Audio recorded at Buddha House Adelaide. Transcript auto-generated and AI-corrected; may contain errors.
About this talk. In this 123-minute teaching, Lama Zopa Rinpoche opens with a striking comparison: just as the world remains largely unaware of vast suffering in places like Africa and Tibet, the Buddhist realms of rebirth persist unknown to most beings. He then guides practitioners through detailed meditation on the suffering of the hot hells, particularly Avichi, naming specific torments: crushing, screams, great conflagration, unbearable heat, oozing pain, unrelenting torment. He extends the same contemplative method to cold hells, hungry ghosts, and animal realms, emphasizing that meditation must feel immediate and real to awaken genuine determination to seek refuge in the Three Jewels. Toward the end, a dialogue addresses what makes an action truly Buddhist: not the practice itself, but refuge at its foundation.
File metadata (for organising)
File: 59 2004 04 22 MR.mp3
UUID: 05ce9310-48bc-4881-a213-91d7c04684c1
Teacher: Lama Zopa Rinpoche 1
Collection: y Mahāmudrā International Retreat (Lama Zopa Rinpoche 1)
Date: 2004-04-22
Recorded at: Buddha House Adelaide
Duration: 123.7 minutes
Words: ~6,088
I think that I continue the oral transmission of this to finish this one. At least that’ll be good. Page seventy four. I think the hell, the lower. The law itself in the.
I think it’s a little bit like, you know, Africa or somewhere. This country this, for so many years, so much torture. So many people got killed, but the rest of the world doesn’t know. The rest of world doesn’t know. It’s not aware.
In what’s you know the place? Yeah. Wonder. Yeah. It’s Africa?
I heard so many years. Totally, many how many million people? Or five million. Four million. Is it five million people or something?
But there’s so much happening in a better rest of world. It doesn’t they don’t say, never brought to them to the never, say, announced or never brought to the to the world that so many years of so many people get killed, so much suffer, so much suffer. It’s a little bit like also Tibet. I mean, due to external publicness, more and more each every year, more and more with a Nobel Peace Prize and then more and more every year, more known and respected in recent years, come to know his qualities. So and his qualities, his compassion, wisdom.
So it came a little bit known, but still not much. Just a little bit known about Tibet, you know, here and there, little bit shown on TV, but very just just very, very short. But this I mean, rest is not known, not shown, not not known. So it’s like that. So there are many examples like this.
You know? There’s in a similar case, the hell really is suffering. So I’m using the and then I’m using similar example, you know, in the human world. So now that so here, the hell of suffering explain the teachings. So like that.
No. So I guess, you know, not so much known. It’s happening. You know, all those, you know, all those heavy heavy sufferings are nobody has been suffering in those realms, but unknown unknown to the human beings, devas. You know?
Unknown to the human beings in Himalaya, unknown to them, unknown to the devas. Just like that, you know, just like that. So, like, even situation even the we are close to even the situation to that, even the all the suffering they’ve gone through. I mean, more people can be known now, but still, I think, most known or unknown, there’s a most there’s a more more numb most number unknown, so it’s like that. Yes. In many parts of the West unknown and I don’t know how much known to the public.
And also maybe especially in China, maybe for public doesn’t know about Tibet, how much they’ve gone through suffering. So so like that, the hell itself is here. It exists, you know, but as only those who meditate, only those who explore, only those who learn Dharma teachings of Buddha, omniscient one. You know, I don’t know. So that I guess I guess the hell is it.
I think many religions, I think they have the explanation maybe not the same, but yeah. There’s not actual teacher, but not actual guru teacher, but his sense of is like like substitute of teacher. Usually, you help in debate in debating, you know, people are sort of debating. Therefore, for yeah. Helper as as a for study to study this yeah.
For study philosophy, help her debate or to help debating and then also maybe answering that who helps things study, not actual teacher. So some high lamas, like, some of the lama has a from, I think, you know, the. Garden So each from I think probably probably from each monastery, I think. I’m sure. They learn extremely top learned ones to help, but not excluded.
Essential. So like, it’s in a second century, but that the, of course, later but on guru, you know, took initiation. I think the commentary of the Lama teacher’s teaching, the language of enlightenment commentary that is from the Lama took promise of second century, but also some initiatives. Then so Kirti Rinpoche, I think the attention to Kirti Rinpoche in the study. So Kirti Rinpoche has one manager, monk.
So Kirti Rinpoche told me, oh, that so one one time he had experience of a hell. He didn’t die. You know, he didn’t die, but say how to say? Probably, you know, maybe sleeping or something. So so he actually had experience with hell.
Maybe I don’t know. Maybe some subtle mind. I’m not sure what it is. So he had and I think so the hell hell realm that maybe the ground as maybe the ground is salt or everything is salt. The whole ground is salt or something.
Maybe everything is fine or something. Not sure what he don’t know how long, but unbelievable. So then then after he had after the I think it’s not just dream. Let me just say, he actually had to explain he actually had to actually experience how. So he said Something, you know, very say, something, let’s say, like similar like our life, dead time.
Not such. After he had this hell experience, then he should say said, he had since he had the experience of hell, then he just nonstop. Just said, you know, that, you know, continuous continuous. Nonstop. Let me say that.
Now I don’t let me say, now I don’t know how he’s doing. But he had this nonstop. What in this child? You know? Nonstop.
Push. So scared. So I think it so I think, you know, so maintaining on the law, it helps to not waste time, to not waste precious human life. You see? And it it gives courage, gives force courage to you know, to renounce the meaningless activities.
So more you understand lower realms lower realms of suffering, then it’s very easy to abandon meaningless activities. Very easy. No difficulties. Before that so before that, so difficult to practice Dharma, but so easy to do, engage meaningless activities. So easily drawn into that.
So easily get to sleep in that or so easily get drawn drawn in that. So much time for, you know, for delusions. So know, meaningless activities, it will be this life for the happen it happened in this life. So much time, but no time for Dharma practice. So busy for that, but see, no time for Dharma practice.
So there is time. There is time, but the time is gone for there’s time, but time is gone for the other one, not for Dharma. So there is time. But so because because because not because not not aware the, you know, the result of negative karma, the sufferings of the lower realms is the most unbearable. So not not not having really understanding, you know, under not having really understanding faith, you see.
So not known or even even one one one thinking there is, but not say, don’t feel one one do not feel, you know, do not feel so adept or somewhat become more like intellectual. So that didn’t have the realization that how it is most, how it’s most unbearable. And then, you know, one one has to remember every day. One has to remember every day. Then that’s how one is able to one is able to be a hardships to practice Dharma and to abandon to difficulties to abandon meaningless worker.
No difficulties to, say, to say abandon delusion. No difficulties. There have been a similar And it does mention in the in the one monk, I think it is some or somewhere in this story from Sūtra. One monk had a suffering. Actual suffering one one one night.
So where where there was a river gangue, so could not find, could not see any one drop of water and had this had so much suffering of thirst. And so the so so the proof is that it wasn’t dream. There was actually experience of us because his robe his robe was on the other side, hanging on a tree or something. So there so it was so it was not dream. It’s actually because next day, his robe was actually hanging outside on a riverside tree.
So therefore, it’s not just a dream if we actually had to experience overnight or something like that. I didn’t remember details, that’s so this in a short there’s kind of short term experience. How to develop the spiritual realizations and that relate to suffering of the lower states. Although the topic of meditating on the suffering of the lower state is taught separately from how to perform the act of act of taking refuge, the ideal way to practice them is to take refuge right after reflecting on each aspect of lower states. Still a powerful and effective instruction for the novice practitioner is to meditate in initially.
Where’s novice practitioners? Beginners. Beginners. For the novice practitioners is to meditate initially on the suffering of the lower states alone separately from the, separately from the act of taking refuge. Then after gaining the first stage of of experiential realizations, you should cultivate the to practice jointly.
Among the areas of three lower states begin by meditating on the suffering of revivals, which is the first of the hot hells. After generating their perception that you have actually taken birth there, contemplate is suffering as though you are really experiencing it. You may think it would be it would be agonizing to be born in such a place, But I’m only imagining this. It is not a real experience. Though it is just your imagination and not a real experience, your mind contains the seeds of accumulated and undiminished karma that have been power to to hurl.
It’s a hurl. What’s that? Hurl? What’s that? Throw.
Throw. To that that have the power to hurl you, you you’re into the Avichi hell. So I have no doubt when these seeds are activated and rendered potent, when the time called being comes, you will definitely fall into that place, the Avichi hell being. I’m lost. If it frightens you now if it frightens you now merely to contemplate such a place, what will you do when you are actually born there?
Contemplate how you will actually endure something like that. Contemplate how you will manage to bear such a long lifespan. Meditate alternately and with conviction. Then on these two ideas that you have actually been born there and that you are certain to be born there. When you develop an intense desire to seek to seek immediately a means of liberation and a refuge that can save you from this from this peril peril.
And this brings on such great apprehension that you even lose your appetite for food. That is the measure of having generated an experiential awareness of the suffering of the lower states. Likewise, try to meditate in the manner that was just described intensely and with single-minded determination until you generate the realization that relate to the individual sufferings experienced in the Avichi. Crushing screams, great screams, conflagration, great conflagration. I’m sure.
How much is the translation? Hot and great, hot and greatly hot, oozing and greatly oozing, and unrelenting torment. What’s the relenting? Unceasing. Unrelenting torment.
After that, apply this same method of contemplation to the four great adjacent adjacent hell regions. What’s adjacent? Neighboring. Adjacent held regions. And the eight cold hells don’t reflect as though you were watching some remote spectacle spectacle.
Reflect instead that you have actually born been born in these places and that you are certain to be born there after meditating intensely on what you will experience there and how you will have to undergo terrible. And intense suffering for a very long time and unbearably strong pain will penetrate will penetrate your heart as before and cause you to lose all contentment. When you develop an intense desire to seek a means of liberation and refuge that can save you. It is a mark that you have generated the proper realization to enhance your practice when meditating on the suffering of the hells. Read the description in the sūtra on Well-Composed Recollection.
The mindfulness. And examine carefully the specific suffering of these regions as they are depicted in drawings after doing after doing this reflect. As soon as I cast off this physical form, I too will be become will become a victim of these very same conditions. What shall I do then? Recording this again and again is the best way to improve your practice.
Recording this again and again is the best way to improve your practice. So it’s the answer. After the so it’s somebody’s question, how do we improve the practice? So here’s the answer. After that, generate a state of awareness in which you imagine.
So the explained, you see, that one must remember the the sufferings of the hell, the hot and cold. You remember every day once you remember every day, you see. So then then, yeah, if one remember, recollect them every day, then you see then it’s then no then there’s no difficulties to practice Dharma. Difficulties, say, to to to abandon desire, the delusions here. So then no no hardships to practice Dharma because you are able to see the shortcomings of delusions, so you don’t follow the delusion.
So now, only the hardships, one one one follow the desire clinging to this to this life. One will follow the delusions, then one will find difficult to practice Dharma. The difficult comes, one will follow to but what but but the minute when you don’t follow delusion, there’s no difficulties to practice Dharma. That is the real Dharma practice. When you don’t follow delusion, that is real Dharma practice.
When you are, one must stop following delusion. So another way another way another way another way of explaining what the arm of practice is. So one will stop following the delusion, the the three poisons mind, and the attachment, and the more pure Dharma is that not from attachment, not even seeking. This next lives future life sometimes happens. They’re more pure than that, you know, understand by ignorance, concept of true existence.
Then more pure than that is understand by self-cherishing thought, the Dharma. So then on top of that there’s tantric Dharma, tantric practice, pure thought and pure appearances. Then isolation of body, isolation of speech, isolation of mind, and so forth, those truths. So what what one one even one is a great scholar that knows all the sūtra, Tantra, all those hundreds of volumes by heart can explain, can remember from the heart.
Everything can all the teachings of Buddha, again, all the scriptures can remember and can explain from the heart. All the commentaries. However however coming to the however, the very many of very meaning of Dharma practice, Dharma practice, Dharma practice, however, that is One one in the life in the life, one one follows delusion, then one one follows delusion. One one’s actions become work for you know, one one’s actions even meditating, listening, explaining Dharma. if it is not against delusion, not opponent to delusion, but harmonized to the delusion, it becomes work for the delusion, service for the delusion, then then it then it doesn’t become Dharma.
Even during retreat, it doesn’t become dharma. If it if it is harmonized to delusion, if it is a so if it become if we become service work if if it’s it’s for the delusion, if it’s for the delusion, then we didn’t become dharma. So whenever whenever one stop following delusion, that is dharma. Whenever your actions become opponent, so opponent in the remedy. Whenever your actions become antidote to the delusion, that’s then that that time become dharma.
So so dharma dharma. So the whole point the whole point is very simple. The what the meaning what it mean what it what it say what it means is if it’s harmonized to delusion, then it’s not dharma. If it’s a remedy, the delusion against delusion, then it’s dharma. So that becomes dharma.
Even I say, Even dancing, singing, so forth, what is he? So forth, whatever. If it become an antidote to delusion antidote, remedy delusion become dharma. All those become real real dharma. So see any other action become antidote or remedy to that fusion, then become real dharma so that So one on one continuously reflects every day, and one has realization of the suffering.
Nothing else in the mind to think as a Dharma. In the action, nothing else to think as a Dharma. So I think become like that. I think so easy. Like said, so easy so easy to practice Dharma, but so difficult, say, to not, say, to not practice Dharma.
So difficult. So you find the easiest one is to practice Dharma in the life. So then that happens after realization impermanence is death, realization of the lower realm of sufferings. So that is the one Dharma. Because you see, After that, generate a state of awareness in which you imagine that you have actually become each type of hungry ghost and animal.
Though at this time, you haven’t really become these beings, your mind is a storehouse filled with myriad myriad forms of projecting karma that will surely cause you to be born in there before very long. So reflect. When that happens, these are the experience I will undergo.
Then ponder all the activities you will engage in both while walking and at rest. When you actually take bird as different types of hungry ghosts or as dog, a donkey, a worm, a bird, a deer, or so forth, Also ask yourself, how will I be able to endure all this? To enhance this practice, read as well about suffering of a hungry ghost. And animals, as described in Sūtra on Well-Composed Recollection. Meditate in this way intensely in this way until you think.
I wish I could close the door to the lower states in this very moment, or how wonderful it would be to find a means of closing the door right now. Let me stop here. Part seven, training yourself in the practice of taking refuge. After generating as described the realization that relate to suffering in the three lower states, you will also develop the desire to find a refuge that can save you from this plight. When this occurs, you are ready to contemplate how the triple gem is the only true refuge and to reflect on their various qualities.
You will elicit a mental transformation by reflecting for about seven days on the four reasons that explain why they are a worthy object of refuge. After that, meditate on the Buddha’s physical, verbal, and mental qualities and on the qualities of his activities. Do this in accord with your intellectual powers as in brief by following the explanation that appears in the Lamrim writings in the Lamrim writings or in detail by following those presented in the major philosophical treaties, such as the two ornaments, the higher ornaments, and the like, And the like, the measure for having generated the proper experience and realization is to develop an intense faith that cannot be reversed. Meditate similarly on the qualities of Dharma and the Sangha, either in brief as taught in the Lamrim or in detail as taught in the major treatises. The measure for having generated this realization is again to develop a strong faith that cannot be overcome.
Through having recognized the qualities of the triple gem, that is our teacher who is teaching and those who practice the teaching. After eliciting the realization of this topic, do the same for each of those in the section called learning the distinctions. The measure for having generated this realization is to be able to apprehend clearly the distinction associated with the each aspect of the triple gem. After eliciting that realization, go to the next topic, which addresses how to take refuge by profession, faith in the triple gem. Reflect, I accept my guru and the Buddha as the ones who teach me how to find refuge.
I accept the holy Dharma gem as the actual refuge, and I accept the Sangha as the companions who help me to find refuge. The measure of this experience of realization is to gain the conviction that you could accept only the triple gem with such strong faith because no other teacher, refuge, or followers are their equal. After generating this experiential realization, the next topic is to take refuge by disavowing
No. What does it mean? This this this what? This is valid. No.
It’s not. No. It’s not. Yeah. What?
Give an update. Ali. The next topic is refuge by disavowing faith in any other tradition reflect carefully how our teacher, the Buddha, and his teaching are the sole point of entry for those who seek liberation, and how they are superior by virtue of possessing six distinct possessing six distinctions reflect as well on how other teachers and their teachings, such as the doctrines of Bon, the Tīrthikas, great teachers and their great bodhisattvas and all those teachings and teachers different from Dharma are in that they possess six opposite distinctions. Those reflecting thus bring forth a heartfelt conviction of how our supreme teacher, his teaching, and those who follow it are the sole refuge, and how no other tradition whatsoever is a true refuge.
The measure of realization is reached when this keeps you you from generating. Even though slightest thought of wanting to take refuge in someone else, After that, you will elicit a mental transformation by meditating for about seven days on the benefit of taking refuge, also for about a week on the precepts to be observed, so exert yourself with a heartfelt conviction because it does not take very long to gain realizations of the meditation topics associated with the taking refuge. Study reflect on the explanation found in the major scriptures. Learn as well to meditate on them with a single-minded determination.
For the virtuous qualities of the Triple Gem are as vast as space, as numerous as the grains of sand in the Ganges, as deep as the ocean. Moreover moreover, the three realms are too small to hold merit that is gained. For the very for the virtuous quality, I like to discuss. No. So this one, I can understand.
No. It’s correct. Maybe it’s correct. No. I mean, that that is also correct.
But there’s a there’s a quotation of sūtra that when we take the benefits of taking refuge, when we go for refuge, then the merit to be correct, if it’s materialized, then even the whole space, even the whole sky won’t fit or not enough. So going for when you you see that song has passed songs passed. So already went for refuge. Relied on the Buddha Dharma Sangha. If the benefit is materialized, the merit that you accumulated by relying on the Buddha Dharma Sangha, it’s not it’s not saying it’s not saying, you know, the, you know, the refuge vow, the ceremony of the lama, with the ceremony ceremony and prayer of the lama.
It’s not it’s not just saying on that. It means anytime. Whenever we begin our practice, you know, there it begins with with the refuge. See, like that. Whenever you take refuge in our daily life, Buddha Dharma Sangha, going for refuge to the Buddha.
So the merit, if it’s materialized, even the three galaxies, you know, You know? So I guess about that, counting one universe, you know, one, two, three, four, five, six, like that. One whole entire universe with the sun, moon, the whole entire, say, one, two, three, five, one thousand. Then one, one thousand like that, one, two, three, four, four, two thousand. Then two thousand like that, back on one, three, four, like that.
So that so so this is something like that. Or the universe or oh, galaxies. One galaxy, two galaxy. I’m not sure what universal glasses or same, I’m sure. So other one galaxy, two galaxy, is one thousand, then that one thousand one thousand glass, that one, two, three, four, one thousand.
Then one, then like that one thousand, one, two, three, four, then the item of one thousand, so like that. So even that many galaxies or universes, three thousand, two thousand like that is small for the merit to fit. Each time when you take refuge, there is merit to reflect upon. Each time each time each time each time heart alive, which is each time they take each time taking refuge is done. Merit that you collect, it says.
If it’s materialized, So comes from the Three Jewels Lamrim. So like that, you know, three thousand galaxies of universe. So maybe it comes from two realms. So small doesn’t fit. There’s so much merit.
And also, by taking the by whatever practice we do, by taking refuge, we do the practice, then the the merit is double. The merit is a hundred times. The merit increases a hundred hundred times. For the The the person living in the morality abstaining from three negative actions, and living in the morality abstaining from four negative actions of speech. So that person’s practice, is that Buddhism or not?
Is that Buddhism or not? No. He hasn’t taken refuge. He hasn’t taken refuge. So not is Buddhism not a prison?
The so per yeah. Person who yeah. Who say. Yeah, who doesn’t, yeah, who doesn’t love Buddha Dhama Sangha, but abstain from living the morality, abstaining from three negative actions of the body and four negative actions of speech. Living the morality so that is the person’s practice Buddhism or not.
Yeah. So it’s not Buddhism. Is that that person practices Buddhism or not? Buddhism or not? Is Buddhism or not?
No. I don’t think it’s necessarily a Buddhist practice. I think mean That person’s a practice. It could be a Christian practicing. It’s not Buddhism.
Well, what is it? It’s just a label, isn’t it? It’s a label in some ways. It’s a lighter. It’s a label to call to call someone a Buddhism, a Buddhist, is is perhaps just to put a label on somebody.
No. No. I’m telling you, is it is his practice? Is it living this morality? Is a abstinent from five ten negative comes about a five negative four negative come of speech.
Abstinent. Is that, you know, Buddhism or not? The practice that’s living in the morality, is Buddhism is that Buddhism or not? That person’s practice? I think it’s a Buddhist.
It he’s doing a practice. It’s it’s Buddhist practice, but I don’t know whether you have to be a Buddhist to do that. So his practice is Buddhism. His practice is Buddhism. He is doing a practice the Buddhist do.
So So he practiced Buddhism, but he’s not Buddhist. He practiced Buddhism. Right? But he’s not Buddhist. But he’s not Buddhist.
He practiced Buddhism, but he’s not Buddhist. Oh, I think that’s what I’m saying. Yeah. So so that means all the Christian monks and nuns, they practice Buddhism. Because they have because they have certain the I guess the then they have yes.
They’re absent from the need to need karmas body and for the karmas speech or not? No. Do you remember to know? Who’s oh, they’re here. Oh, What?
Not here. Yeah. So from four tenets karma’s body and four tenets chronic karma speech. Even the morality. No.
It’s not. It’s not. They take vows, polity, chastity, and obedience. I don’t think Right. I can’t see my plan.
Oh, yeah. Yeah. Go on. So what is the question? You know, the question among us, you know, living morality abstaining from three negative karmas of body and four negative karmas of speech.
Yes. They have ten commitments. Ten commitments. But the the last part that that may not be same, but generally, there’s some there would be similarity. They’re similar to Ten ten commitments.
Right? Yes. Ten so there that we have living the moral the moral the practice of abstinence from killing, sexual misconduct, and stealing. Then living morality abstaining from lying, slandering, harsh speech, and idle talk. That would be correct.
Have it. Right? Yes. Okay. So so sorry.
I’m Yes. Is a what’s that? Priest. She was a priest before. A method a Methodist minister.
A minister. Oh, minister. Protestant, not Catholic. Protestant. Protestant.
Protestant minister. Yes. Before. I met I met I met you. Bishops?
Yes. Yes. How many years ago? Five years ago, I guess. Mhmm.
Yeah. So I met her. The kitchen service place when I went there for kitchen service, the one month course. Five years. Right?
I think so. Yes. Yes. Mhmm. How long how long you did the minister?
Eighteen years. Oh. So much has strong common to our things from past. So naturally naturally true. Yeah.
Protestantism. Okay. So that’s all. That’s that’s that’s all. That’s all.
Good thing. So the old Christian monks and nuns, their practice. No. Doesn’t matter what to call or not, but is it the other practicing Buddhism or not? Yeah.
I I guess you’d have to say they were practicing the Dharma which Not Buddha. Not Buddhism. Well, I just I just don’t know whether they would call themselves Buddhist. No. Really.
It doesn’t matter. I’m not asking what they call themselves. Okay. Okay. That wasn’t the question yet.
Okay. They’re practicing Buddhism. They’re practicing Buddhism. Yeah. Oh, I see.
Okay. So that so they they practice they practice Buddhism. Does does a Buddhist, non monks practice Christianity or not? With the I mean, the reason is the Christianity I think Christianity came before Buddhism? No?
After? After? So in India, the Buddhist monarch, the prince was Christian. But there there are parents in you know, abstaining from ten that abstaining from the four negative actions of body and living morality abstaining from four negative actions of speech. So they are practicing Christianity.
So so Are they practicing Christianity? The Buddhists are practicing Christianity. The Buddhist monk Christians are practicing Buddhism. Is the Buddhist monk practicing Christianity a lot? It’s very hard to say.
Would say they’re both practicing Dharma, but I don’t know whether I would say they’re practicing what Christian wouldn’t say they were practicing Buddhism, and I’m sure a Buddhist wouldn’t say they were practicing Christianity. But I would say they’re both practicing the Dharma. So none of them so okay. So now the the Christian and monks, they don’t practice Buddhism, but they practice Dharma. They both practice Dharma.
But not Buddhism. Okay. I don’t know. I’ll have to give up. I’ll have to give up because I I don’t really know the answer.
Yeah. Your action to become Buddhism, you see, you it it has to be done with refuge, in Buddha, Dharma, Sangha, otherwise it doesn’t become Buddhism. Just to clarify. That’s what I thought I said That’s what I thought I said in the first place. Yes.
So what is the person’s actions Buddhism not defined by like the person like, in the case of the morality. So whether Buddhism or not, they are defined by whether there is refuge in the heart, reliance upon the Triple Gem, you see. So that and take from that, they can from that, they can achieve good birth. Next life. It is difficult to say it’s a perfect human rebirth, but human rebirth they can achieve on that.
I think even Hindus, for example, to to be able to born in the form realm, you see, they have to see the desire realm is only natural suffering. So they have to have renunciation desire. So renunciation is the so that it is renouncing to this life. It was in desire realm, you see. So and then that and looking at the form realm as a long life long life piece, no no sicknesses in many qualities.
And the desire in, you know, short life and there’s so many sicknesses, so many sufferings, you know, problems like that. So you see only desire and only suffering. So would you have renunciation of this life? Is it in the desire realm? So then, form realm has quality.
So that so that’s objective. And then and then they achieve the practice Samatha, the nine level, which is nine level, the one point of concentration. So so when they achieve Samatha, the preparation is done, then they achieve the actual meditative stabilization of the actual meditative stabilization of the first concentration, called in Tibetan. So that’s how they get in the forms realm from the.
So so it it it become Dharma. The is it the meditation, whatever. Is it they have renunciation to this life? The desire not only this life, the whole desire realm. The whole desire realm, have they see total nature.
And then look at the form form. Then then even looking the form of the nature of suffering, then they can realize that even that happiness, that pleasure derived from meditation, even they get bored of that. This is suffering. Then they look at the seek for the formless realm. Detachment to the formless realm, seeing all the sudden, then looking at looking at better to be in the formless realm.
So their meditation, you know, it is a deep contemplative Dharma. And then and then they achieved a higher performance there, you see. But not necessarily Buddhism. Hindus can do that. So it becomes Dharma because they are detached, because they have renounced attachment.
The attitude is attitude is, you see, detached to this life. So it’s become Dharma and action Dharma. Without Buddhism, that becomes Dharma and pure Dharma, but not not necessarily Buddhism. Not as Buddhism, because that doesn’t have refuge in the language of Buddhism. So in the in the even Hindu religion, it is have so in in some ways, it’s also inspiration to us.
So this is the this is the very first practice of Dharma, very first thing to do. Very first very beginning Dharma. So it’s So in some ways, it’s inspiration because, you know, so even Hindus do that. So so much is it, you know. So, yeah, it can be special.
It it may not it may not necessarily just be reciting a prayer. So it’s mainly having refuge in your heart, reliance on the Buddha Dharma Sangha, with the understanding that they have the qualities and power to liberate oneself not only from the lower realms but from the suffering of saṃsāra. And then and then see and then other cause, one of the causes, the faith that they have the qualities, power to liberate oneself and the from the sufferings. Sometimes the the the useful fear of the and fear comes with wisdom.
Fear with wisdom. Understanding the how the saṃsāra how your saṃsāra is nature of suffering. So this is one cause. Then with whole heart rely upon action, with whole heart rely upon them, that mental factor is the refuge. That mental factor.
Then, of course, Mahāyāna, then the then there’s extra cause of compassion for other sentient beings. That is one, besides those two other causes, then there’s compassion, also compassion to sentient beings and their suffering. Then with these two cause, your mind has these three causes. So if this is there, the refuge is there. So yeah, that’s maintain. Breath.
Breath. Probably the words to say it’s to let’s say, Maybe the say, to make it stronger. So the that it there’s for this, as I mentioned before. So gen so generally, with the ref I guess with the refuge, then you do the practice, then that morality or practice of morality or meditation, if you do it with refuge, then it is Buddhism.
But without refuge, without it is not refuge in your heart. Even you have realization of, you may able to concentrate on not dreaming. Knew that someday he’d be the star. Superstar, but he didn’t get far. But he still found out the hard way.
What you say, man? Man? Quit mumbling and talk out loud.