Audio recorded at Buddha House Adelaide. Transcript auto-generated and AI-corrected; may contain errors.
About this talk. A deathbed illustration anchors this 94-minute session by Khensur Rinpoche: whether a dying person craves warmth, cold, food, or awakening at death determines the next rebirth, making mental habits — and even the attending nurse’s conduct — spiritually decisive. Rinpoche builds this from a teaching on dependent arising as antidote to wrong views, particularly the nihilistic belief that no future life exists. He then shows how the Kadampa master Geshe Potowa used the twelve links of interdependence to practice all three Lamrim scopes: fear of lower rebirths driving small-scope abandonment of the ten non-virtues; renunciation of saṃsāra as the middling scope; and compassion for beings in the same predicament generating bodhicitta as the great scope. The session closes with a technical point from Vasubandhu and Nāgārjuna on why the three mental non-virtues are path but not action.
File metadata (for organising)
File: 34 LR 1999 11 16.mp3
UUID: de66f444-6746-4f81-9147-2762937c4cf2
Teacher: Khensur Rinpoche
Collection: Lam Rim (Khensur Rinpoche)
Date: 1999-11-16
Recorded at: Buddha House Adelaide
Duration: 94.3 minutes
Words: ~5,882
Yeah. That The great master Candrakīrti has set forth that the the view of the dependent or dependent origination or dependent arising is is is good for overcoming all those wrong wrong views which we have and also those confusions, the lack of understandings, being also purified or cleared by the understanding of this dependent arising. So how does the view of dependent arising eliminates or abandons help us to abandon our those wrong wrong views. It is because, for example, it’s in this way that we set for the twelve limbs of interdependent, and within the twelve twelve limbs of interdependent, six are the causes and six are the results of those. And, for example, if you think for we have a wrong view of of the things that are things were born without without a cause without without their cause.
And, for example, like, if one examines through by if one has the understanding of interdependent, then one will over the the the abandon that wrong view of accepting the things exist or comes without without a cause. For example, as a person or a being, how how that being comes. The being is not is a result of something, but it’s not. It’s it’s a result, but it’s a it is not the result without any cause because that that our present life has its causes, which is in the previous life, our previous with good motivation. Along with that good motivation, we accumulate the karma, the actions, and and good which is good actions.
And due to that, without by the collections of that motivation good motive good motivation and the action, as for the result, we have attained this precious human rebirth. So as they are interdependent that they are it’s as that or in dependent origination that our present life is a is originated from their previous life, which is a yeah. The from the previous life and through understood by knowing this through this rationalizing or through this this exact investigation, one come to know that the things comes from its cause, and the wrong view of accepting things exist without outcomes without cause will be ceased by this investigation now. If the things or the results comes or exist or comes without a cause, then then we when then at this stage, we we do not need to put any effort in working for the betterment for the good result or good result to have good result in the future and as well as we don’t have to worry about about creating something bad cause to have to to bring suffering or bad result in the future because because the things comes or enters without any cause. If that is true, then then at this stage, when we were young, we worked so hard to save something so so that that one will have that we’ll have a better or an easier life when we become older because by saving all those saving one’s incomes and working so hard to make to make one’s future or old age easier.
So if if if the things all comes without their cause, we don’t we don’t need to work so hard at this stage to have a better living in the near future. Means when once becomes becomes out, know, older. As and some kind of person, have a wrong view, like thinking that that that nothing nothing exists or, say, when one after one’s or one’s one’s death that when one dies, and that that is the end of oneself and one one does not exist anymore. So if if that is true, that things that the person will no longer exist after its its death, And and it all say it it it ends like a it ends like a like a butter lamp when it’s run out of its fuel that and that was the end of the butter lamp. If that is true, then then we don’t have to worry after our future lives and also we don’t bother to work so hard through doing meditation, cultivating bodhisattva, compassion, love towards something means to have a better rebirth in the life because the next life is not exist and also that we don’t need to avoid all those non virtuous actions like killings and stealings, killing, stealings, etc.
To to yeah, etc. Because because because the next life is not is is not exist. So if there is no rebirth or next lives, then then we can then all we then one one has to agree that there is no there’s those the two three lower realms and the upper realms as well as bodhisattvas, arhats or arhats do not exist as well. But that view agreeing that the future life does not exist is a wrong view because we can we can easily understand or realize through our direct perception that all those three lower realms and also the lower and upper realms as well as Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, arhats do exist because we can see it or understand it through our direct perception. So due to that, by knowing by by by training in the view of or training in those dependent origination or dependent dependent arising that that that sees or that that eliminates the wrong view of accept agreeing the agreeing the next life does not exist now.
So the main is that each and every being, they have ten through which one accumulates the actions or performs the actions. So the ten doors are the three doors of body and four from speech and three from mind. And through this, one cultivates the actions and and and will and and have a result of result from that action. So if one perf cultivates a good actions through those then there’s as a result of that good action, one have a one will have a better and nicer results. And if one cultivates or performs bad actions through those doors, the result will be bad result and and and we’ll have suffering for results.
So so for that, the hearer, the great master, the Lord Buddha Śākyamūni has has set forth that you yourself is your teacher or your master and how and and others can’t be your master. And you yourself is your enemy and others can’t, which means the meaning of that is all those good results of of so be having a very meaningful life and being educated and becoming arhats, Buddhas, bodhisattvas, or the wish the good results, which are which are which are attained or or or attained attained by by making yourself to work for it And and by by by by influencing or or or working by yourself through this, through you I mean, acting you yourself should order yourself to work to attain all those. And and and there can’t be and and be a master, and there there is no other masters who who will let you attend those good results. They say it’s like our great bodhisattvas.
So if I’m if I’m wish happiness and if I’m wish happiness and and also attain this state of ultimate happiness, one one one one you should you should work one hap you you yourself or you should have to work for your betterment. And if if you fail to cultivate or work for those good results, then you the others can’t help you to the others can’t help you to attain this if if you failed to cultivate or put it cultivate to work for it. So so one has to work by oneself to achieve those ultimate happiness. So so you said that you yourself is your refuge. You yourself is your master.
And so how how one be the way or in which way, how how one one one becomes one one’s refuge or one’s master is is done through this way, that there are there are ten non virtues, which are the the three from body, four from speech, and three from mind. And among those, the the three the the the three non virtues of are from the mind, which are covetousness, harmful intention, and wrong views, these are the main. And they are those three, the covetousness, harmful intention, and the wrong views are the disturbing emotions. And the three and the and and the and those non seven non virtues from body and speech are the actions. So which means that the those disturbing emotions, the the covetousness, harmful intention, and wrong views of the mind could develop act as a motivation or yeah.
Yeah. You develop some motivation and and and force and by cut developing that motivates and then through and and and perform actions through body and speech. So so in order to avoid all those negativities for what what one has to do is first one has to overcome those three, the covetousness, which is attachment, and and then the harmful intention, which is which is anger. And the the the third one is the wrong views. So in order to in order to overcome the attachment, the covetousness, one one should train in the in the opposite of that attachment, which is in nonattachment.
And as for the anger, to overcome that anger, one develops bodhicitta or or the love and compassion. And and to overcome that wrong view, one trains in the the the view of interdependent dependent arising. And by by by eliminating those three main disturbing emotions, attachment, anger, and wrong views, then one automatically converts all the the bad actions performed through body speech both through body and speech will into the positive actions and through this, by doing this, one becomes oneself as one’s master as well as one’s refuge. So so one one should one should one should convert all those ten non virtuous actions into virtuous actions. And from the beginning, one does not know how to convert all this convert these bad actions into the good action.
So therefore, from the beginning, should seek seek for spiritual teacher, the lama, and by receiving and and and listen to his teachings or to his instructions instruction how convert all those bad actions into positive or good action. And by listening to it, one one can one can convert convert those bad actions into good action. But but but just by listening, the instruction is not enough. What one has to do is one one needs to make bring all those implement or bring all those hearings into into the into into practice. And and by practicing by yourself, one converts all these bad actions into into the good actions.
And others if so they so, yeah, the can’t convert your action into bad bad action into good action unless you practice. So as for us, from the from the beginningless of time, we have been under the under the influence of negative actions or the non virtuous. And due to that, we we and under being under the influence of negative negative actions or disturbing emotions, and we have cultivated the the the the various non-virtues through body, speech, and mind. So at this stage, what one what we need to do is try not to be under the influence of these certain emotions and convert all those action bad actions into the positive action. And what and how one can do is one has to do convert those is convert those bad actions into good is only done through training in in in the positive actions or virtuous actions.
No. And that is and and and doing that is called practicing Dharma or practice or practicing Dharma. So so we so we from the beginning of this time, we have we’ve been under the influence of this type of emotions, and also we are so used to or familiarized towards the towards the the non virtuous actions. And and and if we still we we we listen to Dharma or we receive the teachings listen to the teachings, but if we still do not change our our our actions and and also and being so familiarized into this disturbing emotions or nonversus action, then then it’s going to be a huge problem. Yeah. So if one if if one still doesn’t do not does not change one’s one’s familiarization in by listening to teaching, then this will remain in same problems forever.
So if if you still do not change and and and and remain same and letting one’s mind be go under the influence of all those negative under the negative actions or non virtues, then then then then what what happens is that the the three non virtues of the the of the mind are are called all the disturbing emotions, and the and and three and seven remaining seven non-virtues from body and speech are our actions. And and and by the power part and, like, and continuing so if you so, yeah, if one do not change in one’s way of living, then what happens is one one will keep cultivating cultivating those disturbing emotions and the actions. And due to as a result of those two, one will have have continuous sufferings and never be and and and and and what happens is one will never ever we can say by by continuing cultivating action through body, speech, and mind. From this through this disturbing emotion comes action. And what happens is one will have continuous suffering as well as they they will one will not have a time that time to free oneself from this cyclic existence or saṃsāra.
So once the great the the great Kadampa Geshe the great yogi and the great yogi Kadampa Geshe Geshe Potowa, and he went he was a very famous yogi in Tibet in ancient Tibet, he he said that when he practices he practices, he practices all those the the the parts of the the middle the small scope small scope, medium scope, and the great scope through through through through through the practice of dependent arising. No? So how he practiced of of how he practiced was the practice of small, middling, and the great scope through the dependent arising is that, as we said as we said earlier that the three non virtues of the mind are the disturbing emotions, and the the non seven non virtues of body and speech are the actions. And because of the and from those the result of those actions and disturbing emotions, one one one one rebirths or one take birth in the lower realms and undergoes through the suffering. So as so he he set forth that so set forth that by thinking about those knowing that that that those actions and the disturbing emotions, let’s bring ones towards the disturbed towards the lower realms and undergoes through the suffering.
He by thinking about this, he he develops a fear fear fear in fear in taking a bird in the lower ends and and and you have developed a fear in taking birth in those those lower realms. And he he engages in order to free from those sufferings, he engages in the practice of avoiding or avoiding those the non virtuous actions and the disturbing emotions, and such a practice is the practice of of of the small scope. So so by developing a fear a fear in those a fear from the the fear from those lower realms and trying to and trying to avoid or abandon those disturbing emotions, abandoned actions through taking by seeking protection or taking refuge in Buddhadharma and Sangha. And during these practices and the results, And by doing such practices, one will have a have a have a better rebirth in have in the next lives, like, better rebirth of the the being taking bone in the higher higher realms like god realms and the humans. Because the, excuse me, the the practices the main practices of the small scope is is to is to is to attain the higher rebirth in the next lives and and and and avoiding all the sufferings, not taking a worse rebirth in the next lives or attaining higher rebirth in the next life.
And for that purpose, engaging in the practice of avoiding ten non virtuous actions is the practice of this middling scope sorry, this small scope. And and also, if one if one if one performs any performs actions through body body and through body and speech with a good intention, which is free from free from those free from those free from the covetousness, harmful intention, and wrong views, then that action becomes becomes been set forth at the is the positive action or or or It’s called the positive contaminated actions. Developing that motivation, which is free from all those three covetous, the downfall intention and the wrong view and actions, and one performs the action through that motivation. Through this, as we said, one accumulates the the post the contaminated positive action, which means which is a good action. And but that intention is is that that one is is that that that intention knows that that it’s not enough to taking a re taking a higher rebirth in the next life because it seems that even if I’m take a rebirth in a in a higher realms in the next life, but still there is a suffering.
By knowing this, the that that intention is to free from free oneself from the cyclic existence and attain the nirvana or arhathood. And so and doing such a practice is perhaps such practice is called the practice of of of middling scope. So this is how the great master practices that by avoiding the he by thinking about the pluralism interdependent and through this, he avoids all the the avoids the three avoids the avoids all the avoids the negative actions. And and that and negative action is the practice is the equivalent of the practice of a mid small scope. And and by and cultivating the the the the contaminated positive actions through by thinking like thinking repeatedly on the two limbs of interdependence and develop the the intention of freeing oneself from cyclic existence is the practices of middling scope now.
So by cultivating or pretending in that intention, the intention of freeing oneself from the cyclic existence, one goes through the meditation and through this one develops a renunciation one goes through the meditation or through analyzing, and through this one came to know that from the beginningless of time one had been cultivating the lots of negativities and undergoing through and undergoes through huge huge sufferings. And and through this, one one one cultivates or one develops a a fear or or or the renunciation which is like which intention to free oneself from cyclic existence. Not only that person or the great master, he develops a renunciation by thinking he or one has cultivated the lots of negativities and disturbing emotions in the past or previous lives. He also thinks about that one has taken a birth in the higher realms like humans and gods by cultivating as yeah. Taking a birth in the god and human realms as a by by cultivating those positive contaminated actions and and and have also undergone through by taking a birth in those higher realms, one also had undergone through great sufferings, like the sufferings of of of birth, old age, and so forth.
And and so through knowing all those the hardships or the sufferings that one has suffered in the past lives, he then develops the fear and renunciation. And so and then taking oneself as an example that had been through undergoing through huge sufferings and also undergoing through huge sufferings from the beginning less of time. So taking oneself as an example one came to know or sees that all one’s dear ones, like one’s parent, one’s mother, one’s father, sister, friends, and all the motherly or or motherly sentient beings have have been undergoing through huge sufferings and have been and also cultivating the non negative negative actions through the disturbing emotions. And and through to knowing this and by seeing by, yeah, by seeing all those motherly sentient beings undergoing their sufferings and developing a a a an uneasy feeling that they are suffering and and and develop and developing those and developing that loving compassion and special insight plus the plus the bodhicitta is the practices of practices of the great great scope or yeah. Yeah.
Practices of the great scope, and and that practice is done through done along with the understanding or through the practice of the interdependent. So so by thinking about all these twelve limbs of interdependence, it helps ones to to to to develop a renunciation and the sadness of knowing that by knowing that one has undergone through huge sufferings undergone huge sufferings in those in the previous lives. By the teachings of the twelve limbs of interdependence, one will not only be able to develop the renunciation and fear by knowing how one underwent through those sufferings in the previous lives. Not only that, one came to know that if one will continue on top of this, one also came to know that how one will go how one will go undergo through even greater sufferings in future if one does not if one does not make changes changes in cultivating the negative actions? So one develops that all those fears and renunciation towards the cyclic existence and plus plus plus, one also came to know that that all the motherly sentient beings are are also undergoing through huge sufferings and will undergo through huge sufferings if they do not if they do not change the change in their actions of cultivating the negative actions.
And through this, one and one one develops a bodhicitta to attain enlightenment for the sake of all those sentient to help those sentient beings. And and doing such practices is also the practices of practices of the practice of the great scope. Briefly speaking then, the Buddha Śākyamūni, the great master has set forth a very simple practice simple practice, and also that practice is the the main the beginning practice for both the the practitioner of the lay and the ordained practitioners that he set forth the simple practices of of eliminating the ten non virtuous actions and cultivating the ten positive actions. And and that that that practicing or performing that practice is very, very easy and simple. What we lack is we do not put any effort in cultivating or training in those practices.
If one does that practice, it is it is not hard and one can easily able to manage the practice. No? Manage the practice without any difficulty. We do we do need to develop a love and compassion and affectionate affection towards affection towards these sentient beings. But but but but before so but in order to in yeah.
In order to develop that love and compassion and the affection towards sentient beings, before that, one one needs to have, you know, have a love and compassion, affection towards oneself first and and, yeah, one self towards towards oneself and and need to have to free oneself from the cyclic existence. And having that love and compassion love and compassion towards oneself from the beginning is very important and one needs it. So so all the practices of of freeing oneself freeing those sentient beings or freeing avoiding avoiding negative sufferings and cultivating the happiness. Yeah. Cultivating happiness should be done upon the principal practices that the practice that that that first trying oneself, trying to free oneself from the suffering and and attain the happiness, then take that as a principle and on on top of that and to on top of that, one tries to one should or one tries to avoid the sufferings of others and and help them to have the to attain the happiness.
It is, yeah, it is set forth because because because say example, right, if one is strong enough to take care of oneself, then upon that, one can take care of others. So without having the ability to take care of oneself, it is impossible for one to help others. So due to that, maintaining such, take first to look or taking care of oneself well, and then upon it, one should take care of others. And if one can do that, then which is great. We’ll stop here today and we haven’t had any questions and answers for the last few classes just I’m here today.
Yes? Nice. So if we give a more detailed explanation about that, that about the the view view which ascertains the the non existence of the of the next next a rebirth or next life and which is which is invalid view. Because we can say that if if the wait a minute. If there is because if there if there is no rebirth or no no next life, then we should say we can easily say that there is no there is no the the positive or or or positive or negative causes, because if there is no rebirth then yeah.
Positive and the negative causes. Because, yeah. If there is no regret, then we we should say that there is no nonexistence or the the the positive and the the negative causes does not do not exist because because those because because and and also we can we can say that the the three lower realms as well as the upper realms, like the humans, gods, and demigods as well as those Buddhas and bodhisattvas do not exist because because the because those the post the positive and the negative cost do not exist. And and if there is no because those the three lower rebirths are the the are the results of those negative causes, and those upper realms are the result of the positive cause. So as so we said for there are if there is no rebirth, then we we can say we can easily say those lower realms and the upper realms do not exist because the the causes their causes result positive and the negative causes do not exist as well.
We said for that the the we say we ascertain there is a future rebirth or next life. And and also agree or said ascertain that the the next rebirth is being is projected by the action and the disturbing emotions of this present life as well as from the previous lives. And and how we project its rebirth is like that. For example, yeah, we we cultivate actions and disturbing emotions in this lifetime as well as we have lots of the the the imprints of positive and negative positive. So the and the actions and the disturbing emotions cultivated in the previous life or the beginning previous lifetimes.
So so so how it projects the rebirth is that, for example, there are different types of persons different types of feelings during the time of death. For example, like, some some type of person at the time of death, they have they have a huge huge yeah. There some some some person says at the time of their death, they feel very, very hot. And and the the person who will ask ask ask wants to remove all one’s clothes and also feeling. And inside that inside one’s mind that it’s disturbing emotions, one develops a intention or or a disturbing emotion that they’re wishing that to have something cold to its body.
And due to that and that so that is the disturbing emotions and us and performs the actions of of pulling one’s cloth by oneself or asking others to remove one’s clothes to have some cool. And due to that, at the time of death, one purse that person develops a disturbing emotions of wishing to have something cool with towards oneself. And, also and and that that act as a craving. And due to that but through this, those cravings, disturbing emotions, and the action, along with through this, the person dies, and as a result of that, of that craving act as a water to take a rebirth of wishing to have something cold. As a result of that, the person, after the next in the next life, he will be born in the lower realms, hell realms like in the cold hell.
Similar to the person, some type of person who feels very cold at the time of death and wanting to have something put on, wishing to put all the clothes on and craving for a hot or a heat. That person dies and he goes in, he takes a birth in the hot hell. Also some kind of person you may have noticed that at the time of death, they do not want have feeling that they do not want to eat anything and even say and their relatives or their dear ones offer him or her have some fruits, and that person do not wish haven’t got any appetite to eat any food and wishing inside that, I wish I don’t. I can’t see any food in front. Any foods at all.
So and and by craving, so that is the disturbing emotions and also also have developed a craving of not wishing to see any foods as a result of that. One dies and one the result for that one will take a birth in a place where there is no food like the hungry ghost realm. So so we before before that craving, we have cultivated different sorts of actions in our present life as well as in the previous. The craving acts as water at the time of death to where one will be born or one take rebirth in. And if at the time of death, the person, that person, the dying person has, say, this has seen a representation of a Buddha Śākyamūni or a Buddha or he has seen a really great practitioner, a great person, and he developed a craving of wishing that may I be like that person, a Buddha, or the great practitioner.
At that time, he developed a craving. Plus, if he has cultivated any sort of actions in the previous life to become like those great beings, then by the gathering of that craving and the action he had cultivated as a result, he can attain now or attain like attain a Buddhahood or become like a Buddha or a person he he wished to be. If person develops a craving at the time of their death to be like a Buddha And even if he fails to to being like a Buddha, but just by having that craving of becoming like Buddha is very, very helpful, and it will it will it will help ones to take in a higher rebirth like taking a birth in the human realm so being a human. For that reason, it’s been said that having a proper nurse at the time of death is very important. If the person knows about these practices, then the nurses can help the person to take a better rebirth at the time of his death.
So the nurse, having a proper nurse or having a the nurse who is fully have full understanding of these practices is very important. If the purse if the nurse for example, like, if that nurse at the time of death, for example yeah. It provoked the person to develop anger at the time of death, and that that anger will act as a cause to take a birth in the lower realms. Okay. Yes.
Okay. You want to go detail? Break them down. Yeah. Three body, four.
Yeah. Okay. Yeah. So we set forth there are the ten non virtues and three from the body, four from the speech, and three from the mind. And the the three of the bodies are killing, stealing, and sexual misconduct.
And and the the four from the speech is called telling lie and and what’s it called? Telling lie, divisive speech, slander or harsh words, and idle gossip. idle gossip here is just idle talks, which is no hasn’t got any meanings in use in just wasting time. So and there are three non-virtues of the mind, which is covetousness, harmful intention, and the wrong views. Among those tens, the first sevens are called the actions.
And the the three of the mind, which is are called call the disturbing emotions. By the gathering of those disturbing emotions and the actions, we take a result of those actions and disturbing emotions So those three non virtues of the mind act as motivation, that develops a motivation and implements, and then we actually implement those motivation through body and speech without action. As those non virtues of the mind as a motivation, and we perform this action through both the speech and minds, which are the the non virtuous actions. Ma’am? And there’s a mental factor. They do create the karma, which is called the the we call it, like, intended action and the and the intention.
So they they cultivate the the karma of intention, but not they don’t create the intended karma. So it’s it’s like we say, they cultivate intent intention the karma of intention, but they don’t cultivate the karma. Because in the graduated path, it talks about the results of the ten non-virtuous actions. All the ten non-virtuous actions have some results that are explained. So the three those three of the non virtues of the mind are disturbing emotions.
They are not the action. And and they they they they they cultivate action by cultivate action or karma by by through through acting as a motivation, but they themselves will not cultivate the intended karma, but they cultivate karma through acting as a motivation. Due to that, they have their own results. Here, the great master Vasubandhu has set forth that the three the seven non-virtues of body and speech are are both the action and the path, but both the action and the path. But the but those three non virtues of the mind are the path but not the action.
They are the path to perform the action, but they are not action. So it’s the the root the root text said, but these three are path, and the seven are also the action, which means that three is the the non virtuous of the mind. They are path. And seven are also the the action, seven non-virtuous actions of the body and speech are not only the path, they are also the action. This is what we want to interpret.
And and and also the great Ārya Nāgārjuna has set forth. The first three are disturbing emotions, and rest sevens are the are both the path and the actions. So we’ll do the final lung in place. Page thirty three.