Audio recorded at Buddha House Adelaide. Transcript auto-generated and AI-corrected; may contain errors.
About this talk. In this 90-minute session, Lama Zopa Rinpoche teaches the eleventh section of the seven-point mind training, focusing on the first two precepts. He begins with precept one, “accomplish all yogas through a single means,” and presents three progressive approaches: viewing all daily activities as medicine for the precious human life (Vinaya-based), transforming all actions into bodhicitta practice (Mahāyāna approach), and regarding body, speech and mind as the deity’s activities while consuming as offerings (Tantric practice). He then covers precept two, “overcome all errors through a single means,” explaining how to apply Tonglen, the taking-and-giving practice, to transform suffering and difficulties into opportunities for genuine spiritual progress. Rinpoche emphasizes understanding karma deeply so that practising Tonglen does not create fear of receiving others’ suffering. He discusses precept three, “two tasks at the beginning and end,” detailing the morning motivation to abandon self-cherishing and strengthen cherishing of others, daytime vigilance, and evening review using the four opponent powers to purify transgressions. Practical and accessible for students new to lojong practice.
File metadata (for organising)
File: 11 Lojong.mp3
UUID: 0273a881-28c2-4a80-8973-c6dd424fb5c6
Teacher: Lama Zopa Rinpoche 3
Collection: Mind Training (Lama Zopa Rinpoche 3)
Date: 1990 (exact day not recorded)
Recorded at: Buddha House Adelaide
Duration: 90.0 minutes
Words: ~9,978
So please kindly set the right motivation according with the. To actualize this variation as a cause of happiness, as a cause of actualize the ultimate happiness, is the state of enlightenment, and to bring infinite benefit to the numberless beings liberating all the beings into the state of pure happiness, which is also a state of holy enlightenment for that purpose. I am going to listen to the commentary on the seven point mind transformation. Okay. Thank you.
So as Śākyamūni Buddha stated in Vinaya Sūtra that the precept is in the mean is is precept, which is the which is precept, which is in the meaning of renunciation. So there’s a there’s just just this much word. So the meaning of this quote is the morality which comes about practicing the commitments and practicing the precepts. Has to actualize the mind of renunciation. Renunciation here refers to renounce these very lives, the samsaric suffering as well as the samsaric pleasure, and to urge for the infinite happiness and liberation from entire saṃsāra from the next lifetime up to actualizing the state of freedom which is called the nirvana and to actualize the enlightenment which is the total freedom of entire suffering and its causes which is ignorance.
So here, today’s subject is about mind training teachings, twenty-two precepts. So in the past class, we have completed the eighteen commitments. So the benefit of practicing commitments, it will guard our body, speech and mind engaging into the negative actions, negativities such as the act of killing, act of stealing, act of lying, act of sexual misconduct, act of intoxicant, and rest of the negativities. And by practicing, by engaging in the practice of precepts, the the virtues, the body, speech and mind of us, which engaging in the act of virtue, will help to increase by practicing the precepts. By practicing the commitment, it will make sure for us to sustain engaging in the virtue act and prevent negativities.
By practicing the precepts, will enhance the realizations of the perfections of the mind training teaching. So that’s about the difference with the commitment and the precepts. So I would like to continue from the book. So here page one hundred and twenty two. The presentation of the precept of mind training.
So the precept here, there are twenty two precepts. Since your mind training will not degenerate but will in fact take you to progressively higher level, you should engage in the practice of this teaching. Since your mind training will not degenerate by practicing The eighteen commitments we covered before by engaging into the eighteen commitments will not degenerate the mind training teaching, will not degenerate our body, speech, and mind from whatever state of virtual practice you are engaging in will sustain. But in order to progress our body, speech and mind engaging in the virtues or our spiritual realizations to upgrade or to progress, then one should engage into practice of this teaching referred to the twenty two precepts. So this here refers to the twenty two precepts.
So first precept here says, accomplish all yogas through a single means. So accomplish all yogas through a single means. And the explanation here, other spiritual practices have their own particular dietary requirements, mood of conduct, and so on, in addition to their yogic practices. For those who have entered the door of these mind training practices, it is sufficient to engage in all activities as those pertaining to food solely by keeping in mind these mind training practices, so you should engage in this practice. Because of my reading, totally confused.
The essence of this practice, the essence of this explanation is referring to do all the yogas by one or do all yogas through a single means. Yogas, so what does yoga refer to? Any suggestions? What is yoga referring to? So here, yoga referring to the act of body, speech, and mind.
The action, the creation of karma of body, and mind is called yoga. So then through a single means, So through a single means, you know, yoga by one. So the again, we have to understand the what what is the meaning of single means. The single means in Buddha’s teaching, Buddha’s different level of teaching, it’s categorized into three different suggestions, I mean three different recommendations to bring one’s action of the body’s mind into a single means or single yoga. So first, stated in the Vinaya Sūtra, the physical, the physical form such as eating, such as working, such as sleeping, such as talking, such as typing computer, going to of course in the Vinaya Sūtra, didn’t say typing computer.
Just adding here. Then, you know, going to work, you know, family responsibilities, know, whatever physical actions, you know, and what’s the one should one should regard as as a yoga exercise, yoga therapy, yoga of external medicine, yoga of therapy to protect this precious human rebirth so that one can able to practice the virtuous precepts. So such as food, you know, food, drinks, you know, drinking drink, food, drinks, whatever the things consumed from one’s mouth, one should regard as a medicine, you know, one should regard as a medicine to sustain this precious human rebirth in order for us to practice the precepts and to actualize the purpose of the mind training teaching which is to liberate Samsāra, liberate from the sufferings. Whatever mental activities such as mental thoughts, such as desire for nice food, desire for sleeping, desire for waking up, desire for going to work, etc, etc. Regard to be able to sustain this continuum of the consciousness, to be able to prolong the will of this life which is to live so that one can able to practice the mind training precepts, so that one can able to liberate from the saṃsāra or the sufferings.
In fact, regard as a medicine, that is what suggestion given through the Vinaya teaching. From the Mahāyāna Bodhisattvayana teaching, whatever activities, whatever actions we call the yoga or body, speech and mind, Whatever actions of body, speech, and mind should bring in the act to enhance compassion, loving kindness, bodhicitta. To bring in the act of enhancing loving kindness, compassion, bodhicitta. So that one can able to accomplish the purpose of engaging in a mind training teaching which is to enhance the true awakening mind bodhicitta, the conventional bodhicitta and ultimate bodhicitta. The altruistic enlightenment mind and altruistic ultimate mind or the emptiness mind.
Whatever we do through our physical form, eating, sleeping, including going to the washroom, every single act we shouldn’t waste by just letting to create the cause of more suffering, create the cause of more negative karma. Rather, following the first precept of the mind training teaching, take every single act in the practice of developing bodhicitta to actualizing bodhicitta. Those of us who have not gained bodhicitta or compassion mind, then take all those practices to gain compassion or to actualize compassion of bodhicitta mind. Those of us who already obtained bodhicitta and compassion realization, then to enhance that realization and to actualize fully enlightenment for the benefit of numberless sentient beings. So in our life, experiences, if you even go to work, the work, there is only one opportunity to work, but that work doesn’t suit your practice.
Such as if in case there’s no other opportunity of works for a butcher just to kill the animal. In a certain case, there’s no other opportunities for just to be a butcher. But if you encounter the mind training teaching, then even that you should transform into a practice of developing compassion and bodhicitta, you know compassion and bodhicitta. But for us it’s so fortunate that we don’t have to live a life being a butcher. We have much more wiser jobs in our life.
But still, since it is a samsaric work or samsaric activity, it has the nature of constant accumulation of negative karma, and that negative karma is the cause for the suffering within us. If not now, but later. If not later, maybe next lifetime. So therefore, once you meet the mind training teaching, and particularly by practicing the first precept, all those actions, all those samsaric activities take into one yoga one means or in yoga one means which is the yoga of enhancing bodhicitta, enhancing loving kindness, compassion. So by doing that, then even though we are engaging in samsaric work, but at the same time one will be able to accumulate the causes of liberation from saṃsāra.
But if we don’t engage in such a practice, then there’s a totally creation of karma to live in the self-cherishing saṃsāra. So even in Dharma works such as praying, such as studying Dharma, doing charity works, doing chantings, if we don’t bring our action for the purpose of developing bodhicitta, for the purpose of actualizing bodhicitta, even that, since it is within saṃsāra-contaminated action, it just spontaneously creates the cause of saṃsāra, even while we are practicing, even while we are praying, even while we are in front of the Buddha’s image, you know, and and even when we when well, we are benefiting other through through making charity. But if we don’t have a motivation, right motivation, if we don’t have a right attitude to actualize bodhicitta, to actualize enlightenment which brings about the sincere renunciation of the saṃsāra, then even Dharma practice in saṃsāra, constant accumulation of samsaric cause. Here I have to get very clear. We have to take this very serious.
Even when we are practicing Dharma, even when we are practicing mind training teaching, even when we are praying in front of Buddha, but we don’t have a renunciation. The renunciation to renounce this very life’s suffering of saṃsāra, as well as this very life’s samsaric pleasure. As long as we don’t have this renunciation, even our Dharma practice, it does not become cause for liberation. It is a virtue. It is a good karma, but it is not a Dharma.
It is not a cause for liberation. It is a virtue. It will bring pleasure, the samsaric pleasure which is still in the nature of pervasive suffering of saṃsāra. It is still a cause of saṃsāra. Therefore, if we truly want to practice Dharma, if we truly practice Dharma for liberation, then we have to detach the purpose of practicing with the mind of detachment on samsaric suffering as well as samsaric pleasure.
So then become pure Dharma. From the deity yoga point of view, from the tantric practice point of view, the meaning of do all yoga by once or meaning of accomplish all yoga through a single means is as a deity yoga practitioner, as a tantric practitioner, all the physical actions including working, sleeping, eating, sitting, standing, everything. And whatever words come from your speech, negative words or positive words, whatever thought arises in you, either negative or positive, I want you to regard or the act of the body, speech, and mind of the deity, such as if you are practicing Deity Yoga with Guan Yin, with Chenrezig, the Compassionate Buddha, then whatever thought arises you should think this is a thought of Chenrezig. Whatever speech comes out from your mouth you should think that is the speech of that is the word of Guan Yin, the word of Chenrezig, or you can say the mantra of Chenrezig. Whatever thought arises in you, you should regard that as the thought of Chenrezig, thought of Kwan Yin, it’s like that.
A Deity Yoga practice, those who are in the Deity Yoga practice, then you should take all the Yogas, all the actions of what is within mind in a single practice, which is to see as an act of See the act of deity. So then, in another word, such as if you are eating, if you are consuming food and drinks, since you are practicing deity yoga, you are already self generated as a Chenrezig, as a compassionate Buddha, Kwan Yin. Already generated as a Chenrezig. Then whatever food and drink when you consume, you should think that you are actually offering nectar to the Guan Yin, offering nectar to Chenrezig, offering food. The food and drink become nectar.
Immortal, immortal, most delicious. The most powerful medicine that can cure every single suffering. That kind of nectar is an offering to self who is Guan Yin, is compassion Buddha like that. But then there’s another way to practice is you you you invoke ten direction Buddha Bodhisattvas in a single deity, in aspect of single deity, is in the aspect of Chenrezig, like Śākyamūni Buddha, Buddha Mañjuśrī, Tārā, the bodhisattvas, all the Buddhas, all the meditational deities, the dakas, dakinis all dissolve into one single deity which is become Chenrezig. Dissolve their nature of bodhisattvic mind dissolve into one single deity’s bodhisattvic mind, which is the bodhisattvic mind of Chenrezig.
Then that gradually dissolve into a light form. It comes on top of your crown. Then from the crown, where there is a curly hair here, is the hole which the central channel resides. The whole of this central channel resides here, where there is a curly hair, Where normally we use for transparent consciousness by doing the power practice. That the absorption of the entire Buddha into a light form, which in the energy light form comes here.
Then through your visualization, it dissolves again, it enters from the crown, goes through the central channel, and it resides at the heart chakra, at the heart channel here. Reside at the heart channel. Reside at the heart channel here. So, and that generates it in the form of light, in the nature of enlightenment, who is the Chenrezig, who is the compassionate Buddha, Guan Yin. Become oneness with your mind.
And that mind or that who is also embodiment the oneness nature of your gurus. And that guru or the Buddha or the Chenrezig or your mind residing at the heart chakra, heart channel, whatever food you consume, you offer to that guru. You offer to that deity. You offer to ten direction Buddhas and Bodhisattvas who is Chenrezig, residing in your heart. Whenever you consume drink, food, you offer to that guru.
And this is regarded as one of very powerful guru yoga practice, a very powerful Deity Yoga practice, accumulate extensive merit and which bring extensive purification, in particularly the purification of the broken promises, broken samayas in relation to the ten direction Buddhas, in relation to Bodhisattvas, deities, Dharma protectors, dakas and dakinis, gurus, and as well as the promise that you break in relation to you. The promise that break in relation to you. Why we are suffering in saṃsāra? Why we have to go through so much obstacle in life? You know, even though we even though we understand thousands of Buddha have descended in the past.
You know, thousands of Buddha have descended in the past. Not only that, the the eons fortunate four I don’t know, fortunate thousand Buddhas, the four Buddhas are already descended in this continent. And why we are still not liberated? Why we have to go through so much samsaric life sufferings? So much problems.
You know, how much we pray also still have problems. You know, how much hard work you work, you still not enough money. You know, how much sacrifice you you provide for relationship, still have problem. Misunderstanding why? It’s because of we broke the promise to our own self.
Because one reason we broke the promise to our own self. We cheated ourselves by ourselves, not by others. We cheated ourselves by ourselves and from long, long time. In Buddhist term, say from beginningless lifetime until now, until this very moment, we are always cheating ourselves. We have cheated ourselves in the first place by following the wrong guidance of the ignorant mind.
Secondly, we always cheat ourselves by following the deluded emotion such as anger. The moment somebody triggers you, somebody pinches you, somebody just says some high and low words to you, you get angry. And you think, yes, that is something not good for me, and he or she is an enemy, you know, so I must fight back. So, you know, we misinterpret ourselves, we lie to ourselves, and we cheated ourselves, isn’t it? And not only that, attachment.
All the desired objects, we work for that whole life, including this body. It’s object of our desire. We entire life, we work for this body. We work for this body under the misleading, under the cheating mind of ourselves. Seeing this body is permanent.
This body is always stay young. This body always stay young. We’ll never grow old. You know, we work so hard. Know, we we we so many expensive liquids or creams, you know, therapies, you know, put so much, like, every day you spend, I don’t know how many how much money, you know.
So our grasping is must stay young and and must must be young but we never realized every single morning naturally growing old naturally growing old we even didn’t realize age of thirty from the age of one up to age of thirty how came about and up to age of thirty how came about the white hair gray hair wrinkles you don’t know You think carefully you never realize when when really come into our life. All those ring extra wrinkles extra white hair you know. If you want to know exact day you don’t know. We don’t know. We don’t know which day this white hair come.
We really don’t know which wrinkle came in which days. But we all the time think we are still supposed to be young and and and spending. There’s so much attached, so much grasping, and we work under the misguidance. Know? And when we suddenly see gray hair, we suffer.
When suddenly see more wrinkles, we suffer. When we grow old, we see the young people, we suffer. How come I’m so old, they’re so young? You know? Similar in a in a a a in a a money when when, you know, we think the money will bring happiness into us.
We think the money without money, no happiness. Must earn money. So earn money until we die. You know, all the money in the bank, you die, we die, I die. The money in the bank is struggling.
You know, the relatives, the children, all fight for your money now. But you have to go empty handed. Again, it’s mislead. So not only that, in particularly creating karma is the worst misleading. Know, worst misleading.
Know, we always think and assume we are doing virtue. Are doing the right thing, but we constantly accumulating the samsaric cause even while we are praying, even while we are doing dharma. You know, our grasping mind never let go of of the the existence of the grasping of self, the eye, the ego, you know. So because of that, while praying also accumulate karma, cause for for Samsāra, and we think, we tell ourselves, you’re practicing. You’re practicing Dharma.
You’re practicing purely. But end up, we wasted our life. You know, then again, so-called suffering of saṃsāra, you see. So so we have mislead us. We cheated ourselves so much.
Because of that, we are still here. You know, because we are still here. And all those are we call the broken promise. We always want ultimate happiness. Who do not want ultimate happiness?
Who do not wish? Who do not, you know, wish and eager and pray and and pledge for lasting and ultimate happiness. We all desire for that. But at the same time, we always get into a wrong creation of karma. Because of that, we break promises to ourselves.
We break promises to ourselves also. We cheat ourselves also. So by doing the Deity Yoga practice, Guru Deity, all entering into your heart, then regarding your body, speech, mind, actions are the action of the Deity, the Guru, and the Deity. Then, whatever you consume, you’re offering to the Deity as an nectar, and that itself brings immense purification of negative karma, especially the broken commitments, broken samayas. By doing that, then we start to feel the changes in our life for better.
Changes in our life are better. So this is one of the recommendation for the teaching of the first commitment, the first precept of the mind training teaching, accomplish all yoga through a single means. One is from the Vinaya, one is from the Mahāyāna Bodhisattvayana, one is from the Tantrayāna or vajrayana vajrayana teaching. Other spiritual practices have their own particular dietary requirements, mode of conduct, and so on. In addition to their yogi practice, for those who have entered the door of their mind training practice, it is sufficient to engage in all activities such as opening of food.
So here, there’s one word you can see before the karma, there’s a food. From here, we have to get the meaning of the entire three aspects of the activities from the bodhisattva mind. So by keeping in mind this mind training practice, you should engage in this practice. So the principle of engaging in the mind training teaching is to engage in one of these three suggestions, the practice of yoga. Can, based on your own ability, either you practice as I recommend from the Vinaya, or either you practice as I recommend from the Mahāyāna Bodhisattvayana teaching.
Take every single act as a practice of bodhicitta. The third is from the Tantra, the deity yoga practice. Now the second principle is overcome all errors through a single means. So overcome all errors through a single means. So we have to get the meaning of the single means, the single which refers to what, the single refers to what.
Anyway, the explanation was there. Some who are under Mara’s influence fail to develop confidence in this spiritual practice. They experience the false perception of misguided meditation practice with thoughts like Since I began practicing mind training, illness has increased, harm from demons has increased, harm from spirits has increased, people have become more hostile, and afflictions such as self grasping have increased as well. So based on such thoughts or for no particular reason, they lost interest in mind training and are in danger of turning away. When this happens, you should become aware of it right there and then and think A misguided meditative practice has arisen in me.
With the second thought, you should reflect that there must be many beings like me in the universe whose thoughts have divided from the true Dharma practice, such as deviated from a true Dharma practice such as mind training teaching. And take all of these divisions upon yourself and offer your body wealth and virtues to others. Imagine that because of this, the thought of those others turned towards the Dharma, and these others entered the unmistaken path. So the whole meaning is perform every, you know, the errors or misfortunes, the interference by taking in the practice of single means. The single is referred to what do you think?
Overcome all errors through a single means. So actually the the explanation, you know, is stated very clearly. Do you have any understanding on this? All errors are through a single means. Once we understand the single means, then the rest of teachings we can be able to actualize into a few words in a practice.
Single means? Single referring to what? One. Single referring to one. Okay.
Any other suggestions? bodhicitta. Any other? So here, the single is referring to specifically. Of course it’s like bodhicitta, everything is.
But here, specifically single referring to Tonglen practice. Taking and giving, Tonglen practice. The single, straightforward referring to Tonglen practice. So whenever those adversities, difficulties come into your life, such as even after, not because of learning mind training teaching, your life starts to fall apart, not because of that. Even after meeting mind training teaching, somehow the adversity in your life, the difficulty in your life still continues.
So in that kind of situation, take the mind training teaching. In particular, apply the second precept, the advice of the Buddha, the second precept. Take all those adversity in a single means. Take all those adversity in the practice of Tonglen. All those difficulties come, you should immediately think.
Should immediately think this is the opportunity I always have been praying that may I able to take entire other’s suffering and free entire beings from the suffering. So since all the problems is coming to me, why not I take the opportunity to receive entire others problem into me. Receive. You already have a big burden, you take extra burden. You already cannot handle, now you rather even ask for more problems.
The problem is not your problem. Even take others problem onto you, others suffering onto you. By thinking. Since I have stomach pain, anyway I have to go through the pain, I rather take the opportunity to take entire other being’s negative karma which causes stomach pain and rest of the other pain on my own stomach pain. And whatever comfort, even a slight one second comfort of stomach as well as the rest of the comfort of my body and mind, I sincerely wholeheartedly offer, transmit, transfer to the rest of the other beings.
Due to that, by doing that, all living beings naturally, instantly, ultimately be free, become free from the entire suffering. So this is like mind training. By thinking that, it will never, know, other’s problem come on to you. There’s no way. Other problem is created by their own karma.
If you didn’t create the karma, it won’t come to you. Individual karma has to pay by individual. Therefore, by praying or by thinking that may other suffering ripen upon me, that doesn’t bring other suffering onto you. But there is a benefit to cure your pain because that brings the great purification of the karma through the power of mind, through using the power of mind training. And at the same time, it brings so much merit.
Merit is the good karma, which starts to find a solution to be free from the stomach pain. So such thing. So this is just an example of stomach pain, but any sort of problem, know, any sort of suffering in life, whenever you have any form of suffering, immediately think, oh this is a great opportunity, may all other suffering ripen upon me. May all other’s problem ripen upon me. If I have any merits, any good karma accumulated in the past or now, all become a cause to actualize happiness in other living beings like that.
So this is very tough practice. We have a misconception. We have an misconception. We have an instinct misconception of thoughts By saying or by thinking others’ suffering ripen or upon me, you start to feel a fear that really will ripen up on you. And when you dedicate your to others, cause of happiness to others, you have a misconceptional thought.
It’s then become a fear that your goodness will go to other, and you will be empty of any goodness or good karma. So this is just a misconceptional thought. It’s not a truth. It’s not there as how the misconception thought. Misconception mind thought about it.
There’s no such thing how the misconceptional thought thinks. So I think for a beginner, Mahāyāna practitioners, maybe this practice will be very hard to apply into our daily life because we have too strong misconceptional thoughts. We have too strong self grasping because of that. In order for us to have some kind of preliminary practice, in order for us to successfully practice the actual taking and giving Tonglen practice, is to engage by thinking. Whenever you have a problem, you should think.
Instead of thinking that may all other suffering ripen upon me rather you should think. May whatever suffering I’m experiencing, may it be sufficient of experiencing all other sentient being suffering. Instead of thinking ripen upon me rather just think may it be sufficient. May whatever happiness that you have, instead of giving all to others, you should think whatever happiness I have, may it be sufficient to actualize happiness in every single living being. This is about ten degree lighter responsibility, so you feel slightly easier to cope.
In the past, after receiving Lojong teaching, we all have problems, I have a lot of problems. When the problem comes, I try to see whether I can handle or not Donglen practice. The actual Tonglen practice which is really taking other’s suffering on you and really thinking to take all other’s suffering on you and giving all your merit to other is very difficult. Know, somehow, even whatever reason you apply, you still feel very uncomfortable. You feel worried that really other suffering will happen upon you.
You already saw so much suffering, I cannot cope extra more. At the same time, you feel kind of scared of losing your merit by sharing with other. So so after a few times, give up. So then try the just now the second recommendation. No.
Why not just think. May my stomach pain be sufficient of experiencing all other living beings suffering? You know, you are not at least asking extra but you just say sufficient. That can be able to take it. It easily can take it.
This fragile, ordinary mind easily can take it. Then after that, may whatever goodness I have be sufficient to provide happiness to others. But that also can take it. So after some time, then once a while, really, you know, after some time, because of the blessing or accumulation of merit of engaging this practice, you start to understand deeper in karma. Somehow naturally, you start to, you know, your mind start to dissolve deeper into the understanding of karma.
Once you understand the very depth meaning of karma, yes, whenever you think that other suffering will happen upon you, you don’t escape. Because it’s not my creation of karma. If it’s my creation of karma, even I don’t think suffering will happen upon me, I will experience the same as other sufferings. But since karma is definite, created by each individual and have to experience the consequences by each individual who created the karma by just practicing Tonglen saying that all others karma ripen up on me, that will not ripen up on me. That won’t escape.
So even like somebody infected with such contagious skin disease, the doctor said this skin disease. So when you have a proper kind of sudden stage of Tonglen practice realization. When you see the skin disease, the doctor labeled that this skin disease, anybody touched will transmit the disease. So even in that circumstance, would dare to touch. You would really dare to touch and rescue and help this very serious sick person, you know, because you understand the karma.
If I didn’t create the karma, if I don’t have a karma to experience this transmission of this skin disease on me, Even I touch, even I cut the small cell and plant into my own body also won’t grow, won’t transmit. But if I have the karma, even I never see this person, I will suffer the same skin disease. So therefore why I fear to rescue this sick person by touching my hand, using my hand? So you dare to do it. Only can happen by understanding the karma, by having a full faith in karma.
But if you don’t understand karma, we still have some kind of fear. Oh, maybe, you know? Yeah, say so, but maybe still you better don’t touch. You’re still kind of hesitant to do. So because of not understanding karma, we do have a constant instinct fear in our life, instinct suffering in our life.
When we want to go out, we have a fear of snatch thieves. We have a fear of robberies. We have a fear of all sort of things. But when you have a full faith in karma, you at least have some kind of relaxation even when you go out. You have a calm mind.
I have a karma to get into an accident, then if I have a karma then what? Then nothing can I have to go through it? I have to go through the consequences. But if I don’t have a karma, there is no there’s no need for me to have an extra kind of anxiety, the fear, which is unnecessary suffering that we constantly bring into our life. But that doesn’t mean that you’ll be careless.
Again, by understanding karma, we start to realize conditions. In order to complete karma, there is a factor or condition. Factor or condition becomes either to complete the previous accumulation of karma, to experience the complete result, or it becomes a new creation of karma to actualize new consequences of suffering or happiness. So because of understanding karma, it also helps us to be careful. By understanding karma, it’s not teaching us to be careless, us to be careful.
But don’t kind of like, you know, how to say it, but at least leave fifty percent responsibility on karma. So at least that you have a fifty percent of your mental state will be at peace and happy. Otherwise, like, you’re the constant fear. Don’t don’t you think? I don’t know whether you you get my message or not.
I I have I actually like that, but you you get what my my message? Do you get my message? Do you agree? Yes. Okay.
But I have to Yeah. If you know, how would you know? We need to improve our wisdom. In fact, the subtle karma only Buddha knows, only enlightenment one, only the omniscient one knows every single subtle aspect of karma. We ordinary being, we only know certain gross karmic aspect.
Subtle karma only omniscient one knows. So therefore, that’s why I said, back up later I said, think about condition, be careful. It doesn’t mean just totally be fearless, neglect the situation. It means careful but don’t put entire effort only being so careful. So much suffering.
This also can under you know, so so many every move have a fear, you know. So fifty percent just live on karma. So at least fifty percent you have peace. Then fifty percent, okay, take care of the creating of the condition. At least create the condition to avoid any negative experiences.
Create the condition to encounter positive experiences by creating positive conditions. We call virtual and another is called non virtual action. That answers your question? So anyway, precept two is talking about the Tonglen practice. So as long as we remember, overcome all errors through a single means.
It means overcome all the errors. Errors refer to all the difficulties, sufferings, problems in our life, you know, through a single means, you know, means transform through a single means, means by practicing the Tonglen practice, taking and giving practice. So there’s two steps that I just suggested, so you can you can try that. So now, precept three. There are two tasks, one at the start and one at the end.
So it’s very common. Commonly we practice these two tasks. And here, the mind training teaching, asking us to take as a precept, asking us to take as a part of our life commitment, take as a precept, so that we can be able to practice purely. We can also say there are two activities, one at the beginning and one at the end in order to bring our actions as a cause of liberation. So here, in the morning, after getting up, you should project the thought.
Throughout this day, I shall make sure I don’t become tainted by the clinging of self-cherishing. So very clear. The moment you wake up, don’t be too grasping on own, only your yourself. Don’t be too selfish. Don’t be the morning you wake up, you you don’t engage into a strong clinging of self centered.
Don’t be too self centered. Self centered. Yeah? I shall make sure that shall make sure that the thought of cherishing other do not degenerate. The moment you wake up, you know, you instantly think.
If you don’t have a sense of cherishing to others or care and loving and concern to others, then you should think from today on, I should do something good. At least I should benefit other beings. Maybe stuff from my children, stuff from my family and friends. If you already have a sense of cherishing to others, you should make it larger of this practice. If you already have a sense of loving, kindness, care for your family, your relatives, then now it expands to your neighbors, then slowly expands to the entire people in your country, then gradually expand to the neighbor countries, then gradually expand to all the human beings, then gradually expand to all the sentient beings.
So the moment when you wake up, you should have that calm attitude. Then during the day, remain sustained by the vigilance that accompanies everyday activity. So during the daytime, vigilant here referring to be very alert, be very mindfulness. Always like very mindful that whatever the thought that you generated in the morning when you wake up, the thought of benefiting others, the thought of sharing love, compassion to others, whether your daily life activities are really going according with your motivation or not. Be very mindful.
Whatever action you do, may this action is, may my action of body, speech and mind, is there any relevant to the positive motivation that I set in the morning? So one should always be alert on that. When going to bed at night while in the meditative absorption, lion’s posture. So before going to bed, know, you go into meditation absorption, means like the conclusion of the meditation, conclusion of the activity, conclusion of your motivation in the morning, conclusion of your daily activities. At the end, you just lie on the bed, you know, like how the lions, you know, rest at the evening after they have a great meal, You know, how they lie on the bed.
Know, the lion just take position. Position is up to you, whatever. But should means you should set up. You’re contented or whatever you have, you know. I mean, you kind of conclude your daily activities.
Even before going to sleep, you plan things for tomorrow, so much suffering, you know. At least tomorrow, I think tomorrow morning. Now I should I should conclude my day. Otherwise, I might have a nightmare in the in the sleeping, know, and this remind ourselves like that. So once you think, sit down, you know, but then you count your activities.
Oh, sorry. You count difficult to count. So you you you at least reflect your daily activities. If you can able to count every single act you have done in the day, of course it’s good. So that you can analyze what virtuous act that you have accomplished in the day and what non virtuous act that you have done in the day, daytime, you know daily activities.
So if you have done any virtuous activities in the daytime, then you should rejoice and you should even motivate tomorrow on that I can be able to upgrade those positive activities or virtual activities. If you have done any negativities, then you should apply the four opponent power to purify and by doing purification practices such as Vajrasattva practices Vajrasattva practices or just by applying the four opponent powers. Then after that, you can go to bed like that. Sequencing review the day. Sequencing review the day.
Sequencing review the day. So you should have a gleam on the daily activities by recalling. First, I did this, then I did that, and so on. So it means here it says very clearly. So morning I wake up, you know, I said like that motivation, and I went to office, and I fight with the boss, I fight with my client, I fight with my my my staff.
Then after that, suddenly I went to temple, I saw Buddha’s image, I regret, but then after that I say I will never do again. I went back to the office, again I saw my client, I fight again. Like that. So recall like that, you know, I get recalled, whatever you have done. So if you detect any transgressions, if you have any, you know, transgression.
Transgression is the the the kind of like you you encounter any any what do call? The broken how to say? Task question you can even say negative negativities you encounter any negative negativities or or broken or any activities which which which against your positive motivation in the morning. Whatever activities in the daytime which against the positive motivation you set in the morning and if you detect any such, then it is stated. That instant, enumerate your thoughts.
In that instant, you should recognize those actions. You should name, You should label. You should label. Oh, I fight with my client. It means I get angry with my client.
The fault is anger. You know, you should you should you should you should capture the fault: anger. After you capture the fault which is anger, which is wrong action which is scolding the client which comes about because you have delusion of anger because of that. You see, once you capture that, then then you remember your teacher’s instruction. You know, you recall teacher’s instruction.
Means you recall Buddha’s instruction. You recall the teachings of the lojong. Teaching of the lojong or teachings of the Buddha’s instruction. Buddha’s teaching. Here, recall your teacher’s instruction means recall Buddha’s teaching.
Cultivate the following thoughts. What are the Buddha’s teaching? What are the following thoughts? Those are the teachings that you should cultivate. Isn’t it amazing that there are people like me who waste their precious human existence and bring harm upon themselves?
You should think that it is such a waste, you know? After meeting after first of all, I’m as a human being. On top of that, I learned dharma. On top of that, I also understand anger is no good. It creates a negative karma, harm myself and harm others, but I still get into such kind of false, such a shame.
Know? Such a shame. So you should feel that a strong sense of like that you did a strong sense of that you really did wrong thing. So thinking thus, right after thinking like that, right after that you you really you really recognize that you really done very bad thing in the day, which is the anger, the action of anger. Okay?
Then then appeal for forbearance. Forbearance. Appeal for forbearance. So you see? Appeal for forbearance.
So that is the first opponent power of the four opponent power. In order to purify negative karma, you need to apply four opponent powers. It? Four force. Four powers.
Buddha has stated in his teaching, any form of negative karma by applying four opponent power can be purified. There is not even one single negative karma including heinous karma applying four opponent powers means everything is purified yeah? Yes there isn’t even one negative karma even a heinous karma cannot be purified by applying four opponent powers, four purification powers. So one of them here, appeal for forbearance is referring to the power of reliance or power of refuge. Appeal for forbearance means immediately after you realize that what wrong you have done, then invoke your Buddha, your Guru, your Deity, whoever.
In fact, it’s Buddha Dharma Sangha. Invoke or you just think. If you respect, if you have a most calming connection with Kwan Yin, immediately invoke Guan Yin. And you should feel that Kwan Yin is really present in front of you. And you are asking, you are revealing your mistake.
You are telling him what mistake that you have done and asking forgiveness. The forgiveness here refer to the purification. Not just asking forgiveness, but you are asking generosity to be the witness for you to purify the karma. In order to have the full force of purification, you need the witness, which is the power of refuge, the first opponent power of reliance. So I think there are a few words in the Lamrim they use different words in some other teachings they use different words.
I think we can say the power of reliance isn’t it? Then after that declare and purify your negative karma. So here declare refers to the regret. Declare you should put the second power. Declare.
Declare means express. Yes, anger, scolding to my client. It’s absolutely wrong. It’s really negative. I can’t believe that I’ve done that.
It’s so wrong. Unbelievable. If you like, you can cry also. Declare, it’s the power of regret. You know, expression express the regret, power of regret.
So that’s declare refer to the regret, power of regret. Then purify your negative karma. So purify your negative karma, that have to that refers to the third opponent power, the power of antidote. So then, in front of Guan Yin, you should say, I’ve really done wrong, you recite. Or you just say, know.
Or you just recite. Or do prostrations. You know. I can’t believe that I’ve done such a negative karma. So then with that kind of thought in front of Guan Yin or in front of thirty five Buddha, you do prostration.
Prostration, purification. Or recite any form of Buddha’s name or the mantra or sūtra or meditate on compassion, loving kindness, Buddha Chita, emptiness. So all those are the power of antidote which is referring to purify your negative karma. So, but by understanding the negation which is anger, you know, just now you realize, in my whole day activity, negative karma creation of activities is anger. So, by knowing anger, you should apply the right antidote, appropriate antidote.
It’s more forceful, even more powerful, it’s more effective. So what is the appropriate antidote for anger? It is to practice patience. So how to practice patience? Recalling yourself, thinking about the disadvantage of anger, advantage of being patient.
Because you already got anger already. Daytime already you get angry. So now it’s the purification stage. So what is the appropriate anger or appropriate antidote to bring a forceful purification of that anger, negative karma. That action of negative karma created to getting angry is to meditate on the antidote which is patient.
But just say patient, patient. You don’t have to be patient. Anger is already gone. You already get angry and spoil everything and now you practice patience for what? Here practice patience is referring to meditate or think advantage of a patient and disadvantage of anger.
So that that will restrain next time for you to get angry. Will of protect for you to continue to get angry because of that. Then after that and cultivate the resolve to forsake this in the future so that refers to the fourth power which is the power of resolve or promise, power of promise, power of resolve means that such negative karma, which is anger, very bad. I totally understand it really did wrong. From now on, the best is you should think even now on, even in the course of my life, I will not get angry.
Even in the course of my life, I will not get angry. That. Again here, I have an excuse, tip for this. Even in the course of my life, I’m not going to get angry. If you if you happen to say that, I think, I don’t think it’s possible for us to, you you can able to protect yourself not getting even cause of your life.
I think it’s quite difficult, yeah? But if you can able to do that, I mean, one of the most forceful antidote to purify, you know, one of the most forceful. But if you cannot do that, at least, but in the Vinaya teaching, it stated that in order to purify the karma, they reframe or promise you should have a timeline. You must have a timeline. If you don’t provide the timeline, you’re not completely providing the poor opinion power so that you’re unable to purify the karma properly.
You see? So the time frame, they used to say, if you are purifying in front of a Guan Yin statue, in front of Guan Yim, then you are really expressing the poor opinion power. Until I live until I stand up until I stand up, even course of my life, I will not get angry. So you already set the timeline. So that at least helps, but that that helps.
So I will say, oh, till tomorrow till tomorrow morning, even course of my life, I will not get angry. I will not engage in the act of angry. So, you know? Alright. So this is just I don’t think we can able to help to purify completely, but at least ninety percent maybe can able to purify it.
But if you want to purify one hundred percent, then the timeline should be lifetime. Even cost of my life, in entire lifetime, even cost, no, rest of my life, even cost of my life, of my life, I will not get angry. Something like that. So now it’s a choice, it’s up to us. You want to purify or you want to save some energy for anger.
Then cultivate the resolve in the future. So if you have not committed any transgression, then rejoice. If you are not at the end of the day, you know, on the bed and you think you have not committed any negative karma, then you should rejoice. You should feel happy. You should be happy for yourself.
You should feel happy for yourself. Rejoice practice Rejoicement practice can practice based on the two different objects. One is your own virtue, one is virtue in others. So that time, you know, you should feel so happy for yourself that, wow, you are my day really, you know, fulfills the meaning of my day, my life, which is to accumulate virtue, which is to create a cause for liberation. Well done, well done, you know, good, good, good.
During that time, suddenly you remember to eat an ice cream, you just run and get ice cream. When you’re so happy, when you are rejoicing so much, sometimes you’re still happy, you start to remember ice cream. So you happen to do that, you just drive and get ice cream also. I think, okay, no problem. Just joking.
Maybe, anyway, because you’re so happy, you know. Rejoicement is like by knowing that you did something good and you feel so happy. That create, you know, what you call the bonus bonus merit. Bonus extra merit without any extra effort. So rejoicement is stated in the teaching that the easiest way to accumulate merit is practice of rejoicement.
You just feel happy for your virtue, you just feel happy for others virtues, others good deeds. That’s the easiest way to accumulate extensive merits. You know? Then at the same time, you should rejoice for other’s merits, such as merit of Buddhas since you you you find out that your day was become virtue, you know, then you should think it’s due to the blessing of the Buddhas. It’s due to the blessing of the gurus, you know, that influence my my subconscious so that I able to enhance or able to engage in the virtuous action.
Because they have so much merit, because completed, all the Buddhas have completed the three countless eons of merit, you should feel happy for them. At the same time, if there’s any other human beings or any beings in the world accumulating or keeping their day in a virtue like me, I’m happy for them. So that is the practice of the rejoicement practice in relation to others. In the teaching it stated that you can practice rejoicment relation to Buddha’s merit, bodhisattvas, Tathagatas, arhats and ordinary ārya bodhisattvas and ordinary bodhisattvas and what do you call the virtuous human being who live life in the virtue even though they are not bodhisattvahood, they are not ārya being, they are not arhats, but they live a life in the virtue. So when you feel happy for them, their actions, you naturally accumulate merits.
So it’s very easy to accumulate merit, you know. So if you have not committed any such transgression, then rejoice thinking I have ended made my human existence meaningful. Dedicate the virtues, then dedicate the virtues towards aspiration to realize the practice in your mental continuum. So then after rejoicing, then you should, before you go to sleep, you should dedicate, whatever virtuous action I have done in the day, that is called the good karma, that is called the good cause, which has the potential to bring happiness result, you know, happiness result after enlightenment. So, therefore, may that virtue be the complete cause for me to bring liberation to every single living being.
Then, by the way, you know, prosperity in life, good health in life, long life in life, happiness in life, comes, by the way, by doing the dedication of your merits. Then, in particular, dedicate to bless your subconscious mind, to to enhance your bodhicitta. Make the aspiration prayer. May I never may I never divorce from the true awakening mind through all my life. So so then make a supplication prayer.
Means after that, after dedication, you should make a supplication prayer which is different than dedication. Supplication prayer which not yet obtained the result in you yet, but making a wish is similar to making a wish. So then here, a wish or make a supplication prayer thinking that may I never be separated from the practice of mind training, which is the practice of cultivating true awakening mind, which is the conventional bodhicitta the ultimate bodhicitta, emptiness. Or in short, the practice of bodhicitta, emptiness. So like that.
So anyway, in relation to this commitment, just a simple suggestion, you know, like a summary simple suggestion, our day to day life, what what we can make most meaning our life, our day, is the moment you wake up, the moment you wake up, if you are not rushed to washroom, the moment you wake up, you know, the moment you wake up, even before any other thoughts, the moment you wake up, you just think, may whoever see me, remember me, touches me, criticize me, praise me, insult me, abandon me, or whatever the actions of other in relation to me, may it be complete cause to actualize total freedom. May I be complete cause to actualize slight happiness, the happiness of in a very hot weather you have a feel of wind, a faint wind, that was always some kind of happiness. Even that slight happiness after the everlasting happiness of enlightenment, may I be the cause for that. Then, may I be the complete cause to eradicate from the slight suffering, the suffering of just small pinch, after the unbearable suffering of the hell, the lowest hell. May I be the cause to purify that in every single living thing.
So just that, very simple. The moment you wake up, the first thought, just think like that. May we ever see me. That’s very normal. When you, you know, when you work, when you move here and there, we we don’t realize, you know, so many people just by seeing us criticize us, dislike.
You know, so many people accommodate negative karma in relation to us. But so many people rejoice us, admire us, know, create so much virtue in relation to us. So, you know, as long as your life exists, you are object of either creation or negative karma in relation to other, or object of creation or negative karma in relation to other. You see? So because of that, if we don’t have such kind of motivation, our existence itself can become a negative creation of so much negativities.
Because very limited people have a good impression on us. The majority have a wrong impression on us. And we become the conditional cause for them to have a wrong impression. You create the karma. You become the victim to create a negative karma for them also.
You see? So once we have this positive motivation, they will criticize us, it become a cause for their happiness. You become a cause for their happiness. If people abandon us, we become a good cause for their happiness. You see?
Something like that. Then in the daytime, you know after that then okay, then you go to breakfast or whatever wash everything you can just you know so after that whatever action if you remember as teaching advice if you remember to be vigilant mindfulness that whether your actions are in relation to your motivation or not, it can, it’s good. But it’s quite difficult because we have so many things in our conventional life to take care, taking care, you see. So because of that, just for insurance you know just for insurance so then you know just for insurance then know so in fact there’s no insurance I thought there’s one insurance but lost the company close. No choice.
You still have to go to the Lojong suggestion. Then then try one’s best to, you know, be mindful. Be mindful. You know, try one’s best to engage in virtue through your body, speech, and mind. Try one’s best not to think negative.
Try one’s best not to create negative physical actions. Try one’s best not to have a negative speech. Try one’s best. So then at the end, before go to bed, then just sit for one, two minutes. And same thing.
If you can able to recall whatever action you have done, if there’s any negativities, then you purify by applying four opponent powers. Very short, just do the four thoughts. So then, if you cannot, then at least do Vajrasattva practice, a short Vajrasattva mantra, recite twenty one times. Then you just think that whatever negative karma ever accumulated be purified, and whatever virtues that are accumulated be increased. Then you can go, and you can go back like that.
But then once you engage into the deity yoga practice, then there’s much more, you know, there’s many more extra suggestions that you can apply. So for the moment, we can do like that. So that’s motivation in the morning, and daytime we give some mindfulness to your action, and night time just apply four opponent powers. Very simple, just remember the four things. So once we can do this in our day to day life, then our life will be brighter and brighter.
Our virtue will be increased, and our negative karma gradually will be ceased, be less and less like that. Then in that way we extract the meaning of our life. So like that. Thank you. We have five minutes.
You want you have any question? No question. Okay. So thank you. So please kindly read the Okay.