Audio recorded at Buddha House Adelaide. Transcript auto-generated and AI-corrected; may contain errors.
About this talk. This is a pure writing task with no code changes needed, so I’ll output the paragraph directly.
The image of liberation as a fire that dies when its fuel is removed — Nāgārjuna’s verse on ignorance and the twelve links — anchors this 97-minute Precious Garland commentary by Khensur Rinpoche. After establishing bodhicitta as the session’s motivation, he examines why Bodhisattvas continue taking rebirth while individual-vehicle practitioners do not: both have abandoned the afflictive emotions that force rebirth, but Bodhisattvas return by choice, driven by great compassion. Rinpoche warns that disparaging the Mahāyāna generates serious negativity, then draws a striking contrast: reaching Buddhahood via Vajrayāna is like flying by jet plane while the general Mahāyāna is horseback — and the difference traces back to one thing, the depth of compassion. A Q&A closes the session on how motivation, not subject matter, determines which vehicle one is practicing.
File metadata (for organising)
File: 25 PG 1991 09 10.mp3
UUID: b89f81c0-d8e0-4d86-a116-65a97cb989e3
Teacher: Khensur Rinpoche
Collection: Precious Garland 1990-1991 (Khensur Rinpoche)
Date: 1991-09-10
Recorded at: Buddha House Adelaide
Duration: 97.0 minutes
Words: ~2,531
Just like I said, whatsoever beings exist within our world, I am bereft of happiness and are troubled by many types of difficulties and problems. Although all of these beings want happiness, they do not know what are the causes of happiness. And although they do not want suffering, they do not know how to abandon the causes of suffering. So although wanting happiness, do not want their suffering, still they experience suffering, and this is a very sad circumstance. Having been an issue of benefit to us in the past.
They are benefiting us now in the present and they will be a benefit to ourselves in the future. All other happiness arises and depends upon these beings. Considering our great kindness that all of these beings are showering upon us, not to remember their kindness, not to be mindful of it, and not to repay that kindness would be just as if we were animals. That would be an extremely sad situation. And how can we repair their good kindness with which they have shown to us and are showing to us?
If we could move into a state of complete happiness, we have to remove our suffering and a stable, unchanging happiness. Developed the attitude of wishing to repay and reflected in the thought that I want very much to lead them to a state of complete happiness where there is no suffering. But this is simply a wishing state, an attitude of longing. It is not in fact having brought them to such a state. We simply don’t have the ability at present to lead them to such a state.
Why is it that we don’t have this ability to actually make them to such a state of fact? It’s because we now possess various types of faults. Faults such as anger, pride, jealousy, hatred, all of these various faults. And we don’t have full development of various excellent qualities, qualities such as caring, love, compassion, or awakening heart in the view of emptiness. So what are we to do in such a situation?
We begin by in the activity of listening, whereby we come to understand what are the various faults and what are the various excellent qualities, the faults which are to be eliminated, the qualities which are to be cultivated. And having heard this, we then reflect upon the meaning of what we have heard and then integrate that to the process of meditation. And in this way, we actually eliminate our various faults and we actually develop all the excellent qualities. If I can eliminate all my various faults and bring the consummation of my acts and qualities, then I will have the ability to fulfil my own welfare. So what I need only to do is concern myself with the welfare of others.
By developing my qualities and relieving myself of my various faults, then our own welfare will be achieved. If in the course of this, I direct myself to pacify the sufferings of others and to eliminate their difficulties and limit them to happiness, then I will have achieved not only my own welfare, but the welfare of others. So for the next few months reflect upon upon this, developing the thought with the aspiration that for the sake of all beings I will eliminate all my various faults and develop all my excellent qualities and thereby be in fact able to lead them to Buddhahood and develop such an awakened heart as motivation for the present teaching. On page one, verses three and two. On page four, verse five.
So we’re going to begin Nāgārjuna’s teaching on the Precious Garland by Nāgārjuna with the verse which reads as follows. Thus, truely and correctly that animate beings are unreal, not being subject to rebirth and without grasping, one passes from suffering like a fire without its fuel. Or the liberation of the greater vehicle, the universal vehicle. Whatsoever vehicle, without the wisdom, realizing emptiness, there can be no liberation. It may be, whether it is of the individual vehicle or the universal vehicle, whatever the quality which is being sought to be eliminated, whatever the fault which is sought to be eliminated, whatever the excellent quality which is sought to be cultivated, what’s the other of these?
None of them can arise without the wisdom realizing emptiness. That incurring all the experiences of suffering arise through the basic ignorance within the twelve links of dependent origination. Out of this ignorance, which is the basic basic influence of the twelve links of dependent origination, one creates action, that is creates karma. This karma implants the latency on the consciousness and then through the various other links of the twelve links of dependent origination such as craving and grasping, they’re continuing to circle within these twelve links within cyclic existence. By the elimination of ignorance, then the serial twelve links of dependent origination is interrupted and as it states here, where there is no cause, then then how can there be a fire.
That is to say that if there is no cause, no result can arise. An analogy which is being removed here, if there is no cause of the fire, then there can rise no fire. That’s when you have it removed ignorance which is the cause of cyclic existence. How can cyclic existence arise? And just as the practitioner of the lesser vehicle abandons, and thereby abandons the twelve links of dependent origination and achieves liberation.
Practitioner of the individual vehicle having abandoned cyclic existence no longer goes on to take rebirth. That is to say, there is no cause for the further taking of rebirth. About the Bodhisattva, having abandoned the afflictive emotions which force one to take rebirth within cyclic existence. Without having abandoned these faults, the causes of cyclic existence, again and again and again takes rebirth within cyclic existence. Having abandoned cyclic existence ceases to take rebirth within cyclic existence.
But then on the other hand, the practitioner of the universal vehicle, the Bodhisattva, having abandoned cyclic existence, Now why, what is the force which causes the bodhisattva to take rebirth within cyclic existence? This is his great empathy upon observing, thinking, being. This great compassion. But this is under the influence of great compassion, not being able to bear the suffering of sentient beings who are tortured by all their various difficulties and problems. The bodhisattva is motivated by compassion. Don’t they — the hearers — have compassion?
Why don’t they take rebirth within cyclic existence? They do have compassion, but it’s out of their degree. They do not have the great compassion of the bodhisattva, this great minded individual who has developed this exceptional resolve to benefit sentient beings. It is out of the force of this tremendous compassion of the bodhisattva which compels him to take rebirth within cyclic existence. And though the hearer has compassion, it does not compare with the compassion of the bodhisattva.
To generate merit, one thousand or a third ten thousand. It keeps bettering in this way. And all of these are for the benefit of all sentient beings in order to help them to eliminate their thoughts and about their excellent quality. Emanation. Distan for the lesser vehicle, they disparaged the greater vehicle.
They disparaged the greater vehicle, they disdain it. And this is true even today. There are those who put down, disparaged the greater vehicle. And also the clear jealousy of it. Pointing out the great preciousness and the importance of the universal vehicle downhill.
And that to discourage something which is so very precious is to create a good deal of negativity and thereby bring oneself to the experience of suffering. The universal vehicle went back to? Where is its root? Its foundation is that of compassion. And it is dependent upon compassion that the bodhisattva is born.
And the essence of the practice of the bodhisattva encompassed within the practices of generosity, ethics, tolerance, effort, meditative stabilization and wisdom. Context of helping others is compassion, that all help is brought about through compassion, that all benefit towards others is brought about through the sympathy and the caring. It’s a vulnerability, mother or father, we often understand the great benefit which comes about through empathy and caring and compassion. It is because it is out of this foundation of compassion which one cultivates the means of eliminating thought and developing all the excellent quote. Upon the foundation of compassion, upon that, seeking happiness only for oneself, one eliminates one’s various faults and brings the consummation of one’s excellent qualities.
And this is the motivation of the lesser vehicle, the individual vehicle. On a foundation of compassion, one seeks happiness for all others about the Buddha suffering. One of his altruism, that is a kind of heartfelt beneficial intention, and even in specific practices, which are consequent as a universal vehicle. In order to benefit others, the bodhisattva practice is generosity toward others. In order to benefit self, the bodhisattva practice is ethics.
In the course of benefiting others through generosity and the practice of ethics, one in oneself achieves temporal peace and temporal well-being. A practical means to achieve a sound. And therefore those of the, it is advised that those of the individual vehicle, the lesser vehicle, should refrain from disparaging the greater vehicle, dislike it, and try to at least abide in equanimity toward it. Otherwise, they are going to create a great deal of negativity for themselves and experience suffering and this would be a great loss. And the dedications which the Bodhisattva makes, dedicating the root of their skillful actions for the liberation of sentient beings, sharing his created potential with all sentient beings. This dedication are not found within the teachings of the individual vehicle.
The four trainings, the three exalted wisdoms, the seventy topics. All of these vast and detailed teachings, those who attended these teachings will understand. Those who didn’t, it’s difficult to explain to them. Within compassion, and dependent upon compassion was the generation of the awakening heart. And then for the welfare, in order to bring about the welfare of sentient beings, then interchanging in the practices of the six perfections.
Rebirth within cyclic existence, and though they have eliminated their own suffering, have in fact not exhausted all of their various faults which are to be abandoned, they have not brought to consummation all their excellent qualities which are to be cultivated. In general with respect to the attainment of Buddhahood by means of the universal vehicle, but if we were to compare this general method with respect to speed of attainment with that of the speed by which one can attain it by means of the great vehicle, it would be the difference between someone going to a place on horseback and another person flying in a jet plane. The teaching might be the same in the part of the student, that according to their efforts that they make, enthusiasm, the courage they use in pursuing their studies, they’re going to achieve that much quicker. Likewise, with respect to the bodhisattva, there is a difference in qualities of the degree of their compassion, the degree of their love, the degree of their enthusiasm, their wisdom, their courageousness. The secret mantra is designed for those who have the greatest share of all of these qualities.
The greatest part of these qualities of love and courage and effort and wisdom who must attain as quickly as possible the Buddhahood, who must eliminate all their various faults and all their acts and qualities as quickly as possible and is willing to do whatever is necessary to achieve this as quickly as possible. Such a one is a candidate to enter into the vehicle of secret mantra. One develop such courage? This courage, we develop in dependence upon compassion, but it all meets back to the foundation of compassion. However much compassion one has, to that same degree one will have that much courage, one will have that degree of altruism.
If one has little compassion, then we’ll have little courage. A place that would be extremely dangerous to get to and difficult. But people who saw this situation would have, in fact, compassion. They would think what a terrible situation this was and how sad and how, maybe become very depressed because in fact they do have compassion. But it would not arise that inner man to actually get down and rescue him.
So I’ll stop there, but if you have any questions, we’ll take those. Have been India but also in Tibet. Generally just for examples, with respect to Tibetans we set out Milarepa, Gampopa, and Tsongkhapa, and there have been individuals within all the various sects, whether it’s Gelug, Sakya, Nyingma, or Kagyu who have achieved enlightenment within all of So when we talk about benefiting others, we’re not talking about simply from the point of view of being a nice person helping one another. I mean we would even help somebody out. Know if somebody needed some medicine we’d probably give it to them.
So what we mean by being about the welfare of others is motivated by compassion, and what scope of actions are to be cultivated. And this is the way we benefit others, by showing them what is to be adopted and what is to be rejected. This is the benefit that we can give to others. And this, it is the practitioner of the universal vehicle who does this out of motivation and compassion. Of course, most of the vehicle practitioners, the motor vehicle practitioners and non vehicle practitioners help others, but they don’t help others in this way.
And that is the motivation the practitioner. That is not to say that that’s what they’re striving at. That is not to say that they don’t help others. What they’re seeking to achieve that we talk about them benefiting others or not benefiting others. It was by means of taking rebirth and cycling through cyclic existence that the bodhisattva achieves Buddhahood.
By means of that. So do you want that last part of your question So by means of taking rebirth within cyclic existence the bodhisattva is able to be of vast benefit to sentient beings, to the degree that, one creates greater potential, to that same degree one will quickly achieve enlightenment, but with the motivation of seeking liberation for oneself alone, then one is a practitioner of the lesser vehicle. So it’s not pedano or the subject, but it is the motivation which one manages to meditate on that subject, which determines the vehicle. So we can have various motivations over the course of a day. We can have the motivation seeking happiness only for this life.
We can have the motivation of being a lesser perspective, middling perspective and great perspective. All of those over the course of one day. The welfare of others, there is the temporal welfare and the ultimate welfare. And the way we think about the temporal welfare of others is through the practice of generosity, ethics, tolerance, tolerating their anger, etc.