Audio recorded at Buddha House Adelaide. Transcript auto-generated and AI-corrected; may contain errors.
About this talk. In this 68-minute address to Buddha House members in Adelaide, Khensur Rinpoche opens with a vivid image: shifting habitual thinking is like switching a television channel — one setting brings suffering, another brings immediate satisfaction. He builds on this to argue that because suffering’s root lies within the mind, only Dharma can uproot it; external solutions never reach deep enough. He then offers a pointed diagnosis: Western culture is missing two critical educations — compassion and an understanding of karma — and this gap, not material shortage, drives persistent global problems. He illustrates sharply: one person with genuine compassion can benefit millions, just as one person without it can harm millions. The talk closes urging members to recognize the benefit their center extends to every practitioner who walks through the door, and to study intensively while a qualified teacher is present.
File metadata (for organising)
File: 14 1990 03 16 PT Talk to Members.mp3
UUID: 3e647742-6f11-47b6-8fd5-4e8c107c7336
Teacher: Khensur Rinpoche
Collection: Public Talks 1988-2003 (Khensur Rinpoche)
Date: 1990-03-16
Recorded at: Buddha House Adelaide
Duration: 68.4 minutes
Words: ~3,993
Actually, I have nothing much to say. Maybe I have more things. Maybe I have maybe I have more things to say if you close your ears. And if nobody listen, then there are more things to say. I’m sorry.
So I really wish that the center Buddha House can benefit as extensively as possible towards other sentient beings. So there’s two ways: the material way of benefiting other sentient beings and spiritually benefiting other sentient beings. But the most important thing, there is a spiritual way of benefiting other sentient beings — benefiting the mind of other sentient beings — and that is the most important one. So as myself and we all, the members of the organization, have had great wishes, so we succeed.
So you see to the most important the most important one that is to have qualified teacher It’s to have, you see, our most qualified teacher. That is the very root of the success. And that is the very root of the progression. Whether we want to do something for our own happiness or whether we want to do something for the happiness of others to obtain happiness for other sentient beings. So that is the very root.
So it is very gratifying that, as requested, Khensur Rinpoche has come to Australia for the House and to teach. And Rinpoche has kindly accepted. So I think first of all, that’s a great success. The first, the most important success, is that. So that is a — I think unbelievably kind — and yeah.
That’s see, from the heart, I think. So I am very happy to hear that many good programs have been happening on various subjects. Lamrim, which is the essence of all the Buddha’s Dharma, is set up for one person to follow for graduated practice — for one person to achieve enlightenment — the most important teaching. Then the other teaching which is a more detailed explanation of the bodhisattva practice — the training in the bodhisattva deeds.
This is a very important teaching to learn, to practice. And then the Madhyamaka subject — of course, without understanding that, there is no way that we can liberate ourselves from saṃsāra. No way that we can liberate others from saṃsāra without understanding that subject, without realizing that. So in any way, the various programs as were planned by Kimbo, and also introductions are given by elder students and by Champa. So anyway, all those different dynamic activities to benefit from various speakers — I’m extremely happy to hear that.
And that’s a very good example — I think it’s a very good example — offering different levels of teachings, as there are people who have different levels of mind, who need a different approach. And I mentioned that even others — not only the centers in Australia, but also the many other centers in this organization — it’s a very good example for them to get an idea of how to use different ways, how you can learn teachings or different ways how you can benefit other sentient beings. Also the lecture in the city, which gives opportunity for some sentient beings to meet the Dharma or to come to know that there’s such a meditation center. So many times you see people who, even though they have great interest and they want to do something for their life, want to make their life meaningful, but they don’t know — many times they don’t know where they should go to learn, to practice.
So many times there are people who need to be told, who need to be guided. So as that program is done like this, it helps — that is to say, the opportunity is offered to them. The opportunity is offered to them in this way. So I thought it is also a very good example for many other centers in this organization. Excellent example.
So I don’t need to explain much. As many of you have been taking teachings for a long time and taking extensive teachings — first of all, such as medicines, external things cannot, you see, remove the cause of the suffering. Because why? The cause of suffering is not outside.
It is within the mind. It is the mind. It is the mind or it is within the mind. You see? So therefore so therefore, you see, externally, how much is done?
You see, that alone cannot give satisfaction in life. That is clear. That is clear from our own experience. It’s clear. It is clear by looking at the world, by looking at others, by looking at our own lives.
It is clear. External things, however, cannot provide satisfaction. That’s clear. Satisfaction has to come from within one’s own mind. The happiness and satisfaction has to come from our own mind.
Our own mind. Just as our own mind creates suffering, our mind also creates happiness. The moment — the very second — when one stops following desire, that is when there is satisfaction. One finds satisfaction right there. The very moment one stops following desire, right there one finds satisfaction, one finds happiness in life.
So you see, with one way of thinking, immediately there’s happiness in life. One way of thinking, life is in great sorrow. Life is in mountains of problems. But you just switch the thought. You see, just like a TV — you know, the channel.
This way, it’s like the TV channel. So one little turn of the dial gives another station. Then a little bit turning that way gives another station. One is entertainment, one is, you know, full of wars or fighting. So like that, you see.
So like that. One way of thinking, there is suffering in life. One way of thinking, there’s satisfaction, happiness — no suffering. So it’s completely to do with our mind, happiness and suffering. It’s completely to do with our own mind.
So, to obtain not only temporary happiness but also the ultimate happiness — especially the fearless happiness of full enlightenment — it’s all to do with the mind. But we have to know how to work with our own mind, how to achieve these things through one’s own mind. So anyway, the conclusion — the reason why I’m saying this — is: we always have the question of how to benefit others, how I can help. I want to do something for others, for the benefit of their lives. What can I do?
What can I do? Something meaningful. So to really benefit them means to benefit their mind. Eliminating the cause of suffering, which is within their mind — which is the mind, which is within their mind. So in this way, then only then do they have the opportunity to experience happiness.
Only then do they have the opportunity to experience ultimate happiness. So through change of their mind, there is change in action. And this way there is change in their life, which is from suffering to happiness. So now what does that? Now what does that?
You see? To eliminate the cause of suffering, which is not outside but is within the mind — there is nothing else for that. It is only the holy Dharma. You see?
It is only the holy Dharma. So now therefore, to help in that case — to liberate all sentient beings from all sufferings by eliminating the cause of suffering, which is in the mind — to do that, ourselves also need to be an example, ourselves also need to practice. And then through our own experience is the best way to help others. So therefore, in the world, within one’s own life or in the world, there’s nothing more important.
There’s nothing more important than Dharma, Dharma practice. Dharma study, Dharma practice. Concerning happiness for oneself, or concerning happiness for all sentient beings, for everyone. So therefore, to do this, there is need for a teacher.
There is need for other people organizing, place, teachings. They need many things for our own progression, for ourselves to be qualified to benefit others. So therefore, now you see how important it is the meditation center. And also — the other thing: without generating the renunciation of saṃsāra, there’s no way that other sentient beings can receive liberation. Without realizing emptiness, there’s no way other sentient beings can see it. No way that they can eliminate the root of saṃsāra. And without actualizing bodhicitta, there’s no way that they can be led to enlightenment. Enlightenment appears as happiness, you know.
The state of mind that is the essence or the summit of the mind, and which is perfect in all qualities — the qualities of realizations. There’s no way to achieve this purely happy state, the full enlightenment. So you see, here the meditation center, offering Tibetan Mahāyāna Buddhism — which is a complete teaching, there is a complete teaching of the Buddha — offers all these opportunities for others.
So our studying ourselves and doing the service to continue to develop the meditation center — we are all together benefiting other sentient beings. Together to achieve liberation. To achieve, to cease this suffering, to achieve happiness, especially the ultimate happiness, liberation, full enlightenment. So other sentient beings are receiving these opportunities — being able to hear, able to practice, able to achieve this result, able to succeed in these wishes.
As I normally say, oneself alone cannot do everything. So we need the help of many people, the help of many Dharma friends — teacher and the secretary, the director, the person who handles finance. So there are many things — with help of many people, then you can extensively benefit some and other sentient beings and you can continue. And so we all together offer these benefits, leading sentient beings to full enlightenment — bringing them to the end of all true suffering, true causal suffering, even the cessation of the subtle imprints left by ignorance.
So therefore, it is an extremely worthwhile thing to attempt for. Especially if you’re questioning what can be done for one’s own life, or how to benefit others — if you’re concerned, if you have this concern. Benefiting others means benefiting the mind of other sentient beings. And that is — that’s the only Dharma, you know.
So if you remember the benefits of our own work, the service that we’re doing — the benefits that other sentient beings receive, the benefits that other sentient beings receive from the center — all that came from each individual person, from each of our efforts. So by coming to the center, other sentient beings come to understand karma, and by understanding karma they stop the negative karma, and they accumulate virtue through practice.
And in this way they have the opportunity to obtain happiness and to stop suffering — as a result of, for example, taking vows: lay vows, the eight precepts, five precepts, and so forth. And then by coming to the center, they hear teachings on bodhicitta. Then each time they meditate on bodhicitta, they accumulate infinite merits. And they do their actions out of bodhicitta, which means each action becomes a cause of enlightenment. Each action they do out of bodhicitta brings them closer to enlightenment, becomes a cause of enlightenment. So all these are benefits of the center.
Each time when they generate the motivation of bodhicitta, each time they do actions out of bodhicitta, they accumulate infinite merit. Oh, this is what we are offering, what we are giving to them. And each time when they meditate on emptiness — each minute, even each second when they meditate on emptiness — so much obscuration, so many heavy negative karmas, even the five uninterrupted karmas, even they get purified. So all these incredible purifications of meditating on emptiness, minute to second — these are bringing sentient beings closer to liberation, to enlightenment. These benefits are what we’re offering. Incredible, deep benefit.
So by understanding Dharma, they have so much opportunity to accumulate causes of happiness — by depending on the sentient beings and by depending on the holy objects of the Three Jewels. By understanding karma, with the holy objects they have an incredible opportunity to accumulate merit. Each time they accumulate merit through Dharma wisdom — what they have received from a qualified teacher. This is what we are offering to them. This is our contribution, what we’re offering to do.
So with one’s own effort that we put here — physical effort through body, speech, mind, the service work that we do — whether the material contribution, the financial contributions, whatever we do, even giving a Dharma talk, whatever service we do — with the help of the teacher and so many other Dharma friends, altogether we offer infinite benefits to the sentient beings. Each day we offer all the merit that they accumulated by understanding Dharma. All the merit what they accumulated by understanding Dharma and coming to the center — this is what we’re offering to them.
We have given so much cause of happiness to these sentient beings. So this is what we should realize, should remember — the benefits of our work — and we should rejoice, and then live a happy life. So that’s the main point. The importance of Dharma — and then what’s the best way to benefit sentient beings? The answer is the meditation center, our own practice.
The other thing is there’s so much emphasis, in the world, on material progression. Because of that, there’s no emphasis to develop compassion. As much as there is emphasis on external development, there’s no emphasis to develop compassion. There’s no emphasis to develop a good mind.
There’s no emphasis on that. So what I’m saying is that in the Western culture, compassion and karma are missing. These two important educations are missing in the Western culture. Because of these two important educations being missing, that’s why they cannot find answers to the problems. So the problem goes on and on.
The problem goes on and on. Even though there are some answers made up, they don’t really help. So for example, there’s no emphasis on compassion. In Western society, there’s no emphasis on compassion from the government, from the government side.
So therefore, that’s why there’s so much problem in the world. No matter how much other educations are being developed, the problem goes on and on. So why does one person become so dangerous to the world, killing many millions of people? And this is without even counting the animals, creatures in the water, on the land.
This is only human beings. And that is basically lack of compassion. So if one person has compassion, how great a benefit, how great a peace that it brings to the world, that it brings to so many other millions and millions of other sentient beings — if one person has compassion. So the positive way: only one person can benefit the world so much like this.
The negative way, as it has happened historically — so many millions and millions of people could receive harm from one person. So even if only one person is able to generate compassion, there’s incredible benefit to the world. The world receives peace. So therefore you can see now how important it is, how important the Dharma center is. This becomes the answer.
This becomes the answer. This becomes the service. This becomes the answer for world peace. This becomes the answer method. This becomes a cause to develop the mind, compassion for all sentient beings.
You can see now how compassion is extremely important — how it is extremely important not only for one’s own benefit and happiness, but for the sake of numberless sentient beings. How compassion is so important — there are numberless reasons, because there are numberless sentient beings. So therefore the Dharma center becomes service. Very important service, very important service. It becomes service to the world, it becomes service to government, service for human beings, mankind, service for all the creatures, all sentient beings.
So just by talking, there’s need to mention compassion. But just by repeating the word compassion, one cannot develop compassion. One has to develop it stage by stage, step by step. So the Dharma center, where we ourselves study and practice, and benefit others — is the means to develop a good heart. So you can see how important the Dharma center is as a great service — how it becomes a great service, the most important service for sentient beings, besides one’s own development. Then all this depends on the root. As I mentioned in the beginning, it’s having a qualified teacher.
So here, our Khensur Rinpoche is well known, highly qualified in all the five treatises, the sūtra teachings. Not only that — the tantra teachings. There are so many well-educated disciples in the East, that has shown. But Khensur Rinpoche, out of his compassion, accepted to come here to Australia. He has great concern and compassion for this organization — that while leaving behind all those other disciples who are so eager to receive teachings and learn from Khensur Rinpoche. So as I mentioned at the beginning, so much depends on that. So this we have succeeded in. And while we have this precious opportunity — the precious opportunity to meet and to study with a perfectly qualified master teacher, or virtuous friend — it is extremely important that we do so without cheating ourselves, without being deceived by our own conceptions.
The thought, the desire, the clinging to samsaric possessions, the concept of permanence — without being deceived by these wrong views by ourselves. Very important: as much as possible, make the time to study, to take as many teachings as possible, various teachings, to study, to learn and practice as much as possible. First of all, we need to have a clear, deep understanding of Dharma so that our practice becomes correct and clear and deep, so that realizations come — unmistaken and easily — with less mistakes, with less difficulties. The more Dharma one knows, the more extensive the understanding. The more we know, the easier it is to achieve liberation. Less time it takes, less difficulties.
Similarly, we can also benefit others more extensively and deeply. We can convey the Dharma clearly, logically, and deeply in the mind of other sentient beings. So it can benefit greater. That is very important. That is very important.
Why? Because as we know, our lives inevitably face impermanence, death. Therefore this opportunity is not long — it is very short. Generally, human life is very short, and this opportunity is very short. So I would suggest that without following the concept of permanence, and without following what are called the eight worldly dharmas, the worldly Dharma, without following those things.
And then to study Dharma as much as possible. And then to practice as much as we can. The conclusion — what that means — is to live life day and night with a positive attitude. The very heart of that is altruism, the thought to benefit other sentient beings. To live a life for other sentient beings, as much as possible.
So our present life, our present state of mind — what is easy or difficult — is a result of the past. This is the result of past lives. So in this life, if you study more Dharma, the more we are able to practice. Life will be much easier, much easier to understand Dharma, much easier to traverse the path, much easier to control the mind.
So like that. Then, like this, from happiness to happiness, one achieves enlightenment. Then, with those qualities and realizations, one also benefits those still seeking enlightenment. So all this is, again, all these opportunities that we have — and all this is originally due to the incomparable kindness of the Lama. It was a Lama who advised to start this meditation center in Adelaide.
That’s how it started. So all these opportunities — having a great qualified master, reliable, learned and good-hearted and pure, having all the qualifications — we have all the great opportunities to learn and practice. So all this, going back to the root, is about the kindness of Lama and the organization. So like that. I think that’s all. So, yeah, that’s all.
Thank you very much. Thank you. Thanks so much. So also, I would think that he has been like a father to Kopan Monastery and also to us in the organization. So therefore I want to mention that the students, in regards to development of the center, should also take advice and are committed, however possible, to benefit other sentient beings as extensively as possible.
So that way, as I mentioned before, all the benefits. So this is the way how to enjoy our life. You know, our dharma. So Rinpoche, Namazopo has mentioned that the importance of the center having been established for the benefit of sentient beings and the world in general. He’s already covered the way in which he accomplishes this end.
So it’s necessary for us to take this to heart and to practice well in accordance with this advice. So, you know, this isn’t just ordinary type of advice that has been given, but it’s been given out of his own experience. And if we take it to heart, it can be a profound means to transform our mind. The Adelaide Dharma Center is not the only center which has been established by Lama Yeshe and Lama Zopa. In fact, they have many centers around the world and this has been a great blessing throughout the world and it’s brought this out of their great kindness this great benefit has been brought about.
So we’ve all obtained this opportunity whereby we can study, we can cultivate our minds, we can meditate. But we have to continue and increase the potential and take advantage of this opportunity even more in the future. So, you know, we all — all of the students — must have harmony amongst us. And we have harmony now, and I hope that this will continue into the future. And as Lama Zopa has advised — in accordance with his advice, to practice in accordance with the advice as he has given it — and to develop a sense of altruism and to develop a sense of exceptional resolve, a real enthusiasm to help and try to benefit. We’ve, through our efforts, benefited many people. And there’s no need to say that as we improve, as things develop, we can benefit even more people in the future.
So it is through the great kindnesses of Lama Yeshe and Lama Zopa, all of the troubles that they have endured and are continuing, that we are able to have this center here. And we have to pray for them and their great kindness, and for all the difficulties which they are enduring to establish their centers. So, you know, this center needs many, many people to make it run. And, in accordance with the many of the things that Lama Zopa has mentioned, the great benefits which derive from the center — and that we have to think not only of just ourselves, but we have to think in terms of benefiting both ourselves and others, and considering the great benefit — to voluntarily work for the center. I ask you to please to engage in this type of work of benefiting the center both for your own and others’ benefit. So I think the students here are studying well and there’s harmony amongst them and this center is going well.
And we should keep in mind the great benefit of the kindness of the workers, the people who run the center.