Audio recorded at Buddha House Adelaide. Transcript auto-generated and AI-corrected; may contain errors.
About this talk. Using the analogy that any task — worldly or spiritual — demands skillful conduct, a stable mind, and genuine expertise, Khensur Rinpoche introduces Chapter Four of Opening the Eye of Awareness, the Training in Ethics, in this 98-minute session at Buddha House. He contrasts Buddhist ethics with non-Buddhist alternatives such as sitting surrounded by fires and performing animal sacrifice, explaining why only the Buddhist approach leads to liberation. A Nāgārjuna verse comparing ethics to the earth then frames a systematic survey: the division of vows across lay, ordained, bodhisattva, and secret-mantra practitioners, with the abandonment of the ten non-virtuous actions as the common foundation for all. Śāntideva’s warning against squandering human rebirth and the story of Angulimala, misled by a false teacher into collecting fingers, close the session.
File metadata (for organising)
File: 07 Eye of A 1988 11 15.mp3
UUID: f3164869-648a-4e8e-8059-13bf1ec9ea70
Teacher: Khensur Rinpoche
Collection: Opening the Eye of Awareness 1988-1989 (Khensur Rinpoche)
Date: 1988-11-15
Recorded at: Buddha House Adelaide
Duration: 98.0 minutes
Words: ~4,489
So we should adjust our motivation, developing a very positive type of motivation such that we’re going to listen to the teaching in order to attain complete, perfect, unsurpassed Buddhahood in order that we may be able to bring peace and happiness to all sentient beings. So, we’ve completed the third chapter of the text, Opening the Eye of Awareness, which was on how the pronouncements of the Buddha are included in his three scriptural categories. And we’ll begin the discussion of the fourth chapter that is Training in Special Ethics. So the reason that this is now presented is when we were explaining the reasons for dividing the scriptural texts into the various three categories, they can be divided from the point of view of the reason of three trainings. Therefore, it is now presented the three trainings.
So in this categorization of the three scriptural collections, it can be exemplified by using the expression pot. We pronounce the word pot. This is the various discourses, various scriptures that the Buddha set forth. We say the word pot and the word pot is the actual scriptures. Each of these has a subject.
The subject or that which is explained by the word pot is pot. We say the word pot and the verbal expression pot and the subject of that expression is pot and what is shown by that, what is being indicated is pot. Today Rinpoche is going to slightly depart from the presentation of the text. He’s going to express the ideas in a very simplified manner that will be easily understood. Exemplifying what is meant, the Buddhist, he set forth many scriptures, spoke many words.
For example, when we speak the word flower, we speak the word table, we speak the word house. Now these are all expressive sounds and they all express something. They have a subject which is being expressed. For example, when we say the word flower, what is being expressed is flower. What is being demonstrated is flower.
When we say table, what is expressed, the object which is being expressed is table and etcetera with the same with the word house. Now, the Buddha in the scriptural category of discipline, The scriptural category of discipline is sound. It’s expressive sound which is set forth his teachings. And the subject which is being taught by this expressive sound, what is being actually explained, is the training in ethics. Likewise, the scriptural category of sets of discourses or sutras.
Now this is a sound that’s expressing words given through teachings, and the subject which it is expressing, the subject taught, is the training in meditative stabilization. Likewise, for the third scriptural category that is sets of knowledge or manifest knowledge. In this discourse, the words which you’re expressing, the subject which is being expressed by these words is the training in wisdom. So we’re beginning an explanation of the training in ethics. Now what actually do we mean by the ethics or the training in ethics?
In Tibetan, the word is tsultrim, tsultrim. And so this has two syllables. And the word trim simply means it can be understood to mean law or rules. For example, in India or Australia, have certain rules, certain laws that govern us. In an office, there are certain rules which have to be followed and this allows for the proper working of country or the office or whatever situation.
And then the tsu means the way that we conduct ourselves,, way that we operate through our body and speech, for example. So the way of operating with respect to laws or rules is what we mean by ethics, the mode of conduct with respect to laws or rules. So the for example, even within our society, within Australia, the various laws are laid down in order for a smooth operation of society. If when in order to that the society runs smoothly, then each individual has to obey certain rules, certain laws. When they act in contradiction to these laws, then this would this is considered considered to what faulty way of acting, faulty ways of action, if the police find out, you can get arrested, for example.
So therefore, in order for things to run well, then we have certain modes of conduct which are laid down and these are the trim or rules of the law set forth. So likewise within Buddhism in order to Likewise, for those who wish to follow in the path of the Buddha, those who are trying to emulate his example. He set forth certain rules and certain laws which would act as a means whereby we could smoothly conduct ourselves in a way which would help us to emulate, help us to follow the same path that he followed. Therefore, when we say ethics within the Buddhist context, we’re talking about the rules or the modes of conduct that the Buddha laid down to help us follow in his footstep to be a follower of the Buddha in order that we can emulate and achieve his attainment. So this is the idea of modes of conduct within certain rules or certain laws which he spoke in order to help us follow along as he did to emulate his path.
When we talk about the training in meditative stabilization, in order to do any type of work properly, we need to develop a stability in pursuing a certain course to pursue that work. If on one hand we’re completely unbalanced, that we aren’t able to fix ourselves at any task, then we’re never going to accomplish the task. So the purpose of the training in meditative stabilization is to develop a stability of mind in order to be able to single pointedly undertake a particular task. Likewise, for those who are undertaking the task of following the path of Buddha and trying to emulate the Buddha and trying to enact the various teachings that he gave, it requires a steadfast and steady mind in order to pursue this task of attaining Buddhahood. Therefore, he set forth the teaching on the meditative stabilization, the training of meditative stabilization.
But even if we had positive modes of conduct, if we were able to maintain positive modes of conduct, if we had stability of mind, that in itself would still not be enough in order to achieve our goal, some type of task that we set before us. We have to have some skill, some expertise in that field that we’re trying to work with. Without this expertise, some skill, even though we have these two prior prerequisites, we still won’t achieve our goal. If we are able to act and have skillful ways of acting, if we have stability of mind and we have expertise in whatever task we’re applying ourselves to, then we can be assured that things are going to go well, that we were able to attain our goal quickly and attain it fully. Likewise, we’re undertaking the task of attaining Buddhahood, we not only need the skillful modes of conduct, stability of mind, but we also need expertise.
And our expertise is with respect to what is to be adopted and what is to be rejected. And this is what we mean when we talk about the training in wisdom. Wisdom is the expertise and being able to understand what are the practices to be adopted and what are the practices to be rejected. So one who has developed skillful modes of conduct and dependence upon that develops the stability or the stability of mind, a balanced mind which is able to apply himself to the task single pointedly. And dependence upon that, he begins to practice to develop understanding of what is to be rejected and what is to be adopted.
And through by this means, this combination, he is able to eliminate not only his own suffering and his own afflictions, but is able to begin to benefit others. And this is why the Buddha set forth these three scriptural categories in order to set forth these three trainings necessary in order to benefit oneself and others. Whether what we’re trying to undertake is some type of worldly task or whether it’s a spiritual task. We still need these three bases for success. That is skillful modes of conduct, stability, a balanced approach, and expertise in the task itself.
We can apply these three trainings to both worldly and spiritual tasks. So, Rinpoche has tried to present this, the necessity, very roughly, of why we need these to work, to go into the explanation of these three trainings, and he’s trying to present it as simply as possible so that you can understand its necessity. He’s not trying to simply teach in order to simply be teaching, but he’s trying to create an understanding from your side too. So if you have questions and it’s necessary that you try the best you can to generate an understanding of everything that’s being said and working together, something good can come out of it. So do you understand well?
Good. So in Tibet and India when Rinpoche had many students, and when he taught they would Rinpoche would give an explanation of a particular text and from time to time there would be debates debates would be carried on in order to would come to an understanding. He would be able to know what the students were understanding or in fact they were understanding at all. And this way he would be able to tailor his teaching. We have to, as we go along, Rinpoche is wondering whether you’re understanding what he’s teaching and so you have to give him some feedback from time to time.
So these three higher trainings, the higher training ethics, meditative stabilization, and wisdom not only something found in Buddhism, it’s found within non-Buddhist traditions also. But it is said that these three trainings of ethics, meditative stabilization, and wisdom are superior within the Buddhist system. So, for example, there are non-Buddhist systems which set forth liberation and within their ethical system their modes of conduct would be, as a means to attain liberation would be to the ascetic practice of sitting in the middle of fires. You know, having fires in the five directions. So this type of conduct would be set forth by a particular system of non-Buddhist school in order as a means to attain liberation.
And then there are non-Buddhist schools which set forth the ethic of animal sacrifices, sacrificing the blood of animals as a means to attain liberation. So they have these, this particular non-Buddhist ethical school has an ethical system of making animal sacrifices directed towards one’s ancestors, one’s dead relatives, and as a means of benefiting them and also as a means for attaining liberation. So some schools have the ethics of not to eat meat, not to drink milk, not to eat butter, things like this. But these types of ethics, though, they accept these as a type of ethics in dependence upon such ascetic practices as sitting in the middle of burning fires, sacrificing the sacrifice of animals, etcetera, that these only cause suffering. They are in no way able to bring about liberation.
But within the Buddhist tradition, the mode of ethics is the abandonment of the unskillful actions of body, speech, mind. And for this reason, it’s said that the ethics of the Buddhist system are superior to non-Buddhist. Also, the non-Buddhist schools have a system of meditative stabilization. When we talk about meditative stabilization, we’re simply talking about a stable development of a stability whereby the mind is not distracted outward. It is because the mind wanders or is distracted outward that the various afflictive emotions are able to arise such as attachment and hatred.
Within the non-Buddhist schools, they rely solely upon the method of meditative stabilization. Relying only upon this, we can only attain in the future life the status of a god in a form realm or formless realm. We cannot attain liberation by that means alone. It is because by making use of this within the Buddhist context, meditative stabilization is used as a means for liberation. The reason why the meditative stabilization within Buddhism is superior to that of non Buddhists is that meditative stabilization is used as a means for to understand selflessness and emptiness, and therefore it becomes a means for attaining liberation, whereas in the non-Buddhist schools it is simply used as an end in itself, and by as an end in itself it cannot be a means for attaining liberation.
Therefore, within the Buddha system, the meditative stabilization is said to be superior. And with respect to the training in wisdom, the non-Buddhist schools also have a system of training in wisdom. But it’s that by their means alone one cannot attain liberation. But within the Buddhist system of the training and wisdom, the liberation can be attained since it’s set forth the actual mode of abidance, the way reality exists, and by means of that one can attain liberation and understanding through realizing selflessness and emptiness. So we’re going to go through an explanation of these three trainings beginning with the training in ethics and that will be followed by meditative meditation and then wisdom.
So the chapter begins with a quotation by Nāgārjuna in which he says that the Buddha said that ethics is the foundation of all good qualities, just as the earth is the basis of the moving and unmoving. So when it speaks of ethics here as being the foundation, there are two types of ethics. There is the ethics which I can’t think of the word. There are two sides of it. The second ethics is prohibitions.
What is the opposite of prohibition? Permission. It’s something more positive. Permission just means you something which says, you should this would be good to do. This is prohibited.
Affirmation. Affirmation. I will say affirmations for the moment. Affirmations and prohibitions. So when we talk about the training and ethics, we’re talking about the cessation of the detrimental actions.
That is, ethics has these two types. Those actions which are prohibited and when we say actions which are prohibited, we’re talking about those ways of acting which are detrimental that is to bring harm to both oneself and to others. These are prohibited and then on the other hand there are certain actions which are to be affirmed or instituted. We’ll call these affirmations, affirmative actions. And these are actions which bring about benefit to both oneself and others.
So ethics has this relationship between the cessation of prohibitions on the one hand and the development in the establishing the affirmative actions on the other. And this is what we mean by the training in ethics. So this quotation talks about ethics as being the foundation of our good qualities just as the earth. And just as the earth helps us not to fall down, you know, if we didn’t have it, the earth would fall. It supports us.
It is the source which all the flowers develop from, all the trees, etcetera, they all grow from this source, from the ground, from the earth. So in comparing the ethics to the earth, the ground, If we observe ethics well, then we will not It is said that just as the earth helps us not to fall, it supports us, that we will not fall into the three bad migrations, that is the bad migrations of states of hell being hungry ghost or animal. And that will support us in the happy migrations, that is the states of human, demigod and God. And just as the earth is the source from which developed the flowers and trees, likewise the observing well of ethics is the source where all the excellent qualities arise from such as meditative stabilization and higher training and wisdom. So, the observing of ethics is of great importance.
Candrakīrti says that it is only through ethics that we can attain a higher rebirth as a human god and demigod, and it is only through ethics that prevent ourselves from falling into bad migrations. So within the system of ethics, there is an overall division into two. There’s the ethics of the layperson and the ethics of the ordained. And there is the ethics which is common let me go over that again. There’s the ethic which is common to both lay people and ordained, and then there is the ethics which is particular to ordained.
And likewise, there’s the division of ethics between the ethics which is common to the individuals who have the bodhisattva vows and those who do not, the ethic which is common between those two and those which is unique to a person who has bodhisattva vows. So there’s also that additional two types of ethics between these two. Likewise, there’s the ethics which is common between the holders of the vows of secret mantra and those who do not hold these vows. There’s the ethics which is common to those and then there’s the ethics which is unique to the holder of vows of secret mantra. The ethics of the abandonment of the ten non virtues is the ethics which is common to all of these individuals.
That is, it is an ethics which is common to whether a lay person or ordained, whether one has the bodhisattva vows or does not, whether one has secret mantra vows or does not, as this type of ethics of the abandonment of the ten non-virtuous actions is common to all. Vasubandhu, speaking of the ten non-virtuous actions, says that collected from those good and bad activities, the major ones are set forth as the ten paths of actions, either virtuous or non-virtuous. So amongst all these various types of vows, the vows which are unique to the ordained, vows of the Prātimokṣa, the vows of secret mantra, and those who do not have any vows at all, the mode of conduct, the ethic which is common to all of them is the abandonment of the ten non-virtuous actions. The Buddha set forth ten types of actions which were to be abandoned.
He said that there were three types of non virtues of the body, four types of speech, and three types of the mind of non virtuous actions which are to be abandoned. So it’s extremely important that we understand and try to put into practice these ten, the abandonment of the ten non virtuous actions. It doesn’t matter whether we’re ordained or whether we’re lay people, this is the most important practice that we can engage in. It’s extremely profound and tremendously important practice. So, you know, the tremendously high realizations of awakening heart and the understanding of the correct view, that is, understanding emptiness.
These things, they lie in front of us. They’re very exalted and sublime states and realizations that we can attain. But immediately in our day to day life, what we do in our very practice from moment to moment, it has to be based within the abandon of these ten non virtuous actions. So, you know, through this practice of abandoning the ten non virtuous actions, putting in and thus engaging in the ten practice of the ten virtuous actions, whether this will benefit us both from a worldly point of view and from the point of view of the Dharma. From the worldly point of view, things will go well for us, a task will be accomplished and people will look upon us in a very good light.
They will look very favorably upon us. And from the point of view of a spiritual practice, it is the basis for all the skillful actions. So in general, whether it’s spiritual point of view, spiritual or from the worldly point of view, we can talk about conduct and view. Now within spiritual practice, when we talk about the view, we’re talking about dependent arising, the view of dependent arising. And when we speak of conduct, basically it means non harm.
From the worldly point of view, when we talk through the practice of abandoning the ten non virtuous actions, one will attain a correct view. That is to say one will have skill, task that one sets about, one will have the ability to fulfill their task. One has the ability, correct understanding necessary to bring about the task. From the point of view of conduct, others hold you in a very good light. Others look very favorably upon you because of so this would be your conduct.
When we talk about ceasing negative actions and cultivating positive actions. This is simply when we talk about this type of action, we’re talking about spiritual actions. Are dharma actions, these are virtuous actions, These are skillful actions. On the other hand, when we talk about rather than ceasing unskillful actions, negative actions, but not only do we not cease them but we engage in them more and more. This is said to be faulty types of actions, unskillful actions, non virtuous actions.
This is what essentially we mean by all these various words. So Rinpoche hopes that you’ve understood this through the various analogies and simple examples that he’s given, that you’ve understood what we’ve just discussed so far and that now, you know, maybe working back and forth through questions and answers that perhaps we can clear up any doubts that you might have. So when we talk about Dharma, what is Dharma, what is spiritual practice, basically we mean that the skillful, productive types of actions of body, speech and mind, that is to say, of positive conduct of the body, speech and mind is simply what we mean by Dharma, what we mean by spiritual actions, spiritual practice. So there many different dharmas or spiritual practices, and there are many people who give talks about the Dharma, who teach the Dharma. And if what they’re saying promotes positive types of conduct of body, speech and mind, that is to say skillful, productive types of actions, then whatever they’re saying is Dharma.
This is Dharma, the Buddha. But if it in any way is unproductive, then if it in any way is unskillful, brings harm through the body, speech, and mind, then it is not the Dharma of the Buddha. So if we keep ethics, observe ethics, if we engage in skillful types, productive types of actions, then not only will we be happy in this life, and we will be happy in future lives, and this can be established through reasoning. On the other hand, if from an early age we were to engage in faulty types of actions, unskillful types of conduct, then we can understand that we are going to have only a negative consequence. Even in this life, people aren’t going to like us.
We’re not going to have any friends and that things aren’t going to go well for us in general. And that this same type of result is going to continue from this life into the next life. That is going to be a similarity from the result that you’ve created, which you experienced in this life, it’s going to continue into the next life, and this is established through reason. So, we all have seen children who from birth have very positive types of action, know, way of acting, very good natured, very good types of way of acting. But on the other hand, are those who have a very poor, bad nature, who have very bad types of ways of acting.
These are consequences of having acted this similar way in a past life. So we can begin to understand through this type of reasoning that in dependence upon positive ways of acting in the future we will be able to build on that and develop even more skillful, more productive ways of acting. We can build upon that way of acting and even more productive, more skillful. This can carry it on till we can actually, this is the way we can attain Buddhahood. On the other hand, those who engage in negative, unproductive ways of acting, then this serves as a foundation for in the future even more negative, more unproductive ways of acting and there’s no limit to how far we can go down.
So thinking in this way, So taking as our basis of practice ethics, good conduct, we can build upon this in our practice and develop even more skillful ways of conduct, more productive ways, and building us not only through this life, but in this way act as a foundation for our conduct in the future lives. Ultimately until we attain the state of Buddhahood. But not only that, sets the groundwork or prepares the conditions whereby we can practice in the future, whereby we can have the leisure necessary to carry on practice. Not only that, we will have all the physical necessities such as food and clothing, etcetera, and we will have, we will not have sickness. It will eliminate all the hindrances, obstacles to our practice.
And even in this life, you know, that no matter when death may catch up to us, whether it’s this year or next year, then we can die with no regret, understanding that we’ve prepared the groundwork, the foundation for a future practice. The master Śāntideva said that now that we’ve attained this human rebirth with all its leisures and fortunes, if we do not make use of it now and practice the Dharma, then There can be no greater loss than this. So, you know, just as a trader, if he missed the chance to make a good sale, he would feel great regret at as great a loss, not having taken advantage of the opportunity. Likewise for us to have had this chance to practice Dharma and to not make use of it and to attain all its great purpose would be of even there is no greater loss than this. Do you have any questions?
Any questions? Just So in following the instructions of your teacher, must follow the instructions of a correct teacher. That is the teacher who unerringly shows you the path to liberation. There was a story about a person in India, I can’t remember his Sanskrit name. There’s one, it means like a garland of a thousand fingers, his name.
Mala. Anyway, Angulimala. That’s right. Angulimala. He was told his teacher told him that by making a rosary out of a thousand thumbs that he this would be his path to liberation.
Anyway, he went so far as to get nine hundred and ninety nine fingers, but this was not — this was following an incorrect path of liberation. Some people