Audio recorded at Buddha House Adelaide. Transcript auto-generated and AI-corrected; may contain errors.
About this talk. A Tibetan lama hurling a ritual cake at himself — because “one is one’s own enemy” — crystallizes the argument at the heart of this 98-minute talk. Khensur Rinpoche establishes bodhicitta as the sole criterion for Mahāyāna practice regardless of status or robes, illustrating the point with Śākyamūni Buddha first generating the awakened heart as a hell being. He surveys the temporal and ultimate benefits of bodhicitta, then introduces two lineages for its cultivation — Atisha’s seven cause-and-effect instruction and Śāntideva’s equalizing and exchanging self with others — noting why the latter is reserved for the courageous. The session’s core unpacks the lojong phrase “place all the blame on one”: self-grasping and self-centeredness, traced through Dharmakīrti’s verse on how I-grasping generates karma and cyclic existence, are identified as the root of all suffering and the block to all happiness. A short Q&A closes by distinguishing contrived from uncontrived bodhicitta and conventional from ultimate awakened mind.
File metadata (for organising)
File: 06 LMT 1997 06 10.mp3
UUID: 0f83d28c-dd87-4066-ac2d-737aab080110
Teacher: Khensur Rinpoche
Collection: Lojong Mind Training (Khensur Rinpoche)
Date: 1997-06-10
Recorded at: Buddha House Adelaide
Duration: 98.5 minutes
Words: ~4,978
So we’ll begin by meditating for a few moments cultivating as our motivation the kind hearted attitude of the awakened heart. So we’re all exactly the same in that as each of us wants happiness as each of us wants happiness and does not want to suffer, likewise all sentient beings want happiness and do not want to suffer. So as a preliminary to cultivating your awakening heart, it’s necessary to generate love and compassion. And these are expressed in the thought, May myself and all sentient beings have happiness and the causes of happiness. That is love.
And then compassion, May all sentient beings May myself and all sentient beings have be free from suffering and the causes of suffering. To that end, I must achieve a state where I have brought all my excellent qualities to consummation, where I have freed myself from all of my faults, that in order to completely free all living beings from suffering to lead them to complete happiness. In order to readily achieve that end, that I am going to presently listen to this teaching on the essence of the universal vehicle, the Dharma, and the teaching on the awakened heart. Having listened to it I will reflect upon it, having reflected I will bring it I will meditate on it and bring its practice to consummation in order to be a vast benefit to all sentient beings. So quoting a verse from the guide to the bodhisattva’s way of life where Śāntideva says that the instant the awakened heart is activated, those bound up in the prison of cyclic existence come to be known as the offspring of the Buddhas gone to bliss, the Sugatas.
And it is this awakening heart which is determined as to whether one is a practitioner of the universal vehicle or not. When one has generated the aspiration to achieve Buddhahood in order to free all sentient beings from suffering and to lead them into complete happiness, that quality in itself is the doorway into the universal vehicle. The most precious of qualities of the universal vehicle is just this awakened heart. The moment one generates it in one’s mind, one is a practitioner of the universal vehicle. If one has not generated it, then no matter what other excellent qualities one may possess, one is not a practitioner of the universal vehicle.
It is the root of all excellent qualities. It is like the mother. Within regards to the universal vehicle, there are two levels. There is the level of the perfection vehicle and the level of the vehicle of secret mantra. It is just this awakened heart which is the doorway into both.
When we when we talk when we speak of the universal vehicle and what what qualifies as the universal vehicle, you know, we we are not talking about whether a person is a monk. We’re not talking about a group, a bunch of texts or books. We’re not talking about various types of images or statues. These are not what constitutes the universal vehicle. The universal vehicle is an inner quality of mind.
It is the precious awakened heart. Whether a monk or a lay person, male or female, even an animal, if they were to generate this quality of mind, they would be a practitioner. They would be a being of the universal vehicle. It is not dependent upon clothes or the status of the person, but dependent upon this inner quality of mind of having generated the awakened heart. So we have said that even an animal can generate the awakened heart.
If one were to cultivate well the, for example, great compassion over the course of this life, that that great compassion would not degenerate even after having died. Even if one were to go on to be born as an animal, and though having previously not generated the awakened heart, due to the force of that previous familiarity with the great compassion, even an animal is able, the force of that, to generate the awakened heart. There, in fact, are many animals who have done that. Śākyamūni Buddha himself initially generated the awakened heart as a hell being. In in a life as a human being having cultivated the awakened heart, though not having actually generated it, and due to the force of previous negativities accumulated upon the death in that life, was reborn in a hell realm.
Out of an instance where great compassion arose in him, and due to the familiarity familiarity from previous having cultivated previously, the awakened heart was just ready to arise, and it arose at the time that he was actually in the hell realm. So it wasn’t in the when we talk about Śākyamūni Buddha having generated the awakened heart, it was not in the life as Śākyamūni Buddha, but in a previous life as a hell being that initially generated it. So having having generated the awakened heart immediately one one would immediately rise out of that state, for example, as a hell being or an animal. So whatever the being, whether it’s an animal or whosoever, having generated the awakened heart, that being becomes a bodhisattva, a child of the victor. A victor here means the Buddha.
It is this quality of itself which is worthy of our homage, of our respect, of our offering. On the other hand, if having generated once generated the awakened heart, and then if this mind were to degenerate, to deteriorate, one would no longer be a being of the universal vehicle, not having the awakened heart within their mind. What are the benefits of generating the awakened heart? It’s necessary that we reflect upon this in order that we develop an intention to actually cultivate it and develop it. We have to understand what are the results if I were to actually develop the awakened heart.
If we understand the magnificent results brought about by developing the awakening heart, we will think too, we will think, I must develop that. But if we don’t see the result, we will not think in that way. So first, we must understand what are all of the beneficial qualities to be gained with the results to be gotten by generating the awakened heart. But we can only speak of the benefits of generating the awake hearts briefly. We only can talk about the essence of its excellent good qualities.
Śāntideva said if we were to speak of the benefits extensively, it would take days. We would never finish. So in short, we can speak of the benefits of generating the awakened heart in two terms. In in terms in temporal terms and ultimate terms. So the first, in terms of benefits of generating your awakening heart, the temporal reasons for its development are that by developing the awakened heart, we will not be born in an unfortunate rebirth.
On the contrary, we will be born on a in a fortunate rebirth. So the first reason is to not take rebirth in a in a suffering realm, but in fact a happy realm. So why is that? Upon generating the awakened heart, are not reborn in an unfortunate rebirth. Previously, all of the negative karma that we have accumulated through unskillful actions, through negative actions, that will be by the power of the excellence of this quality of mind, by the power of developing the awakened heart be eliminated and purified.
So firstly, the previously created negativities are eliminated through purification. But not only that, developed the awakened heart, we no longer involve ourselves in negativities. Continuation of there’s no negative ways of acting is cut by the force of our cultivating of the awakened heart. Therefore, we no longer newly accumulate negative karma. Because the previously accumulated unskillful actions have been purified, and because we are no longer newly creating unskillful actions, the causes for taking rebirth in an unfortunate state no longer exists.
Therefore, there is no rebirth in such states. So on the other hand in terms of the skillful actions that we have previously accumulated, once these skillful actions are conjoined with the development of the heart, then those past skillful actions will actually increase and their results are increased. But not only that, you know, once we have developed the awakened heart, then, you know, what to what to say of such activities as making offerings and paying homage. That of course is skillful. But even when we sleep, we are continuously accumulating skillful actions.
So we are constantly accumulating new skillful actions. Our because our actions are motivated by the awakened heart, the results the the the positive results are are bearing continuous fruit. So whatever act is motivated by the awakened heart is skillful no matter what it may be. When our eating of food is skillful, our sleeping is a skillful action, our going is a skillful action, our staying is a skillful action. No matter what we may do, all of those activities, because they are motivated, awakened, heart of skillful action.
So constantly involving ourselves in skillful actions and the actions which we accumulate through activities as if we were to recite Om Mani Padme hum or make various prostrations, that all of these various actions would bear an ultimate type of result. That they would act to ultimately free us from cyclic existence, that they would be the means by which we eliminate all our various faults and bring consummation to all our excellent qualities. That is to say, they would be the cause of our Buddhahood. Previously, we talked about two levels of attainment. Those were the temporal level and the ultimate level.
The temporal level of attainment was high status or high rebirth. And the ultimate attainments were those of liberation and omniscience. And in dependence upon the awakened heart, both of these will be achieved. Both temporal and ultimate attainments. Amongst all the practices of Dharma, amongst all the possible meditations, there is none higher than the practice of the awakened heart.
No meditation higher than the meditation on the awakened heart. And we we speak of the the vehicle of secret mantra as being very precious, very valuable. But it’s only valuable if it’s in reliance upon the awakened heart. It is quick. It is a quick method, a quick vehicle, if we have the awakened heart.
It is not a quick vehicle if we do not have the awakened heart. So its practice as being extremely quick vehicle to obtain ultimate results is solely dependent upon the awakened heart. That is, this quickness of the secret mantra is dependent upon the kindness of the awakened heart. The practice and meditation of the awakened heart can only be beneficial. It is never associated with any type of negativity or drawback.
For example, giving a contrary example, our practice of secret mantra, if it’s not practiced well, can have a negative result. There is that danger of having a negative result. But on the contrary, meditation, the practice of the awakened heart, can only have a beneficial result. Can be not there is no drawback or negativity can be associated with it. So, it’s necessary that we see the benefits of generating the awakened heart, both from in from the temporal in temporal terms and ultimate terms both for our own welfare and for the welfare of others and how wonderful it is to develop the awakened heart and how tremendously beneficial it is.
And if you see this for yourself then you will the thought will arise: I must cultivate this. I must meditate the awakened heart. If you see the great benefits of the awakened heart, the reasons behind its necessity for its development, will gladly enter into its cultivation. Applies to our practice of Dharma in general. Have to see that it is through our practice that we’re able to eliminate all our various faults that we can achieve happiness.
If we have to see that it is by our practice that we can bring an end to all our undesired suffering that we experience. If we reflect upon this, then we will this way make effort in our practice and moreover we bear with the hardships involved in practice. If we don’t think in this way and see the benefits of practice, then we will not make any effort and we will in this with the slightest difficulty arises, we will set our Dharma practice aside. Some people begin their practice thinking that the Dharma is such a wonderful thing to be involved in, but they really don’t see for themselves the benefits of practice and what it can do for them. Then when they do incur some hardship, then they simply they set it aside.
So do do you understand this well the benefits of the awakened heart? There are benefits, aren’t there? Yes. Yes. Very good.
Very good. So just as in the case if we thought a particular article was very valuable, we would we would make effort in trying to to obtain it. Likewise, if we think that the awakened heart is in fact very precious, then we should make effort in trying to generate it. We should cultivate the awakened heart. But how are we to actually generate the awakened heart?
What is the method that we are to use? There are two lineages of methods. One, let us say there have been these are methods which have been brought down from a lineage of lamas beginning first with the lineage of Atisha and then another with that of Śāntideva. The method of Atisha is called the seven cause and effect instruction. It has six causes bringing about the result of the awakened heart.
Then the method of Śāntideva is the equalizing and exchanging self with others. In this method we go on to equalize self and others. We look at the disadvantages of self centeredness, the advantages of other centeredness, develop an intense resolve, and develop the awakened heart. So there are these two methods in terms of these lineages coming down from these two lamas, these spiritual masters, and whichever of them you were to meditate, you would be able to develop the awakened heart. So if there’s no difference in the fact that each of them is able to act as a method for developing the awakened heart, then why are they fact these two different methods?
So the teachings are given in relationship to the disciples dispositions that which fits the particular character that which fits the particular character of the student. So the teaching is given in terms of the students’ needs. In terms of Atisha’s teaching, that of the seven cause and effect instruction, this was a popularized method for the cultivating of the awakened heart. Let’s say it was a very public and a popularized version of method. Whereas that of Śāntideva was meant for only select few.
Those students or disciples who were extremely sharp, very clever, intelligent than those. They were very intelligent than those, and they were extremely courageous in their attitude. So this was only for a select few. So in dependence upon the students, there was a popularized version of Seven Cause and Effect Instruction and that version method for a select few by Śāntideva. Śāntideva would only teach it to those who were extremely brave.
So in the context of our present text, the seven point training of the mind, the root text that we’re following, the method of generation follows the has as its source the text, the guide to the bodhisattva’s way of life, the author of which is Śāntideva. So this is the method which is presented here. So do you think you’re brave enough for it? So there’s a story connected with Geshe Chekawa. There’s a story connected with Geshe Chekawa, who is the composer of the seven point training of the mind.
This is previous to his becoming a bodhisattva. He had read a verse from the Eight Verses of Mind Training. And he was quite taken with it, he had some doubts in his mind whether it was workable, whether it was beneficial, whether it was a means of achieving buddhahood or not. So, Geshe Chekawa went on to question Geshe Sharawa, saying, well, previously you were giving a teaching, and you said nothing about the awakened heart. You said nothing about this practice of equalizing and exchanging self for others?
What if it’s so very precious, why didn’t you say anything about it? Oh. And Geshe Sharawa answered, the reason I didn’t didn’t teach it because nobody would practice it. That they were unable. Therefore, there was no purpose for me to even mention it.
It would have been meaningless for them. So, such a teaching is only given to those who are able to practice it because of its tremendous profundity and moreover it requires a great deal of courage to put it into practice. I think I think if I were to teach this to you, you would all become very afraid. Quoting from a verse by Śāntideva when he mentions that this practice, this method of cultivating the awakened heart is a secret practice. That it is only for those who are able to make use of it because they are very sharp in their minds, intelligent and courageous.
So you are all must be very special people because we’re going to reveal this secret to you. So, you know, you should since it is a secret, you should all listen very carefully. And you’ll go you’ll you’ll go quickly to Buddhahood. So as preliminary to the actual generation of the awakened heart, we have to develop an appealing love towards sentient beings. We must all of sentient beings must appear to us to be very appealing, attractive, agreeable in order to develop love and compassion for them.
If we do not see them as appealing, we will not develop love compassion for them. We’ll just leave them aside. Know, this is what we do toward those strangers or neutral individuals. We neglect them. What to say of those we are angry with, they obviously aren’t appealing to our eyes.
So we have to look upon all beings as if they were very dear to us, our friends, very close to ourselves. And this requires that we see them as a that they must appear to us, appear appealing to our eyes, attractive to ourselves. So it’s necessary that all beings appear to us appealing to ourselves in order that we develop a liking toward them. If we have a liking toward them, we’ll be willing to work for their welfare. If we don’t have this attitude toward all living beings, we will not be able to develop the awakened heart.
There has to be none has to be no distinguishment, no distinction amongst amongst the beings as to as to some who who you like and some who you do not like. Even down to one single sentient being. That if there is even one single sentient being that we do not have a liking for, who does not appear appealing to our eyes, we will not develop the awakened heart. It has to extend to all living beings. There cannot even be one toward whom we have mere equanimity.
That is to say, we neither like them nor do we not like them. We have a sense of equanimity toward them, a neutral feeling. But in fact, this sense of liking must be extended to all living beings. Therefore, all living beings must appear to us attractive or appealing to our eyes. So, you know, we we have a a liking for our our companions, our friends.
They appear very appealing to ourselves. And we want now to extend that same liking to all living beings in the same we have a same liking for them all. So in this method of mind training, how are we to actually develop this quality, this appealing love, where we are to develop a liking without distinction toward all living beings as if they were your heart friend, your heart companion. So the means is mentioned in in the root text, where it says that firstly we are to place the blame we are placed we are to it says place all the blame upon one. Place all the blame on one.
And then cultivate the kindness of all. Or meditate the kindness of all. So these two sentences of instruction: place all on one meditate the kindness of all. So what does this line mean where it says, place all the blame on one? So we we what is the meaning of that line?
We have to we have to question, you know, what is it or who is it that is the root of all that I don’t desire in my life? Where is it all coming from? What is its basis? And moreover, what is it that stops my finding, my getting what it is that I want? What is it that stops me from being happy?
What is it that’s bringing me suffering? Examining the source. So you think there’s a reason? Do you think there’s a necessity or a purpose behind this? You know, looking what is the source?
What is the root source behind all the that is undesirable in my life? And what is it that’s stopping all that I want in my life? Do you think there’s a real need for a reason to make this investigation? No. So, you know, looking for this source, this root of all that is undesired, all that stops us from getting what we want.
Now, where where are we going to find find it? We’re not going to find it outside of ourselves. No matter where we may look, it it is something within ourselves. Well, what is it that inside of us that’s stopping us from getting what it is that we want? What is it that is, in fact, the source of all our suffering?
From beginningless time, that which has brought us all our trouble, all our problems, is the conception of a self. Another way of translating that is self grasping and self centeredness. Self grasping and self centeredness. These two are the source of all that is undesirable in our life. It is these two which stop us from obtaining all that we want in our life.
Therefore, it is just these to which we are to place all the blame. Just this, we should understand this clearly. It is just this, that we’re this one, which we are to place all the blame. So it is just these two, self grasping and self centeredness, which are the source of all that is undesired in our life, all our suffering, and it is these two which block us from finding, which stop us from finding the happiness that we want. Ultimately, it is self grasping, let us say ignorance.
But in dependence upon self grasping, we generate self centeredness. So these accompany one another. And it is just these two which we are to identify as being the one on which we are to place all blame. So quoting from a verse by Dharmakīrti where he says in dependence upon the conception of I, self arises. And through the distinction between self and others, there arise actions and all negativities and thereby circling within cyclic existence.
You know, we think we have a very strong perception of I. I, I, I. You know, in in Tibetan, I I I. And dependence upon conception of I arises other. We make a distinction between now we we make a distinction between self and other.
Having made a distinction between self and other, we go on to develop attachment for self and aversion for other. Out of this attachment and aversion we accumulate actions or karma and by those out of that we circle by the power of that accumulated karma, we circle within cyclic existence and experience suffering. So it is in dependence upon the thought I, I, I, I, that we the grasping or the conception of this I as the I-grasping, self grasping. That we go on to in dependence upon self grasping or I-grasping, we go on to develop the various afflictive emotions. In dependence upon those afflictive emotions, we accumulate a variety of actions or karmas.
It is in dependence upon those accumulated actions that we experience suffering. But moreover, because not only do we experience suffering, but this I-grasping in this way prevents us from finding happiness. And not only just temporary happiness, but the happiness of liberation or Buddhahood. So, you know, not only do we experience suffering, but we do not find the happiness or the ultimate happiness of Buddhahood. So it comes down to this I-grasping is the root of all of our suffering.
So it is in satisfying the I that leads in the course to bringing us all of our suffering. And we say, I’m cold. And so out of that there arises the thought to steal others’ clothes or to take or not having money to I don’t have money, have to take others’ money, or I’m hungry to kill fish or animals, to feed ourselves. So out of this I-grasping, this I-grasping leads to in this way to all the various varieties of suffering. So have you become frightened?
So it is just these two, I-grasping or self grasping and I-centeredness or self centeredness. They’re like companions. Always hang out with each other. They kind of work together with each other. And what comes out of it is that we involve ourselves in all of the various negative activities that we do and out of this comes all the suffering that we experience and not achieving the happiness that in fact we want.
It all comes down to these two. What do we call something that brings us suffering, that stop that harms us, that stops us from getting happiness. Do we call something like that the enemy? In general, is there is there such thing as an enemy? There is.
Isn’t there? So then then what do we mean by an enemy? What is an enemy? I mean, in worldly terms, we we say, oh, he he treated me so badly. I don’t I don’t want anything to do with him.
It’s it’s my enemy. Where is the enemy? I mean, there was something which brought you what you didn’t want, prevented you from getting what you wanted, can’t you call that an enemy? Where is the enemy? There was a Tibetan Lama who was performing an offering ceremony, and in the offering ceremony they offer a ritual cake, a torma, because the Lama was experiencing sicknesses.
In order to rid themselves of the enemy, they offered a ritual cake. And he took the ritual cake and he threw it on himself. According to verse by Śākyamūni Buddha, where he said, one is one’s own enemy. The enemy is not other. One is one is one’s own one’s own enemy, one is one’s own dearest friend.
And how is it that way? If one practices well, for example, practices the Dharma, then one is one’s own dearest friend, and one will develop out of that. On the other hand, if one involves oneself in negativity, then one becomes one’s own enemy. So our enemy is self grasping ignorance. It is the it is that which brings us all all harm, and therefore, it is the enemy.
So we’ve gone over time, but we’ll stop here. It will take a few minutes if you have some questions. Do you did you say monitor? Yeah. Yeah.
So having previously developed love and compassion, one develops the aspiration in the context of holding others more dear than oneself, to achieve a state of having removed all faults, or to consummation all excellent qualities, in order to liberate all living beings whosoever. When this arises in a when that arises, then this is in an uncontrived fashion, and this is the awakened heart. There is both contrived and uncontrived. Let’s say contrived it means that it has to be some effort and it’s not quite spontaneous. Whereas when it rises instinctively in an uncontrived fashion, then one has developed the awakened heart.
Which is it with regard to the generation of conventional bodhicitta or ultimate bodhicitta whereby all previously created negativities have been purified and no new negativities are accumulated. Having once we generate the conventional bodhicitta, the awakened heart, then the previously created negativity is purified and the continuity of unskillful actions is interrupted, is cut off. There may be from time to time some negativity created from time to time, but it wouldn’t be like ourselves in continuous fashion. Maybe from time to time due to habituation in the past, may be some negativity created. But it’s continuous.
The continuity is cut. Whereas the ultimate bodhicitta, the awakened mind, that only is generated in a superior being, and that would be at the path of seeing. So it’s only generated in the continuum of a superior, an ārya. So next time in our next teaching, if afraid to practice the equalizing exchange of self for others, then I’ll teach you the seven cause and effect instruction. Śāntideva himself used the method of equalizing and exchanging self for others to generate the awakened heart.
So I’ll ask you next week which which one of these you want to practice. Okay, yeah. So the concluding prayer, the first is on page ten. Then page five verses eight and nine.