Audio recorded at Buddha House Adelaide. Transcript auto-generated and AI-corrected; may contain errors.
About this talk. In this 111-minute talk, Lama Zopa Rinpoche guides serious practitioners through precept eight of the Seven Point Mind Training—the qualities needed in a student of a Mahāyāna guru. He roots the teaching in the foundational guru devotion practice, explaining why establishing unshakeable faith in one’s teacher as inseparable from Buddha is essential before any other realization becomes possible. The heart of the session presents nine attitudes a disciple must cultivate: obedience like a dutiful child, steadfastness like a vajra, acceptance like the earth, immovability like a mountain, respectful service like a servant to a king, humility like a sweeper, faithful continuity like a rope, patience like a dog, and flexibility like a boat. Rinpoche illustrates each through practical examples drawn from daily life—family care, work, temple service—and weaves in the legendary account of Śāntideva’s hidden mastery, showing how mind training transforms ordinary activities into spiritual practice. He emphasizes that without mastering guru devotion, realization of bodhicitta, emptiness, and enlightenment remain impossible, making this the unshakeable foundation of the entire path.
File metadata (for organising)
File: 16 Lojong.mp3
UUID: 48867551-d130-4d8a-8939-c42440ecc1b4
Teacher: Lama Zopa Rinpoche 3
Collection: Mind Training (Lama Zopa Rinpoche 3)
Date: 1990 (exact day not recorded)
Recorded at: Buddha House Adelaide
Duration: 111.9 minutes
Words: ~12,539
I’m gonna do the same and discuss the commentary on the seven point mind training. K. Thank you. So in our last in our last session, we discussed on the the qualities, you know, the brief qualities of the the guru, the Mahāyāna guru, and how to search how to search the proper qualified guru. Then after searching, then to rely on such a guru and to actualize the benefit of the the teachings and blessings from that that guru.
So today, the the precept the precept number eight Precept number eight is mainly to discuss on the qualities of the disciple, the qualities of the student in relation to after relying the qualified, after establishing the guru disciple towards the Mahāyāna teacher or Mahāyāna guru, which we have discussed on the precept seventh, which we have discussed on the precept seventh, which is my last class. So in Lamrim, you know, all all of many of you have already went through the the discovering Buddhism course, you know, the graduate study and practice from the very beginning stages of the Lamrim practice, which is to introduce the teachings on the guru devotion. You know, then you know then after introducing the teachings of Guru devotion then there is a section where you know where emphasize the characteristic the disciple in order to actualize all the benefit of after meeting qualified Mahāyāna guru. So here we don’t have to go through every single aspect of the characteristic of the disciple. You can reflect your understanding into Lam Rim.
So here is a practical advice from the Lojong teaching but it is always in relation to Lam Rim practice. Always it’s always connected, entire Lojong practice. Even though it’s not not really in a structure, in a in in in a structure, gradual in structure like the Lam Rim, but it emphasizes on the practical practices. Whenever we reach the certain categories of teaching then we can just remind the students to lump sum understanding. So from here again it comes how important the Lamrim study is.
So even in the future, you know, when we study the the next subject after finishing this, we will study the the Buddhist sacred way of life composed by the the Indian great pandita Śāntideva, Bodhisattvacharyavatara, Bodhisattvacharyavatara, so very difficult how to pronounce. So also called as the way of Bodhisattva’s life or the Bodhisattva’s way of life. In Mahāyāna, in Mahāyāna practitioner’s life, you know, we need two kind of wings for us to fly across over the ocean of saṃsāra. So one of the wings is the, you know, from the scripture point of view, one of the wings is Bodhisattvacharyavatara, the Bodhisattvacharyavatara, composed by Śāntideva. One of the wings is Lamrim.
So you know having these two wing of the scripture that one can able to cross the oceans of the ignorance, the samsaric ignorance, then one can able to explore the entire the entire aspect of the existence of the enlightenment, which is the existing object, what you call the reality existent of every single existent phenomena which only can seen by the omniscient one. So one can able to do that by adopting these two by adopting these two scriptures as one of the main subject to study, then secondly to actualize the contemplation of a correct understanding of the true scripture. Then thirdly, the knowledge that you are understanding from this two scriptures by habituating in one’s mind, one can able to eliminate entire aspect of defilements, to actualize fully enlightenment. So then Bodhisattvacharyavatara, the Bodhisattva’s way of life is the root teachings of the entire mind training teaching, the root teachings of the entire lojong, in the root teachings of the entire mind transformation, which extensively study and practice by the entire aspect of the mind practitioners, entire four Tibetan Buddhist tradition followers, like Nyingma, Sakya, Kagyu, Gelug. Then in earlier than that, the new Kadampa such as Lama Tsongkhapa.
And old Kadampa such as, right, the great Indian pandits, you know, even in Nālānda, even in Nālānda monastery, you know, about four or five hundred years after Buddha Śākyamūni passed away, you know, the later later age of the Śāntideva when he was regarded the unseen, unknown and unseen hidden practitioner of the bodhicitta, who externally live a life only eating, sleeping, and toilet. Say, what do call it? The practitioner of the three three thing. You know, all the time, whenever you get a chance, just eat, then when full stomach, then go to sleep, then then go to toilet, you know, until he’s, you know, until his, like, elderly age. So he was well known as one of the laziest monk within the Nālānda University, one of the most discouraging monk in the Nālānda monastery, including Nāgārjuna, Dharmakīrti, Asaṇga, even they, including Lama Atisha, they saw in their eye, in their conventional aspect, saw Śāntideva as a practitioner of this three thing, who is worthless, who is completely hopeless.
And this rumor of him such a worthless monk, so this rumor even went through the village during that time, know, there’s a village nearby and there’s so many different villages where once a while you know they request teachings from the the Nālānda, the students such as the the Nālānda scholars and Nālānda nalanda monks. So so one day, and the the all the scholars, you know, they want to embarrass they want to embarrass Śāntideva. So the only one the only way to embarrass is let him to sit on the high throne and let him face to the public and teach Dharma because he’s within the university, yet he’s like one of the laziest practitioners. So then, a turn comes to One day the turn go to teach, asked the Śāntideva to go. So then when Śāntideva went out to the village, the villagers put villagers with the assistance of the Nālānda monks, set up a high throne, almost impossible for him to climb up a high throne.
So it’s like teasing him, a high throne. So then, so the the first the first day when when monks request him to go to teach, so he said, me, teach? Impossible. No way. You know, nobody will.
I I do first of that. Don’t know how to teach. Secondly, nobody will respect my teaching. I respect my my words. You know, it’s I’m I’m worthless.
So so everybody, you know, pushed him to go. So he went there. So the moment he saw the high throne, then he in order to subdue the misconception including the Nālānda Sanghas, Nālānda great scholars, well as the villagers. So then he used his internal realization of the bodhicitta emptiness practice. So the moment he saw the throne, immediately he snapped the throne, reduced just for him nicely can him do a step on the throne.
Then after that, then he start with the different chapters of the Bodhisattvacharyavatara, the different chapters of the Bodhisattva’s way of life which cover entire aspect of the three principal aspects of the path, which cover entire practices of the eighty four thousand teachings of the Buddha in such a practical, in such a effective manner. So then the moment they hear the first word, first sentence, everyone subdued, Gradually, you know, while he was teaching through his concentration, the throne naturally like lead up, like like thrown, like like a raise up. So so so when he was teaching the wisdom chapter, you know, no one can see him. He was already in the space. Only can hear the sound.
He was flew on the on the space. Only only people can only hear the sound that he’s teaching the wisdom chapter on emptiness, you know. So so why why we are telling this story? Okay. Yeah.
Yeah. It’s almost my way of starting the chapter. Okay. So Buddhist type of way of life, is the root teaching of the entire Lojong teachings, which is one of the wing for our enlightenment, which is one of the main scriptures that we have to study. So that scripture is, you know, the entire aspect of the text is kind of scattered, scattered, scattered.
There’s no kind of proper sequence as like a Lam Rim, as like the Lam Rim. The Lam Rim is from the Guru devotion up to, from the very preliminary, after the enlightenment, the gradual path, the stages of the gradual path are very proper sequence. So, even many lamas have spoken in their teachings saying that the practical in our day to day life teachings is Bodhisattvacharyavatara, the Bodhisattva’s way of life is almost like much more effective than the Lamrim. You know, much more effective, much more direct, much more it hits to your heart. It is so effective, kind of like a medicine which is so effective.
So then at the same time, it is always beneficial to at least run through the Lamrim structure so that whenever you hear the very, what you call, specific, effective, the advices from the Lojong, which is from the Buddhist way of life, one can able to structure within our own mind using our Lamrim understanding. So in many cases, in many occasions, the teachers normally did either teach in one session conjoined the Lamrim and the Bodhisattvacharyavatara together, you know. But then here in FPMT, you’re already studying the basic foundation course, the discovering Buddhism, the Lamrim. One of the reasons why I’m saying this is I’m just encouraging all of us to put some effort before we start the subject, put some effort to study the Lamrim, the structure, the understanding of Lam Rim, the gradual path of enlightenment, so that when we study those Lojong texts, it brings much more easier to adopt into our practices. So that’s one of the things.
I I also don’t know. I still can’t relate this story to what I’m the story some somehow came in. Anyway so here, the the precept it contemplate contemplate the three contemplate the three that are free of degeneration. So since all the attainments of the Mayanic depend upon the student’s faith and the respect towards his or her teacher, make sure you are never divorced at any time from the perception of your teacher as a Buddha. In this manner, make sure that your faith and respect towards your spiritual teacher remain undiminished.
Make sure undiminished. So so the three that are free of degeneration. So here we have to we have to we have to get the the three three which have to establish in our mental continuum total free from the degeneration of those three. So what are those three? The first one is faith in Dharma.
Faith in the guru and faith in the teacher and his teaching. Faith in the teacher and his teaching, that’s number one. The second one is effort, effort in our practices. You know, whatever you have learned from the teacher, then you need effort to practice that. Then thirdly, having a mindfulness or having kind of wisdom understanding the meaning of those teachings.
So in short, faith, effort and mindfulness. Since all the attainment of the Mahāyāna depends upon the student’s faith and the respect towards his or her teacher, make sure you never divorce at any time from the perception of your teacher as a Buddha. So in Lamrim, in the Guru Devotion section, know, after establishing the qualified Guru, then you devote to that guru physically and mentally. In short, it’s categorized into two sections. Your service through your physical manner and your service through your mental manner towards the special teacher to whom you establish the relationship as a guru.
So in short, the purpose of reliance on the guru is to receive the knowledge and the blessing. You know, the knowledge and the blessing. And to actualize knowledge and the blessing from the student side, need faith and conviction. You know, we need the faith and conviction. Know, so how to establish the faith and conviction?
Learning the qualities of the guru, so then you establish the faith and conviction in your mind. So therefore as we discussed in last session, first you regard the person from whom you’re receiving teaching as a a kind of a lecturer, you know, kind of ordinary kind of kind of like a lecture ordinary lecturer, you know, like ordinary teacher. You know so you learn from him or her you know different stages of the teachings. As far as concerned with the Mayanic, if you want to establish the relation of the Mayanic guru then you have to receive the teachings which cover entire the teachings of the three capable beings path. If you are establishing the relationship just the guru in relation to the Hīnayāna practice, then you have to learn, you have to receive the teachings, the common teachings of the of the small capable being and the middle capable being.
You know? So up so then if you’re establishing the Mayanic vajrayana guru, you know, vajra guru, you know, not just Mayanic Guru, but Mayanic vajra Guru, the Mayanic vajra Guru, yeah, in order for you to become a vajra disciple, vajra student, then one has to receive the teaching from that teacher, the common teachings of the small capable and middle capable being and the common teachings of the Mahāyāna Sūtrayāna teaching and Mahāyāna Tantrayāna teaching. Also you have to receive entire aspect of the teachings. Here in particularly based on the Mahāyāna Sūtrayāna teaching, the Lojong teaching, then we have to receive the initial preliminary stage of the teaching which is the common teachings of the small capable, medium capable being, in particularly teachings on the mind, Bodhisattvacharyavatara, which teaches about the two awakening mind, the entire aspect of the teaching on bodhicitta and entire aspect of the teaching on the emptiness, so the two awakening mind. So after receiving you know those teachings and it could be one day course or it could be ten days course or it could be few years or it could be even twelve years if taken for twelve years for you to convince in his teaching or her teaching or establish some kind of conviction and faith and conviction and faith in his teaching.
You know, you have to spare time to actualize the stable conviction and faith in his teachings, even it takes twelve years. So how to convince that his teachings are valid, his teachings are effective, his teachings are relevant in the Buddhadharma, relevant to your own experiences, relevant to enlightenment is to examine within your own self. You receive the knowledge, you receive the teaching, then you put extra effort to study whatever knowledge that you have learned such as teachings on bodhicitta. And you explore taking that instruction from that teacher as an object of study. Then you research into the Kangyur, Tengyur, such as Buddha’s own collections of teaching, original teaching Kanjur, Tenjur.
Together you consult with those high realized Ārya beings, Ārya Bodhisattvas. By doing research on the Buddha’s own collection of teaching in relation to the teaching that you receive from that particular teacher, if you see the valid means you see all the quotes, let’s say in order to gain bodhicitta you need to strike the two causes which is true inspiration. Here’s an example. So you say true inspiration, without this true inspiration unable to actualize bodhicitta. So whether that this instruction this teaching is valid or not is a real Buddha’s teaching or not you have to explore into the Buddha’s own collection teachings such as Kangyur Tengyur.
Once you explore inside there, then know hundreds of volumes. So within there it could be just one single line or maybe one single word or maybe hundreds of pages to support this teaching. So once you find that okay based on the Buddha’s own words yes this teaching is valid. Then after that, still not to conclude. Now you have to analyze in the commentaries such as Buddha’s collection of teaching the commentaries by the Indian pandits such as Nāgārjuna, Lama Atisha, Asaṇga, Dharmakīrti etc seventeen greatest pandits etc etc then the great Tibetan in earlier time like great ancient Tibetan old Kadampas and new Kadampas such as Lama Tsongkhapa’s teachings.
All those teachings are commentary or the essence of the teachings of the Buddha’s own teaching Buddha’s own teaching which is the collection in the Kangyur and Tengyur. So based on that those great masters bring a commentary, means did a commentary because the actual original word difficult to understand, so they make a commentary. So in their commentary, again they do the explanation but they caught those original teachings. You again have to find those quotes. Not only those quotes, within those commentaries the teachers express their experiences.
Let’s say, Lama Atisha, after studying long time in Nālānda University on Buddha’s teachings in Buddha’s eighty four thousand teaching you know until he was quite old then you know he was convinced you know wisdom of the Buddhas and the teachings of the Buddhas then he even you know went to seek you know proper lineage of those teachings such as Lama Serlingpa in Sumatra, Indonesia. So Lama Atisha all the way traveled to Sumatra to meet his guru, Lama Serlingpa, who had never met before in in that life. You know? But there is a prophesy, prophesied by the divine beings such as Maha Tārā, the I think White Tārā and Green Tārā. I think white Tārā and no.
Green Tārā and no. So not white Tārā. Green Tārā and one of the Tārā is bit rougher one. You know, the face bit rougher. The in English, don’t know.
Is bit ruffle aspect, bit ruffle aspect. So this well well, Lama Atisha was so much inspired by the Buddha’s teaching on bodhicitta. So much inspired. He was a great scholar, studied so many years in Nālānda, in all those eighty four thousand teachings, he was so much inspired, so but he need to receive, again there’s instruction of receiving lineage, know, that’s why we always talk about unbroken lineage, proper lineage, realized lineage, know. So he again see in the teaching that he need to get the unbroken lineage of the bodhicitta.
So then he was like with so much inspiration yet some kind of sadness because don’t know when he going to get that guru. Don’t know where such a guru exist. So he was praying so hard and he was circumambulating Bodhgaya stupa in India, Bodhgaya stupa. He was circumambulating in his heart praying, may I able to meet the unbroken realized lineage of the bodhicitta. Since I see that is the only way that I can able to actualize Buddhahood without this practice, without that blessing, impossible so he was so much inspired so he was circumambulating suddenly there’s two lady somewhere somewhere there two lady here he hear two ladies conversation So it’s a very very lively conversation.
So these two ladies were discussing, this discussing, the talking. Yeah. So So this two and then again, one thing missing, Lama Atisha was expressing in his heart, you know. What really is supreme teachings of the Buddha to actualize enlightenment? Supreme and most deepest and supreme to actualize Buddhahood.
Supreme and Sweetest. Sweetest. Most quickest. Yeah? So so he was so then these two ladies, the quickest, sweetest way to actualize Buddhahood is the practice of bodhicitta.
Practice practice of bodhicitta. At the same time prophesied to Lama Atisha to make a journey to Sumatra. Make a journey to Sumatra to meet with the lineage guru of the bodhicitta. So that’s how that Lama Atisha went there. So then, so after Lama Atisha met Lama Serlingpa, he received the entire, you know, teachings on bodhicitta, entire instruction on bodhicitta.
It’s like that, you know we study like say you know the seven causes to actualize bodhicitta, six causes are like that, then I know the two causes to actualize bodhicitta or bodhicitta one of the ways to actually practice of taking and giving, Tonglen practice, so something like that but you need to receive from a person oral kind of blessing, the lineage, oral lineage that you need to hear. The lineage have to come from somebody who have a direct communication with the Buddhas and who actualize the realization in them. You know so he received those teachings so then Lama Atisha generated in his heart even though he has fifty or more gurus, he has fifty of our gurus from whom that he received many many many instructions, teachings, sūtra, tantra, but the guru, the Lama Serlingpa who brings the greatest inspiration and greatest the blessing the lineage of the blessing of bodhicitta in his heart. Then from there he established Lama Serlingpa as a guru. And from there on whenever he think of the Buddha’s teaching, whenever he gains inspiration in practice, always remember Lama Serlingpa, and whenever he would remember the kindness then he would get what you call floods of tears because of the, you know, there’s so much kindness that provided the Buddhist teaching, you know, Buddhist teaching.
So so again, I lost the track. So, so I need to find a way to go back. So Oh, yeah. Yes. So now yeah.
So then now in in in Lama Atisha’s teaching, you know, Lama Atisha’s, there’s, unbelievable, amazing and many teachings, many of the teachings are not even translated yet into English, and yeah I kind of heard but I’m not one hundred percent sure even some of the teachings are not even translated into Tibetan yet and there’s a certain teachings are still you know in the Sanskrit unable to translate but I’m not one hundred percent sure but definitely that many teachings are not even translated into English you see so in many of his teachings when he give the commentary on Buddha’s own word then he sometimes express his own experiences. You know, sometimes he express his own experiences. You know, the express the experience such like when he met Lama Serlingpa, you know the inspiration that he received from Lama Serlingpa. After receiving the teaching then those external signs of actualizing spontaneous bodhicitta in him and internal signs of that how that he actualized the realization of bodhicitta. Then there’s a different stages of the sign how he have purified his stage of negative karmas, how he have gained stages of the path.
So here, so those are the teaching when you receive from your teacher bring into the what you call the you know into in the commentary of those great masters who have obtained realization by practicing those different teachings So then from there you establish oh this teaching is Buddha’s own teaching and this teaching is a valid of actualizing parts because Lama Atisha, by practicing bodhicitta, he established realization of bodhicitta. Such like rest of the teachings, you know all the different masters have established the realizations by adopting those teachings. We are not just Buddha says so that’s why I need to practice this. We cannot simply establish that. We must establish that is definite Buddhist teaching because in commentary it could be explained too many words until the Buddha’s own words there’s a danger of disappear or maybe Buddha’s own words only one word but the commentary may be hundreds of pages or something happens so until that you cannot specify or you cannot you cannot grab what exactly the Buddha’s own word is so that’s why you need to go into those Buddha’s own scripture collection of scripture but that is not enough that you need to find out there is a practitioner who has obtained realization using those teachings so after establishing these two factors then the teaching have to apply into your heart Then you have to see that this teacher is valid.
Now because of you established his teaching is valid, because you already established his teaching is valid. So how to analyze the teacher as valid or not valid is to analyze his teaching is valid or not valid. How analyze Buddha is valid or not? We have to analyze his teaching is valid or not. You know how to analyze the person is valid or not to analyze in his work which is his know is a Dharma teacher is his teaching and not other than that not other than that to his teaching.
So how do you define his teaching as valid or not as a contemporary teacher then you should use these two different ways. One way it looks very complicated. You know we have a very simple mind after meeting you feel comfortable you feel like benefiting then you establish the kuru disciple relationship but if we really want to go very proper way that’s the way it should be. So that also help us not to establish the guru disciple relationship in blind faith. Helps for us to explore or study in whole aspect of Buddhist teaching.
It’s a kind of like way to explore the knowledge in Buddhist teaching. See, so it’s like that. So then the Lamrim, different chapters or different stages of the teaching Lamrim from the Guru devotion up to the enlightenment It’s not just in the form of intellectual knowledge, it’s all those stages of the teaching is a path, and all those stages of the path have to actualize within our mental continuum as a realization. First learn, study, contemplate, then habituate, gain the realization, then only Buddhahood is possible. So for the Guru Devotion section, even though there are so many pages of explanation on Guru Devotion teaching, so many characteristic, you know they emphasize on the Guru and disciples and so many teachings are there.
Even there’s fifty verses of teachings on Guru devotion, nine attitudes, the reliance in the practice of Guru devotion, there’s so many teachings. But the one thing that we have to actualize, even though there’s so many teachings and explanations, but there’s only one thing that we have to actualize. That one thing is to actualize the realization of Guru devotion. To actualize the realization of Guru devotion. So what do you what do we mean by the actualizing realization of Guru devotion?
First of all what mean by Guru devotion? You know what what really mean by Guru devotion? And the Guru devotion here seeing guru or oneness with Buddha is the guru devotion seeing guru oneness with Buddha seeing guru oneness with Buddha the day one the day one see Guru oneness with Buddha and that is the day that one accomplish the Lamrim teachings of the Guru devotion. One accomplish the purpose of Lamrim teachings. The first initial teaching the Guru devotion practice.
The Guru devotion teaching. The purpose of learning Guru devotion teaching is to actualize the realization of guru devotion which is to to actualize the heart the mind which can able to see guru is oneness with Buddha. Guru is no different than Buddha. You know guru is no different than Buddha. You see?
So as stated here, as stated in the teaching here, from the perception of your teacher as a Buddha in any time form, Make sure you are never diverse at any time from the perception of your teacher as a Buddha. Perception. Per perception, you know. So after putting great effort you know great practices in the Guru Devotion practice and after that you actualize the realization of Guru Devotion which is the mind that you can able see guru inseparable from Buddha. So once you actualize that, then make sure that perception will be never distracted, never diverse by any afflicted emotions, any afflicted emotions or any negative emotions.
So here, guru devotion means seeing guru in oneness with Buddha. Seeing guru oneness with Buddha. Seeing guru no different than Buddha. Inseparable from Buddha. So just having one time and just having one moment of that kind of attitude do we call that as the Guru devotion?
That is Guru devotion but it is not necessary that one success in the practice of Guru devotion practice because it might decline, it might degenerate. Or that kind of attitude also not necessarily can be spontaneous by applying so many reasons, so many factors then you start to see, you start to feel that guru is inseparate from Buddha but the moment you lose the different factors to make you to think guru is no different than Buddha then you degenerate you know one degenerate the perception of seeing guru as Buddha then again that is not the stable realization on guru devotion. The stable realization in guru devotion is without any external factor, without any gross mental and external factor to make you to sustain or to make you to have the perception seeing guru oneness with Buddha. You know? So then the heart or the mind, spontaneous without any external or gross mind factor naturally, you know, like ever, all the time, you know, you have a you have a heart, you have a mind that always see guru is oneness with Buddha all the time.
You know? Even any external, like, a distraction comes. Even if somebody talks on your guru, but your your heart, completely filled with the perception of seeing Guru, oneness with Buddha, seeing Guru in Buddha, seeing Guru no different in Buddha. So then that is the day that you actualize the realization of Guru devotion. And that is the day that you actualize the first the gradual path into enlightenment realization in your mind and that is the first time that you establish the foundation of all good qualities.
That is the first day first time that you ever establish in your heart the realization on the foundation of all the good qualities which is the Guru devotion then that is the first day that you really do have a hope that you can able to success the entire rest of the realization in these stages of the path. Guru, until guru devotion realization is established in your heart it is impossible for us to actualize realization in the rest of the teachings, rest of the realizations. Even how much effort we put in bodhicitta, impossible. Without the Guru Devotion realization we might have some understanding in bodhicitta or emptiness but we might not we will never gain realization on emptiness in bodhicitta if we don’t have if we don’t have or if we don’t gain the realization on guru devotion you see so so that’s the whole reason Lama Tsongkhapa even give a name for this condensed Lamrim teaching as a foundation of all good qualities. It means foundation of all good real foundation of all realizations.
The good qualities are all realizations in the stages of the path until the omniscient, until Buddha. That’s why even named the foundation of all good qualities you know which is the guru devotion you know which is guru devotion. So we are very clear, yeah? So this what is exactly the realization of Guru devotion is? What is exactly mean by Guru devotion?
You know, the practice of Guru devotion is so important, you know. So so how many scriptures, teachings on good devotion we study, but if we are unable to capture this point, we lose the point. We haven’t missed the point but we haven’t captured the point yet. We’re still on the process of study but if we regarded that we complete practice Lamrim, if we regarded that we finished the subject of Guru devotion teaching in Lamrim, if we are unable to spot this one word seeing guru inseparable from Buddha, seeing guru oneness with Buddha is the whole purpose of the practice of guru devotion, then we miss the point. Okay, so then here it says that even how many, let’s say, even how many years of study, contemplation and meditation needed for the Guru Devotion practice, it’s worthwhile to practice it, worthwhile to study.
If we don’t understand about Guru Devotion teaching, it even takes years and years, it’s worthwhile to put effort, extra effort in this teaching than any of the rest of the other teachings. Contemplation must put effort, worthwhile, necessary and meditation means habituating you know guru devotion practice in our heart. It really takes months and years and years It’s a worthwhile and necessary without which rest of the realizations are not possible So it’s a very crucial teaching. So now in order to obtain this realization, we need to accumulate so much merit. We need to accumulate so much conducive conditions such as faith, such as conviction, such as physical practices, mental practices in relation to Guru.
So those are here. We look into the Guru Puja text, page seventy eight. We go to the fourth paragraph. You go to the fourth paragraph. Fourth paragraph.
So this is the practice of Guru devotion with nine different attitudes. So normally during Guru Puja we always recite that. And this is the essential practice that we have to adopt into our day to day life in relation to Guru Devotion practice which is one of the most crucial practice in our spiritual path which without knowing enlightenment, which without realization emptiness is impossible, which without Buddhism realization is impossible, which without six perfection is impossible, so therefore we must put extra effort. So we gain the Guru Devotion realization, the rest is says like this, know. We carry a bucket of water on top of the mountain and there’s a there’s a there’s a channel go down, you know.
So it’s, you know, as long as you can able to carry up to the top, the moment you you pull the way to, you know, the the the the the running of the water is like like a gradual but very fast. So once we have obtained it the Guru Devotion realization, rest of the the realizations is like like, almost like naturally is coming to your your your experiences. It’s so easy. It’s just like everything will start to come you know. So as like bodhicitta realization, again within the bodhicitta realization the first cause seeing every single living being as a mother is the most crucial.
Once you gain the realization on that rest of the five courses and including actualizing bodhicitta is so easy so entire aspect of Lamrim entire aspect of the realization up to enlightenment the first one the guru devotion is most crucial once you have that rest is like everything naturally will come. So now here here it says may I may I be like an obedient son acting exactly in accordance with the guru’s advice. So this is the first attitude, you know. So as to remember, you know, this devote to your guru both physically and mentally, you know, by understanding that how important to to how important the relationship between guru and and you as a disciple, you know, by remembrance of the guru’s quality, by remembrance of the guru’s kindness guiding the path, guiding the path, know, like, what is it, giving the tool for the liberation from the saṃsāra. So then, oneself devote as a oneself be like an obedient son.
You know, the obedient son, and acting exactly in accordance with the Guru’s advice. You know, acting exactly means bringing one’s body, speech and mind in accordance Buddha’s accordance with the Guru’s advice, verbally, physically, mentally. So in our ordinary life, guru’s advice are to practice Dharma. Guru’s advice is only to practice Dharma. So it’s a very tough advice, very difficult, very beneficial, but it’s very tough.
Never commit negative karma and only actualize virtuous karma and devote not to waste your life by the destruction of worldly concern and by the destruction of worldly activities such as attachment towards the fame, name, shelter, money, you know, and including holy families. So those are the Guru’s advice. It’s a very very tough but that is that is the ultimate advice and that is the advice which will if we can able to adopt the advice seriously we definitely can be liberated you know so now here to be like an obedient son means listen all those advice and accordingly you know. So it’s difficult isn’t it. So now here, at least we try our best.
We compromise. We at least compromise with our holy life and with Dharma practice. At least balance, know, not to give up, at least not to give up Dharma because of the domination of worldly activities, because of the, what you call the, competitive life, You know, you need to work so hard to earn so much money. So then because of that we give up Dharma. It’s not good.
Means totally against guru’s advice. So at least earn money, happily earn money, but then try to adopt, use the mind training teaching. Earning money also bring into a path, earning money also as a form of your practice, as a form of training your mind. As a form of training your mind, even earning money. For us to detach family, only family, but we already have family, how?
You know it’s impossible, it’s not right so then again even taking care of family use the mind training teaching transform it you know take as a practice of bodhicitta means taking care of the practice taking care of family regard as task form in the practice of six perfection if you have children the children regard object with your compassion object with your bodhicitta and object with your generosity because you need to earn so much money and you need to feed them, need to educate them, so you need to give them, give so much, you need to give your effort, your time, your physical mental strength and almost so much, including you need to create so much negative karma on behalf no. Not on behalf. You need to create so much negative karma in relation to your children. You know? So much negative karma in relation to your children.
So now apply the mind training teaching instead of creating negative karma rather benefit both sides object of generosity you know whatever you give happily you know total sense of no expectation total sense you know use the practice of wisdom. You know, not to spoil, but but, you know, use make generosity for a right purpose. Educate them in the best education. Take care of their good health, giving them good food, offering them good clothes. You see, use wisdom, know, so apply it to practice perfection of wisdom, practice generosity, then you need so much tolerance, know, you cannot get upset.
If you get upset, you create negative karma and the children also create negative karma, Not just with children, in relation to any anybody, friend, parents, children, practice what do you call? Tolerance. Practice tolerance not to get upset, not to disturb your emotion, You know? You know, by understanding they are innocent or they are not grown up, they’re not not merchant, or maybe they are too merchant, too smart so that, know, can never bully you, mother. So, you know, so you so now regard them as object of your compassion.
In short form, you use. And here, you know, you use short form, very nice. Whenever irritating, you immediately say. No need to say, oh, see. See.
At least remind. Oh, this is of your compassion. So you shouldn’t get angry. You know, you shouldn’t get upset. Know?
If you need to give, happily give because of your compassion. So it’s very good practice. If somebody, colleagues, friends, in some sense, oh, very disturbing. So it disturb, it harms you. Granulated karma.
So rather take them as your object of compassion and that will enhance your bodhicitta, you know, so like that. So practice patience, yeah, be tolerant by thinking. Anyway it’s my children or anyway it’s my friend or anyway it’s whoever whoever you know comically bring us together here so by getting upset it only create negative karma the karma will continue like that It will get worse and worse because karma multiplies. Negative karma multiplies. If negative karma multiplies until negative karma, that karma becomes so strong both of us might throw into hell realm.
So, shouldn’t. So see the disadvantage of getting angry, upset towards the family or friends or whoever, the children. So by being patient, I can able to have more more more alert, more peace, peace way to subdue the the the children or the friends, whoever. So you see? So then apply the practice of six perfection one of the perfection, patient.
Then effort, joyous effort. You know, you have no choice. You need to take care of the children. You need to educate. You know, you you produce the children, then you say you give up.
Not possible, isn’t it? So you have to you have to carry on. Go on. So you see? But go on, force yourself.
So stressful. You know? So so so much stress. You know? So if there’s stress, then frustration come.
Anger come. You know? Then, again, negative karma. You know? That’s is it?
In relation to friend, you create negative karma. In relation to children, you negative karma. In relation to teacher, you create negative karma. In relation to student, you create negative karma. In relation to everybody, you create negative karma.
So, you know, unbelievable. See? So now oh, see. Then on on top of that, then anyway you need to do things. You need to the works works have to be done, but do happily.
By being frustrated, you won’t the work will not jump faster. You know, there is even more danger of destroying the job or the work the purpose so rather happily do you know whatever it is I will try my best again fifty percent is karma So I try my best. It’s my responsibility. It’s in my hand. I try my best.
So shouldn’t be disturbed. Shouldn’t shouldn’t disturb. You know happily happily do the work. It’s effort. So joyous effort.
See there’s so much peace then even need to work for many many hours but you are so much happy so much happiness you see happiness there’s a proper opportunity to create virtue There’s opportunity to establish a virtual relationship with your children, with your friends, with anybody. If you are mental states like that, then you are karma in relation to the person, good karma. Then future relationship will be better and better. So then concentration whatever we do including taking care of children we need to be very concentrated we have to be mindful concentration is mindful we have to we have to be full mindful You know? You know?
Mindful. You know? We have to be mindful in everything. If you give too much chocolate, the treat will spoil, then you have to spend money to bring to dentist. Waste it.
So even giving chocolate also have to be mindful. You see also the concentration using wisdom and concentration. Then, you know, every morning you have to make sure that get up, get breakfast, send to school, bring back. One minute minute missed, one minute delay, problem. You see?
Problem. So much problem. So you need so much like constant mindfulness and this is not just with children with anybody. Any works we need so much specific times and specific things to actualize. So all this, you know, using your mindfulness to monitor, done all those works happily without disturbing your emotion is a practice of concentration but you can also say practice of wisdom.
Wisdom not always talk about wisdom realizing emptiness. This also wisdom you see. So you see so then moral ethic you know we have to be like we have to be very genuine honest whatever we do things for others or even to yourself you have to be very honest you know you you know, some are like so smart until the the total honesty is gone. You know? So whatever it is, whatever beneficial works that you do for yourself and others, with total kind of ethical attitude, you know, not deceiving attitude, total ethical attitude, that’s morality.
So you see, seeks perfection you can apply in your work, your family, every single aspect. We do that, we will accomplish being an obedient son from the nine attitude. We will become an obedient son, means obedient practitioner, obedient child of the Buddha. You know, we will become an obedient child of your guru, obedient child of the Buddha, and obedient practitioner. Obedient practitioner, you know.
So then, may I may I be like a vajra, inseparable forever from the guru. So even, you know, we we we discussed earlier, even dog comes cannot split in relation with guru and you, isn’t it? So here, it’s it’s you can call spirits, sometimes, you know, sometime, of course sometimes dogs also disturb, ordinary dogs come in between. Then negative friends is referring to negative friends and our own delusion. We start to feel you know not much interest, normal interest.
In a normal relationship even with this cup you gradually start to lose interest. The first day you see oh so attractive, so colorful, so nice. It’s almost like, as long as I live, I must live together with this cup. If this cup disappears, I will die together, the cup, in attitude, in the permanent grasping. We have this same thing.
So you see, we have all sort of now I lose the point. I know why I said this. I can already read here. Oh, yeah. You see?
So so it’s it’s a here, you know, may I may I may I be like a vajra inseparable forever. It’s inseparable of your mental attitude. Seeing Guru is inseparable, may be inseparable forever. Means even for one moment that I will not diverse my mental attitude, I will not decline, I will not change the mental attitude of seeing guru oneness with Buddha, even whatever comes in between, including our delusion, including our delusions, you know. So that’s why, so first we have such kind of a strong kind of inspiration, not a desire attachment but inspiration to Guru when we first established the Guru Disciple relationship.
Like you see all the qualities, you really can see you know like all the qualities of Buddha in the Guru you know. You know it’s exactly like first time you fell in love with this cup. Then gradually you lose the interest. So this way we cannot apply with our guru, you know. You know, when when when you establish your guru, then suddenly you meet another guru, you forget, you know, the first guru.
It happens, you know, first guru. Then then there’s another, you know, so many colors, you know, adorn guru come, then you you you you swear your faith. You you you start to change your interest. You start to like kind of like you start to degenerate your inspiration which used to see your guru is inseparable to the supreme, you start to decline. So those are the external obstacles, together with the mental, internal obstacles of your ordinary desirous attachment.
Attachment is the one that which sway our devotion and conviction in our guru like that. So so then external factor like a friend will say all the wrong things about your guru, talk all the nonsense about your guru. Maybe not necessarily that person know about your guru or not, but just simply talk all the nonsense and that disturb your heart and disturb your emotion. You know? That also the obstacle and maras which harms our relationship you know so so like that so even such you know and sometimes even spirit external factor disturb us.
But then once a while, you know, due to lack of merit and the spirits, negative spirits who always make obstacle for our journey to the path, our journey for perfection. You know there’s maras, spirits. So they enter into our mind. You know they enter into our mind and our mind, our attitude start to change. Our attitude start to have confused in our devotion to our guru and that also happens.
So here we have to always make a supplication, prayers, and always remind the practice of guru devotion that even such that out my heart, my devotion to my guru, seeing him as a Buddha, seeing him as inseparable Buddha will be as stable as a vajra means unshakable, undestroyable, undestructible, you know. So my heart will be inseparable in my devotion to Guru for forever, life after life until I become Buddha because that is the only source, only liberator who will liberate me from this portion of Samsāra. So be like a vajra means your heart to be very strong. Your devotion, your expression to be very strong. So then may I be like the earth carrying all.
So the attitude we have to establish in our heart is one have to be like earth, means carrying entire everything. Good things, bad things, all the existing, you know, all the existing of the, what do you call, the all the existing of of phenomenas, our reliance on the earth. Here we’re talking mainly of a conventional level, not about the like an ordinary world, all the solid thing all exist, I mean carried by earth. So we have to, our mind have to establish like an earth. Whatever guru advice, we can able to take it.
You know, whatever guru asks us to do, do with so much happiness, inspiration by understanding that is the practice for you to bring purification and that is the practice for you to accumulate the merit and to actualize the stages of the path to enlightenment. Know, so if Guru give us tasks to do this and do that, you know, we shouldn’t feel this guru is being biased. You know, for some of the student, the guru never asks to do anything. Some of the student, guru give too many blessing, blessing of works. So you know, how come, you know, this student gets so many works, so much accumulation of merit, but this disciple never get any work, any task.
So then we shouldn’t feel any any kind of that kind of thought. Guru have a reason for to give a different task to different people, different times. Guru has a different since you regarded not only you but in your spiritual practice, yes, Guru is omniscient. Yes guru is enlightened, yes guru is Buddha. So therefore guru has omniscient.
So guru know exactly to whom, when, how, which suitable task and advices. So we shouldn’t take as a burden. We rather should happily, without even a single word of complaint, say, yeah, again, not like that word. Physically, the moment immediately your face turn red, face turn down like that. Mentally, immediately, you start to feel it’s like a burden.
So I shouldn’t no. No more earth earth, whatever you put. You know, our our kaka dirty, put, never complain. Happily accept. You know, put gold also happily accept.
You know, anything, just just put on the floor. It’s just no complaint. So our heart have to be exactly like that in relation to our guru. Just happily accept. So then it’s a true guru devotion practice.
You see? So like that. So may I be like a earth carrying also, then may I be like a mountain immovable? So you see, be like very concrete mountain. Your heart, your your inspiration to guru should be like a concrete mountain, know, means during the, you know, fulfilling of guru’s wishes, during the fulfilling of such as guru advice us to practice Dharma.
That’s Guru’s wish. That’s Guru’s advice. That’s the Guru’s task. So well as well doing that we might occur so much hardship, so much problem, know, such as our thousand offering event very good example is coming soon you know so all of us have to put individual effort volunteer individual whatever we have we have whatever, you know, how to say, ability we have, we put, we serve. Because that is Guru’s wish.
That is the first day our Guru Lama Zopa Rinpoche, established to bring immense benefit to to more for outreach to so many people so many people. Then Guru Kyabje Lama Zopa Rinpoche is there, to please him, you know, who has the support from Buddha. Those of you regard the guru. Yeah? But at least we all regard Lama Zopa as a guru.
So, you know, he’s inseparable from Buddha. So he’s the one who first time established this thousand offering event. So here, we as a disciple every year carry on, try to do our best. Oh, the hardship unbelievable just to move the statues. You know, I’m I’m so lucky that I never touched.
I never even touched one. I only talk. I stay in the room. I never touch you people. You know, I know so much hardship, so much, you know, this preparation is like unbelievable, you know.
Then after the preparation when you when you when you clean up, then during the day, so hot, sometimes not enough even stomach hungry, you know, then people’s response is not good, this and that. So much so much hardship and then you there’s, you know, so much difficult and by now many people give up because of this one we didn’t remind ourselves like a mountain immovable so we have to establish those are also guru’s tasks, guru’s advice because guru establish such kind of platform to bring benefit to others you see so such as like guru established sender so many activities one part of activity which all of us who have so much merit to come together to share our merit to those people who have limit merit, that’s a merit. I think those are the opportunities is it so it’s a you know so much suffering occur you know so much suffering comes into our life you know so here if we are practicing guru devotion, there’s no place to complain. We shouldn’t complain. We happily do based on our own ability.
You know, based on whatever ability we have, we happily do, you know, total understanding of bodhicitta work, total understanding of guru’s work, guru’s wish to please and fulfill gurus and buddhas, you know so how much suffering how much difficulty okay you become like an immovable mountain so we need to establish so this is just one example in every aspect you know in our day to day life at home we want to practice sometimes family don’t support there’s so many distractions so many obstacles so many things to take care in the family no time to practice that there’s a danger of like for our faith or our conviction in Dharma shaken. So we shouldn’t be shaken, we should be immovable like a mountain, stick there like Mount Meru, Rocky Mountain, you know, whatever it is, whatever difficulty come, immovable. It should be like that. May I become like a servant of the king. You know, so in relation to guru so this one, I think I think we need to you know, our heart, I think we are doing very good in relation to this teaching, this attitude of Guru Devotion practice.
Say, may I be like a servant of the king. Mentally, whoever gurus, like Buddhadharma Sangha, Buddhadharma Sangha, truly respect from heart. Isn’t it? We truly respect from our heart. But verbally, I don’t know.
Verbally, sometimes we suddenly we forget our mindfulness and we start to talk about gossip about guru’s problem, guru’s faults. No. It shouldn’t it shouldn’t do that. In particular in in in especially when we meet guru, our speech should be like like like as as soft as a cotton. Soft as cotton.
Until until that guru almost like, can you say louder? Then you should speak louder, you know. Otherwise, guru is ah you know yes oh it’s like like you’re talking to a depth you know depth or mute depth yeah depth talking to a depth you know when you So this are the like because all dharma dharma is to fix our body, speech, and mind, our roughness of our body, speech, and mind, to fix that, transform that, you see. So when we talk to guru, you know, the softness, you know. So the one of the very good example, our guru, you look at his his physical gesture when he when he when whenever, you know, some pictures with the Dalai Lama, with his other guru, one of the very good example, you know, and especially if you are with him with him him with his guru, you know, when you when you hear the conversation.
Unbelievable. Like that. And the the word. Like like, so much expression. Oh, no.
Oh, yeah. No. So then, let’s say, when the phone call comes, like, say phone call because guru is not in front of you, isn’t it? So anyway, he won’t see. Yeah.
So so you you are speechless. But, yeah, you lie on the back. Yes. So physical physical gesture, you look at numbers. It’s almost like almost like the the head dropping on the floor.
You know? It’s it’s almost like, you know Really like unbelievable. This guru. This guru. And as long as he establishes a good relationship, he he he’s he’s I think he’s teaching us to us to behave like that, you know, even in the airport, you know, guru.
Even even in the the one time I saw in Bodhnath stupa, he was just so mobility, suddenly he met a he saw one of his guru. Immediately, you know, from nowhere, suddenly boom, prostration, you know, prostration. But of course, maybe in our our lifestyle here maybe it’s quite difficult. It will be like but if we are true practitioner, that’s it. We will do it and it’s it’s it’s so much benefit to do.
But but of course, you know, like me like me, difficult. I was too many elderly concern still. So I rather I don’t wanna do. If anybody regarding me guru, I also don’t want them to do to me also. I feel very embarrassed.
Very difficult. And me, also, oh, yo. I feel, you know, I already make a statement. You will feel embarrassed, so I better don’t do egg no more. So is it so it’s like that.
So anyway, so what so but I think it’s good to practice. At least like we we we do kind of middle part, middle way, At least, you know, there’s no doubt our devotion from our heart to Guru. You know, and and I mean, of course, how nice that we can do to all the respected, you know, the great teachers, you know, great teachers to whom that you listen Dharma. You know, like such as our, you know, most relevant, our visiting lamas, like Geshe Lama Konchog, like Khensur Rinpoche, Pari Lama Rinpoche, Choden Rinpoche, you know, like such lamas, we we now and then have our meetings. Yeah?
So from every one of us, even like when when when they when when they come in, like, even from the welcoming day, you know, we we in fact, our physical gesture should be with the BAM put together and the physical body is a bit bended. There’s a saying that that your respect is so so much until that you don’t even dare to look your eye, you know, eye contact to face. You know, you you only you will you will only kind of manage or or dare to look his feet. Feet movement. So I think it’s I don’t know.
That that part is I don’t But it may be just as, you know, an expression, you know, like, until, like, so much respect. You know? So so much respect. We use respect so much until you feel shy, like, kind of shy, shy. You know?
When you shy, then you cannot that it contact, isn’t it? So it’s it’s it’s something like that, you know, because it’s kind of and then also shining, you know, like, like, we we cannot look directly to the sunshine, isn’t it? Because it’s too too much power. So same thing, you know, when you see the the the guru in Buddha, the aura is like so powerful, because through your respect you really start to see his aura and his aura is so shining. So until then that you cannot big eye and open his tenderly you know so it’s still he looking through your eye you know you look through his eyes you know so that happens you know so you see so so therefore You know even when we are serving the gurus, you know the monks they normally they they grab their one of the shawl or scarf, like they all all cover with the scarves or something you know, So then even the food, offerings always like above your your mouth, above your mouth because the the breath, we regarded that, you know, we are like contaminated, you know, our breath, all thing is kind of dirty, You know, you are like so pure, you’re Buddha, you know, so I offer.
So when you carry, you carry out like this. So then physical gesture depend on. So then and especially when the offer when you go to see them in in person, you know, the gesture should be very very very very humble humble gesture. You know, the even guru asked to sit on the same chair, you know, then from your side you offer to to sit on the floor or sit at least lower than the than the guru’s, you know, because it’s an object of your your knowledge and and, you know, like, how can I afford to sit together with know, same same seat with you because, you know, you are you are Buddha, and I’m still a a ordinary living being? You know?
Maybe my element your element will clash. You know, like electric two wire cut, you know, then it’s then it’s so better. Stay with you know? So anyway, so so the thing is the king, you know, the servant to the king, when served to the king, how how how the servant will act will be exactly like that. That’s why you know arranging offerings, with palms together, when we do water bowl offering, when we do flower offering, candle, anything, we have to do exactly like that.
Our guru is in the present on the altar. We are offering to guru. Guru Śākyamūni Buddha and Guru Tārā, they are our guru. You know? Buddha Dhama Sangha is our guru.
You know? You when you offer, you offer with that kind of, like, a respect. So when nobody around them, you know, you just pour the water, you know, I’m rushing, you know? Candles. I know they’re not liking what happened, you know.
Know incense also okay forget like I will blend tonight. Know, we rush until yeah. It happens exactly happens. You know, it happens to me. So if we’re really practicing Guru devotion, yes, we have to practice when nobody around, we also practice this onto our, no physical human being around, but still in our altar, Buddha, Dharma, Sangha on the altar.
The way of gesture from our body, spirit and mind should be like exactly like a servant to the king. Should be like that then one single flower offering one single candle offering so much merit so much purification to your body, speech, and mind and then naturally you know the realization comes. Sometime sometime like I said suddenly like trickle in your mind you know the understanding of dharma you know like I said renunciation but suddenly like you yourself shocked how you understand that how this understanding came into your mind Same thing for emptiness, bodhicitta, all the realizations need so much merit. So if you do a practice like that, then it’s it’s it’s it’s not necessary all the time flipping the page, but sometimes like that, it would it would come to your mind. So realizations are like, you know, in in in this so much merit to to actualize realizations.
So it’s like that. Mountain, remember. What’s it? May I be like a servant of the king. So I think last quite few years ago, I think, you know, Hui and Jaya and Lillian and there’s a few people, a few people, they acted this nine, you know, h two which he expressed, you know, after he went back to his, his room, he expressed it’s like, it’s a marvelous, you know, marvelous performance.
You know, it’s it’s a marvelous performance. So this is a very you can you can create. I’m looking at Kim for dharma for kids. You know? So it’s it’s marvelous to to to say some words in relation to guru, then I know it it’s it’s kind of education.
Maybe for the children, maybe you can educate that way. You know? For for for us, it is we are alright. You see? So but it’s it’s very very very good.
You know? Rinpoche was very pleased that time. I realized something. Then may I be like a sweeper? May I be like a sweeper?
You know, the sweeper are the the one of the, you know, like, do the all the, like, what do you call, the the the master will never touch all the cleanings, you know, all the cleanings, you know, washing, all those things, which master will not touch. You know, means that all the, like, the low class works, you know, is done by the sweeper, isn’t it? So the disciple relation to a guru, you know, one should establish in one heart, Yeah, like a sweeper, you know, like the heart should be so humble and ready to do all the works, the task of the guru, which guru unable to reach, or you know that you should have a courage to do that. So here it’s not just talking about doing all the dirty things like a cleaning path. Here it’s like certain like a kind of like guru’s wish that guru unable to fulfill then we volunteer.
We should volunteer to fulfill those tasks. So it’s like that, not just about cleaning the room like that, know. But then again here, in our conventional direct message in the center, like in your house, your prayer room, even though there’s no dirt, but always it’s good to do cleaning. Cleaning is to cleanse the inner pollution and to bring the effect of humbleness to lessen our pride. To lessen our pride.
For us to like be humble to do all the like even ordinary works, you know, to the Buddha, to the Guru. So and also it helps to train our concentration, you know, our concentration. And also it will accumulate merit to actualize realization. So there’s one Arahat, one one one monk in earlier time, one monk whose memory is like zero, zero capacity memory. Let’s say like, two word.
Means purify the dust. Means purify the, like, stains or pollutions. So dul dang dri ma. So in fact, it’s referring to purify the two obscurations. The obscuration to nirvana, obscuration to enlightenment.
So the meaning is that. But in a word dul dang dri ma pang, you know? So since his memory capacity is very low, below zero maybe, so the teacher asked him to clean around the temple. You know, in the first time when he said he forget about when he when he is when when the teacher said he forget about so so for many, many days, months, and years, so he just sweeping. His practice is just sweeping.
He just remember these two words. So morning to night. Morning to night. Whether there is a dirt or not in the temple, in the altar, everywhere, just clean. So but at the same time, there’s so many scholars are studying inside Gompa.
So many scholars, so many practitioners are but, you know, very, very very high wisdom. So who gained? I mean, there’s also many scholars who obtained the arahatship and at the same time this sweeper also obtained arahatship because of the practice of cleaning around the Gomba, cleaning your altar, cleaning making very clean on the altar, around the altar and cleaning guru’s room, guru’s guru’s mandala, cleaning guru’s mandala. So in Tibet, in Himalayas, they have a tradition, know, know, so people actually rush to be a cleaner in the guru’s room, cleaner, you you know, to go a sleeper, to be able to there’s kind of like a always we hear that there’s so much accumulation of merit and will help to improve our wisdom, memory and to purify our ignorance. See?
So in external, in a physical level, so we should, we literally should practice like a sweeper. Sweep around the temple, sweep around the Guru’s mandala, clean the Guru’s, clean the temple, altars, so like that. So it has so much benefit. Then may I be like a rope, joyfully holding the guru’s work. So means one should be like the heart to you know never give up the heart of never give up you know whatever guru offer you a you know work or task to do always you know continues you know never never give up may I be like a dog without anger so then guru will ask you to do so many all different different tasks you know and within fulfilling the task you might encounter so many difficulties so never you know response with anger one should always will be delight all the time and delightful, you know, do with the delight mind, do fulfill guru’s wish.
May I may I may I be like a boat, never upset anytime, come and go for the guru. So be like a boat, You know? Some people from here to the another side of ocean. Right? After that, sometimes no thank you.
Have to come back empty. You know? Then all sort of people ride on the boat. Some are good people. Some are bad people.
Some all sort of Some are black, white, yellow, you know, whatever. All sort of. So never upset any time coming. So guru, you know, whatever whatever activities in relation to your guru, whether guru’s heart, you feel the guru’s heart is closer to you or even like give up you, never disturb. Always be like a boat without any kind of negative response or one should fulfill Guru’s task.
So those are the nine different attitudes. Those are in relation the disciple, in relation to today’s precept, the number eight precept, that we should, if we are serious practitioner of Lojong, we should adopt these nine different attitudes to practice in our day to day life. So with that thought, this mind training teaching represents the quintessence. How to say? Quintessence.
Quintessence or Mahāyāna and it’s like a potent seed of the Buddhahood. So this teaching, the Mayanic mind training teaching is the essential, is the root, is the heart of the Mahāyāna teaching and is essential heart teaching, heart teaching to actualize the Buddhahood. So engage in this incomparable practice. Then one should regard this mind training teaching as a supreme practice. There’s nothing comparable within the entire Buddhadharma.
This is supreme practice. Just make sure your interest in mind training remain undiminished. So with remembering, reminding this understanding, never degenerate our practice of mind training teaching in our heart. Never to degenerate, rather increase. As for the pledge of the great and lesser vehicle you have taken, You should be sailing the great ship of shame and what?
Shame and conscientiousness, which are the true antidote. Learn to guard them undiminished, not tended by even slightest infractions. So the, great and lesser vehicles, you know, the the pledge, the great and lesser vehicle that you have taken. The great, the pledge of the great vehicle means the pledge of the Mayanic practice such as Bodhisattva precepts the Tantric precepts, Bodhisattva precepts and Tantric precepts. Lesser vehicle is the pledge that you have taken from the lesser vehicle such as refuge precepts, then five lay vows precepts, then precept of avoiding ten non virtuous action and adopting the ten virtuous actions.
So those are the lesser vehicles pledge. You should be sailing with adopting, and adopting means practicing all those pledges, all those precepts, then sail the great ship of shame and conscientiousness. Know, means dedicatedly, you know, sail dedicatedly, you know, one should proceed the journey to enlightenment by crossing the samsaric ocean using the boat of two awakening mind, bodhicitta and emptiness, or the ship using two awakening mind, dedicatedly. Conscientiousness means dedicatedly. Or either you can say mindfulness, you know, conscientiousness referred to either dedicated or with a full mindfulness, then one should practice those precepts and cross the oceans of the saṃsāra by using the boat or the ship of two awakening minds, then achieve the great nirvana, the Buddhahood.
Which are the two antidotes? So those antidotes, those what you call the two awakening mind, the conventional bodhicitta and the ultimate bodhicitta emptiness are the antidotes. Learn to guard them undiminished. So by using those two antidotes and learn, always be mindful to guard our body speech and mind without degeneration of those two antidotes. In order to actualize that, not tainted by even a slight infraction means in order to success the practice of true awakening mind, then the precept or the pledge from the greater vehicle and the lesser vehicle that we have taken, bring into our heart and make sure never to affected by the transgressions, never to affected by the you know infraction means transgression you know never to broken those samayas, to broken those pledges, never to break the refuge vow, never to break the five lay vow, never to break the bodhisattva vow, never to break the tantric vows.
Then with that kind of moral ethic then use the two awakening mind, bodhicitta and emptiness as an antidote and continuously guard our body, speech and mind and sail across the Samsaric Ocean and cross the samsaric Ocean and actualize Buddhahood. Thank you. We recite the mandala offerings under teaching prayers page twenty four. Thank you.