Audio recorded at Buddha House Adelaide. Transcript auto-generated and AI-corrected; may contain errors.
About this talk. In this 46-minute talk, Lama Zopa Rinpoche explores how worldly concern taints even sacred teachings. He teaches the three mistakes of the vessel: a pot upside down (inattention), with a hole (failure to retain), or dirty (wrong motivation—concern for reputation, wealth, comfort in this life). For teachings to benefit the mind, the listener must cultivate three recognitions: Buddha as skillful doctor, teachings as medicine, oneself as a patient with the chronic disease of delusions. The action of listening must be motivated by bodhicitta—the intention to achieve enlightenment for all sentient beings. He concludes by introducing the view of dependent arising and how understanding interdependence naturally leads to a conduct of not harming others. Suitable for practitioners examining their own motivations.
File metadata (for organising)
File: 05 WWNN.mp3
UUID: 9e955f3d-5a93-489f-bce2-c38ba255c314
Teacher: Lama Zopa Rinpoche 1
Collection: y What the World Needs Now 1987 Audios (Lama Zopa Rinpoche 1)
Date: 1987 (exact day not recorded)
Recorded at: Buddha House Adelaide
Duration: 46.5 minutes
Words: ~3,327
See, beneficial able to benefit to this mind. So it should be devoid of the original teachings should be done with the six recognitions and devoid of the six devoid of the three mistakes of the vessel. The if the the pot if the pots are put upside down, you see, then nothing goes inside. So not paying attention of one’s mind, not like that. In that way, one cannot understand.
So in that way, even physically one is here, the teaching cannot make it to be beneficial for one’s own mind. Then the second thing, then even the part is up, see, then if it’s broken, the bottom, if there’s a hole, bottom of the part, if it has hole, then whatever you pour, with the delicious drink, food, whatever you put, you see, it won’t stay. So therefore, like that then, reason the teaching, but then one does not try to keep in the heart. Then after the teaching, when the teaching is finished, we say, one, do not try to remember. You see, don’t forget.
One does not one does not one does not try to remember and to apply, you see, in the one’s own life, you know. And then for you see, forgetting. So one, you know, forgets the teachings. So it’s like that. So the lesson teaching being devoid of, you see, and that mistake.
And then even one even one, you see, they are listening to teaching, you know, you see, able to remember all that. But you see the you see, know, one one listens with the wrong motivation. The motivation of listening teaching, you see, is mistaken. That is life, you see. Dirty pot it’s not broken, but it doesn’t have a hole at the bottom, but the pot is dirty.
So whatever you put inside, know, ice cream or honey or you see? Whatever you put inside becomes dirty, you know, and what to eat. So like this. So so therefore you see, if the motivation listening to teaching, if they are sustained by the, you see, world concern, you know, thought of the world Dharma, then, you know, this life so that I can teach meditation to others, so that I’ll be famous, or, you see, to have a reputation in this life, or so that I can write books, You know? However, to have a reputation or to be wealthy or, you see, things like that.
Essence, you know, of the motivation is clinging to the happiness this life, to one’s own happiness, and that is this life. You see, listen listen, teaching with this mod listening, teaching with this motivation, is being stained by the worldly concern, then the action, listening to teaching, this didn’t become this didn’t become Dharma or didn’t become holy Dharma. One did not become spiritual, did not did not become holy Dharma. Then this action or listening, even the subject is holy dharma, subject where one listens is holy dharma, You see, with subject of the dharma, that which protects, you see, which protects which got which protects the this, you see, the sentient being protects the sentient beings, from the whole entire suffering of saṃsāra, all the problems of saṃsāra, all the cause, the delusions and disturbing thoughts. However, from all the obscurations and and the the bliss of liberation and the the state of omniscient mind, the the full enlightenment.
But if the but if the person the the listeners, the motivation, listening, teaching, stained by the worldly concern, clinging to happiness in this life. And then this action of listening and teaching doesn’t become because it didn’t become it didn’t become Dharma because the motivation is not Dharma. Motivation did not become Dharma. That which can protect the that which that which can protect the person, you see, from the, you see, their sufferings and causes. Okay?
The motivation motivation is the cause of that motivation is the cause of problems. You see? It’s not it’s of problems. You know? The negative motivation is the impure motivation, you know, or they become impure, say, it’s a standby world of concern.
So that itself that itself is become cause of problems. Instead, protecting away from the cause and problems. So one can understand, we see from the nature of the mind from the nature of the mind and one with one with you without the motivation is your listening teaching, understanding by worldly concern and stand by worldly concern. From the nature of those two minds, you can can feel the differences, you know, their characteristic. One is very calm, peaceful.
Other one is, you see, nature of the nature You know? The world is concerned, I think. Nature is a disrespectful mind or unpeaceful mind. That which the it it it does the function, you see, the attachment, you see. So it what it does function function, what it does is it obscures to see the shortcomings, You know, shortcomings of the attachment, shortcomings of the action done out of action done out of attachment.
You see? So how about on them? So now the action is a lesson teaching or you see, what with worldly I’m sorry, motivation stand by worldly concern. Now this does not become since it doesn’t become it didn’t become Dharma, so it doesn’t become, you see, cause of happiness. The action, you know, action didn’t become cause of happiness.
The not only not not only enlightenment, the great liberation, not only enlightenment, the omniscient mind, not even the, you see, the lower, you know, the liberation of the lower, you see, the lesser vehicle path. Do not even cause or even the, let’s say, liberation and ultimate happiness, you see, of the lesser lesser of the lesser vehicle path. And this action, listen, teaching often do not become, you see, even the happiness of future lives. Even this temporal temporal happiness. You see, happiness beyond happiness beyond from this life.
And so so therefore, the the motivation you see now, the particular purpose here now or listening teaching, all that is, you see, for happen Mhmm. So we’re doing this particular particular action this time for happiness. Something that’s that is correct, unmistaken. You know? Trying to do something, you see, that that which definitely that which definitely causes happiness, which definitely brings result happiness.
So this is what we’re trying. So therefore, it is a so therefore oh, yeah. So that is dependent on the motivation. The you see, and the action, listening, and teaching, the cause of happiness, depend on the motivation. So therefore, it should it should not be motivation should not be stained by the worldly concern.
Now now in the motivation of listening teaching, you see, not understand it’s it is understand by the worldly concern. But if it is stand by, you see, now, you know, the selfish attitude self selfish attitude. Then you see, Just as a an example. Just before alright. Just just before saying this, see, the even the motivation of this motivation, even it is not unstained by the world of concern, but if it is sustained by the desire seeking some sort of perfection.
Samsāra happiness, perfection. Not having the motivation, not having the renunciation, sees the whole saṃsāra. Whole saṃsāra is nature of suffering, you know, like being in the center of the fire or, you see, the whole saṃsāra perfection is essenceless, You know, perfection is essenceless. So which is not having the thought, you see, in a feeling aversion, which is renouncing saṃsāra. Now, is it seeking the motivation is obtained by the attachment, seeking the saṃsāra, you see, seeking the saṃsāra, you seeking the saṃsāra, you know.
Often, you see, when action, listening, teaching, you see, What does that not become cause of liberation, you know. It does it does not become cause of liberation. You see, this the cessation of the, you see, the true suffering, the problems and the causes. So therefore, action of listening and teaching should not be, you see, motivated by the desire, you see, or the seeking, you see, the as a finding, you see, saṃsāra like beautiful park or as a at is your attraction. You know?
The what is you see, The saṃsāra perfections as you see? The which gives pure happiness, you know? Seeking some sort of perfection, okay, in this way. And then and then this the motivation, the listening teaching, what? She even if it is stained by the attachment, which is seeking the saṃsāra perfections, you know.
But if it’s stained by the selfish attitude, then, you see, one the accumulation of merit cannot become cause of cannot become cause of, you see, to achieve the great liberation. Omniscient mind, the fully omniscient mind, and perfect power, you see, and the completion, you see, one time, it’s the completion of compassion, you know. One can you see, one cannot one cannot, you see, complete mind training and the compassion towards all sentient beings. However, one cannot achieve you know, great liberation, the full the full enlightenment. So, therefore, the action of listening teaching was to become cause of enlightenment to become cause of enlightenment, to achieve the great liberation, to achieve mind, perfect compassion.
The complete is a complete compassion, the perfect power. And, you see, to be able to to be able to free all sentient beings, to be able to, know, all the sentient beings from all the obscuration, sufferings, and to lead to the the state the great liberation. The, you know, the full enlightenment. Or then the motivation and the motivation should be possessed by the bodhicitta. See, to achieve to achieve enlightenment, to achieve you see, the the great liberation, you see, the full and no mind, you know, the complete compassion, perfect power.
You see, to achieve this, one should achieve this on the basis on the basis of the brave attitude, you know, that that I will, you see, I will take a whole responsibility from every single thing from all the obscuration, sufferings, and to lead the, you know, appearance, happiness, the enlightenment by myself alone. By myself alone. I see on this basis. So the motivation for the the action of this teaching order, I mean, we see now to to make to the cause of achieving the purest happiness, you see, for self and, you see, all the sentient beings to lead in in this purest happiness, enlightenment, all this, should be to make it beneficial, you know, every minute, every second. You see?
Action, listen, teaching. Yes. Even which is important to the most beneficial, you see, like this. Should be possessed by the the motivation of bodhicitta. Even even one doesn’t have the actual realization of bodhicitta, well, then at least, you see, it should be possessed by effortful creative, you know, bodhicitta.
Yeah. Then once off, the listener ones off, They listen to oneself, and then, you see, patience. You know, patience having experiencing, you see, experiencing very serious disease, The chronic disease are the disturbing thoughts. The starting from the three person’s mind, ignorance, anger, attachment, you know, this six root delusion twenty secondary to that, you see eighty four thousand delusions, or then chronic disease, modern chronic disease of the of disturbing thoughts, you see, having you see, having sorry. Having experiencing very serious disease of the chronic the chronic disease of the delusions or delusion karma, you see?
Or from the from the beginning’s time, you know, from the beginning’s rebirth, have been sick. There there has been there hasn’t been even one second break from this chronic disease of delusions. Once the patient’s experiencing the serious disease, you know, the very serious, very serious disease of disturbing thoughts. And then the teaching medicine to cure that, to cure this serious disease that is disturbing thoughts, you see, did not whose continuation did not have beginning. Then this medicine which which end, you see, which completely removes this disease.
So having this recognition, having this feeling, then and the the the teacher who teach as as a skillful, the wise doctor. Then Buddha Buddha having recognition to Buddha, you see, holy qualities That, you know, free from all the mental stains, you know, free from all the mistakes, having all the realizations, holy qualities. Then having the recognition that the teaching of Buddha, the ultimate medicine, the medicine that cure this very serious disease of the the sentient beings of the disease, know, the delusions, which which brings all the temporary ultimate happiness. So this one could exist longer, having having the wish to exist longer. And then if one practices this, if one practices, you know, precisely, definitely it definitely recovers the serious disease, you know, the sad.
The disturbing disturbing thoughts, you know, the serious disease of disturbing thoughts. It definitely definitely recovers. How about Then in this so and then this so listening and teaching although with the fixed recognition and by attending this, there’s three mistakes. The bass, the bass, the listener, then also, I see. For that is your responsibility, And then they explain.
Teacher who explains, or don’t give teaching, or don’t explain without pride, know, even teaching without pride, other compassion. What are the methods of that of that before giving the teaching? How are they doing three poisonous thoughts to control the pride after the teaching, made it fulfilled. Other things sitting on the seat by remembering impermanence, the transitory, even, you know, all the positive things, life and so forth, all everything is out all the positive phenomenons, you know, transitory. All the like, light thing, like, you know, a water dew doesn’t last.
Like, One should explain the teachings. Let’s see. With part of benefit of the same things. However, so I think the same thing motivation as I explained for, you see, listening teaching. So that’s my that which is my responsibility.
Then yeah. So I think it is that a must achieve enlightenment. For the sake of all the for the sake of all the mother sentient mother sentient beings who are equally in the infinite space. Therefore, I’m going to listen the teaching of the graduated path to enlightenment. And then, you see, should pray, you know, one should pray that every single words that one every single word that that one is listening, that’s What one listens, you know, or the you see, to pacify all the wrong conceptions, especially self especially, see, selfish attitude, which is the source of all the problems, all the failures, all the unsuccessful, temporary happiness, ultimate happiness, you know, works for self, works for others.
Unsuccessful obtaining of happiness for self and for other sentient beings. So especially to immediately pacify I think, to pacify all the wrong conceptions, especially self selfish mind. Okay? Then and then to generate all the thoughts, especially bodhicitta, within my heart. Each word that I each word teaching, see which I’m list we’re listening to cause, like, to to cause in this way.
And then also should pray, you know, also by I see, each word that I listen may cause that myself, you see, to be able to pacify all the wrong conceptions, especially, you know, self-cherishing thought in the mind of other sentient beings and to generate to be able to cause generate all the path, especially bodhicitta, in the mind of all the sentient beings. So should should pray time to time. Begin, you see, middle, and however, you know, or should anyone dedicate like this. Similar one one one one one reads dharma books or however, for other activities, same. So even if one dedicate even dedicate, even motivate, dedicate like this, then definite definitely, even the dharma, what one knows, is very little.
Even what one knows is very little, but it’s not beneficial, you see, to control one’s own mind and very beneficial, you see, for others. We can benefit so many other things by the by the power of the pure attitude. How you go? Yeah. Then so now, view, as I meant so briefly mentioned about the conduct.
Okay? The conduct of the conduct of the the, you know, Buddhist and the view of view of the Buddhist or the inner being. Their conduct not giving. You see? On the object on the object, every sentient being, they’re not giving harm.
That is conduct. And then the The view is the the view is interdependence. Because yeah. Because the the because everything is the dependent arising, so therefore, you see, conduct has to be the conduct, therefore, conduct have to be not giving harm to others. Why why can’t why conduct not giving harm to others?
Why? Because everything is dependent arising. Because, you see, Everything that which exists is dependent arising. Originator of all, then everything is dependent arising. Then especially, mind, once on the mind, you know, originator originator of all, the creator of all the happiness, and the creator of all the sufferings is the mind.
So now, anyway so so think we we think this way. So happen so or happiness, suffering is dependently arising. So when one when one feels their arm, you know, you see, hot. You see? Then, you see, by having the cooling by, you see, say, clean condition, having cool air, you know, then you see, get pleasant feeling.
The pleasant feeling is experienced. So the feeling that the feeling that was, you know, that has a unpleasant feeling, you know, hot, you see. The I can con the condition, you know, outside element hot. Then the thing, having the and making stronger the outside condition, you see, the cooling air, you know, stronger stronger, then you see then you see that thing on that feeling that we see. Is it that that feeling, you see, with with this condition, that the that the unbearable feeling, unpleasant, you know, un peaceful feeling become that that feeling is it went down, you know, and it’s a decreased.
So so that is called happy. That feeling, which is dependent on these conditions. On that on that, one has labeled happiness. That that, you know, feeling peaceful that, you know, you see, peaceful. And feeling was in present characteristics in that peaceful feeling, which is not unbearable, you know, which is desirable.
Not undesirable, desirable. So on that, one has on that one has is he merely labeled happiness, you know, pleasant. Then all then also having the then also having the oh, you see? Good karma, you know, the virtuous action, the positive action, which is which is which is, you see, produced, you know, accumulated by the the virtuous, the positive, the virtuous thought, the mind, you know, the attitude. So depend on this depend on this then, you see, depend on this then outside conditions, then the feeling change.
So on this, the undesirable feeling become the crease, you know. So on that feeling, experiencing, you see, the the, you know, cool. See? So that feeling, on that one has newly labeled happiness or, you know, pleasant. Same thing then.
So I guess, you see, the happiness exists by depending on by depending on this inner cause with karma, outer condition outer condition, you know. Then also a thought labeling happiness. So depending on all the things that happiness exist. So They also so therefore, they this happiness can change. Therefore, this happiness, you know, exists by different cause conditions.
So therefore, this happiness that you see, by other conditions, see, by other cause conditions, this happiness can be stopped. You see? Something that’s suffering, you know, the a very unbearable, you see, unpleasant feeling. I was so cold, I was so, you know, so hot, you see. Then this one.
Yeah. So the inner cause inner cause.