Audio recorded at Buddha House Adelaide. Transcript auto-generated and AI-corrected; may contain errors.
About this talk. In this 104-minute teaching, Lama Zopa Rinpoche introduces the Four Noble Truths, Buddhism’s foundational doctrine, by establishing two essential mindsets: interdependence (recognizing how all phenomena arise through interconnection) and non-violence (refraining from harm). He then walks through the first noble truth—suffering—in three layers. Suffering of pain is obvious; suffering of change means that all samsaric pleasure deteriorates and breeds dissatisfaction (he illustrates this with relationships, clothing, and daily frustrations). Pervasive suffering means that existence itself, whether pleasant or painful in the moment, is conditioned and unstable. He depicts suffering across all six realms—hell, hungry ghosts, animals, humans, demigods, and gods—with vivid detail, then explains how ignorance, delusion, and karma perpetuate this cycle. The teaching is anchored in a story of the Buddha’s first encounter with five disciples after his enlightenment, establishing why these truths still matter today. Pitched at newcomers and practitioners seeking understanding of Buddhism’s diagnosis of suffering before exploring its remedy.
File metadata (for organising)
File: 01 4 Noble Thruths Part 1.mp3
UUID: f00ca75d-68ff-4e1e-9dc7-bd6bb8f4c190
Teacher: Lama Zopa Rinpoche 3
Collection: Basic course (Lama Zopa Rinpoche 3)
Recorded at: Buddha House Adelaide
Duration: 104.3 minutes
Words: ~13,094
Something wrong. I think the the refuge is already Yes. It’s gone already. So very auspicious. We do again one more time.
Okay. I think you’re sitting so close. You’re sitting all over. You’re sitting like it’s maybe easier to send energy to each other. Easier to send transmit energy to each other.
So when you knock each other, don’t don’t feel upset. Okay? Maybe next time can stay a little bit spread out, so easy to but it’s good. It’s auspicious. Come together.
You know? It’s maybe expressing how close we are. Good evening. I’m always confused with evening and afternoon. So so today’s the subject is Four Noble Truths, which is the one of very fundamental, essential, most important, most crucial, and most profound teachings of the Buddha Śākyamūni, most profound teachings of the Buddha.
And this teaching is respected by all the different Buddhist schools and different labels of the Buddhist practitioners, such as the Buddhist four schools, as well as the different perspectives of Buddhist practitioners such as Theravadan, Mahāyāna, and as well as the Bodhisattvayana practitioners, and as well as Tantric practitioners. This teaching came into this world about two thousand six hundred years ago in India at Varanasi which is the first turning of the wheel of Dharma by Buddha Śākyamūni Buddha. After Buddha Śākyamūni Buddha obtained the full enlightenment under Bodhi tree in Bodh Gaya, the central land of India, in first place he was not requested to grant the teaching or not requested to turn the wheel of Dharma, so he went into retreat. He went into a strict retreat into the deer park jungle, which is Varanasi. Normally they call it a deer park.
So he went into the jungle and and do a strict retreat. And so until the Brahmins and yeah, the Brahmins, they blow the conch shell, blow the right turning conch shell, blow the right turning conch shell and wake up the Buddha Śākyamūni Buddha from his subtle meditation and create the auspiciousness with the strong voice of requesting him to turn the wheel of Dharma. Then from that very on, they created the auspiciousness Buddha to turn the wheel of Dharma in this southern world. So then he he was he was, you know, walking through the jungle. Then at the very holy place that we, you know, that he historically visit, the where you see the Buddhist image as well as the five disciple image, the statue there.
And that is the right place where he met the five Brahmins which are the five disciples immediately when they meet in the first meeting, immediately they feel the connection, the karmic connection. And that karma is established in Buddha’s previous life, the two lives before, when Buddha was still in the training, in the path, in the Bodhisattva aspect, The bodhisattva’s name called the great hearted bodhisattva. You know, bodhisattva great hearted bodhisattva and he was a prince and he was accompanied by the Bodhisattva level Maitreya, as one of the reincarnations. So so there were, you know, they were they were they were on the trekking. They were on the trekking, walking in the jungle in in Nepal where the place called Namo Buddha.
So so then they encounter this five tiger family, the mother and the four cubs and totally tortured by this starvation. It’s it’s it’s almost like there’s no no chance for survival. So then the the two Bodhisattva, there were two princess two two prince two prince. Princess is a lady, isn’t it? Princess.
You got princess. Okay. Princess. So they were discussing how to save the family, the tiger family. And the Maitreya’s previous life, what we call one of the lives, the bodhisattva, he said, I better go and find a food for them.
Maybe in the jungle, maybe you can find bones or meats of the dead animals. So then the bodhisattva of great heart, which is one of the lives of Śākyamūni Buddha he said if you go to find food maybe during the time finding food maybe the tiger family might not able to live you know they’re really on dying so then so anyway, the the Maitreya, he went to search the food. Then the the moment the Maitreya, he left, then the Buddhist were great hearted immediately lie down and cut the flesh from the thigh and respectfully or very gently offer to the tiger. Normally, in a conventional label, the tigers, when they’re hungry, they will just eat alive. So by that moment, tiger is totally reluctant to even get near, and they they even, like, kind of hiding.
They don’t they’re there to look. They’re not there to look. The reason is the power of the compassion is is is almost like a radiance very bright radiance of light shining to their eye, you know shining to their eye. So so so the Buddhist who was great hearted he understand this Then he he make a prayer, and he he speak out, and he make a prayer saying that you must eat the flesh. I’m giving you this with the compassion and total, you know, in total inspired by the the bodhicitta and as a form of generosity and I make a prayer that by tasting this meat of mine that you will create a karma to born as my first disciple when I come into this world to turn the wheel of dharma.
So then after the initiation the tigers subdue again by the power of compassion and they eat flesh, bone, almost everything. So so whatever remaining of the blood or the bones, the ashes or the bones or bloods remained, all those later collected and build a stupa in Namo Buddha in Nepal. That stupa is one of the major holy object that you can visit in Nepal if you go to Nepal. And it’s regarded that if you go to Nepal, there’s three important holy places that you must visit. And if you make a prayer for these three holy places when you come back, when you go back to your own destination, whatever your wish, wish will come true.
So I think we better make a wish something that we can able to consume. Maybe difficult. Maybe normally I I make a wish that which I can consume. I don’t make too big wish. It’s wish too bad it’s too much, so I don’t think it will come through.
They’re too greedy. You know? So, normally, when we make a wish, we we make a wish in our own capability. Okay. Anyway, so then Anyway, so there’s a stupa then the Boudha stupa, Swayambhu stupa, these three stupas the one that Regarded the wish fulfilling wish granting holy place by visiting these three holy object one’s wishes to be fulfilled within that very life within that very life.
And and if you go to Nepal, there’s a hundreds and hundreds of holy places. If you visit all the holy places, but if you miss out these three holy places, you are not sufficient of visit did the pilgrimage. But if you would unable to do the pilgrimage or other holy place, but you managed to visit these three holy places, you accomplished the purpose. So so anyway, this is just sight, sight track. Okay.
So then so those five disciples that Buddha encountered at Varanasi, that is the reincarnation of the five corpses of the five Tiger family you know five Tiger family so the moment they meet you know, they they all sense each other within each other, the karma of the past life, you know. So that’s how that you can you can tell that how the prayer, the power of the power of the prayer of compassion. Power of the prayer of compassion and bodhicitta can be so powerful until that you can almost like fix almost like fix the date, know, almost fix the fix the result, you know, so so like that. So So then Of course they requested advice so the advice is the first turning of the wheel of the dharma which is the Four Noble Truths You know, they they are just ordinary Brahmin and they just happen to request you to give advice because the moment the moment we see you, your outer aspect, they fully subdue fully subdue, like, like that. At time, like, they don’t really call as a monk or whatever.
Fully subdue like that. And you have a radiance of expression of your inner quality, which is compassion. So it touches us. So please grant us the blessing. Please grant us the advice.
So then, okay. Okay. We can proceed the advice. So the advice, the Four Noble Truths, the teaching that we’re going to discuss tonight is the this tonight and the next session is the teaching of the Four Noble Truths. So when he granted the teaching some even like hearing the first word already obtained the path of seeing, means ārya, not a buddha level path, but gained the path of seeing of the Hīnayāna realization, which means that some of them they even realize emptiness directly on that moment, Some, a bit later.
You know? Some, they even go beyond path of seeing. So so so so that’s how, this is the, like, very brief history how this teaching came about into this world. And today, this is a new year, and this is the first day of our our teaching, we call discussions, you can call teachings, you can call Dharma sharing to each other. I can learn some from you.
You can maybe learn a little bit from me, whatever. So we can we can share. So we are starting from today. So, so I find is, I feel very auspicious. You know, is we are almost like following the the tradition of how Buddha Śākyamūni Buddha established the teaching into this world.
So I hope and I pray and you know as like the the past example of the Buddha Buddha himself and his disciple to establish the teaching and not only that but establish the realization of the paths and grounds the realizations, you know, which is which is gain the result of subduing their mind by listening the Buddhist advice, which is like Four Noble Truths. We too, we too, not just intellectual knowledge, you know We try to come here and discuss and share the Dharma is to gain realization so our purpose is to obtain realization, experiential realization you know, whatever the teaching we discuss and we try to reflect into our day to day life and we try to live a life with that by understanding the teaching and try to you know gain the experiential level of contemplation not only that gain the experiential level of the realization in meditation means you completely dissolve into the teaching and teaching completely dissolve into you like almost like inseparable so live a life with like almost like inseparable with the teachings so then that is the state of you can call as again the realization of practicing the particular teachings and so on so So therefore all of us that we make a proper motivation You know the purpose of discussing this Dharma or the listening to the teaching is Not just to obtain temporary happiness not just to clear some obstacle for business problems, relation problems or whatever, you know, it is to clear all those minor obstacles in life, but our focus is to obtain the ultimate happiness ultimate happiness which is Buddhahood is to obtain the Buddhahood fully enlightenment the reason why we have to focus why we have to remind ourselves to to obtain the Buddhahood because that is already in the nature of our instinct, in the nature of our instinct.
The very first moment we born into this world, we born in the in the instinct of of of of obtaining enlightenment obtaining enlightenment. So don’t shop with this word. Now the moment we’re born the moment we’re born and even today, even when we are about to die, our instinct the nature is in fact we are always wanting to become Buddha. You know why? Because we always want the greatest happiness.
Who do not want greater? We always want happiness. We always want unexhaustible happiness. Isn’t it? We try.
We earn money. We get into relation. We try to learn dharma. We try to do all sort of things to to obtain ultimate happiness. We want real happiness.
Where is the real happiness? Where is the ideal happiness? Only enlightenment. Now here, you see, only enlightenment is the ultimate happiness. Other than enlightenment, there’s no ultimate happiness.
There’s no real happiness other than enlightenment, other than fully enlightenment, there’s no completion of happiness. And when we are baby, even, you know, crying, you know, asking some some some kind of, like, whatever, the mother’s whatever what do call? Mother’s mother’s comfort. It’s actually wanting happiness. Happiness.
You know, don’t know how to express ultimate happiness, but instinct is one ultimate happiness. Real happiness. Real happiness. And what is the real happiness? When we will obtain?
When we become Buddha only we obtain the real happiness. Until then, even just a nirvana, we are still not complete. Until when become Buddha. So you see, our instinct nature, when the time we’re born, we are actually already seeking enlightenment. The only thing is we didn’t structure the world for that.
But if you think carefully, think carefully, you you think one when you lie down, when you think when you wake up, when you think when you’re eating, then you realize, actually, even though I am a non-Buddhist, even though I am a non believer, or even though I am just a Theravadan practitioner, or even though I am just Mahāyāna practitioner, or even though you say I’m a tantric practitioner, but the thing is actually I’ve been searching for enlightenment. I’ve been always wanting for enlightenment. I was always hoping for enlightenment and even earning money also actually innately, instinctly, actually wanting enlightenment. But we follow the misinterpretation. We we follow the under the confusion.
We we follow the guidance of under confusion. Oh, earn money to be rich and fight with other. Or to be rich, be arrogant. You see? So we actually our instinct, our nature is not that.
Our instinct nature is one Buddhahood, but our confusion. And that confusion, actually, you can label as ignorant. Ignorant, darkness, blindness. You know? Or the confusion, ignorant, blindness is that you can label as a synonymous.
Same same meaning. You see? So we are under the influence or guidance or ignorant. That’s why we we we we we confuse with the temporary happiness, and we neglect the ultimate happiness. We instead of learning dharma, we rather go for bath, enjoy.
We thought that, you know, maybe that will make me more happier, and that will bring to the ultimate happiness. People drink, they thought that they will bring ultimate happiness. People get into relation, they thought that they will bring happiness, but end up fighting. You know? So you see and and in fact, they want the the first before the relation meet, they express, you know, the the first lovers, you know, they express.
You know, we can get married, the whole world will bliss. Whole world will be in bliss. If we can get married, whole world will be in bliss. We will be no suffering, nothing. Do express, you see?
You see? So actually, getting married is actually one thing ultimate happiness, Buddhahood, or instinctively one thing Buddhahood, but is under the guidance of ignorance, confusion. End up. Fight. End up become the greatest enemy to each other.
You know, first, that, experiment like that. After, too too long. My goodness can be disaster. You know? Unbelievable.
You see? So so so like that, is it? So this one we call even though our reality nature, the instinct reality nature is for enlightenment, hoping enlightenment, but we are always, you know, we are always kind of like a mislead or misunderstand under the guidance of confusion, ignorant or the blind blind blind blind wisp or what is it? Blind mind or blind eye or whatever. So anyway, so in order for us to wake up from there, in order for us to understand this, then the Four Noble Truths teaching comes about.
For us to wake up, for us to realize this nature, then the Four Noble Truths teaching is come about. You see now in order to again understand very deeper level of understanding Four Noble Truths is very necessary for us to understand the general fundamental perspective of Buddha’s what you call the the you call it as a Buddhism or you call it a Buddhist teaching or Buddhist advice. The fundamental, you know, the basis for us to for us to have a foundation to really understand very found very profound understanding of Four Noble Truths so those they are the two foundational basis fundamental so first one is the what do call, the dependent nature of reality. Interdependent. Sorry.
Interdependent nature of the reality. Interdependent everything interdependent Interdependent nature of reality. So second one is you can in a simple word non violence Non violence so the non violence here refer to if you can benefit others if if you can benefit yourself and others, do so. But if you cannot benefit yourself and others, at least do not harm yourself and others. So you can also say this is the character character of Buddha’s teaching or this is the character of who Buddha is and this is the character of we Buddhists have to be we Buddhists have to have to have to gain or have to have to live a life with this character non violence.
It cannot benefit but at least do not harm. Know and view our view is the first first phase interdependent links we have to have a very open mind we have to have a total open mind my happiness comes about depending on you Your happiness also, you know, dependent on me. You know? Our happiness being here dependent on everybody. If I’m not here, maybe you might not here.
You might not be here. If you are not here, I might not be here. You know? So you see? So so so like that.
So you see? So it’s interdependent. So this is the fundamental view that we Buddhists have to keep in our heart, our mind, that whatever thing we do, we all the time have to realize it is in the nature, it is in the function of interdependent. Is in the function of interdependent. It is the manifestation of interdependent.
Is manifestation of interdependent. Then the character nonviolence. So here the character nonviolence is about compassion, loving kindness, forgiveness, understanding, you know, including give in. You know, you call give in. Isn’t that give in?
Including, you know, smiling to other, including talking real nice word to other, not the sarcastic one, the real nice word. You mean it, the real nice word, including that also in a character. The Buddhists have to have this character. How to say? Then most important most important a pure heart.
This is unseen by other. Your face smile or not smile people can see. Your words sweet or not sweet people can hear. But your heart can be very deceiving. So most important in Buddhadharma the character your heart has to be total white.
It’s total pure. What do you mean by pure? You think positive about yourself and you also all the time think positive about others. If you don’t think positive about yourself you might go into depression, anxiety, fears but if you don’t think positive about others that might cause action of harm, accusation, torture, all the wrong things will come you see It really makes sense. This teaching really makes sense.
It is not just like belief. This is in real life. If we practice like that, peace and harmony or happiness will come. These two are the fundamental basis of Buddhadharma. Wherever we go to listen to Buddhadharma teaching, we The first teaching we should introduce this These two these two fundamental things Once you have once you have learned this fundamental thing whenever you go to listen teaching you go with these two basis Go with these two foundation, then you build up with the teachings of whatever, Four Noble Truths, emptiness, bodhicitta, sūtra, tantra, everything.
But without these two bases, tantra become hollow. Instead of go up, you might fall down. Know? Instead of go up, they might fall down. So is it?
So so so so so this is very important. So now on top of that, Here the interdependent again again After understanding these two bases then again before getting into the elaborate teachings the Four Noble Truths is very necessary for us to understand the secondary label of the fundamental important teachings of the Buddha which is the interdependence of dependent arising, the interdependent arising so there are three labels, the first one is the causal level of interdependent. If there are right parents therefore there is a beautiful child. There is a what’s it? There is a flour therefore you can make noodles.
You know? There is a rice farm, that’s why you can grow a rice. You know? So you see, there is a wheat, that’s why there is flour. You know?
Like that. So I mean, you can you can you you can interpret your ex example. So so sorry. So now here. So the key thing is key thing is if if you create the causes of happiness, there is a result of happiness.
If you create the causes of suffering, one will experience the result of suffering. Why we suffer? Because there is a causes of suffering. Why we feel happy? Because of there’s a causes of happiness.
So this is a causal label of interdependent. So in our conventional life, the experience with the body, the experience with the body, the body feelings like the softness, the feeling or the roughness feeling, suffering feeling, happiness feeling, mentally happiness feeling, suffering feeling. Sensually, when you see the attractive object it transmits the happiness message to the heart, mind. When you see ugly thing, it transmits message to the, you know like unpleasant message to the heart here unpleasant thing transmit unhappy message to the heart so all these are in the category of causal level of interdependent existence which is referred to the fundamental teaching of interdependent existence. So this is one thing.
Now the second one second second, second level interdependent is part and particle dependence Because of there is a North Mountain. That’s why there is a South Mountain because there’s a North that’s why there’s a South Because of there’s a I I would say because of there’s a west, that’s why there is a whatever. You know? East East. You know?
Because of there’s a high mountain, that’s why there’s a low mountain. If there’s no mountain, only one mountain, you will not say high or low. You know? Because if there’s one low, that’s why you call as high. So part and particle dependence.
There and here. You know? Again, this also in the category of part and particles small and big formation of the aggregates formation of forms all are again in the interdependent of part and particles. So now here now third label of interdependent existing which is more subtle which is the the interdependent label of perception and existence you know because of my eye because of the eye perception exists that’s why the beautiful object the ugly object exists In the world there’s no eye perception. There won’t be any beautiful object or any ugly object that you can express.
Isn’t it? The ear one you say good sound, no good sound. You don’t so called beautiful, isn’t it? Beautiful only can express from your eye. You know your eyes see beautiful then you say beautiful I see not beautiful you say not beautiful you know so this is a press is dependent on the perception and what is existing is the outer object It’s interdependent existing of perception and existing So again here You know from the from from from the mental perception You hate somebody. The outer existing phenomena is your enemy. Your mental perception perceives that person or the object as an enemy then you independently become an enemy.
But you change your heart. You you flip up. You flip flip another way. See the qualities. You project or you see the another side of the person which is loving one.
You see? So interdependent or based on the con perception and what you call the the existing. So there’s a three label. So first two label, then go to the third label, then after that, then we go into a detail of Four Noble Truths, so then it’s easier to grab. So so that’s how it comes.
So, anyway, the what you call the again here, the whole purpose of Buddha Śākyamūni turned the wheel of Dharma on the Four Noble Truths he always emphasized this is the essential teaching on the aspect on the perspective of entire his eighty-four thousand teaching is because there’s an instinct in the living being it’s all about for the liberation of the living being All about liberation. His advice is all about to liberate the beings from the suffering. So there’s an instinct in the entire living being. There’s an instinct of only wanting happiness and do not want suffering. You know only want happiness do not want suffering so based on based on this Buddha have all the time spoken you it Buddha have all the time speak or spoken Buddha have all the time taught the teachings of the Four Noble Truths.
While he’s teaching tantra the Four Noble Truths is the the fundamental teaching that he conveyed to the students. When he teach sūtra the Four Noble Truths teaching is the fundamental teaching conveyed to the students. When you teach any form of the aspect of the Buddhist effort of the teaching the Four Noble Truths is the either directly or indirectly convey the message to the students in order to understand the actual purpose of the Buddhist teaching which is to purify the suffering and actualize the instinct which which is happiness you see so then so then here there’s a different Different tradition of teachings but in fact there’s a true tradition of teachings One tradition expresses the resultant truth earlier and the causal noble truth later, means suffering is the result. Causes of suffering is the cause. Cessation is the result, but the path for the cessation is the cause.
So so there is a teaching that is a teaching that Buddha taught first result which is this explain the suffering then explain the cause then explain the cessation, then explain the path. So this sequence is based on the practical level, But in a causal level, you have to speak the cause of suffering first, explain cause of suffering first, then after that, explain the suffering. Then the second second level, explain the path first then the cessation after. So anyway here, for the practical level, it’s more convenient for us to relate. Therefore, first explain about the suffering.
First explain about the suffering so here especially you know the Newcomers and especially western newcomers they don’t like to hear about the suffering you know they feel is too much extra pressurizing them They feel already worried so suffering on top of them They go to listen Dharma teaching then somebody talk about suffering. They feel more suffering So so that is misunderstanding, you know So here so now in in this point, the answer Buddha gave what’s that? So he said he gives us an example that Buddha have said that in order to cure the sickness in order to cure the sickness You know in order to cure the sickness you need to first diagnosis the sickness You know once you diagnosis the sickness you can establish the cure for that. Once you establish the cure for the sickness, one can be able to inspire for the liberation from the sickness means that you can inspire for the liberation so once you inspire for the liberation one will put full effort to take the medicine like you know we’re fully concentrated to engage into the practice the path you see so so so as like that you know as as Buddha have given this example for us without understanding without, without knowing that we are really suffering we will not really go to search what are the causes.
If we could not find the causes there’s no way that we can able to bring about the cure for that means we will not search for the path not for the search for the path why we will not search for the path because oneself never inspire for the liberation I see so I get it makes sense isn’t it so now now now so in saṃsāra there’s a actually we went through this last year we went through the different level of sufferings you know different level of sufferings, general sufferings of the six realm beings, individual sufferings of the six realm beings, you know, so that we already covered before. So, anyway, we repeat. I say the the general this suffering of saṃsāra is categorized into three three categories suffering of suffering or you can call as a suffering of pain the second one is suffering of changes and third one is this suffering of pervasive conditioning or you can call suffering of pervasive conditioning, or you can call it conditional suffering. There are a few terms. Anyway, normally I use pervasive suffering. The third one is pervasive suffering so here So suffering of suffering suffering of suffering or suffering of pain is quite obvious for us to in fact realize that we are experiencing it Suppose if we have a gastric ulcer, we feel the pain.
Experiencing of the pain of the ulcer is the suffering of suffering. If we cut the finger, the feeling of the pain is the suffering of suffering. Again, in the Lamrim teaching and as well as in many of the teachings express that if we only do understand suffering was suffering and if we never realize the suffering of changes, then we are no different than animal. Because even animal do understand what is the suffering of suffering. Because animal, if you if you just, you know, accidentally cut their nail with the flesh, they will they will, you know, they will they will jump.
Means they feel the suffering, you know. Is it so you so you you hit with a whip. They feel pain. They jump means they feel pain. You know, they and they even express like that, you know, that you come a little bit hit.
So it’s it’s they feel the pain they feel the pain they’re expressing the suffering so we have to understand more than you know the true nature of the suffering of suffering So anyway, we are talking about the first noble truth You know with it from the from the four the first one the truth of suffering second one is truth truth of cause of suffering third one is truth of cessation fourth one is truth of the path. Four noble truths. Those are the four noble truths. Second is suffering of changes. Whatever samsaric pleasure that we experience all are suffering of changes.
So in nature it is suffering. So when we get hungry we eat food, delicious instant noodle. Delicious kimchi instant noodle. So you you put in your mouth. You you you feel almost like you you relieve bliss like that, you know.
So so that experience is in fact we are experiencing suffering but we don’t label that we experience as a pleasure but in the nature that is the suffering why is the suffering of changes because the fundamental value of that experience is only about suffering. Because it is not definite happiness. It’s almost like your sudden part of the knowers are numb. That’s why you experience you experience some kind of like bliss, but actually when when when when the numbness go off, you feel pain. You feel, oh, too much chili.
I can’t paint hot, you know or too sour the kimchi too much you feel pain you see so all those so this is suffering of changes you see so so in our day to day life in Samsāra whatever pleasure we experience we should appreciate that because this is also a result of result of virtue. Result of you can call good karma. Result of virtue, result of good karma. But unfortunately that good karma and that virtue is created for the purpose of samsaric pleasure not for the liberation. So because of that, that brings happiness in saṃsāra but it doesn’t become the cause of the liberation, means the total free from suffering, you know means real happiness because of that it changes all of them changes little happiness it changes to suffering little pleasure changes to suffering you know If you eat too much, you feel pain.
If you eat too less, not enough food. You know? The your your desire suffer. You know? You see?
Like like like clothes. When you first time buy, you you you you are you would like it so much, know, so good. Like, you almost like you feel like you are totally satisfied. You almost like, I will never buy a a new dress anymore. After one week, you wear one time, then you go to shopping center again, you see another color, you already kind of discussed about the previous cloth or maybe you already like lose the interest.
That time you in fact you’re experiencing suffering of changes means it’s already like kind of pinch your satisfaction pinch your ego satisfaction so you’re in fact experiencing the suffering of changes So in our life like that and the relationship as I mentioned earlier first you’re almost like like you know there’s no further happiness that you can achieve by getting married So you proceed to to get married. The moment you get married, you start to see the faults of each other. You start to, like, kind of feel bored each other, you know, see the same face every day. Last time because you cannot see, that’s why you you all can think of the each other. But now you see every day, you want to see some new face.
Then problem comes. You see? So this actually is we are totally controlled by the suffering of changes. You see, unbelievable. Unbelievable.
You know, we experience this in day to day life experiences. So even the Sanghas, the monks, you know, even the Sanghas, monks, if we don’t understand, if we don’t gain some kind of like a confident understanding on suffering of changes, many people disrupt. First when they are you know first new mom they’re very happy they’re very happy then slowly slowly they feel pressure or they start to see all the lay people are like freedom they’re like a free bird you know, so then they attracted, then they give out the monk life, they disrupt. The reason fundamental here didn’t understand the suffering of changes. It’s a basic teaching, didn’t understand that because of that.
Same thing. Why relationship problem? Because I didn’t understand suffering of changes. You cannot understand the purpose of having some pieces of cloth is to keep warm when you feel cold and while you buy one thin one because if it’s too hot you can wear the thin one. You never understand you want more, you know, every day new color.
Almost every every one hour you need new new new new dress. Let’s say you go out of house. I heard from people, you know. You you go out of house ten times, you need to wear ten clothes different. If you happen to go out twenty times you need to have a twenty clothes.
So one day twenty clothes and today what you wear tomorrow you’re not dead to wear. So you need twenty, thirty, forty clothes for two days. Then you calculate for one week how many dress you need. Okay, this one is quite large number. You can summarize in our own life.
You know, our own life. Let’s say ten piece, fifteen piece or whatever, two piece or three piece, you know. So is it because we didn’t understand the actual reality of the suffering of changes, suffering of changes. If we realize that or even you have a simple job, you know, simple job, ordinary company, well, your pocket will be all the time filled with the money because you you don’t spend. You don’t buy.
You know, if you don’t spend, your your pocket will be stick. Your credit card will be all the time in a proper balance. You know, proper balance. Know, enough I was saying proper balance, you see? So here now, how understanding of Four Noble Truths can help our life?
Understand the suffering of changes? From tomorrow on, you will realize it is all matter of my mind, perception. You observe for me. Can you differentiate my this rope from the last first day I came and today? You know?
So, of course, you you wash then you because sometimes color goes. Yeah? So otherwise, like, you you you can’t you think that people are differentiating you, but actually people don’t realize. Actually, in reality, people won’t realize that, oh before you wear red one now you wear yellow one. Sometimes people are too much about this that’s why people do observe other how they wear what they wear but most of the time you are the one.
Again this is of the the misunderstanding of confusion, because of the ignorance. That’s why we feel if I don’t wear the the another one, even though it look the same, oh, I think people might see that I’m wearing the same cloth. You know, then, you know, like that. See? So so you see?
So even even the in the process of changing the cloth, there’s so much suffering. You you you check carefully. Even the changing of cloth. You know? Even the changing of cloth.
Just change from one to another. Within that one minute, your soul is suffering. You will start to concern about is there any hollow here and there, whether the color is, like, still alright or not, whether is there any bugs or not, whether there any smell or not, you know. So within one minute, you experience so much suffering for your ego. So much suffering.
You observe. You have things that we need to observe. It means small small things. Then you will realize, actually, we are constant suffering. Constant and extreme suffering.
Nice. Is it? This this little bit white also become problem. You see? Now this one coming out also become problem.
So it is who who suffers? And at the end, you. You exhausted. Your subconscious mind is like constant planning an imprint of desire. That moment the suffering is very little very very light but the imprint the coming imprint that what it plans plan in our mental continuum is a huge.
What the coming imprint? All this happens because of desire. They attach to your ego, attach to your clothes, attach to how people think about you. So one minute, zillions of imprint that you leave in your heart. Imprint.
That is called negative imprint. The second moment of the imprint, what it become? Negative karma. The name changes, you know, negative karma. The negative imprint becomes negative karma.
And what the negative karma become? The causes of suffering. Causes of suffering. You see? So so experiencing suffering itself actually creation of causes of suffering.
Again Experiencing of suffering itself is a creation of the causes of suffering again So so again, this is because we do we we we we never realized that we are we are in a, you know, totally controlled by the ignorance, and and Buddha have given the solution to understand the suffering of changes, but we never realized. We never practiced. That’s the whole reason. The whole reason. If we understand the suffering of changes, I think there won’t be relation problem.
I I don’t think if you have if money is dropping from the sky, you can buy a whole shopping center. No problem. It’s okay. The world you call recession, isn’t it? Comes, you are still happy.
No problem. But now you used to go shopping so much. Now recession come, you suffer. Suffer. You know why?
Because because you can’t stay at home without shopping. You can’t stay at home without going shopping. If you don’t go shopping, even when you see, you know, bypass by in the car, when you see the things in the shop, you feel angry, upset. You feel upset. You feel you feel you are like like disaster.
You are in disaster. You know, almost like a whole whole recession fall on you. Like that, you know, whole economic crisis, like, fall on you. You suffer. You suffer.
See one beautiful thing, you suffer. One person wearing beautiful thing, you suffer. You know? Somebody talk about, oh, today, you know, in a party, everybody dresses very nice, you suffer. Everything you suffer.
It’s unbelievable. You know, you look think carefully. It is it’s so suffering because of didn’t understand suffering of changes. Because of didn’t understand that. You see?
So same thing. And sometime even with, you know, our holy holy objects, you know, on altar. Today, we have one. You know, you used to have one maybe. Like many of you, from the Chinese Mahāyāna, they always used to have a Guan Yin.
Some most people have, one, you know, small or big or whatever Guan Yin. Suddenly you meet you you you you you you connect with the Tibetan Buddhism. Woah. Suddenly you go to temples big big golden statues, you know, like copper statues, brass statues. You, of course, you you you immediately go to shop and buy a big statue, and the worst thing what we does, worst thing maybe sometimes you even throw a Guan Yin statue in the rubbish.
Danger. If not, at least you will put aside. From tomorrow on, even you make offering, you only see the new statue. You see the the the, you know, just incense stick.
You put around the statue. Your Guan Yin is already somewhere there. You know? You never you never see. One day somebody to the you will not feel anything.
Again, it’s a similar process. You know, we are we we kind of like you know, understanding of suffering of change is satisfaction realization and understanding of the suffering of changes is to gain the mind of satisfaction, gain the mind of contentment you can call contentment, satisfaction you know when you have containment and satisfaction whatever you have is the best. Whatever you have is the best. Why we put a at the side? We need to Of course there is a sequence of arranging order but from our heart we have to have a even if we don’t have more respect, but we cannot have a lesser respect.
I feel sometimes worry, you know. People I I experience in some families also. You put a Guan Yin aside, or they say this Guan Yin, I have had it twenty years. This is the first statue that I encounter. And now I have a very beautiful.
And oh what you’re talking about this is not beautiful so you already discriminate you see so it comes so that’s why you know when we arrange altar whatever you have the first place they are still the first one they’re still the most precious because they all are Buddha. They all are Buddha. So so anyway, it’s just happened to remember. So, you know, even even with that because we don’t understand the reality, then we start to discriminate. Then when you pray, then how to get how to receive blessing?
You know, when you pray, you already discriminate at the refuge objects. Then when you pray, the blessing is I think is a you just assume you receive blessing, but most likely, maybe not. So anyway, so this is about the suffering of changes. And as a human being, especially as a precious human being, we at least have to be slightly intelligent than the animals through the understanding of even the Buddha’s the first journey of the Dharma, the teaching from the first noble truth from there the understanding of suffering of changes. Because suffering of suffering, even animals can understand.
So once we understand the suffering of changes, our life becomes very satisfying. Our life becomes very contented. Our life is like enough, know, good enough, you know, and our life becomes very wise. When you don’t have a grasping, you will not think of cheating other. You know?
When you don’t have a grasping, you will not often other. You see? So so like that. So now then, after that, the suffering of pervasive conditioning. So pervasive suffering, pervasive here is the suffering which lies on every single existence.
That’s called pervasive. The pervasive suffering is pervasive on the existing phenomena and existing outer phenomena as well as the being within the within the existing phenomena. Means the world, outer world, and as well as the the human beings, animals, whatever beings within that world, all as long as a samsaric world, samsaric being, you born in the nature of suffering. We are born in the nature of suffering. And that nature of suffering is labeled as pervasive suffering.
So that means we are in constant suffering. We are in suffering. And the outer objects provide constant suffering to us so that’s why it says whether this mark is suffering or not we have to answer no, but is this cup in the nature of the truth of suffering? The truth of suffering or not? Yes.
You know? It’s equal at listen. We being in the nature of truth of suffering is equal to the outer phenomena such as this cup, also in the nature of the truth of suffering. So since cup doesn’t have a feeling how can you explain that cup is in the nature of the truth of suffering? The thing is the cup exists based on the perception of beings, and this cup exists on this table based on the samsaric person’s my perception so when I look into this cup if I open or if I close, maybe I might not like the way I open, or maybe you might not like the way I open. It already it already taste your ego it already kind of like pinch you you feel uneasy that itself because this provided suffering to you you know even the water provide suffering to you If too hot, burn, suffering.
Too cold, stomach pain, suffering. You know? You hold this, heavy, suffering. You put there, you cannot hold, suffering. You close, also suffering.
You open and put aside, also cannot handle. So all I aspect of suffering. So that’s why it’s in the truth nature of suffering. The auto existing as well as the the being yourself is in the nature of suffering. That’s the reason it’s all pervasive suffering.
Flower is suffering or not? Of course it’s not. Suffering means feeling, the pain feeling. But flower is in the nature of the the truth of the suffering. Yes.
Because beautiful flower provide you sense of temporary happiness, but that is suffering of changes. Ugly flower, filthy flower bring you a lot of filthy smell. Again, know, it provides suffering. So you see, all these are included within the truth of suffering. So you see, So almost like everything is in the nature of suffering.
Almost everything carefully. Ground to the sky, all suffering. East to the west, all suffering. From ten direction, every single corner, all suffering. So it’s very discouraging, isn’t it?
So so westerners are actually quite fair that they don’t want to listen anymore about this teaching. Westerners, they don’t want to listen two teachings within the whole month. The two teachings they really don’t want to listen to. One is suffering, and another is Guru devotion. The teaching on guru devotion.
When teaching on guru devotion, it’s almost like controlling them. Say, you have to listen to me. You have to listen to me. So so this time when I went to Kopan, we in November, we’re having a one month course. One month course so they all the time give me the the the most difficult subject. Last year also, and this year they say can you give, take one class I say, I can go for question and answer.
No. No. No. We are requesting you to give teaching on Guru devotion. Oh, I see.
It’s almost like my regular job. You you already, like, fifteen, twenty days already gone through, and you still now you didn’t speak you didn’t teach about guru devotion, and now you’re putting this burden on me. So I went. So I made a lot of fun of it, know, Because again, guru devotion, have a lot of misconception about guru devotion. So I try to I think some of the FPMT group who went there also there.
So we have a great laugh laughing laughter. So they feel the second day, anyway, forget our ways. So anyway, these two are the teachings that if we don’t be careful, get misunderstood. Anyway, but these two teachings are the most important teaching. Without these two teachings, you can’t liberate.
You even can’t gain any realization. Those are the three general sufferings of the Samsāra. Then of course individual sufferings of the six realm beings. Hell beings, you know, at hot hell, at cold hell, then there’s all sort of different stages of hell suffering. Know?
Just just imagine right this very moment, hold my hat, put the oil, kerosene, and put on fire. And then I still sit here, and I say, I scream, scream. This is this is like not even not even a single how to say? Not even a one percentage of pain or the suffering of the hot hell that you have to experience in the hot hell. Even the most gross hot hell, the pain, heat, the burning that experience, this even the the live wood burn up not even like a one percentage, not that much, that much and the fire, the heat, the whole universe or you can say the eons fire the heat of the eons fire is the greatest heat and that when the time all dissolve and the time that universe into dissolution, dissolve, first destroyed by the fire element.
When the world dissolves, the evolution, you call evolution, when evolution comes, when the world dissolves, the first destroyer is fire element. And that fire called the eons fire. And that eons fire is is the hottest is, like, the hottest that we can ever experience in in this universe. But if you’re born in hell, it’s million zillion times hotter than that. A million zillion times hotter than that fire.
Normally people say unexpressable, if there’s no word to express the heat. The life is spent there, like our one our one hundred life over there is, like, just one minute one minute lifetime. One minute lifetime, you know. So is it? So say so normally we say even one creation of a heinous crime, we have to experience there for eons of suffering.
You see? So now it makes sense that, oh, this precious human rebirth, we don’t concentrate full time to Dharma. If we lost this chance and we will think of the kami cause and effect from the path up to now, is we are almost like on the on the on the edge of the cliff. It’s almost like we are almost there. Know, we’re almost the only thing is one single thread is pulling up, which is practicing the ethical practice of Dharma.
The moment you let go, boom. Oh, see? So it’s it’s it’s like that. So called hell. It’s it’s, again, unbelievable.
You know? Then so, again, if you create a karma, heavy killing karma, like like a, you know, kill, butcher, kill. When you’re born in hell, you will be chopped. The millions of pieces, and all those millions of pieces just join naturally, you know, like, automatic, like, join like this and and become then again chop. So then then they put into the the iron liquid.
Burn. Burn. Burn. You know? But then again, it come up a person like that like that.
Then put on the table and put in hot and all day and nights and day and nights and day and night for eons like that, you know, to experience. So you see. So this is not to scare us, but in fact, in reality, actually it’s to scare us. It’s almost like emptiness. It is empty, but it’s not empty like that.
So it is not to scare us, but actually it’s to scare us. It scared us. If we understand this, then we start to search for what really it makes for us to experience that. Again, then we will refer to find the causes. Know, causes then, then after that then we search for liberation, you it comes easy.
So anyway, it explains, such and such, suffering. So these are just one or two examples. Then it born into in a pattern, born into the hungry ghost, hungry ghost. So okay now here I feel contradicted in our community. The seventh month you say hungry ghost month isn’t it?
So I feel contradicted. You know why? Say, seven month is hungry ghost month, but they say door of hell is open then they come up. hungry ghost realm and hell realm is totally different place. Totally in different place so those are hungry ghosts, but where do they come from? From hell? so don’t you think it’s it’s six realms isn’t it: human, god, demigod, animal, hungry ghost, and hell realm.
Or maybe I miss misunderstand. Do do you recall that the seventh month is a ghost month? Ghost means holy ghost. Yeah? Ghost month?
Because hell beings are not ghost. So ghost month is hungry ghost. You’re not talking about hungry. I understand what the Chinese is saying. Means?
The ghost door because it’s not the. Oh, ghost door open. Oh, then okay. Then I’m sorry. Okay.
Okay. Oh, sorry. Sorry. Sorry. Sorry.
A mistake. Big mistake. Okay. Lucky you explained. Okay.
Okay. Anyway, the ghost door open. Okay. So it’s like one ghost, you know, hungry ghost. So Okay.
So anyway, we we we we finish finish this part. So as a hungry ghost, unbelievable suffering. And actually in our real life, in our human life, we do see some of the people before they die, even the outer aspect, you know, their neck become like so thin until almost like they they they already like all the the hollow is like already like what you call stick, they have to put a tube but the all the intestine everything all all stick or either normal but the stomach is so big You know, I saw some people like that, stomach is so big and even can’t move. The legs are like, you know, so thin, only bone. So actual image of the hungry ghost, I like that, and those are causal experience of the they’re going to take the resultant rebirth in hungry ghosts and those who are going to born in hell you can also see the fear you know you will scream they say oh the fire flaming you know so fire coming to you, you know, like that and that kind of experience.
They they they scared. They they they scream. You know? Some they shiver, oh, so cold. You know?
Some shiver. Even how many clothes you put that, so cold, you know, more likely to the cold cold cold hell. So even in the life, you can see. Then some, they start to, like, bear, you know, the animal sound, pig sound or sometimes like goat sound means most likely going to born as a pig or animal realm you know or like that. Some they are like it’s almost like, you know, like total in concentration.
Like almost like, no sense of, reception. You say good thing also cannot receive. Bad thing also cannot receive. But almost like a nam. Most likely they were born in the formless realm.
Formless realm. Somehow the gross level of the form at the time of dying or before dying, they feel like all detached. They have no interest. If you, oh, you know, you say mother or grandmother, you know, this is your ring. Look.
Look. Look. You know, I will show to I will I make a donation to temple to pray for you. So I almost like give up no attachment like that. No attachment, but yet scratch scratchy and there you know can feel the itchiness or can feel kind of like subtle kind of the inner physical body reaction there, but gross physical things is going to detach.
Most likely they were born in a form Form realm. Then the human, of course, start to, you know, like admire the human human, you know, almost like dying but still like, you know, oh, we had a very good memories, you know, in the past, you know, your your friend come, you know, now I can see I’m dying soon, but, you know, we had a very good memories in the we had a good holiday in Thailand or wherever, wherever, you know, like that. So it’s it’s a it’s a sign that most likely will take human rebirth. Those are the simple signs that you can actually can predict before dying. Why I’m saying this?
I don’t know. Okay. Okay. So anyway, oh, yeah. There are hungry ghosts.
Honey ghosts. So it’s a ghost realm. So ghost realm. So so is it same thing. Then when you take the actual birth in the ghost realm, the main suffering is suffering of thirst and hunger.
It’s somehow the karma born to be feel extreme thirst, extreme hunger. Like you as a human in a human life, you you drink hundred gallons or I don’t know, a liter or you call gallons or, you know, whole day, one month. Then after that, you you without water, you remain one day. You will be like you feel like your body is burning in fire, you know. That kind experience.
It’s millions and millions times more kind of like a thirst, hunger, thirst, you know, like like that, like that. But then they start to see they start to from far, they see beautiful lakes, beautiful ocean, beautiful waterfall, you know. So they feel so thirsty, so they run. They run. They run.
When the the moment they get there, nearby, they start to, like, turn a color, become like blood and pus. The moment they reach there, the moment they scoop or put their mouth to drink, all are needles, thorns. Thorns, pus instead of water, pus. Unbelievable. It’s everywhere like that.
You run to ten direction. Every single corner is like that. And the illusion appear all these kind of things through karma, through past karma. You know, through past karma. It was like that, you see?
Unbelievable. Then anymore, the suffering of the animals. You can see here, I mean, like like, the the the, like, you know, the the big animal eat the small one or the you know? Like, anyway, there’s so much suffering. You you look you go into a discovery channel.
Just look at the discovery channel. Animal channel. It’s unbelievable. You know? You you just see unbelievable.
And and you look at the the butchers videos. You know? Unbelievable. Sorry. Isn’t that?
Then human run. Oh, we think that we are the happiest people, happiest being, but we have a lot of disaster as we mentioned earlier. It’s every moment since birth we are searching for something, we never reach there. Searching for something never reach there never reach end up die with lot of sorrow you know so first place suffering of birth Secondly, suffering of, sickness, suffering of aging, suffering of death. All this process that we have to go through, we are going through.
No? We don’t remember only at the time of birth when you come out from mother’s, you know, from from come out come out. It’s like the experience expressed in the teaching that, you know, two Mount Merus, the biggest mountains, totally on either side, then you have to squeeze in between, come out. Unbelievable pain. Unbelievable.
Then your flesh is so so so, once it’s so so fragile, and when it come out, it’s like a new world. It’s a new thing. So it’s like it’s it’s like every single aspect is poking, biting, like that. Then the smell, unbelievable. It’s the filthiest smell that you can’t imagine.
Today, you happen to see that smell, you you will not you will not eat few days, you know, like that. Experience it. They experience it. Then the even in the womb, the mother little bit like, it’s like a drum, big gong drum, you know, bang. Yeah.
Like that. You know? That kind of like it suffers. It suffers. Yeah.
The moment you conceive until you come out is the process of breath. So that is the suffering that experience. When mother lie down, it’s almost like, you know, if if the baby is sitting like this, your mother lie down, it’s almost like, what? Such a big shock that you are, like, thrown back. This thrown go back.
Like, you know, you know, like like a roller coaster. Like that. You know? So you see, unbelievable sufferings, you know, experience. So something like that.
So once birth, then sickness. All sort of first maybe flu, then stomach ache, headache, tooth, then all sort of suffering. First, firstly suffering of pervasive conditioning, Then, they start to experience suffering of changes. Then, they experience suffering of suffering. Until today, we are experiencing this, we were more worse.
You know? Slowly, slowly, cancer come. Now, you know, nowadays it’s worse, more new discovery sicknesses. You know, the world is more polluted, more sickness come. karma more polluted, not only human beings degenerate, karma also degenerates.
Even the worst one also degenerate, you know. Delusion also degenerate. Everything degenerate, now things start to like like, worse thing is like so easy. Like nowadays, you know, cancer is like more more, common than the flu. You know?
When I do consultation, last time, I never had a consultation that somebody say I had a flu. You know there are many sick people, have cancer, cancer, cancer, know, never say that I’ve got a flu. You know, never hear many, many patients they say cancer, you know, cancer, some even say AIDS. I just see one small big number of people. That’s it in the world.
Then aging. First of all, suffering of aging. You know? The moment in previous time, we have a lesser suffering of aging because we don’t have a mirror. But now we have a mirror, a more more obvious mirror, we have more suffering.
You know? The moment you look at the mirror so clear, you see, you know, one white hair come suffer. All these are suffering of aging. These are simple. There are many aging suffering.
Then at the time of death, unbelievable. Unbelievable. Those sufferings, we have to experience external dissolution of the elements then internal dissolution of elements then they have to experience the eighty conceptual dissolution During the eighty conceptual dissolution is like it’s almost like a hundred degree, what do call, the speed, of experiencing of torture in in in our mental continuum, you know, the illusions unbelievable like that. So you see the human being suffering. Then God realm similar demigod and God you know, they are suffering.
The worst suffering is they have to experience the, at the time of, you know, the the the time for death. It’s one month’s time they start to experience the most of them, like, they go to hell, the lower realm, because of exhaustion of the previous karma. They start to experience through the illusion. They start to experience all the suffering there. And if they’re going to born in hell, almost like ninety nine percent similar kind of suffering, they suffer there.
You know? So it’s like, it’s it’s a it’s a huge torture. You see? So these are the, you know, general with the individual suffering of the six realm beings. But this is just one example.
There’s hundreds and hundreds of examples there. You see? So I like that. Okay. So now so all these are you know, all these didn’t happen all these didn’t happen What’s that?
All this no. All this happened. Okay. All this happened. I don’t know how to say it without I want to say all this happened all this didn’t happen without cause, how to say it.
Is it right? All this didn’t happen without causes. All this wouldn’t happen without a reason. All this wouldn’t happen without a reason, and the reason is referred to the cause. So it means every single aspect of experiences of suffering slight to the major suffering all suffer because of that is the reason, and that reason is referred to the cause.
So what is the fundamental cause? Then it comes about the truth of causes of suffering, the second truth, the teaching of first one is the teaching of the truth of suffering, second one is causes of the truth of suffering. Second noble truth. So the fundamental cause is you can refer to confusion. Can refer to confusion, That confusion refers to ignorant mind.
And that ignorant mind all the time cooperate with karmic evolutions or karmic functions. You can say ignorance, delusion, karma is the root cause or root reason for all these unfavorable experiences in the six realms. Ignorance, delusions, and karma. Due to ignorance, delusion arises. What are the delusions?
As we mentioned in last time, six root delusions and twenty secondary affliction emotions. You know, you can just simply refer anger, hatred, jealousy, pride, you know, all those, including anxiety, emotional problems, you know, depressions, wrong thinking, misconception, misunderstanding, negative thoughts on you, negative thoughts on others, all the wrong things, wrong thoughts, all are delusion. Who managed that delusion? Ignorant is the one who managed these delusions. Manage for what?
To actualize the project called karma. And that project sent to where? Sell where? In in they sell in which factory? Factory in human being.
Factory in animals. Factory in us. I suffer. You know? Who provided this product?
By my karma. That karma who who who who managed who create the committee member, the delusion. Delusion, who manage? Who’s the boss? Ignorance.
So they handle like this. They handle so well. It’s exactly like a company. How handle a company, you know? How handle the nowadays, whatever, iPod company or computer company, exactly like that.
They handle so well, and they are very professional. Okay. Very good. They are sometimes, you know, it’s like almost like they’re more professional than the wisdom. You know?
Because in our life, we are actually majority of our life is managed by managed by them, managed by this group. You know, this this ignorant group is, like, so powerful and so skillful. They are so calm. They know exactly what your interest is. You know?
It’s like how to run a center. You want to run a center? You have to run a center based on your interest, member’s interest, not my interest. Like that. You see?
So is so well. He run run his committee or run run the all the thing based on other’s interest, your interest. You know? In my ignorant produce the product based on my interest. I want I want ice cream.
He will make sure he provide ice cream. If need to scream, I will scream for ice cream. If I need to call Candy, I say, call Candy, bring ice cream immediately. Middle of the night, doesn’t matter. You go and buy and I want can I want want ice cream?
You see? I saw one Hindi movie. I saw one Hindi movie. It talks about the pregnancy period. They have a sudden grasping or a sudden food.
So that so that the the what’s the actress acting that middle of the night tell the husband, I want I want ice cream. Well, then all the shop clothes all the shop clothes, well, she screamed, you know, she asked she insists the husband to drive out, search all over until they get into accident. Instead of getting ice cream, they get accident. You know? So so is is it the ignorant mind can go up to there, can go up to can be so persistent up to there.
So so you know they manage like that. So we I I what’s that? How’s that? Okay. Now now my exam.
So so in our life in our life, we are actually managed so well by the ignorant. You know? Okay. About talk about I. I is the best.
I want that. I this. You know? You no good. I good.
I. I. Alright. And this I is the one of the greatest excuse for for ignorant to manage you. The I is the main tool.
It’s all ignorant all the time say, I’m serving you. I’m I’m benefiting you. You know? You who, you, I. You know?
I’m benefiting you. You know? Whole life, I’m serving you, and now you don’t want to listen. You know? Somebody suddenly want to make a problem, so suddenly wisdom come.
Maybe better not. Maybe teachers say, don’t don’t do wrong thing. Then ignorance say, I’ve been serving you whole life. Now I want to go, you know, I want to mess up something, and now you say you don’t want, you know. How dare, you know?
You you you you must. I’ve been I’ve been serving you all the time, and you just one moment of, you know, this stupid wisdom come and say that don’t mess up, and you’re listening like that. I said, because this is good for I, good for you. Good for you. The ignorant will tell, good for you.
Oh, run, mess up. So everything in our life is guided by ignorant and mess up holding, mess up holding. Relationship, business, a friend, anything because of this I, which is lead by the ignorant mess up everything. You see? So this ignorant is the cause.
So this ignorance is the cause of suffering. The delusions are the cause of suffering. karma is the cause of suffering. So now how this thing you know, happens? Let’s say the base give an example of based on one human life cycle, then the traveling teaching comes.
The twelve dependent links. The twelve dependent origin. So I think they call that twelve dependent origin. How the ignorant handle one circle or one circle of activities. Say, within human life, ignorant to the death.
Ignorant and karma produce you, then after that, you do all sort of thing, you know complete your your so called as a human life or animal life then come to the death then send to the next circle next next dependent link you know so this traveling we have a one day subject matter so we we can go through a more detail So anyway, so now here. So by knowing the entire aspect of suffering in us, don’t we feel that don’t we, like, fail? Maybe because of my explanation, maybe you become very like, you know, like don’t know what to do or I don’t know. In fact, after knowing the different level of suffering in us, we naturally will feel, you know, why this thing, why this happened, why this suffering is so into me? You start to have a question, Why why why like that?
So when you have this question, then you start to search an answer. When you search an answer, start to search for reason. You know? When you search for reason means you are searching for the cause. So when you search for the cause, the cause is you will find out you’ll find out finally you’ll find out ignorance, delusions, and karmas are the cause.
So when you find out this karma, delusion, ignorance are the cause, you naturally like kind of feel like you are diagnosed it. You you are you you you you realize that you are now diagnosed it. What really problem is and what the problem really comes from, where the problem really comes from. Once you realize where the problem really come from, you start to have a question. Do I think do you think or do I think?
I don’t know how to say. Anyway, do I think that can do what? Can I can I can I can I be free from this disaster? You know, you start to have a question. Can I be away from this problem?
Can I be away from your so called as this suffering and this delusions? Can I? You know can I so you you we need to have a discussion? Once we have this question then we start to have a question about whether there is a cessation or not. So all this you have to create a quick question for us.
Whether there is a cessation or not means whether there is a freedom or not. So once you realize there is a freedom then what is the nature of the freedom how to go about then you start to analyze the path then what are the solution what are the medicine what are the prescription that I need to take in order for me to rid of suffering and its causes. So then that’s completely Four Noble Truths. In the detail about the path and cessation, the two last truths, I will do next session. Okay?
We have two minutes, three minutes. Do do you have any questions? Welcome. Any questions? Then we stop here.
Any any any questions? Any questions? Okay. What? What what I I What do you want to No.
I’ll ask you because she’s saying No. No. You ask me. Can can The door is open. So now where where where is the ghost door?
Is it isn’t it the same as hell then? You know? Oh, ghost door is where? Oh, I don’t know. Maybe we have to wait till seven months and ask that have friends.
I thought this this health is the same thing. But but they they literally actually say ghost ghost month, isn’t it? Ghost month. So, actually, I think the best is maybe we ask during seven month time. Maybe our Okay.
Okay. Okay. Then thank you very much. Good night. Enjoy your evening.
Page twenty four. Please money. But by the way, if there’s any newcomers, the money offering, you know, normally it’s never mind. If you can slowly, you will you will you will you will you will will learn how to do the gesture, but not necessary. You just put the palms together, You visualize first of all, your two thumbs put inside the palms.
Then put in the center of the heart. You visualize this is a jewel, wish fulfilling jewel. It’s like a Guan Yin, you know, holding the jewel in the hand. And two thumb represent the jewel, and you’re holding the jewel. And this jewel is a wish fulfilling gem and offering to all the Buddhas offering to all the Buddhas and offering to all the Buddhas from the depth of your heart with with a sincere whole heart to request to grant the blessing.
If it’s during before teaching, then I request and bless my mind to to receive the blessing of the teaching and as well as to request the the messenger or the the or the teacher, whoever granting the teaching to ever do grant the blessing. At the end of the teaching is to offer to all the Buddhas as an appreciation as well as to for oneself to accommodate extensive merit. Merit is the causes for happiness, you know, and also to offer to the the who present the Dharma. By offering this then one receive one receive blessing to your mind. So whatever dharma goes into your mind, it really become a tool to subdue your mind, you know, to to to to help you help to subdue the mind.
So it’s all all those all the all this purpose. So and also, same time, you make any wishes that in your life you may have, you also make the same wishes now because we have accumulated extensive merit by discussing I discussed this the discussion on Buddha’s teaching. So definitely, Buddha has said that we will accumulate merit. Definitely, they will accumulate merit. We dedicate that for good health, long life, happiness in the family, and also that may oneself be available to benefit the noblest beings, like that.
You know? Something like that. Okay. Thank you. Okay.
Thank you. Good night.