abandoning, by So through such motivation, perfected or accomplishes the self proposes, and when that happens, then one can help others because one has only one work which is to benefit and fulfill others’ purposes because one has no longer need to work for the accomplishment of self purpose because it’s been accomplished already. So it is like the way Buddha Śākyamūni has done. So by by perfecting self, one’s proposes, then one can emanate oneself into thousands and each emanation can have limitless sentient beings. So so without so without accomplishing accomplishing one’s self purpose and trying to help others, then there is a danger of falling oneself downwards. And if that happens, then one has neither perfected others purpose nor oneself, and instead of that fall into fall downwards.
And once one has been falling downwards, which is in lower migration, then it’s very hard come back or come out of that state. So perfecting itself purpose is very important, which is done for the sake of all sentient beings. They are the sentient beings who are undergoing through such situations and undergoing through sufferings of such situations, disease and so forth. And also, some are undergoing through huge sufferings in the hell realms. And so in order to help them, if one personally go towards the person, approach the suffering sentient beings and give a hand or just give clothing and food and so forth.
One is helping those suffering sentient beings for a time being temporarily, but not ultimately. But there is a benefit of doing such, but it is far better to develop a compassion and great compassion and through the influence of that compassion, one meditates the path to trying to free those suffering sentient beings as soon as possible from their sufferings. And by developing that good compassion, one develops the bodhicitta and trains in the conducts of the Buddha’s sons. And by doing such practices, one is not directly helping those suffering sentient beings, but indirectly one is helping a lot. So, you know, so in order in order to to attain such such a state to benefit all sentient beings and to attain enlightenment, to being free from all the negativities and acquire good qualities, so in order to attain such a state very quickly for that, Buddha Śākyamūni has taught these taught those great secret tantric teachings, which is a method to attain liberate attain enlightenment very swiftly or quickly and then also if one can practice very well, one can attain enlightenment or become enlightened within two years and a month and a half.
And by achieving that enlightenment, then one has miraculous feats and can transform or emanate oneself into thousands of forms and and by each forms, one can benefit many sentient beings. So therefore, the advice of the great Kadampa masters is that first one should purify one’s negative deeds because the sentient beings are limitless. And you you can you can you can help them at any time because they are numberless.
So first yeah. Purify one’s negative deeds first. Okay. Yeah. Page five, dedication dedication prayers, verse eight and nine.