Audio recorded at Buddha House Adelaide. Transcript auto-generated and AI-corrected; may contain errors.
About this talk. While Westerners hold birthday parties, Nāgārjuna and Tsongkhapa taught that birth is the root of all suffering — an inversion Khensur Rinpoche makes vivid partway through this 95-minute Lamrim commentary. He builds toward it systematically: opening with the structure of bodhicitta (nominal versus ultimate, aspiring versus engaged) and Mañjuśrī’s four verses that mark the line between genuine and nominal dharma practitioners, then motivating renunciation through Tsongkhapa’s image of practitioners as children who forget their pain within minutes and cannot recall the immense suffering of past lives. The talk concludes by establishing the precious human rebirth — with its eight leisures and ten endowments — as the uniquely suitable basis for escaping saṃsāra, comparing lay and ordained practitioners. A brief Q&A on the demigod realm follows.
File metadata (for organising)
File: 36 LR 1999 11 30.mp3
UUID: e606d392-2235-4e52-999f-9d9202d98898
Teacher: Khensur Rinpoche
Collection: Lam Rim (Khensur Rinpoche)
Date: 1999-11-30
Recorded at: Buddha House Adelaide
Duration: 95.0 minutes
Words: ~5,643
So if you first develop a bodhicitta the mind of altruistic intention. There are different sorts of motivation one develops. But among the motivations, the motivation of the altruistic intention or bodhicitta is the ultimate or the utmost one. The motivation of altruistic intention is the motivation which is developed by the bodhisattvas, enlightened beings, and also it is the motivation cultivated by the person of the great scope. The motivation which is developed by the practitioner practitioner of the initial and the middling scope or the stages is that they see the disadvantages of the cyclic existence and seeing that oneself has undergone through huge sufferings of saṃsāra, and by knowing this, one contemplates things, contemplates on the part which needs which free only oneself and or oneself and trying to attain for the self liberation is the motivation of the first two stages by practitioners of the first two stages.
Developing the motivation of altruistic intention is converting that motivation developed by the practitioner of the first two stages, thereby seeing oneself lacking happiness, which is the ultimate happiness, and undergoing through great suffering and and seeing oneself undergoing wholly unwanted sufferings and converting that motivation towards others by seeing the others same as oneself lacking ultimate happiness and undergoing those true huge suffering. So and to develop that to wish to free them and to develop a compassion, great compassion towards those sentient beings to to free them from sufferings and let them have the ultimate happiness. After having developed those two love and compassion towards others, in addition to it, one develops special insight, which is taking the responsibility of freeing all the sentient beings from the suffering. Developing those love, compassion, and special intentions are like a preliminary of the bodhicitta? Having developed all those love, compassion, and special insight, by training in this, one one came to know that that one is not in the position to to bring all those sentient beings out of the suffering.
And one finds or came to know come to know that the only the Buddha has the capability of doing doing so. So by knowing this, one develops a motivation to attain enlightenment for the sake of freeing all the sentient beings from the suffering and bring bring them to the state of ultimate. Such such a mind is called the bodhicitta or altruistic intention. So the way of developing such a motivation such bodhicitta is first called the ordinary bodhicitta or the nominal bodhicitta that one has developed, it’s called the nominal. By having developed the first that bodhicitta and through meditation, familiarizing to that bodhicitta by meditation and whenever one develops, one generates certain kind of experiences and whenever one is able to develop that motivation, that bodhicitta of attaining enlightenment for the sake of all sentient beings, just by seeing a a single sentient being is called the the the ultimate bodhicitta.
That effortless ultimate bodhicitta which one has that wishes of attaining enlightenment for the sake of other sentient beings without any effort is called the ultimate bodhicitta. And as for that bodhicitta, there are two types. In first, it’s called it’s called the aspirational aspiring bodhicitta. So, for the ultimate bodhicitta has been set forth into two, the aspirational and aspiring bodhicitta and the engaged or involved or engaged bodhicitta. The aspiring bodhicitta is the one one develops a certain a mere wish to free those sentient beings from the suffering and bring them to a state of ultimate happiness, Whereas for the in in engaged bodhicitta is is the in yeah.
Engaged bodhicitta is the one one actually not just by mere wish. Just one one not just one is not stick towards just a mere wish. One actually implements and that that wish that wish and involve and perform the action into freeing the sentient beings from the suffering. The actions are like doing the the the the the actions of listening, teaching, contemplating, and meditation as well as practicing in the six perfections. So the engaged bodhisattva is considered to be superior than the aspirational aspiring bodhicitta.
And so here, we should here develop we develop a engaged bodhicitta by by by wishing to attain enlightenment for the sake of all sentient beings. And for that purpose for for that purpose, I shall hear, listen engage in the action to action, listening towards listening this Mahāyāna teaching of the graduated path towards enlightenment. That is among Chinese common ji tissues. So we’ll do a shot meditation here. The great teacher, Mañjuśrī, has said art has given advice of being free advice of being free or freeing the attachment from four objects.
What he said for is that if one is attached towards this life, one is not the dharma practitioner. And one has no renunciation if one attached if one has attached attach one is attached towards this saṃsāra or cyclic existence. And one has no bodhicitta if one is if one has self-cherishing or one attaches towards oneself. And one one has one one hasn’t got any views, understanding of views if one has the no one has a grasping attitude. His first verses shows the distinction between the dharma practitioner and the non dharma practitioner.
So which means is that one who who strives very hard to overcome one’s suffering, one’s one one’s own suffering within one lifespan and and work for the attainment of happiness, for present life, for oneself is is considered as not not a dharma practitioner. The person who who consider the next life next life more important than the present than the present and work for the betterment of the next life or the future life is set forth the for the practitioner or dharma practitioner. Whether you are a monk or not, you should check examine yourself and if one is doing doing this, which means working working more and taking future life more important than working for it is whether one is working for future life or not. If one does, then one is a practitioner. The advice of the first man is for the practitioner of the first initial stage of the small scope.
And second one, the about the renunciation is for the middling capacity / middling scope. So so person who works for the future life more considering future life more important than the present life and working for the betterment of it, the future life has been called is being called practitioner. And now one, a person a such a person, the same person, but if the person has attachment towards the the attachment towards the the worldly or samsaric enjoyments and and and have attachment towards one’s well you know, one’s well-being in the cyclic existence is is if, yeah, is is if one has that, then one one is not a practitioner of of of the middling scope. So that person the the the person that that that person with the practitioner, if he so he has not attachment towards he has no attachment towards this person’s life. And upon it, on top of that, if he develops develops a develop a mind wishing to a mind wishing to free from cyclic existence and trends in the practices of four noble truths and the twelve links of interdependence, and such person becomes the practitioner that person becomes a practitioner of middling scope.
So that practitioner of the meeting, that person if if he only sees the who sees the disadvantages of the psych being taking birth or the disadvantages of the cyclic existence and he or she only work work only to liberate him or herself and not developing a compassion love towards all sentient beings and will for others, then he or she won’t become or cannot become the practitioner of the great scope. So to to become a practitioner of the great scope, then that person the the per the person who the one who wants to become a practitioner of the great scope should yeah. One should first to become the great practitioner of the great scope, one has to first first one trends in demand training in the parts of the middling scope. And upon and by training in this, one sees that oneself self one sees disadvantages of the cyclic existence and seeing oneself how one’s or how one is being tortured by the huge sufferings of the saṃsāra. And and knowing this, one develops to free oneself from the samsaric existence.
So and to become the on top of it, not only one should convert that not only one should see oneself suffering in the cyclic existence, also see that other sentient beings the same as oneself undergoes undergoes through the huge suffering and lacking ultimate happiness. And in and in what by seeing this, one develops the should develop a loving compassion, wishing them to have all the ultimate happiness and and be free from the suffering. And in order to accomplish such so and and, yeah, love and compassion, and then one develops a mind wishing to attain enlightenment for the sake of all sentient beings and attain enlightenment, which is free from all the faults, and that is for the sake of others. And by having developed that mind and training and and along and training in the practices of listening and so forth along with such motivation, that person becomes the practitioner of the great scope. So one one should here examine oneself and think about think about those three points and examine oneself to see whether one has one is presented or one one has got any of those three.
If one has, then rejoice oneself. And if one hasn’t reached any of those three and one is not presented in the any of those three practices, you should try to cultivate respectively the first, second, and third. So in the past teachings, we have briefly spoken about the trainings of the middling scope and has been we have taught the we have taught the way of developing the mind of the middling scope. And and, also, we have taught the and also the the on what the method what are the method of developing the the mind of middling scope, the methods of the training in the four noble truths and the twelve links of interdependence So I have great hope that by that you have you have understood the true nature or the true mode of existence of the cyclic existence by training by training in those two the the those two, the the four noble truths and the twelve links of interdependence. So if if if one has understood or understood the true the real real true nature of the cyclic existence, then one can definitely see the the disadvantages, the sufferings of the cyclic existence and see one can see the the the saṃsāra is is the nature of this nature of the suffering or or or nature saṃsāra is nature is saṃsāra is like a blazing suffering of blazing fire.
And by seeing this, one can one can by seeing saṃsāra as a blazing suffering of blazing fire, one can see one one can easily develop or one can develop the mind to free to mind you know, develop the mind to or or wish to free from cyclic existence. So by seeing the saṃsāra is is in the nature or or the the nature of saṃsāra is suffering, by saying this, one can develop a very strong wish to free from cyclic existence. Or have strong wish to attain liberation. The great master the the great master, Tsongkhapa, has said for that we have taken numbers of numbers of birds in the past and taken we have taken rebirths in the hells, hungry ghosts, gods, and humans, so forth. And and every time when every time we take a birth in those realms, we under we have undergone through through great sufferings, and those sufferings are innumerable and also inexpressible.
And if if one is able to if one if one is able to recall all those sufferings that one has undergone, then one can easily develop one can easily develop develop a wish to free oneself, wish to wish to attain liberationration. But for at this stage, we are like a child, have no grief and also have no we have we we are like a little child that little child that we we cannot develop any grief, and the So here master has set forth that we are like a little child, that we cannot recall all the sufferings which we have undergone through and cannot develop any grief or sadness sadness towards the suffering we we had experienced. It is like a child. We are like a child, it’s set forth because the the little child, like, it’s like new I mean, the the child has been beaten right now. And after a while, he he or she might cry, but after a while, five minutes, he or she forgot everything what had happened in the in five minutes earlier.
And also, we are we we are also like we also we are like a child not having not having developed a fear in cyclic existence or cyclic ex cyclic existence by knowing that that one has undergone through huge sufferings in the past, but one still one do not know. And, also, one do not realize that one one will still wander or circle in the cyclic existence like a wheel unless one realizes the emptiness directly by training by practicing in the three trainings, the trainings of ethical discipline, the concentration or meditative stabilization, and the wisdom. And and so it is like a child that we still cannot develop a fear in the cyclic existence because and because the cyclic by taking up this burden burden the cyclic existence is it’s not a it’s not appealing or it’s not a a good rebirth. That if there is a happiness, real happiness in cyclic existence, then then there shouldn’t be any problem even if one does not develop a fear to the taking burden cyclic existence. But there is there is no happiness at all in this saṃsāra.
So the great master said for that, in the past, we have undergone through huge sufferings, and that is the past. Past is past. But now one should think about how one can one should think about how to stop that sufferings occur in the past. In Lacrosse, the great master Nāgārjuna has set forth that one has one has entered a house which is free free from all those. And by having reached that house, should should try should work should work to to cut cut cut the continuation of the cyclic existence, which means the meaning of which means that we have attained the free from the eight unfree states.
Free from those means free. That we have the house is not we have taken the we received the precious human rebirth, which is free from all those, which means those are free from the unfree states. And, like, unfree states or we have been free from hell, hungry ghost, taking birth in hell, hungry ghosts, you know, the animals, demigods, gods. And and also, we are not born in the barbering area. We are not been born in the place where there is no dharma.
So we are free from all those unfree states. And having attained this precious human rebirth free from all those unfree states, one should one by by having found this, one should work to to cut work for the the the end or cutting the end of the cyclic existence. The master said that work work to cut the cut the continuation of or or work to cut cut the cut taking rebirths, cut the births or taking rebirths. So whereas so but here in the west, it’s bit diff bit difficult because we we consider that the birthday is a very special day, and people gather and held a huge party. According to those great masters, Ārya Nāgārjuna and Tsongkhapa, they have said that the root of the suffering is the birth.
It’s taking birth or birth is the basis of all the sufferings. The way of taking birth are in of two types. Like like, the the taking birth of Buddha’s Bodhisattvas are are different than our our our our birth because The way of Buddhas and bodhisattvas. Yes. Yes.
Because those Buddhas and Bodhisattvas has taken birth through by the power or through the influences of love and compassion and the bodhicitta, so due to that, they have no sufferings of taking birth. Whereas for us, we are projected by the influence of of of the action and disturbing emotions, and due to that, our birth is suffering. So we By the influence of disturbing emotion and action, we take rebirth or we take birth. By taking that birth, suffering stops. So maybe you don’t like this teaching.
So so the birth, taking birth, the birth is the root or the basis all the basis of the sufferings, all sufferings. It is because, say, by taking birth in the cyclic existence, we have the various types of sufferings in the cyclic existence. And for example, like, we have a suffering of birth, suffering of age, or suffering of aging, suffering of of illness, and suffering of death. And so all those sufferings are derived from the from the birth. By taking the birth, one one goes through the first but at at the time one one was born, one has the deciphering of bodies eventually there at the time of one’s birth.
After taking the bird, one has the physical form. One a body, and that body acts as a basis for all the sufferings. Because of having that body, one becomes older or one yeah. One one goes one becomes older each day and and undergoes to the suffering of aging, and that body gets sick and the body dies. So perish.
So all these sufferings originally come from the birth. And also, it is like by taking the body of a human, we have the sufferings of the human. Likewise, the horse, by taking the horse’s body has the problem sufferings of the horse, but in reality the horse hasn’t got the problem of the human, suffering of the human body. The body acts as a basis or it’s a body which is the birth. That act as a basis for all the sufferings.
By taking the birth, one goes through the suffering and by also having the body one is not able to and and has attachment towards that body, and one and one is not able. One can the suffering of not not not not accomplishing one’s wishes and then the suffering of of meeting with the unwanted with un unwanted ones or unwanted things. And also, by having this body, one develops attachment towards that body. And and by having the having and due to that because of that attachments, one develops a huge one cultivates the disturbing emotions or the afflictions. And and through and through this, one performs lots of actions.
And as a result of that, still there is a suffering. And by taking this body or the bird later so soon and at the late later one dies and one perils his body and and continues that suffering by taking another form or another bird or another body, and then and then the suffering other suffering still comes. So by knowing all this, one can understand that the birth or the rebirth is the root or the basis of all the sufferings. Therefore, the great Kadampa masters in the ancient time, they said that I’m afraid of death, not of death. It’s because they say I’m not afraid of death because it is just a few minutes.
That’s it. One dies, it dies. In a few minutes, that ends. But the birth is very long. It continues again and again and and again.
So for that reason, they said for I’m afraid of birth, but not of death. Therefore, the great master Nāgārjuna has said that one should put effort, full effort to stop or avoid or abandon the birth or taking rebirth. So one should avoid the birth or rebirth. And the way of the the the the rebirth or the birth by itself won’t won’t go by itself or stop, avoid itself. So how how so you you should try very hard, and you you should one should try very hard and use host acid to avoid the the avoid the rebirth.
And and, yeah, should so one should one should try to avoid the rebirth, but the the the body or rebirth by itself won’t won’t avoid by itself. So to to avoid the rebirth or avoid the cyclic existence or saṃsāra, To to avoid that, there are two ways of no. There are two two two main keys to avoid cyclic existence or rebirth that that which are on what basis on on on what base basis basis one avoids this the rebirth and through what kind of skillful means one avoids the on avoids the the rebirth or cycling yeah. Rebirths. So about for the basis so what kind of basis is the most suit basis to avoid the rebirth?
About the basis, there are six types of beings. The beings are the three types of beings in the good migrations and three types of beings of the bad migrations. Among those, except for the humans, others, the god and the demigods of the good migrations or the happy migration, the beings in hell, hungry ghosts, the animal realms are not the basis to avoid the avoid avoid avoid the cycle avoid rebirth. So in because in the lower realms, the peep the beings undergo to huge sufferings, and they are not able they have huge sufferings. And due to that, they they are not able to stop the cyclic existence.
Whereas for the gods and the demigods, the gods, they are it is so pleasant and appealing in the god realm, and they they they they are so indulged in the worldly enjoyments and cannot develop a wish to free oneself from slightly existence. And that and for the demigods, it’s been said for the the beings the demigods have a huge jealousy or jealousy or or or huge envy and which distracts them which and which obstacles them to avoid this idea of existence. So therefore among those six beings beings of six realms, the taking a human birth is the is the best basis of avoiding the rebirth now. So that being said, for the few beings in the in the god realms had abandoned or or came abandoned or avoid the rebirth. And those beings are those beings are previously, they are they have taken the human human human rebirth, and during that time, they have because of their practice, they realize the emptiness directly.
And by realizing emptiness they have yeah. They have realized emptiness directly. And then after and and after taking and and and they later, they end or they don’t they they end the human re human human life span and take rebirth in the god realms. And because of having realized the emptiness in the human realms, they are able to avoid this ugly existence. Therefore, the human rebirth is set for the perfect, most suitable basis to avoid this, avoid cycling avoid taking avoid rebirth.
But but but but this doesn’t it doesn’t mean that all human rebirths are the best are the all the human rebirths are all the humans are re yeah. humans are the best basis to avoid the cyclic existence. Here, the human basis refers towards those human those who has eighteen such human qualifications, human rebirth with with has the eighteen qualities, the eight leisures and ten endowments. So those beings are the beings human call are being called to those beings who has eighteen qualities. That precious human rebirth one who attain enlightenment optimum precious human rebirth with the earthen qualities is the perfect basis is a suitable basis to avoid the rebirth.
Among that, there are different types and there are still differences in their ability. It’s been said for that a person who has attained or preached human rebirth with eighteen qualities and has entered the the teachings of the Buddha, and within that, say, a lay practitioner who has all these eighteen qualities, But but some of the practitioners, they have taken a pratimoksha pratimoksha vow, the the lay vows, and some hasn’t. Some have not taken the the lay vows. So so it’s been said for that that the one who has taken a lay lay vows is is of is better better basis to avoid rebirth than the other. And and and among the the the laypeople and the ordained, is that for if on if on ordained, then the the ordained person are the better basis than better basis than the the lay one.
And within that ordained actually becoming a monkhood or a monkhood monk and nunhood, it’s It’s been said for the difference in the fully ordained monk and the novice monks. So and between the novice monks are the better basis than the novice It’s been said that the basis of the the ordained basis and the lay basis among those, the ordained basis are the better basis than the lay basis, it it is because because if if one is a lay layman or or a woman, then there is a huge distraction. For example, if one has a family, then one has the responsibility of taking care of one’s family, one’s kids, and so forth. And if there is no if one is not financially okay, one has to work for the financial problem of the family. And if one is rich, then one has a problem of protecting or keeping that wealth and so forth.
So due because one has more distraction than the than the ordained ones have to do. That is the difference of those two. So and and also that by becoming ordained, one has more leisure or or more time to practice of abandoning the non-virtuous actions and have more time to more time have more time for the for meditation. And, also, one doesn’t need too many too many things. One one one is one is being satisfied with the reasonable food not financially reasonable the shorter food and the the clothing So if one become if one become a monk, and by having become a monk, one should not should not have should not try to possess too many things like the laypeople.
If one does, then it’s been set forth that one is not really one’s not a good good or a proper monk. So we have talked about the basis on what basis one avoids the rebirth or precious human rebirth with eighteen qualities, the eight leisures and ten endowments is the right or is the right basis or the best or perfect basis to avoid the saṃsāra. So one came to know this, and so here, one examine oneself whether one has that precious human rebirth or not. That and one has received the precious received the human rebirth. It should check whether one has all those aging qualities or not.
So if one has that, then one is or one is or one has received the basis of avoiding saṃsāra and should should feel rejoice. If one hasn’t received that basis yet, then should try to attain or achieve that basis. So today, we have have taught you that that taught taught taught taught about what what basis on what basis one can avoid saṃsāra. And now in next week, in the next teaching, we’ll talk about having taken that having received that basis for basis to avoid this cycle of existence. How now on so we’ve talked about we’ll be teach giving the teaching about on what path or yeah.
Through what through what path one one avoids this cyclic existence or rebirth. Thank you very much. I mean, We’ll take one or two questions. Rupesh Shai, what happens in the realm of the demigods? I have no idea.
The the demigods are considered to be considered as they are are slightly richer than human beings and also have better looking than the beings, but a bit weaker than the gods. So so so this is the state of the demigods. So you mean what happens there? What yeah. What do you do it’s been set for the the status of the rebirths.
So human beings are the are lower than those two. So human human beings and the demigods and the gods’ rams. Right? So it’s been said that I I don’t remember the name of that tree. It’s been said for there is a tree which grows from the land of the demigods, and it’s a it has very, very delicious fruits coming out.
That that tree gives very good fruit. So that it was it grows from the the demigods’ land, and and the tree go and that tree grow very, very tall. It’s very tall. And the top of the the top of the trees reach the god runs. Right?
So the so the god enjoys all the foods, but it was eventually gone from the demigods. So due to that, the demigods, they can they feel very sad and also sad with what’s happening because of the tree and only the god gods, they enjoy, but it actually comes from their land. So the because of that, they they have they time to time, they have come like a war or combat between with the with the god worms, and gods are stronger than those. And they and they always lost a war. Now so and so because of this and the because of and by losing the war or invasion yeah.
War, they feel they have huge saddened or grief and also and have lots of envy or jealousy about the the the power of the gods and themselves, but they just so so and they always undergo through the huge grief, suffering, and and of envy and the jealousy. So so they’re always in this this state. I don’t want to speak about it. I’m try to call it. Yeah, it will cost you trouble to many people.
Yeah. There is a lot I mean, huge debates about this topic. According to the lower vehicles, henayana schools, it seems like mainly taking into account of the the ability or, say, the word leutopsies. Say, the physical strength. Because in in olden days, when yeah.
In ancient time, so when they become an audience or a monk and there was they abandoned all the the families and go for the hermit and stay single in the forest. Single and meditating under the trees, it’s been said for the male meditators or being said for much safer than a single female or a lady or a nun doing the meditation under the tree by her own. So it’s been said for the hair has more distraction or more harm to to the female than the male, and it’s probably so it’s it’s some I want to put this in a beautiful word. So so it may have set forth by taking this as account or yeah. No.
Upon this, it’s also been said for that the male has a more steady or stable mind than than the female or maybe the feast is first. Then then the male. So by having the the the the the better physical strength as well as the state of the stability of the mind. So by and and because of having those the males are set forth to be able to do a better practice than than the females. Sort of like that.
Wish I were right. Thanks. I guess I’m well inside of that. Yes. Someone says that Jampa knows better than Jampa knows better because he has been in the Tibetan library for a while.
And while I was there, the Geshe dawa was teaching he’s a resident one of the resident teacher there, and he always had problem with these kind of questions. But I don’t know anything about this. I don’t know. May be because this being set that a lot better physical strength and stable mind. Probably it’s been set forth because of these these sort of differences but I don’t know.
You. One more question. If you practice really well in the human realm, isn’t there a chance that you get reborn in the demigod realm and then you won’t be able to practice? You practice better in the human realm you don’t achieve liberation. Yeah.
And born in demigod. Demigod realm. Mhmm. Won’t that you be able practice anymore. It’s been said that it’s quite difficult to practice in the demigods because the beings of the demigods are said that by nature they are very jealous and they have huge problem of jealousy, angry, and also hatred.
Also, they are not friendly in each other. Always, the stronger person contends the weaker ones. Also they don’t have any proper they don’t have someone who teaches the Dharma and one has no ability of giving teachings in that realm. So it’s been said that it’s quite difficult. It’s quite hard to practice in the demigod realm.