Audio recorded at Buddha House Adelaide. Transcript auto-generated and AI-corrected; may contain errors.
About this talk. In this just-over-two-hour talk, Lama Zopa Rinpoche anchors his argument with a vivid image: a cockatoo on your shoulder could not grasp the definition of virtue even if taught continuously for hundreds of eons, yet a human being can understand it in seconds — making the present human life almost impossibly precious. From that foundation he ranges widely: the world’s suffering as an urgent personal call to transform one’s own mind; how negative mental labeling creates enemies, depression, and physical illness; why anger destroys even the closest relationships while patience rebuilds them; and how letting go of craving brings real contentment — a point he extends explicitly to non-believers who simply want happiness and harmonious relationships. He touches on impermanence as a brief daily meditation and closes with a broad overview of the path to liberation and the role of a Dharma center in offering that education. Accessible to general audiences with no prior Buddhist background.
File metadata (for organising)
File: 01 The Eight Verses of Thought Transformation.mp3
UUID: e00888e9-70a5-47b1-9b40-06663fa98e1c
Teacher: Lama Zopa Rinpoche 1
Collection: y 8 verses of thought transformation 1983 tbc (Lama Zopa Rinpoche 1)
Date: 1983 (exact day not recorded)
Recorded at: Buddha House Adelaide
Duration: 133.1 minutes
Words: ~10,959
So good evening to to everyone. Our teacher, resident teacher, Geshe-la, and all the sanghas here and all the center members, organizers, and all the rest, my brothers and sisters. I would like to thank very much the center for arranging this occasion. I’m not sure what I’m going to talk about. Anyway, anyway, I think I’m going to mumble something.
I’m going to mumble some words. I’m not sure which words, English or English or Nepalese, Nepali words or not sure which language. Well, it’s my own language. Anyway, so for organizing this, say, this talk and So then all the rest came here. I would like to thank and happy to meet all of you.
We can see how much the world is suffering. Each individual living being, you see, how much it is suffering, how much problem. Know, one individual person has. We can see how how say, globally, globally, the world is suffering so much. We see, we hear continuously.
Twenty four hours twenty four hours, we see them. We we see how much it is suffering day and night. So seeing others seeing how much the world is suffering and seeing others, even one individual person or one insect is suffering. That, you see, that self became becomes a request or appeal to oneself, to you, to oneself, to change our life, to change one’s own self mind. You see other suffering.
That’s always a request or request to They need your help. They need your help. So with our confused mind, with our deluded mind, hallucinate mind, can’t help. We make others confused instead of of instead of liberating others, liberating the world, liberating the individual living being from hallucination, from his physical mental sufferings. You see?
You see, oneself not free from suffering and confused mind with all the deluded mind, obscured mind. So, you see, with self-centered mind, especially, that attitude becomes the greatest is the greatest obstacle to benefit others, to serve others sincerely from heart to heart. So with all these, you see, confused mind or the troubling mind, with all these troubling mind or the obscure mind. Blocks to blocks to to have capacity to help others and to develop wisdom to knowing the right method to help others, to free others from problems and cause of the problems. And because these selfish thoughts and all these anger, ignorance, attachment, so forth, these obscuring is their function.
What they do is obscuring. Instead of clearing the mind, obscuring, instead of making the mind to instead of realizing, opposite of realizing, the ignorance, obscuring, instead of realizing it which affects the mind of obscuring. And so then it makes it difficult to develop compassion to others to others, you see. So if however so So what we see in our daily life, how much the world is suffering, the situation of the world, and individual, the same thing being a person or insect or whatever, see so much problem in having sufferings. Not only even there’s no physical problems, but there’s so much mental, confusion, so much problems, so much disturbing negative emotional thoughts, see, so many things.
Makes that being constantly to suffer with all these hallucinations. So that is the so that is self. You see, unbelievable reason, you know, just around you. It’s such a, you know, purpose why we need to meditate. Purpose why we need to practice Dharma.
Why we need to change our life, why we need to change our, you see, The need, you know, incredible urgency, need to have a better life, you know, to have a see. As they say, genuine or whatever. They say, good heart. Need to generate and develop. Need to generate and develop and complete.
We need to develop wisdom and compassion, continue and complete. So it’s here is not only question of your own happiness. To to provide or to achieve the happiness for oneself is not we’re not talking not talking about that. Here, to see, talking about, helping others, helping the world, helping the numberless other living beings who are suffering, who want happiness but devoid of happiness, who do not like suffer but constantly suffer. So to you see, as as we are everyone of us has a Buddha nature or, you see, the very nature of our mind is pure in a sense, is not oneness with the defilements, not oneness with ignorance, so we can be fully enlightened.
Buddha is not oneness with anger, liberated, as well as dissatisfying mind desire, so can definitely achieve because of that. Definitely, can have realization path, can overcome these problems, can achieve ultimate liberation, ultimate happiness. Not only one can achieve all this, the previous happiness, full enlightenment, cessation of all the mistakes of mind, and completion of all the realizations, not only that. So because one has, well, us has this natural mind that is pure, unstained by all by all these obscuring thoughts, you know, see, disturbing thoughts. So so that gives so that gives that nature that enlightened, you see, this the potential of the, you see, Buddha nature.
This gives us great hope. Because of this, we have we have all the hopes in our life that to be able to overcome all the sufferings, you know, all the problems, and the cause of the problem, is the these delusions and the action which is called karma, so that we can overcome this. So therefore, all this problem we have in each of us individual lives, even including the defilement, all these are temporary, not ever not everlasting. It’s always temporary because you can remove, you can be free from this. And this potential to be a perfect guide, to become a perfect being, fully enlightened being, which has all the qualities, power to benefit others, to liberate the numberless other living beings from the oceans of this sufferings, including the cause, the disturbing the negative emotional thoughts and the action, karma.
Of course, that ever of course, that everyone has that potential, even the even the mosquitoes or even the tiniest insects that you can see only through microscope. Even they have all this potential, but but they don’t have human body. So human body, which can function as capacity to be able to communicate, to be able to understand the meaning of the words, they don’t have. So even they have this potential to be fully liberated, fully enlightened, But at the moment, can’t do anything with that body. But, you see, us as a human being, having having this body, this incredible, precious human body behind that, what can do with this, benefit others.
Help yourself and liberate the world, benefit numberless living beings. Limitless skies of happiness, peace you can cause to others, to numberless other living beings. That’s unbelievable. What you can do, not only that is for the nature of this pure nature, the potential to be free from all the sufferings and cause of the suffering. Not all that.
So as you know, this time, by having this precious this human body, say, You know? So so easy to develop compassion, so easy to develop so easy to develop compassion, so benefit can benefit others. You see, so easy to develop wisdom, so one is capable because wisdom able to help others. See, so normally so normally I say that that I use this example. For example, if, you see, turtles or the pig or even the the animals that he across that live close to a human being.
Let’s say, cat, dog, horse, or pig, however, or cockatoo. And so and this cockatoo lives close to him and being on the shoulder. So cockatoo anyway, the mosquito tiny insects that you see, if you if you explain the if you explain the cause of happiness is virtue. Or explaining, see, what is virtue? The action which result on happiness is just the very essence.
Action action is a result of only happiness motivated by non ignorance, non anger, non attachment. You see, that is the virtue. That’s the cause of that action is the cause of happiness. So he explained this, you know, either the call of happiness virtue or the the, say, action which results on happiness motivated by non anger, non attachment, non ignorance, you see. Even if explain them even if you explain them for not only hundreds hundreds of years, but if you explain them for hundreds of eons hundreds of eons, hundreds of eons, even if you’re explaining, you see, every day, you know, twenty four hours, every day, Hundreds of or eons, however, at the American or English way.
So you can explain them. You see, for hundreds of eons, they wouldn’t understand, they cannot understand at all you see, definition what’s the cause of happiness and what is the virtue. No way they can understand that with that body. But but you see, if somebody explains to us and if you if you pay attention to that, you see, you understood within a few seconds. Within it doesn’t take even one minute.
It’s within few seconds, you learned. You see, able to learn this within few seconds. Can you imagine? Can you imagine this? Can you imagine this?
Within a few seconds, which they cannot learn for years, you see, in his plan, but with but by having these precious, by by by having this human body, us this time us this time having this human body, we are able able to learn this within, you see, a few seconds. So therefore, you can see that this human body, how unbelievable, precious it is that we have that we have at this time, how precious it is, how incredible precious and valuable it is. Therefore, people who are considering suicide, when you encounter a small problem, a relationship problem, and your problem you the one person’s problem. You some I said, you the one person’s problem with it. You know?
But even that even there’s nothing cut, nothing cut, you know? Say, body missing, cut, not like that, but just mental just concept. Your life’s suffering is just due to because your mind labeled negative to the situation. Your mind labeled negative, put a negative label how the person treated you, how the person the way the person think of you, and, you see, the way the yeah. The the way the person think of you, behave towards you, the one’s mind imagine put a negative label, you see.
Put a negative label, you know. But if you put a positive label, you have no problem. Know, you have peace and happiness, you have no problem at all. But because you have put negative label, this is bad. So then it appears bad, you believe bad, you see bad.
So that’s it. So that’s it. So that’s it. There you see. So now here is now you now here you see problem in your life.
Now here you see problem in your life. You see? With with negative thought, you find problem in the life. With anger, you find problem in the life. With anger, you find the enemy in your life.
With anger, you find the enemy in your life. When the anger is gone, you see, you’re find the enemy. That person is no longer enemy. That person is no longer enemy when the anger is gone. You see, you have no enemy when you’re drawn to the anger.
Only when you have anger, you have enemy in your life. So it’s all to do your concept. It’s all in your mind. Here, can say this is in your mind. I don’t know what I can say with things in your mind, but here I can say this one, I can say everything.
This one, I can say it is in your mind. This relationship problem is in your mind. Here here, yes, I want to say this way. Not in a private man and man, not every situation, but here, yes. Yes.
It’s in your mind. Yes. Your your depending on what you label, what your mind label, you see. Sort of that so just just simply your mind put negative label instead of putting positive label. So then you believe in that, then you believe it, then you believe it in your label.
Label that you put, you believe it. Not only that your mind put negative label, but along with that, believe can believe from your side, believe into that. So that’s what’s created. I think it’s just the mirror. If you don’t believe, after you put negative label in a bed, and if you don’t believe in that, I don’t think sleep becomes really problem.
But the minute you believe in that, then it becomes problem. Then you see then you see problem in your life. So I know where I don’t know where I went. I think I went somewhere else. Now now disappeared.
Now I’m disappeared. So went around and then disappeared. So So Anyway, it doesn’t matter. So total loss. So as I was mentioning before, you can see how this human body is unbelievably precious.
You see, you learn this you learn this what is cause of happiness and definition of virtue, you know, within few seconds. So that shows how it is so easy with this person, with this human body, with it that we have now at this time at this time, this human body that we have at this time. During this duration, which is not which is see yeah. Anyway, so during this duration that we have this precious human body. So you can see now, by using that as an example, how it’s so easy, As I mentioned before, to learn.
To learn all the rest of the spiritual path, all the rest of the path to remove all the suffering that causes all this defilements. So much intelligence it has. The distinct virtue or opportunity. It has capacity. The whole path through, the complete path through total liberation and the great liberation, the full enlightenment, the peerless happiness.
And, you see, so is to learn. So fast, so easy to learn. And in the and like that, and then able to, you see, practice. On on those those with those other living beings with the body, they can’t practice. No way, as I mentioned before, no way to be able to learn even even it’s explained continuously for years.
So then, of course, how they can practice without understanding no way? How can have realization in development of how they can develop their mind, develop compassion, wisdom, develop their mind in the complete spiritual path, complete spiritual path, path of liberation to full enlightenment. How they can? No way. Oh, now I remembered.
Only now I remembered. Only now I remembered. Because I started with the people who are in committing suicide. With a small problem, they meet face some difficulties in their life, relationship or something. One person thinks one person thinks something different to different way to you, then you see, it’ll become a huge different way of thinking towards you then.
One putting the level, then it become believe in that, then it becomes that, then it becomes mountains of problems. It becomes mountains of problems in your life, pressing down, so suffocated. Then you make your life suffocated life with your consort, with your negative concept, then make your life suffocated. Suffocated, even can’t move, kind of difficult to move, even like that. Even difficult to breathe, kind of like that.
Whereas, very made life very suffocated. So, you see, which is clearly came from your own mind, you see, to to your concept, which is not positive, but negative concept. So that so yeah. So such that idea, such that thought arising while you have such this incredible, unbelievable human this human body is so precious. You you can accomplish so much.
You can accomplish so much. If you knew how to do, if you if you knew the method of the path, you know, how much you can do, how much you can develop while you have this human body. And and that this with this human body, can cause you can cause others, not the least other living beings, so many other living beings, you know, you can cause comfort, happiness in this life. See, So much you see, the happiness this life, you can cause some living beings, human beings, non human beings, so much what you can do. And that and that makes that makes your life able to do that, able to offer that service makes your life so satisfied, so so happy, so satisfied, you know, so fulfilling.
Even that you are able to offer only temporary happiness, only dislike happiness, even such short term happiness, even just you’re able to offer so many other living beings, including the family members. Family members of the human beings, animals, and other beings who are around you, starting from there. Not all that, then one is it. So that’s so that’s great. Sincerely, you know, to be able to offer happiness to others.
So what great joy there is in the life than that. Day and night, all the time to attend this. You see, focus focus your life on this and attend this. There is no greater joy than that. Then, you see, with this human body, you know, one can cause now even longer happiness to others.
More important than happiness to others, happiness of all the coming lives, happiness of all the coming lives one can cause to others. You know, next life, the next life, all the kind all the kind life’s happiness, you see, peace one can offer others. One can cause others to achieve. Nevertheless, other living beings, we can do that. We see with this in your body.
That one has said that that we have now. And not only that not only that, we can cause others, you see, you know, you can give more important than that, you see, happiness than that. It is always with happiness. Happiness not with that which is not suffering. Pure happiness.
Total liberation from the suffering and causes delusion karma. One can cause this ultimate everlasting happiness towards towards numberless living beings. You can do this with this human, you see, with this human body, you know, that we have, this human body that we have now. So that so you see, unbelievable what you can do. That’s it.
You see, even the first one is unbelievable. The second is more unbelievable. What this human what you see human body that you have. I say, with this present with this human body that you have now, what you can do with that. Happiness can you can provide to others for an abundance.
Even just to one, you know, even to even just to one person, you know, you see, even to one insect, you see, even just one living being able to cause the all the coming future lives happiness providing that. It’s able you know, able to that is unbelievable. Then third, this, you know, providing the ultimate happiness for them, the everlasting happiness for them. Then the most important happiness Among the happiness, most the peerless one, the most, you know, complete is the full enlightenment, the great liberation. Their mind, the state of mind, that which is in the experience, they complete great bliss that free from all the free from not only from gross stains, but even the subtle stains of mind.
The negative even the subtle negative imprints feel more of this. So so now no question how to be able to deal with this human human body that we have at this time, that we can provide this to others. How that there’s no question how, you know, say, unimaginable, say. Say, it is. So now here, one can see how this the the this human body that we have now, how unbelievable, precious how unbelievable precious it is.
So therefore, the duration, how long we will have this precious human body, is not long. It’s not for a long time. It’s not forever, and it’s not for long. It’s just Tibetan saying that I don’t remember exactly. Every day is say, say, every day is not New Year.
Say, that’s one saying, but I don’t remember. Every day is not New Year. Anyway, so this all this incredible opportunity we have with this precious human body is not forever. We don’t have this forever. It’s only for short time.
So therefore, we must you therefore, we must not waste. Therefore, we must use, let’s say, Utilize in this way, say, use this, say, To practice, see, to practice Dharma, to meditate, to develop to develop the mind and path to liberation, to full enlightenment as much as possible. Therefore, must learn, must utilize this human body to, say, as I mentioned before, how incredible opportunity to give students learn so fast, so easy, so must utilize to learn learn the path as much as possible. Must use how the future lives are going to turn out, each of us individually each each of us individual’s future life is going to turn out. Whether it’s going to turn out whether it’s whether it’s going to turn out very suffering one or whether it’s going to turn out enlightening liberated one, with so much peace and happiness in the life, in the heart, so many realizations of the path, spiritual path, benefit so much, offering deep benefits to others, able to cause so much happiness to others.
What kind of future life is going turn out to each of us individually? Depends that depends. That issue, how the future life is going turn out is the effect is the effect of this life, How we live this life. So future lives future future lives and lives are going to turn out is going to turn out how, you see, how we quality, how we live our life this time. So so if you learn as much as possible this time and, you see, and practice as much as as much as one can, then future life future lives, all the coming future lives much, much easy.
So much easy, is it, to the understanding so easy and have great understanding and so easy. Just as soon as you hear the teaching, as soon as you hear, your mind get enlarged in order to have achieved realization. You understand exactly the the whole meaning. You see, nothing strange, like a new see, immediately, you feel home. Have imagine you have you will understand meaning and have realizations.
You see, able to actualize in your heart, depend. So easy, you see, in the coming lives. You see, hundred thousand times much easier life next to act to have realization, part enlightenment, and also to be able to to be able to offer greater benefit to others. So again, also by also by that sense, you know, this this life this life has greater responsibility. You see?
So need to need to live the life with good heart. So it becomes become so it becomes so essential. It becomes so essential, you know, every day, every day, every hour, you see, of our life to live a good heart, substantial, on that basis, tend to develop wisdom as much as possible. To to always watch the mind.
Your your self being the father or mother and mind as your child, Like taking care of child, exactly like that. You have to you have one has to you one has to, you see, take care of the mind. One has to take care one has to guard one has to guard, you see, watch the mind like that. Exactly how parents take responsible of the child. How they think it’s how they think the child is so important.
And twenty four hours, every minute, they take responsibility of the child and watch all the time to make sure child doesn’t get into problems doing something wrong, eating something wrong, or being dangerous, running towards a dangerous place to fall down. It’s always guard. The parents always guard the child. Every minute, watch to protect from the problems, and always to have comfort, peace, happiness. Exactly like that, one has to like, prepare the mother, you see, your mind, like, you see, child, you know, protect, guard, from the disturbing negative emotional thoughts, which makes it unhappy, makes it suffer.
So protect mind from those negative thoughts, such as the dissatisfied mind, disrespect, ignorance, anger, jealous mind so that, see, this strong, self-cherishing mind, not caring for others. Others, the say, not concern of other suffering, other’s needs so that Like, teacher and disciple. Teacher take responsibility of the disciple and educate the disciple. So then here so bringing up the bringing up this child, bring up this student, you see, this mind, you know, to, you see, taking this one self taking responsibility. You see, bring up the child to good education, good manners.
You see, genuine bring up a genuine person, good hearted person. So similar. You see, once that was a teacher, then the child the mind child, you know, bring up like this. Like yourself, doctor. And the mind is like sick person, patience, very kind, compassionate doctor, patience who have severe chronic sicknesses under the care of a very compassionate, wise doctor.
This mind, which is chronic disease, self-cherishing thought, chronic disease of selfish mind, from the time of the beginning, have been sick of that, from the time of the beginning, sick of anger from the time of the beginning, sick of attachment from the time of the beginning, the same, the ignorance, and those other disturbing emotional thoughts. So what I was emphasizing is to not waste this precious human life, this precious human body. We don’t have this for long we don’t have this for a long time. It’s only for temporary, like a rented like like like transit in an airport, like transit at airport or the like like the vehicle that we take, When we take flight, it’s only temporary. Not forever you’re going to be in that airplane, you see, as for such a short time.
You see. It’s like a it’s like the, say, guesthouse. I mean, the guesthouse, the hotel or the guest house where you’re there for a few days, for for holiday, few days for holiday in that hotel something like that. So our having this precious thing in the body is like that, just short time. So we must be very wise.
So we must be very wise to use this every day, every hour, every minute. Utilizing is very say, do not waste, and we must be very wise to utilize. And that then, to be wise, then we need to learn Dharma. We need we need to learn meditation. We need to learn Dharma.
We need to learn path. We need to practice. You need to get the experiment. You need to get experience. Not not allowed to, you know, to be just misused, you know, this precious memory.
Misused. You see? Misuse means using for suffering. What I mean by definition, misusing is precious. Mean, by using for suffering.
Using using institute institute to achieve happiness, to achieve suffering, to you know? So using the body for the due to the action, which result only you experience, you see, suffering. So so that’s misusing misusing Misusing, maybe it can be said abusing your body, abusing your precious human body. You are abusing your precious human body, maybe also. I think that word also applies for that.
You see, mis misusing, you see. So that this precious human body, how to is used, say, under the destruction, under the under the distract distraction and destruction. Under the distraction and destruction, see, ignorance, anger, attachment, self-cherishing thought. What is Dharma? What is Dharma meditation practice or Dharma that is to achieve happiness?
Transforming the mind, you see, into the healthy healthy mind. From unhealthy mind, that which is self-cherishing thought, the biggest one, the most disturbing one, and this is also being one of the anger attachment. Those are sick as I mentioned before, sick mind work, unhealthy mind. The disturbing, obscuring disturbing doesn’t give peace on a on a I say, so disturb so afflictive, you see. Disturbing and obscuring mind.
So those negative emotion thoughts. Those sicknesses of mind. So unhealthy mind. From there into healthy mind, non anger, non ignorance, non attachment, good heart good heart benefiting others. Which brings all the happiness.
You see, this healthy mind, positive mind, virtuous thought, the peaceful mind, you see, which brings all the happiness to uncertain past others. For example, the patience so that that I see attitude. Which is not anger when it’s transformed into patience. So What happens if you do not you if what happens if you do not practice patience? You see, this virtuous thought, this this thought which is Dharma.
Non anger, natural patience. Then you see, if we just if if you if you don’t try to change your life, but, you know, by practicing patience, Dharma, this meditation. If you if you continue to be yourself, if you could always continue to be what I am, you know, what I want to be, what I am, you know, What I am. What I want to do, what I am. Anyway, so as many people and as many people said that, I want to do, to be what I am.
So anyway, you never try to change. That’s a Better better mind. Know, say, happier mind, you know, more positive mind, and happier, better life. Never changing that. Not better for something, but better for happiness.
So anyway, always continue always continue to be what I you know, always continue I want to be what I am. So, anyway, if you never do and then if you say practice, let’s say, meditation or Dharma, healthy mind, positive attitude. Then you see, then there’s no antidote. There’s no there’s no protection. There’s no protection in your life.
There’s no protection to your mind. So the, you see, then anger will anger will rise all the time. See, whenever whenever something happens in your life, in your daily life, Somebody think differently than what you think. Somebody wish differently than what you wish. It’s just somebody different.
Just somebody think a little bit differently than what you think, the way you think, or wish different a little bit different than opposite than what you wish. Or somebody act. Somebody act little bit. See, I say, what what one’s own self-cherishing thought. You see, what one’s own attachment do not like.
You see, somebody act a little bit, you know, speak or act a bit. Some have shown arrogance, because it’s just little movement, little action of the body or with eyes or keeping the nose in the sky, showing a little bit different physical behavior action that one’s I say, that one’s self-cherishing thought is not interested or self-cherishing thought do not like or also attachment do not like. What one’s what one’s attachment to like is respect. What one’s self-cherishing to life is respect. To the other person to be humble to you, respect.
So little physical action, something that one’s self-cherishing thought or attachment do not like, then suddenly anger rises. So, however, in the daily life, so all the time anger rises when there’s always something there’s always something, you see, that you not exactly what your attachment want or what your self-cherishing thought want. There’s always something that your self chosen do not like or that your attachment do not like. There was always something. So the anger comes so easy.
Just like I said. Like if you throw matches, little matches, throw in the gas or the petal petal kerosene. The big flame suddenly, big flame rises. The angle rises like that so easily. If one doesn’t regard one’s mind, doesn’t guard no.
Doesn’t sorry. Not regard. If one doesn’t guard one’s mind or so if there’s no protection, like practicing patience with this meditation, practicing the Dharma, practicing meditation, then there’s no protection in the life. So all the time anger rises whenever the situation that that one’s attachment or self-cherishing thought do not like, you see. Just a little opposite opposite to to one from these non negative thoughts.
That one from this that this wrong concept, you see. So so now here so now here, the anger rises, then makes your makes your, you see, most beloved friend, then enemy enemy to you, angrilysis to that person, then that makes that causes the other person get upset. Even once on, you see, most blocked friend get, you know, get upset to you and get angry to you, then your anger makes your anger makes, you see, your friend enemy to you. Your anger makes your friends to to become enemy to you. You see?
So here, here, you see, when we do not practice Dharma, when we do not practice meditation, patience, the the common definition of enemy as a somebody whom you hate or who has anger towards you, you know, Who has anger towards you? Oh, I see. Whom you hate? Whom you have anger? You know?
So common definition. When we do not when we practice Dharma, when practicing meditation, when we practice patience, that time definition of enemy is different. That definition, commonly common people’s definition of enemy is one, say. Here, here, when you practice Dharma, meditation, patience, that time, what what you what you regard that person enemy before. When you don’t practice Dharma, enemies whom you hate or who are anger towards you.
You know? But here, when you practice Dharma, practice meditation patience, that person become the most precious, most kind first put this word first put this word, the realization, the feeling, the experience of what how you see that person most kind. So therefore, most precious one in your life to you in your life. So it’s totally opposite to the enemy when you practice Dharma with that person, meditation. So so here, what I’m saying is that So the anger harms, you see, in the in the relationship, you know, to have long lasting, harmonious, peaceful, happy relationship.
The anger become very big enemy for that. Then after some time, if you don’t control if you don’t practice patience, you don’t practice meditation, don’t practice Dharma, you know, patience, then then it’s not later the other person complaining, you see, become bored bored or, say, constantly annoyed to be with you and want to leave. Say, like that. So the anger causes separation. You know?
You see? The separation, the divorce, like that. And even the closest so anger makes enemy. Even your closest person in the friend or the person in the life, closest one, even the anger makes that person to become an enemy. So therefore, no question.
Other people other than that, no question. Then Then anger makes as much as one as much as so one do not practice Dharma, meditation, patience, and then as much as anger arises, then in the world, at home, in the office, everywhere, where you go and go countryside or in city, east, west, where that that creates many enemies. The person whose nature is impatient, you see, being under the control of anger, then creates creates so many other sentient beings, in him to become an enemy to you. So so this way, it makes oneself unhappy, suffering life, and it makes so many others unhappy, see, to have suffering life, unhappy life. So instead of bringing peace and happiness in in this world, so it brings so much harm to other sentient beings.
So it harms it harms so one person, two person, three person like that, it harms to this world, to that many sentient beings. So like that, besides hundred to one thousand. So therefore so here, so here, practicing Dharma, practicing meditation, practicing patience, you see, it it is not only this this, you see, bringing I see. Keeping your mind keeping your mind in in keeping your mind in happy state, in peace and happiness, keeping and keeping your mind healthy. And from the from there, you achieve from there, you achieve happy, peaceful, harmonious relationship relationship in the family, with friends, at home, in office, everywhere.
Everywhere one goes. Everywhere, wherever one lives. With one lives. So bring bring so much peace and happiness within your life, and bring so much peace and happiness in the lives of one’s own friends, the most loved ones, the trust parents, one’s own children in the office, way about one girl. With he with whom he about, I see, one company.
So here so this is so such as practice, Dharma or meditation, see, such as in practicing patience, it’s not it’s not only a person who seek enlightenment for certain things. It’s not only a person who seek liberation, even not only even for the person who seek liberation for oneself. It’s not only for the it’s not only for the person who seek happiness in the future life. Anyone anyone who is seeking only the happiness in this life, anyone who seeks no other happiness, but only the happiness in this life, This temporary happiness, only the happiness in this life. You know, who say a person who is non believer person who is non believer, not religion, non believer, has if you want so the person want harmonious relationship, want other people to be a friend to be happy with you.
You see, other people do not want be angry to you, that they love you, you see, supported you. Then, you see, no other there’s no other way to as a so a person who’s a non believer but want these things, you see, desire this this happiness. Desire that this happiness in the life, then go then, see, you go to practice Dharma, this meditation, patience. Practice patience. You you see, you you have nothing say, no no choice.
If that anyone who want anyone who want, you see, desire, say, peace and happiness in life. Happiness in this life. Even, say say, happiness in this life. In everybody everybody, One person want person want everybody to love, you see, to be happy with you, you know, supported to you, say, good relationship, say, to So so this this is an an example an example how the Dharma practice is substantial, like, mentorship practice. Substantial if you are non believer.
Even if are non believer, not unbelieving religion. But this, such as Dharma practice, healthy to have a say. And to have a happy but desire happiness in this life. Good relationship, harmonious. So need to need there’s a great need, you see, say, meditation practice.
PCEP is examples of these patience in this case. And. Same person person who is, you see, who is who suffers so much, you know, being being suffers so much, you know, dissatisfaction. Person who suffers so much with dissatisfaction. This mean, dissatisfaction.
Because mind is dissatisfied more and more, so more and more unhappiness comes in your life. It builds up. Having, for example, material possession. As a for example, a business person So after having my profit, one hundred dollars, then looking for one thousand dollar profit. After you what after one, it is one thousand dollar profit, then the ten thousand dollar profit, one hundred thousand dollar profit.
After that, then, say, million dollar profit. After the million dollar profit, it’s a cheated. After one gain, say, million dollar, then looking for billion dollars profit. And then after one, make profit, billion dollar, then one make zillion dollar profit. After one make zillion dollar profit, then trillion dollar profit.
After one make trillion dollar. After one make trillion dollar profit, then I don’t know what Anyway, so so there’s no end. The desire so desire as long as one follow desire, it has no end. There’s no end. Always say I mean, after some time, the life’s nature impermanence.
So what the desire one didn’t achieve, never satisfied how much one gained, so one made profit in the life, so everyone did succeed. Because life is naturally impermanent, so one day, suddenly, the death happened. But that doesn’t mean still but that doesn’t mean one that doesn’t mean the desire has ended. It doesn’t mean that one has to say one has to one need to have realization, renunciation, one need to actualize the path to seize the negative imprints from where desire arises. One need to seize, remove completely the negative imprint from where the desire arises.
So only that way, then one can make impossible to rise desire by actualizing the spiritual path, particularly wisdom directly preceding emptiness, ultimate nature. So so here, again, the person the so the person who has unbelievable wealth, that can last many lifetimes, that the person can live for many lifetimes. So having so much wealth, but living the life with desire, As long as one lives the life with desire, follow the desire, one can never achieve satisfaction and always not enough, always want more. There’s always discontent. So result of following the desire is discontent.
And you never get you never get so result is dissatisfaction. By following desire, result of what you achieve, what it affects to your mental training, what we achieve is only dissatisfaction. So the person suffers more and more and more had had everything what had everything had everything what the person could achieve, could get in this world, and still might not be happy, dissatisfied. So even more, say, had had everything what the person can get in this world. But you see but so because of that, see so even much more unhappiness, so much more so much more that the beggar that the beggar was baking in the street, you know, with nothing.
It just lives on every day meal what the person what the beggar can get. That even that beggar might have so much peace and happiness in his life. So so now here so now here, There happened I saw in TV. One wealthy person in in England, he had a huge property and huge castle or huge building. So that I don’t know how many rooms.
And each every night, he sleep in different rooms. Something that hurt. And that’s what I heard. Anyway, I didn’t want to see the building or his home. But anyway, I was sort of hurt.
So after all this after all this, he becomes so after all this, he becomes so unhappy, you know, so miserable. Only drink sixty or seventy bottles of alcohol. He drinks something like that, and he’s eating food and only drinks and so because why did he drink so much? Because your mind is so unhappy, dissatisfied. So then then then what what is he taking refuge to the alcohol, to the bottle, you know.
So anyway so so he his mind was so dissatisfied, so unhappy. So he checked back. He checked back what was the cause that made his life so miserable, so unhappy. Then he then he thought, you know, he thought about wealth, by having wealth. And what made what made him to be wealthy is he started his he started his business by selling cars.
By selling cars, that’s how we become rich, wealthy. So he thought the root of his problem is of his problem is by selling cars. Root of his problem is because he did business selling cars and become rich. So that was the root of the problem, he thought. So so he has one attendant, you know, man.
So so outside the building, there is bird bird, you know, bird feeder, this, you know, Philip to watch. Think my brother anyway, so this container, he put so he send his attendant to buy many small, cars from the shop. So he fill up this container, which is to give water. So he fill up many small cars. Then he put kerosene, and then he burned the car as a because he thought that selling car was the he thought he’s the root of the problem, what made his life so unhappy, you see.
So that was shown on TV anyway. So so you see so now here so what I’m saying that so again here so again here, even you’re a non believer, you’re a believer, but you want happiness. You know, if you’re a non believer, you may have to accept religion, but you want happiness. So here so here, no choice. You have to practice renunciation.
Yet, one has practice containment. One has practice containment. So, see, one has to practice relaxation, means you know, protecting your own protect let go desire. Let go desire. The painful mind, you let go, and you achieve peace and happiness in return.
In a place of that, you achieve peace and happiness, real peace and happiness that can be that can that real peace and happiness that can be established in your heart, you can continue, and you can complete. You can develop, you can complete the peace this peace and happiness. So you let go the painful mind desire. Let you see. So the method to each method to each peace and happiness to not continue the life, getting more miserable and depressed, more and more depressed, more and more miserable.
Instead that to be more and more happy, more more must be more more happy and happy greater and greater peace in your heart. And from that and from that, mind is more relaxed. We see more healthy mind, so more healthy body, which is body body such as the the blood pressure and all these physical problems, which are the effect of negative thoughts, the effect of unhealthy mind. So it is scientifically proved that people who are more impatient, angry, they are more possibly to have statistically a higher number of heart attacks among the people who don’t participate in the also more anger. There’s more heart attack in, you see, in the static by examining.
So that and And one doctor in India, in Delhi, he made comments that his analysis that I had the paper. I had his comments paper. I kept it for some time, unfortunately, lost. So this doctor in Delhi, he from his own experiment analysis that people whose mind in their daily life in their daily life, whose mind put more positive labels to other people. Thinking good, the thinking good, labeling putting positive label to other people.
Instead putting more negative label, this person is bad, this that person is bad, this and this. Instead of putting more positive label, he said that the people who have the attack or the heart disease and the so these sicknesses, he said that came from, you see, mind labeling negative towards other peep towards others. That’s what he said. So that that that makes great sense because when you put a negative label, your life situation or others to other people, then you believe in that, then you make it then then you make it really bad. You you really make that that person bad, you know, really bad.
Then, you see, when that person up your belief in your label as bad, then that person appears to you bad as it is bad, you see. And then it bothers you. Then you see, that person which appears bad to you, it disturbs your mind. It doesn’t make you unhappy. I said, sorry.
It doesn’t make you happy. So it doesn’t make you happy, you see. But think by seeing that by thinking of that person, you see, that it doesn’t it doesn’t bring peace in your heart, you know, It doesn’t make your mind happy. It disturbs. It affects it has negative affect to your to your mental continue.
So then that affects your body. Then you get angry. Then you see, not all that, not all that that makes your mind unhappy, but it cause rise. It upset your mind. You can make you angry.
Then that, you see. Then that harms your own health. As I just mentioned in the teachings that That one mind become, see, need emotional thought, anger, desire, so forth. See, you know, un peaceful. So so it disturbs the vehicle of the mind, which is wind.
So for example, a person who is riding a horse, that that that person is not peaceful. She depending on what that person does, the horse when the horse gets disturbed, then it not become peaceful. Then that horse, you see, not walking peacefully, being, you know, violently running or have you disturbed, then that disturbs the person. You know? Affects the person.
So that here, same. The mind, say, you know, that will become dis you know, disturbing negative emotional thought, then they disturb the wind, the wind of the mind, wind. And then then that affects the four elements, fire, water, four elements that which is within which is within one’s self. So they get disturbed, and they become unbalanced. So then that then that causes the then you see sicknesses.
When when they become unbalanced, cause sicknesses, then the same. Then they they become unbalanced, the four element, then the causes the disturbance to wind, and that just cause disturbance to the mind. Sort of that. So it’s true what the doc what his doctor was advising for health reasons. And then so he said to put positive label in our daily life, positive label to others.
So it makes you so that, of course, you can see logically, it makes you happy. When you think of that person, makes your mind happy, you see, better than the positive. So here now, anyway, so now going back, here, renunciation before I was patient. Now here, practicing Dharma, meditation renunciation, letting go the painful mind desire, which, from that, by doing that, you you don’t lose. You only achieve the great peace in your heart, happiness.
Healthy mind and healthy body, a long life, you achieve from that. So with the desire, and then, you see, cause harm others, you know, anger rise because you do desire anger rise cause some others harm to others’ lives, then that cause you a short life. So things like that. So here, even very simple meditation, very simple. There are so many ways to meditate.
Meditating, looking at very nature of the phenomena emptiness, or nature of how they then very gross nature of the phenomena by looking at it impermanence, natural impermanence. What exists today doesn’t exist today, stopped already. What exists today doesn’t exist stop. Doesn’t exist tomorrow. You see?
Yeah. So send send, hour to hour, What exists hour, it doesn’t it stopped by the by the second by the next hour. And what exists what exists this minute, it doesn’t exist next minute. What exists this what exists in the second is stopped, but it stopped. You see, it doesn’t exist in the next second, next second of set.
What exists what exists in in the in what exists in the first second, it doesn’t exist, you see, in the next second. It is a decay it’s a, I say, stop in the due to because because it exists, because when it can exist, being under the control control cause and the conditions. So therefore so there because it is under the control cause conditions, so therefore, it doesn’t last. So what exists in the first, second, it doesn’t exist second. Even just, I think, even just maintaining on this, what exists in first, second doesn’t exist in the second, second, It’s gone.
So if you think if you just maintain it, if you think this at the natural suffering, you see, that, say, Tibetan took them or whatever. So if you reflect just this, it’s a great meditation for the the mind. You see the subtle meditation on impermanence. However, when you think the nature of the phenomena, when you when you don’t examine the nature, it looks like so for example, while we’re looking at this mark, while we’re looking at this clock, this bright clock and this mark, it looks like it doesn’t it looks like it doesn’t appear at all to our to our I mean, to our mind that I mean, except those who have realization of the subtle impermanence, then have this understanding in your heart when you see look at this mark changing, up and it decaying. It doesn’t last hour by hour, minute by minute.
Know, second by second, it doesn’t last. It’s decaying in in a second by second. You see, what the mark, what exists in the first second doesn’t exist in the second second. The next second, you see. If it is continued, but what exists in the first second is doesn’t exist in the second next second.
So it will stop. Gone. It’s gone. It’s gone. Next second.
Next second time is the first second, the markers were gone. So just contemplating on this, it’s very powerful. So even that helps even that helps to relaxation, to be content. No point, let’s say, there’s no point to cling on that. There’s no point to cling.
It’s a it’s a hallucination. There’s no need to cling, you see, even by thinking even by thinking changing decaying, you see, doesn’t last. See what exists in the first second. During the first second, it doesn’t exist. During the next second, you see, all that.
So however, by thinking, under gross impermanence, things can be stopped at any time. It can happen. One’s own life and the wealth, anything can happen. You see? So this is this is this is not particular religious faith or something.
This is this is just natural natural phenomena. You’re you’re meditating, looking at their nature, what they are. So so, anyway, thinking, oh, this is enough for me. This is why why I need more. This is enough.
So when you make that when you make that when you make that determination, you know, when you make that determination, stop following the following the painful mind desire. For me, this is enough. Why need it more? So the minute when you do that, it’s a stop you say stop following desire. So the minute when you do that, that continual continual growing sicknesses of mind or the continual growing suffering, misery in your life stopped in that time.
When the minute of you think, oh, this is enough for me. Why not more? You see? So, however so again, here, such as Dharma, there’s Dharma practice, letting go delusion, desire. Delusion, letting go, cutting cutting or letting go desire, delusion, practicing the analysis.
Here, you see, can become the another most important practice in the life that, you see, gives you so much peace and gives you so much peace and happiness, continual peace and happiness in your life. And healthy body from that healthy from the healthy mind, and then healthy body, a long life, as I mentioned before, so like that. But of course, the long benefit is the desire obscures the mind all the time, Obscures the mind. Affect of the desires always obscures the mind. So so that it didn’t have to, you know, to be to be a compassion, seeing the suffering of others, seeing your suffering, seeing realizing how desire the nature of suffering, and and all the shortcomings of desire.
You know, it blocks the desire of skills to for you to realize all these things. You’re on all these sufferings, their effects, you see, know, and all the shortcomings, harms, to realize all those effects are, I say, harm, and to be able to realize others suffer. You see? Because you don’t see your suffering your own suffering. Then you don’t see how others suffering.
Know, totally overwhelmed by desire, you know, how other suffering, you don’t see. Then difficult to generate compassion to other. It blocks it is an obstacle to develop compassion to others. And then it obscures the mind, and then it hinders for your mind to realize the very nature of phenomena and the emptiness, of the eye, of the, you know, the the mind, and of the and very nature of emptiness of the phenomena. And then if you don’t realize in this, then you cannot eliminate the root root of all the suffering, the ignorance.
If you cannot eliminate the ignorance, you cannot eliminate all other afflictions, the negative emotions, the anger, ignorance, all other, you know, hatred, attachment, and so forth, all other the delusions cannot eliminate, then can cannot eliminate the karma, then cannot then say, cannot stop the suffering rebirth. You cannot stop. You know? You cannot completely stop. You cannot, yeah, cease the suffering of the cycle of suffering of rebirth and death.
You know? All this, you can’t stop. Then that means still that means then endlessly, one had to suffer in the cyclic existence of saṃsāra. Then can never achieve liberation. Then cannot achieve enlightenment.
That means then you that means then one can liberate others from the oceans of saṃsāra suffering and bring them to life and solve that. Just just some emphasis just some emphasis of the some emphasis of the practice practice is not this this practice is not only people who seek enlightenment or liberation or religious person. But these practices, even non religious person, anyone who wants happiness, anyone who is seeking happiness, anyone who likes to be healthy, they need to treat these practices. Anyone who wants a long life, healthy, one harmonious, anyone who wants wealth. However, all these things, so all this happiness of this life, whoever, even non believer, but want all this happiness, then no choice.
You’ve got to practice meditation and Dharma to be totally to be totally free from the delusion, karma, all the delusion sufferings, then one to achieve liberation, to achieve this everlasting happiness, to make it impossible to experience suffering again by ceasing completely the karma and the disturbing, the negative attitude, the delusions, and by ceasing the cause, the imprint, negative imprint. For that, one need to practice the four noble truths. One need to one need to exercise part of meditation, path of meditation, path of learning. All this has to begin with the realization, renunciation of saṃsāra. So one has to learn one has to learn the whole the whole path to liberation.
So that is clearly explained by Buddha. And to to achieve full enlightenment, clear liberation, and to be able to enlighten nimbleness of other living beings, then you need to practice the root bodhicitta. See, the great compassion towards all the sentient beings, bodhicitta. Then you enter the path, the five path of mind, the five path. Then if it’s sūtra, then when I practice tantra, there are five part and ten.
One has to exercise. Then if I practice highest tantra, then two stages on top of the on the basis of the bodhicitta. So the complete path to achieve great liberation, full enlightenment, Buddha has clearly explained. So I need to learn all these and practice. So so here here, center here.
Just an example. This is an example here. Like this, where there’s where there’s a qualified teacher who can teach educate the whole path to liberation, whole path to enlightenment, Such like this. I’m not not saying this is the only one, but like this, that has, say, set up all the conditions and qualified teacher to get that can teach clearly whole path to liberation, to enlightenment, how to get out of how to get out of suffering, free from the cycle of death and to birth, all those sufferings of saṃsāra and to achieve full enlightenment. Become extremely important Such this meditation center is extremely important.
I say, great need, how important it is, how incredible need there is in the world for sentient beings, for suffering beings, it became unbelievable. I say how important it is, the need, it become unbelievable. To to give education, to illuminate, you know, to awaken self the to awaken self and bring this mind to liberate him. So to set up such a meditation center is the, say, incredible, most important, the hub to sentient beings. Oneself to learn and actually to benefit others becomes the most important thing in the world.
And essence, it teach is compassion. Buddhadharma is differentiated by compassion towards all the living beings without discrimination. Whether they have whether they believe Buddha or doesn’t believe Buddha, there’s no question. Compassion towards everyone.
You know? Whether they believe Buddha, do not believe Buddha, or they worship Buddha, doesn’t to everybody. Even, you know, including what’s it? You know? Yeah.
So to anybody who has, you know, mind, anyone who has anyone who has suffering defilements. Therefore, the very essence of compassion, the very essential practice of good heart and to not to protect karma, to not harm with that mind but benefit others, at least to stop harming others. So naturally, by doing that naturally, you see, you are protecting it, but it’s the best way it’s the best way of protecting yourself from from receiving yourself receiving harm. You know? And yourself receiving, you see, benefit.
It’s best way of fulfilling all your wishes of all the happiness, including enlightenment, everything, with compassion, engaging in that action, benefiting others, and then at least the the let’s say, the at least in stopping harm. So therefore therefore, how to teaching especially how to develop compassion, very basic very basic teaching, a very basic education, most important education, how to develop compassion. So that is an antidote. That is an antidote to to and that becomes an antidote to say. That becomes a method.
Naturally, naturally, it become method. To not have war in this world, to not have famine in this world, to not have disease in this world, because he said all this came from the all this came from the self-cherishing thought and these other negative thoughts and delusions. So so here, this becomes antidote, a method to prevent, to not create a cause of sicknesses, to not create a cause of famines, economical problem, recessions, all this. You see, the world has been suffering so much. So to create a cause instead of war, peace, instead of creating to not create the cause of sicknesses and to create the cause of a healthy body, long life, long life, everything.
To not create the cause of to cease the cause of poverty, cause of poverty or the economic problems, to cease and to educate the sentient beings, to create a cause of prosperity, perfect enjoyment, how to have. And this one teach. So then educate also such as here the teachings taught such as in a meditation center, educates the sentient beings, educate the people to purify, to cease the cause of fire danger, to cease the cause of water danger, to seize the cause of earthquakes, to know, the danger of earth, you know, wind, the the tornado, and all this, you know, destroying in one within one hour completely. So the whole city of the whole town completely disappeared. So many billions and billions and billions of dollars are destroyed.
So to cease the cause of those things and to create the cause of opposite, not happening, or the cause to not having these things, opposite to this, so to have a perfect enjoyment, how about like that. So therefore, what I’m important. So how important it is such a place and the center where we can learn all these things, where educate the sentient beings. And not only that, then space a complete path to liberation, to enlightenment. So so that’s really amazing, so unbelievable fortunate.
So so therefore So here anyway, I take this opportune I take this opportunity tonight to say so it it happened it happened talking here. So how how how this is incredible, joy it is. You know? So in the life, to benefit other sentient beings, know, or from Dharma. So I think, sort of like, to end.
Here, say say, my it’s a very good friend, who was a very, good-hearted and pure. So great teacher. Been teaching here for many years. And the students who have been studying here, the five year basic program, also been studying, and that of those who are learning, those who have been learning here at the center. And all those benefactors, anyone, members, directors, or who’ve been supporting, say, learning and supporting.
So, yeah, I would like to take opportunity to thank him very much. And also, translators who translate when translate Geshe-la’s teachings and also the Geshe-la’s attendant here, then the lama and technical staff. So everyone here would like to say, take opportunity to thank. So so so I think I don’t know the time. I think time has disappeared.