Audio recorded at Buddha House Adelaide. Transcript auto-generated and AI-corrected; may contain errors.
About this talk. A single verse from the Buddha — cease all negativity, amass positive actions, subdue the mind — frames Khensur Rinpoche’s 62-minute systematic survey of the spiritual path. He unpacks the ten non-virtuous actions across body, speech, and mind, explaining both the harm each causes and the positive counterpart to develop. A seed analogy anchors the karmic logic: plant a hot-tasting seed and you cannot expect sweet fruit; likewise, harm done to others will circle back to oneself. The talk then pivots to compassion as the root of Mahāyāna practice and the single quality from which all others — love, bodhicitta, exceptional resolve — naturally arise, with practical advice on daily cultivation: even ten minutes a day, growing easier session by session until it arises spontaneously. The session closes with Q&A, including a pointed question on whether self-defence is permissible. Accessible to anyone new to Buddhist ethics.
File metadata (for organising)
File: 09 1989 09 03 PT Practices of spiritual path.mp3
UUID: 5c630f5e-72e6-47f5-98cb-380632994613
Teacher: Khensur Rinpoche
Collection: Public Talks 1988-2003 (Khensur Rinpoche)
Date: 1989-09-03
Recorded at: Buddha House Adelaide
Duration: 61.9 minutes
Words: ~4,494
Kind heart. We’re going to listen to this teaching in order to bring about happiness to others. And from my side, I too am going to teach about the spiritual practices with such a type of motivation. And with these two motivations combined, then something of great benefit can arise from this talk that we’re going to have. So one of the most important verses from the teachings of the Buddha, which is his advice on actual practice of the spiritual path.
And the verse sets forth that we cease from committing all negativities, that we should try to amass a great wealth of positive actions, that we should begin to subdue our mind. This is the teaching of the Buddha. So this teaching was given to all the varieties of sentient beings. Within the world, within the universe, there are an enormous variety of individuals, of people, of animals, of gods, and even within human beings there’s a great number of varieties. But one thing about all of these beings is that they all want to be happy, that none of them want to suffer.
And therefore this was the advice he gave for that single purpose. In order to bring about this single purpose of all sentient beings, the purpose of seeking to finding happiness, eliminating suffering, that we need some kind of method. We need some way to actually bring this about in reality. We need some method to eliminate our suffering, to bring us the happiness that we are all seeking. And we do this through the process of the activities of listening, reflecting, and meditating.
But what we listen, reflect and meditate on is the Dharma, the spiritual practices. So it is the spiritual practice which is the method to eliminate our problems and to find satisfaction. There are a variety of types of happiness, types of suffering. There is physical happiness, physical suffering, mental happiness, mental suffering. When we talk about finding ultimate happiness, and also eliminating from the very root all suffering, abandoning completely all suffering, finding the final happiness which is complete satisfaction, contentment.
This is what we mean by liberation. Happiness that we’re trying to achieve through spiritual practice is an ultimate type of happiness. A happiness which is completely divorced from any suffering, completely separated from any dissatisfaction. And this is achieved through practice, the practice of adopting various methods, techniques, and rejecting others. It is through this process of practice of adoption and rejection that we can achieve this type of happiness.
Find the happiness that which is a divorce from any suffering, to begin the practices of what is to be adopted, is to be rejected. We have to understand the various practices. We have to know what they’re about. And this requires some intelligence, it requires some type of wisdom. Amongst the various types of beings, most don’t have this ability, this capacity, for example animals.
They don’t have the intelligence to be able to carry on such a type of practice, but in fact we as humans do. As the verse sets out in this advice, telling us what exactly the way to practice, what is to be abandoned, what is to be cultivated. In adversity it states that we are to give up any type of negativity. What does this mean? Essentially negativity or negative actions involves harming others, harming other sentient beings.
So this is the essence of what is to be abandoned or rejected, the harming of others. Conjoined with this practice of abandoning harming others, we begin to not only not harm them, but in fact set about benefiting them to help others as a means of our practice. If we can in fact engage in such a type of practice, the practice of not harming others, but and on the other hand bringing benefit, helping others, if we are able to do this well then we can begin to find a type of happiness which is completely divorced of suffering. So actually, in actuality to engage in this practice, that is the practice of not harming others, to begin to abandon harming others, to begin to help others, to practice benefiting others. We have to know, well what does it mean to harm others?
How do we harm others? What does it mean to benefit others? How can we help others? In order to know how to practice, in order to practice we have to know what it means to practice, what harm actually is, what help actually is, and then we can begin to actually cultivate such a way of acting. With respect to the first, the ways in which we actually harm others, that we harm them beginning to classify the types of harm from the point of view of physically harming others, verbally and mentally harming others.
From the point of view of harming others physically, we can begin to break this down into the first that is killing. This is simply not only taking the life of humans, but taking the life of animals even down to an insect, harming sentient beings in this way through taking their life. But also stealing, taking without permission, and also having to take another’s — to have a relationship, a sexual relationship with another’s accepted partner in disregarding the second person involved in this relationship, this would be another type of physical harm which we could bring to others. Then from the point of view of verbally harming others, we engage in such types of verbal actions as saying harsh words to others. Words which when heard by the other person we know will hurt them and harming them in this way.
But also using words to divide others, divisive speech between couples, between friends, trying to divide two people who were previously harmonious, trying to cause some kind of break up between them. Also lying, or simply telling something contrary to what the facts actually are, tricking someone. So in these ways we verbally harm others. And then the third category in which we harm others is mentally through our various types of thought. The first is the mental negativity of simply envying.
Someone has something which we highly prize. We think, That’s really wonderful. I wish I had that. And just simply generating a feeling of covetousness, desiring that object for yourself. Then there’s the negativity of harmful intention.
Just thinking again and again about ways that you could hurt this person with all kinds of mischievous ideas wanting to bring harm to this person, harmful intention. Then the third mental negativity is distorted views, having distorted conceptions which aren’t in accord with the reality of situations. For example, discounting the existence of the law of cause and effect, thinking that from positive actions, well in fact happiness doesn’t arise, from negative actions in fact suffering doesn’t arise. All these types of negative views which are distorted, these conceptions are mental negative actions. So no matter what the being might be, whether it’s great or small, we relate with them in this fashion through physical actions, verbal and mental actions, we’re going to bring them suffering.
And it’s from this point of view of harming others that all of these various types of actions are considered negative and as was advised are to be gotten rid of or to be subdued. So acting in such a way, there’s going to be temporal harm that is the immediate harm of causing hurt to others. We’re going to cause others suffering. But there’s also aside from this temporal quality, there’s going to be the ultimate quality of that this negativity, this suffering that which you brought others is going to return back to yourself. It’s simply going to circle back and it’s going to harm you ultimately.
Therefore, in this way, these types of negative activities not only harm others, they harm yourself. These negative activities harm both self and others, and therefore we are advised to begin to give them up to decrease the frequency. Not only are we to begin to abandon such types of negative activities, but we begin to try to seek to benefit others, not only abandon harm, but try to help from these various points of view. To reject killing for example, taking life, but not only that, when the occasion arises when we see another person killing, advise them, try to talk them out of killing, taking life, helping them in that way. Also if we not only ourselves not stealing, but if we were to come across someone who’s stealing, you know advise them, try to help them, ask them not to steal.
Again with sexual misconduct, not only are we to abandon it, but when we know someone is involved in it to give them some advice, talk them out of carrying on in this way. In this way, by helping others we not only benefit them temporally, but we benefit ourselves ultimately, and therefore in acting in this way, both ourselves and others are benefited. Again, with respect to the verbal actions, not only ceasing from our side causing others to be harmed by one’s harsh speech, but when you see someone else engaged in such a type of action, try to speak to them in such a way advising them to give up such a way of acting. Again, when you not only are we to cease tricking others, to deceiving others, but when you know if someone else is deceiving to try to advise them to give up such a way of acting. Again, not only are we to cease to cause disharmony between others using divisive speech, but when you see others talking in this way ask them to desist, ask them to quit talking in this way.
If we act in this way, if we cease harming and try to help we’re going to benefit others. Others are going to be brought happiness in this way temporally and ultimately we ourselves are going to be brought happiness. So acting again in this way brings about happiness for both oneself and others. Then with respect to the various mental actions, first there was action of envy, desiring some others possessions thinking that wouldn’t it be wonderful to have that for myself. And likewise, to abandon such types of ways of thinking.
Abandoning this constant thinking, patterns of thought which intends to bring harm to others, harmful intention. Giving up our various distorted views that we hold, misconceptions, for example, about the law of cause and effect, about rebirth in this way. This way, by acting in this way, giving up these misconceived mental activities, we’re going to rid ourselves of the suffering which these, in fact, can bring. It said that whatever we do to others is going to eventually return back to ourselves. If we benefit others, then there’s temporal benefit to others, but ultimately we ourselves are going to be benefited.
Likewise, if we harm others, there’s a temporal harm to them, but in fact we are going to be harmed. Whatever we do to others is going to come back upon ourselves. Whatever we do to others is eventually going to be returned similarly back to ourselves. If we benefit others, then we are going to get like benefit ultimately to ourselves. If we harm others, we are going to experience like suffering, like harm to ourselves.
Whatever we do to others, we ourselves will eventually experience. It’s like, for example, there is always a similarity between causes and effects, between causes and results. If we were to plant a seed and this seed was of a type which brought a type of plant which was hot, you know, a very hot taste to it, we couldn’t expect by planting that seed to get something with a very sweet taste. Likewise, if we planted a seed which produced a type of plant which gave a fruit which was very sour, again having planted that seed, the type of plant which arises from that seed is we couldn’t expect something that’s going to produce, have a sweet taste. If we plant a seed which has a, produces a plant which has a sweet tasting fruit, we aren’t going to expect some kind of hot tasting fruit or some kind of sour tasting fruit.
There’s always a relationship, a similarity between cause and effect. Amongst the three types of activities that we engage in, the physical, verbal, and mental, the basic quality which determines the nature of our action is dependent upon the mind, the mental quality which we bring to all these various actions. If we have a beneficial intention that we engage with a positive quality of mind, a kind heart, then what do we do with such a type of intention through our speech and body? It’s going to be beneficial. It’s going to be helpful.
Then on the other hand, if we are motivated by a negative quality of mind, thinking to harm others, then whatever comes out of that motivation, that intention of the mind, comes out of the body in speech is going to be harmful. It’s going to hurt others. So the determinant quality of our actions is the mind itself. The main determinant of the quality of our actions is the mind itself, whether it’s in a positive state or a negative state. So we have to begin to decrease the negativity of our various mental states and begin to cultivate more positive states of mind.
If in dependence upon a very positive state of mind, a beneficial quality of mind, we engage in verbal and mental verbal and physical actions, then it’s definite that they’re going to be beneficial, they’re going to be helpful. If on the other hand we engage in actions in dependence upon negative state of mind, thinking to harm others, no matter what we do with our body, no matter what we do with our speech, it’s going to hurt others. That it doesn’t matter what we do physically and mentally, physically and verbally, it depends upon the quality of the intention, quality of the mind which motivates that action. How did we determine the negativity and positivity of the various states of mind? Such negative states of mind are attachment, anger, pride, jealousy, quality states of mind like this.
On the other hand, positive states of mind are, for example, love, caring, exceptional resolve, awakening heart, kind heart. These are positive states of mind. So what are we to do? We have to try to make some kind of effort to cultivate positive states of mind and begin to decrease the negative states of mind. If we act in this way, then we’re going to develop a very skillful type of mind, a very positive quality of mind.
We can do this gradually, begin to purify the nature of the mind. We named a few positive qualities, positive states of mind. The first one was love. And what do we mean by love? When we see a person, for example, or any sentient being who doesn’t have happiness, and we develop the thought, I wish that person had happiness.
And we go on to increase the quality of that thought, I’m going to take responsibility. I’m going to bring that person happiness. I want that person to be happy, and I’m going to bring that person happiness. This is what we mean by love. And what do we mean by caring?
Sometimes called compassion or empathy. When we see someone who’s being tormented by dissatisfaction, by suffering. And the thought arises, I wish they didn’t have to have that dissatisfaction, that suffering that they are experiencing. And we go on to increase the quality of that mind to the point where I am going to try to separate them from the suffering, help them to get rid of their problems. We develop this kind kind hearted attitude. This is what we mean by compassion or empathy.
If we’re really to abandon harming others, we have to begin to cultivate the counterpart of this harmful intention, the qualities of love and compassion. That if we have love and compassion, there’s no way that we ever are going to intentionally harm another person. When we see someone, in fact, tormented by suffering, not only are we not going to think about harming them, the thought to separate them from that suffering is going to arise. Compassion is going to arise. When we see someone is not happy, not only would we not hurt them, but we are going to seek to bring them happiness.
Love would arise in their mind. So if we’re really ever going to abandon the attitudes of harming others, of hurting others, we have to develop the counterparts of love and compassion. And again with the negative quality of mind of attachment, you know this quality which desires, which seeks others, which seeks to benefit oneself. Someone has some very nice things that we like. We think, I wish I had those.
We desire them and therefore motivated by this we might engage in stealing them. We might actually for our own benefit, through attachment, through desire, we could kill others for example. Again, with the negative quality of anger motivated by anger that we might speak harsh words in order to hurt someone. We might call them names. We might create disharmony between two people who already are in a harmonious relationship.
We might kill others. We’re going to try to bring suffering to others. We’re going to fight others. We’re going to have all kinds of conflict with others. This is all due to the factor of anger.
Again, the disadvantages of the negative quality of jealousy. With jealousy we enact this with three different categories of individuals. For those who are in some way superior to us, we are not able to feel any type of respect. We cannot see their good qualities due to the force of our jealousy. To those who we feel are equal to us, we always feel competitive, and to those who we see as inferior to us, we are forced to put them down.
We suppress them. We put them down. So all of these negative qualities, these negative states bring disharmony. They cause conflict. They cause conflict between friends, within a family, between races, within a country.
And they all therefore, because they can cause conflict, because they harm oneself and others, we should begin to decrease the frequency and force of them and begin to develop love and compassion. In fact, love and compassion is the main method for finding happiness. It’s important that we recognize what types of actions, states we are to begin to decrease, what we are to begin to reject, to abandon. On the other hand, it’s important that we recognize those states, those activities which we should begin to adopt, cultivate. Knowing so we have to know the situation, we have to know the nature of our mind.
We have to begin to understand how it’s operating. We have to begin to train our mind. We have to develop the practice of thought transformation. Beginning to decrease the various faults within our mind, increasing the really excellent qualities in our mind. If we do this, then there’s no doubt that gradually we can begin, we will achieve a type of happiness which is completely divorced from any dissatisfaction.
That state of mind which has the greatest power of all is compassion. If we have compassion, then all the various other positive qualities will of themselves begin to arise, such as love, such as exceptional resolve, such as awakening heart. We will, through the force of this, the power of compassion, we will begin to naturally benefit others. We will cease to harm others. So compassion is extremely important.
It has great power. The root of the spiritual practice of the Great Vehicle is compassion. If we have compassion, then the awakening heart will arise in us. It is the most precious mind of all. If we have compassion, then we can begin to really, we can begin to engage in the great practices of foregoing one’s own ends for the sake of benefiting all sentient beings.
We can really begin to help not only ourselves, but we can begin to help all sentient beings. That with the motivation of compassion, then we can begin to teach others the spiritual path effectively. That with the power of compassion, then all of the good things of life will naturally evolve. That we will take rebirth as humans, as gods, that we will attain liberation in dependence upon it. Through the power of compassion we can bring harmony in the world.
That we can bring harmony within friendships, harmony between husband and wife, between parents and child, in each individual country. This is the all encompassing power of the quality of compassion. We cannot buy compassion. It’s not going to come to us by itself. We have to cultivate it again and again and again.
You know, now we know a little bit about what compassion is, and if each day we take the time to actually practice the cultivation of it, we can spend a half hour, we can spend fifteen minutes, we can spend ten minutes. You know, the first day it’s going to be difficult, but then the second day it’s going to be a little bit easier than it was the first day. And the third day it will be a little bit easier than it was the second day, until we can definitely arrive at the place where it will rise automatically, spontaneously without any effort whatsoever. But if we don’t do this, if we don’t cultivate it, then it’s not going to come to us. It’s not going to arise in our mind.
There’s no other way than to cultivate it. That is another word for cultivation is meditation. It’s not like other things in the world that there is somebody selling it and you can go out with your money and you can buy it. We can’t buy it and there is nobody selling it. We have to actually develop it within our own mind.
Things in the world, material objects, compassion is not exhausted. When we buy something and we use it, pretty soon it’s finished, it’s gone, or degenerates, gets worse and worse. Doesn’t maintain its power, its efficiency that it once had when we first purchased it. But if we cultivate compassion again and again and again, it’s not going to degenerate, it’s not going to be exhausted. In fact, it’s going to do the exact opposite.
It’s going to increase in power. It’s going to grow, grow, grow, grow. This is the capacity of the mind. This is the nature of the ability of the mind to be increased in its force infinitely. Extremely happy that he was able to give you some of the advice that the Buddha set forth.
So perhaps we can spend the rest of the remaining time answering questions. So if you have some questions. We begin by thinking about our own dissatisfactions, our own suffering. And, you know, we have various types of sufferings, pains from both physical and mental. And we begin to question how do they arise?
What is their evolution? And we can begin to see that it is through the power of actions, that is karma, and afflictive emotions. Suffering arises through the power of karma and afflictive emotions. But that’s for ourselves. But in fact we can extend this to all sentient beings.
That all sentient beings are experiencing the same quality of life due to the power of their karma, of their afflictive emotions. That if we create, we’ve created the causes of suffering and then we experience the results. Everyone is just like ourselves. They are going through the same difficulties, the same dissatisfaction. They have gone through them in the past, they are going through them now, and they are going to go through them in the future.
They’re going to have to again and again re-experience these same difficulties again and again as long as they keep re-creating the causes which bring them about. All suffering arises through a combination of causes and conditions, and we simply are continually circling in this process of dissatisfaction again and again and again. Thinking about the plight of all sentient beings, they are going through continually circling, again and again revolving going through this continual cycle of dissatisfaction — when it develops the thought I wish they didn’t have to go through this. I wish they didn’t have this suffering. That I wish they had happiness.
Thinking about the suffering that they’re going through, wishing, developing, that they not experience this suffering is how we develop compassion. Experiencing dissatisfaction no matter who, whether they’re high or low. Those are people in high places, who are influential, who are on top of the world, they experience not only they experience some physical suffering, but their main suffering is mental. On the other hand, those who are materially poor, they experience some mental suffering, but mainly they experience physical suffering. But either way, whether they’re poor or rich, they go through dissatisfaction, they go through suffering.
Generally two people meet, and they meet and they begin to — they usually speak on a very superficial level. They say, How are you? Oh, I’m well. How’s everything going? Oh, I’m well.
Everything’s going very well. Good, good, good, good. They talk in this way. There’s no talk about the actual dissatisfaction, the discontentment which is permeating their life. But in fact, though they might speak in this way, there’s no one who isn’t experiencing dissatisfaction, discontentment.
If we cultivate this attitude, we cultivate compassion. Someone trying to kill you and you should try to, you should try to prevent yourself from being killed. It’s quite acceptable to defend yourself, but it’s not acceptable to kill that other person. This is an extremely negative action, so it’s not appropriate — it’s not appropriate to kill that other person as a means of defending yourself, but you should try to defend yourself. Yourself.
Individuals in Adelaide who have compassion. You know there are many people who are trying to practice the great vehicle for example. But even amongst individuals there are parents who have a great deal of compassion for their children and all the various types of relationships. There are many people who have compassion. Parents have a great deal of caring and compassion for their children.
Do you have for your children? Do you have caring compassion for your children? So there are people in LA who have compassion.