Audio recorded at Buddha House Adelaide. Transcript auto-generated and AI-corrected; may contain errors.
About this talk. In this 84-minute teaching session, Lama Zopa Rinpoche presents precept seventeen of the mind training teachings: avoiding boastfulness about spiritual achievements. He begins by grounding the instruction in foundational Mahāyāna doctrine—explaining that while emptiness realization is essential for liberation, bodhicitta and compassion are equally necessary, calling them the two wings required to reach full enlightenment. Rinpoche then addresses the precept directly, warning against arrogance about accomplishments whether spiritual, intellectual, or material. He illustrates through stories from his own training with his guru how genuine practitioners hide their realizations and responds humbly when praised, contrasting this with how ego-driven boasting sabotages progress. He emphasizes that the root of boastfulness is self-cherishing and that counteracting it requires equanimity—treating all beings equally by remembering that each has been your mother countless times. He concludes that once this equanimity mind is established, genuine compassion and bodhicitta can arise, transforming all activities into obligations for others’ welfare rather than sources of pride. Rinpoche closes by encouraging practitioners to apply mind training daily in all circumstances, not just during formal study sessions.
File metadata (for organising)
File: 23 Lojong.mp3
UUID: 1d38daba-9a0f-499a-b422-089b197e6f80
Teacher: Lama Zopa Rinpoche 3
Collection: Mind Training (Lama Zopa Rinpoche 3)
Date: 1990 (exact day not recorded)
Recorded at: Buddha House Adelaide
Duration: 84.2 minutes
Words: ~10,360
So so even though the Guru Śākyamūni Buddha in his collection of teachings as well as the the collection teachings of the Indian pandits such as Nāgārjuna, and as well as the collection teachings of the great Tibetan Kadampa masters like Lama Tsongkhapa, that in order to be free from saṃsāra without actualizing the direct realization of emptiness, even freedom from saṃsāra is not possible. So in order to actualize freedom from saṃsāra, one must actualize the direct realization emptiness. But that alone, it is not sufficient for the Mahāyāna practitioner. Even though one of the most crucial cause, most crucial practice that one have to adopt, that one have to practice, that one have to gain the realization in emptiness, which is without the liberation from saṃsāra is not possible, but that alone will not actualize the fully enlightenment. That alone will not enlighten us even though it brings freedom from saṃsāra, freedom from entire aspect of saṃsāra sufferings, you know, but it will be unable to bring the state of fully awakening, the state of fully enlightened in the state of fully enlightenment.
You know? And that alone cannot bring the called the state of everlasting happiness, you know, where there’s not even a a uncontaminated physical and mental discomfort experiences, but even those arhats, those who have obtained the liberation, you know, do not have the uncontaminated, the physical and mental discomforts, which are in the aspect of the suffering, which is not within the continuum of saṃsāra. But still discomfort still can label as a pain or discomfort. You know? So in order to actualize the total freedom from the entire aspect of suffering, the contaminated and uncontaminated, the complete experience is to actualize fully enlightenment.
So in order to do that, one need it’s like a bird. You need to fly. You know? You need two wing. You know?
If you have one wing, the wing, even how strong it is, one will be unable to fly. You know? So need two wing. So similar to that, in order to actualize for the enlightenment, in order to cross over the oceans of the saṃsāra suffering, that we need two wings, you know, to to to be able to fly to the liberation, the ultimate liberation, to fly to the the the highest liberation, which is fully enlightenment. You know?
So with with the emptiness realization, how crucial it is, then need the companion practice and the realization in bodhicitta, you know, the the altruistic mind. You know? bodhicitta, altruistic mind, which actualizes on the basis of great compassion, you know, which actualize on the basis of great compassion. And that compassion actualize on the basis of loving kindness. You know?
And that compassion actualize on the basis of loving kindness, you know, true love and true kindness and true renunciation. You know? So that’s that’s so so then one can able to actualize the the highest altruistic mind called the bodhicitta. You know, the the conjoined, taking as a wing of bodhicitta and emptiness, then one can definitely reach the the this state of fully enlightenment Buddhahood. So so therefore, you know, one should set the right motivation before engaging into this this this one and a half hour or two hours session that purpose of why all of us here to get together and to do our discourse, you know, do our discussion, you know, or listen the teachings on the commentary on lojong is to is for me to actualize total freedom from entire aspect of sufferings and actualize the highest liberation, liberation, which is called the Buddhahood.
And that also for the for the purpose of liberating all other living beings. For me to be the complete cause to liberate rest of the other living living beings into the fully enlightenment, like including your parents, including your children, including your friends, including your enemy, including those other beings, not only human being, but including the germs, insect, you know, animals, like, oh, every single as long as a living being in saṃsāra to be liberated from entire aspect of suffering until enlightenment. And taking that as your own your own responsibility. You know? And not only that, taking this is my right now, what do you call the by my taking responsibility by yourself alone, you know, by thinking that me and myself alone, you know, can able to liberate entire being, including myself, to the full enlightenment.
For that purpose, I’m going to listen to teaching. For that purpose, I’m trying to, you know, understand the the mind training way of Buddha’s presentation of teachings. Then I will try my very best to apply the teaching or the mind training teaching into my day to day life. Since the mind training teaching is the most relevant, you know, immediate effect, you know, which can bring immediate effect into our life, our our problematic or samsaric, contaminated life. So so for that purpose, I will, let’s say, for that purpose, regard how fortunate I am, you know, for that purpose, for for having such opportunity.
I will express myself. You should you should tell yourself that I will express myself how fortunate I am to have a karma, to have a merit, to to to to listen to Dharma, and try one’s best to transform this suffering and problems into the path. You know? In this world, like, even just yesterday, this you know, last few days, you know, so many people die from, you know, tsunami, you know, from a typhoon. You know?
So many natural disasters, and it happened just nearby us. You You know? I mean, Indonesia, Philippine, you know, we’re still alive. You know? You know, such an unfortunate situation not not not arise unto us.
So not only that, we have such a, you know, a healthy body, healthy mind, and having such a opportunity to do, you know, a virtuous service to yourself and to others, which is to change your delusion, change your negative emotions into a path. So that’s the ultimate purpose of of life, ultimate purpose of taking the precious. You know? So how fortunate I am. How lucky I am.
You know? Then not only that. I think that this lucky, this merit, this fortune, this wonderful karma, may I dedicate to be the company cause or to be liberate those victims who who recently died from all all the natural disasters. Not only that, may always my fortune, merit, you know, my good karma, my this meditation be the complete cause for entire sentient beings to be totally free from all those natural disasters and any kind of diseases. And, you know, you know, overall, to be free from entire cause of all those misfortunes, which is karma and ignorant.
As we discussed yesterday, the root cause is the ignorance, the the the dark, the the confused, the ignorant mind which does not see the reality of life, the reality of the I, the reality of the aggregate, the reality of the phenomena. Something like that. So with that attitude, then we we we follow from yesterday’s teaching. Now we are on precept seventeen. Mhmm.
So from the twenty two precepts of the mind training teachings, so we have to know the precept seventeen. So here it says the precept seventeen, you know, the teaching asked that do not boast of your good deeds, which we normally do. We are very familiar with that. Do not boast of your good deeds. So Buddha and this great enlightened beings are, you know, strongly advising us and asking us to take as a precept, take as a vow that and do not boast of your good deeds.
You know? Yeah? So in short, don’t be boastful. So that is negative. Being boastful, you know, even in the dharma area, even in family, even in the corporate world, you know, being boastful is negative.
You know? The action, whatever comes about the, you know, boastful attitude, you know, physically, verbally, mentally, you create called the negative karma, negative causes. And the the result of that is a suffering, failure. You know? But our ignorant mind confused.
Our ignorant mind think being boastful, we will win. We will we will overcome the problem. We will we will overcome we will win from the enemy. But the fact is that reality what Buddha sees is that it is wrong. It will bring the failure.
You know, it will we will be the loser, you know, and the suffering will ripen on us, not on the others. Like that. You see? So don’t be boastful and arrogant towards others on any ground, you know, in any aspect, as I mentioned earlier, in dharma aspect, in worldly aspects. As long as we are seeking liberation, you know, in any in relation to any act, in any ground that we cannot be possible.
So the opposite of that, be humble. Be humble and be understanding and be receptive you know, and be thankful, grateful, you know, and be sweet, be gentle, and be nice. So like that. So, yeah, suggesting, for example. So just to give some idea here.
But in fact, think we have more idea in that area. So that another person is indebted to you, or that another person is indebted to you, or that you engage in the certain spiritual practices, or that you are learned, or that you are in just what’s how to read? Industrious? Industrious. Industrious in your ethical discipline or that you are great or that your family lineage is excellent.
You know? So Langri Tangpa, the great Kadampa practitioner, Langri Tangpa, has said, don’t place too much hope in humans. You know? Supplicate the gods instead. The gods here refer to the Buddhas or the gurus or the bodhisattvas or the or the or the arhat beings.
You know? He’s not referring to our holy gods. Yeah. So so if if if somebody, like, showing some gratitude to you, thankful to you, you know, then immediately you kind of show the expression of like, yeah. I’ve been very thankful.
I I’ve been very kind for you. Even that, you know, as is the attitude of boastfulness. You know? When somebody say thank you, do you? No.
No. You deserve it. It is your good karma. The way the the way the teach the practitioner should express, you never say, oh, yeah. I’ve done something.
You know? Oh oh, okay. You know, like, when I say thank you. Oh, okay. It means that you are happily accepting.
You know? And even for dharma practitioner, even that is a is is within the category of, like, being, like you know, some kind of self centered is there. So the boastfulness actually is very much referring to the self centered, which is self grasping, you know, self-cherishing. So when somebody say thank you, How can you thank I should thank you. You know?
This is your good karma. If it’s benefited, it’s your good karma. And thank you for letting me such a giving me such a opportunity to accommodate merits. So that’s the the spiritual way, you know, like a a reply. Mhmm.
Or that you engage in the certain spiritual practice. You know? Oh, I complete certain such retreats. Oh, I complete, you know, know, I mean, like, oh, all this this this text, oh, I completed few years ago. You know?
All the sūtra? Oh, you just finished ten time. I finished hundred times. So then, oh, I you finished a hundred thousand retreat. I finished ten thousand.
Ten hundred thousand. No. Ten times more. You know? Then if somebody tried to like, they’re so happy.
They’re so so so much inspiration in them that they’re able to do some practice and they come and share with you. They say, oh, actually, yesterday, you know, I I I have to take eight minor preset or able to do practice. Oh. Before he finish, you will say, oh, yeah. Yeah.
I I I did fast for last two, three weeks, you know. You know? Before he finish his expression of his joy, you you just, you know, halfway cut and you you you say your good parts. Also self centered. As a dharma practitioner, that also wrong.
Dharma practitioner, let him finish. Say, at the end, the only word is not not you ask, you know, like, say, I’ve done this with brother. He said, extremely rejoice to you. Yeah. May I also able to do like you.
Yeah. I’m extremely rejoice to you, and may I also able to follow your way here, like like I’m able to do like this. So that naturally shows that you are so respected, and that naturally shows that you are there’s no sense of self importance there. You see? But halfway cut through and try to say some, you know, your part to them, self there’s a self central disorder there.
You check carefully there. You know? The self the self ego is is struggling. You know? Immediately, you want to say that I did better than you.
You know? Actually, I have done better than you. You know? You shouldn’t be too excited to tell me. In a straightforward way, you shouldn’t be too excited to tell me, you did one precept. No.
I’ve done ten times. Like that kind of thing. So that’s why in Dharma practice, when you have a great practice when you have realization, the best way to secure the the realization, secure the practice is to hide. Normally, hiding normal, but this one, hide. You know?
The hiding is like not escaping. The hiding is is is is being humble. You know? And and the and the the reason is the obstacle might arise. The self centered might arise and against this present Against this precept.
You know? So that’s why you you look at many of the great masters. From their side, they never tell their good stories that the disciples and, you know, the followers, you know, they they, you know, they have to put so much effort to search for their biography and the form of biography books. But they themselves never write their own stories. You know?
They they they those great practitioners. You know? Yeah. It is like that. And those great practitioners will never express that which label they have reached, you know, even though they must be practicing for life after life.
And and even this line, you know, they have practice, like, in a full dedication. And you can see from the external kind of sign that he have received, he have achieved great realization. But when you go to us, they will say, zero. Nothing. Nothing.
You know? It’s like most of the grandmaster will say, I’ll say, empty based stuff. It’s like, you know, I’ll say, like, empty. It’s it’s nothing. Nothing.
Yeah. But but they perform. But when they need to do the performance of those Dharma practices and benefit, they they they perform. But they never say. They never express.
And as one of the of the Kadampas that, you know, that you have to be successful to to to to secure of of this, you know, what do you call the not how do say? Not declaring not declaring your realization even the death comes. You know, like, even even even dying. You you all say, oh, whole life, I didn’t share with you. In fact, I reached Bodhisattva level, you know, about the time of dying.
Now since I’m dying, I better let you know that I achieved Bodhisattva level. You know? If if you happen to do that, that also is it can be a great obstacle to to to degenerate the the practices. So you see. So so so like that.
So whenever we we achieve certain practices, you know, this is very dangerous for us to, you know, for us to against this precept. You know, We have done certain practices. You know? Then, you know, how to say, start to compete. You know?
Start to compete. Oh, you. Somebody completed a hundred thousand. I better make sure that I rush to complete hundred thousand. You know?
Or at least hundred and ten thousand so that ten ten percent is better more than the other person. You know? It’s danger. Even though you might not say, but in your heart, there’s a danger of having such kind of mental attitude. If that happens in our practice, that also become obstacle to delay our realization and degenerate our our existing realizations.
So in particular, deity yoga practitioners, like a tantric deity yoga practitioners have to be super secret. You know? They have a total secret. Even the the mantra it’s actually, the from there. Then, you know, it’s it’s like somehow, it’s supposed to be it’s supposed to be supposed to be it’s it’s a all the mantras should deliver with Samaya.
The mantra should be delivered with the with the with the ethical or samaya discipline, you know, like proper oral transmission. You know? And before that, we have we should have a certain certain certain, like, basis or certain foundations of of of of, like, faith and conviction in the practice. You know? And some, you know, certain at least, like, certain understanding and emptiness have, like, good compassion.
You know? So then you recite the mantra very powerful. Yeah. Otherwise, just simply recite a mantra. I would say, if not careful, sometimes it can be disturbance also because the mantra itself has a certain energy.
How? You know? So it’s you know, there’s a danger of cannot cope within within your mental energy. You know? So you see?
So that that’s why yeah. So so so that, like, deity yoga practitioners, you know, how you practice, what do you practice, unless that you are, like, you are you are are a person that will teach and you have no choice. But even to teach, it’s not about sharing much of your experience. I mean, I know. I would say, you know, you you you forget about the principle and sharing your experience also in your out of the track.
You know? And what is it? And deliver the practice to to our to our to a person that who’s already ripened. Yeah. So that’s the better way to say it.
Ripen the karma or ripen the the conducive conditions. You know? So it become very effective. So when you look at past histories of the great Indian pen pandits during their time, in in in Tibet, like, Naropa’s time, you know, or, like, Milarepa’s time. Like, guru, one disciple.
For one guru, most is three or four disciples. But all are, you know, very success succeeded in the realization and practices. And when they give the Dharma, it’s like very, very it’s it’s a it’s a very serious, you know, very serious thing. You know, they take very serious thing. It’s it’s not just simply it is it’s like, I would say, not not just a simple easy thing.
You know? So from the disciple side also, take it so serious, you know, so important, you know, so precious. So that’s why, you know, the one word of dharma enlighten them, you know, and bring to the effect of the realization. You see? So so because nowadays, like, it’s a bit, sometimes it’s beneficial, but it’s true to say it’s too loose.
You know? And due to that, not much respect. And the foundation of faith and conviction is not strong enough. So that’s why the effect is very difficult to obtain. Yeah.
I I mean, from the from the scriptures, yeah, from from the scriptures, they have stated like that, you know, those benefits, such as like, like, Buddha mantra by reciting what when you hearing one will close the door reciting medicine Buddha’s mantra or hearing medicine Buddha’s mantra. That means you recite medicine Buddha to the animal. Once hearing one time, it will close the door. I can say certain mantra, yes, there is such an effect because the because the Buddhas and those Buddhas’ samaya make a pledge. You know, when they deliver when they bring about the mantra, either their name is brought into a mantra or their entire realization energy is formed into a syllable, which is called mantra.
You know? So and when they form that, you know, they make a wish, they make a prayer, like such a medicine Buddha. They make a prayer by hearing one time, can able do. Close the door. Close the door to hell, hungry ghost, animal realms.
So So based on, you know, your own faith and conviction and your wisdom ability now like me, it’s it’s very difficult to for me to accept this literally. You know, it’s, like, very uneasy. If that’s so, then I think it’s, it become very easy. You know? Or even to purify karma also, like, become quite easy.
Close the door to three lower realms also looks quite easy. You know? But in in another way, I’m sure there’s such a benefit. You know? So I don’t know how to answer because I also struggle.
You know? I don’t know how long to answer. When there’s a you know, this little thinking about this, say, I in general basis, accept literally, Vajrasutra says. Yes. There is such a benefit.
But when it comes to individual like myself, oh, better just don’t rely on this. It’s because of my karma. I must put effort to purify. I have to work hard to purify. I have to work hard to accumulate good causes.
I just simply recite many simple mantra and sit there. I think it’s not so relevant to me. But in general, yes, that is true also. So we are trying our best. Recite medicine with the mantra.
Recite Om Mani Padme Hum. At the same time, do rest of the other practices, whatever you can cope. Did I answer your question, or I went somewhere else? Okay. So even, like, you know, His Holiness has always expressed that, you know, he always say from his side, even though people see he’s a real, very enlightened being.
But from his side, he’s so people call me, people call me enlightened. I’m just a one ordinary Buddhist monk. You know? You know? I can confidently say I’m a Gelong.
I’m a, like, fully ordained monks and very devoted follower of Shakti Buddha. You know? And and and also people claim that you know, he say he I never claim, but people claim that I have bodhicitta. I have emptiness realization. But, honestly, you know, he he says honestly, far, far, you know, Bodhicitta realization is very, very far.
But at the same time, well, I have the inspiration to to obtain that realization, the bodhicitta and the realization, I I really do have a strong inspiration on that. And and and I also convinced that it is obtainable. So, you know, so so those are the, like, the technique to convey it. You know? You cannot discourage people and say, oh, no such thing, you know?
Realizing emptiness? To be humble, is it? Oh, no such thing, you know? No such realization exist. Don’t talk about in me or rest also, I don’t know.
We can understand like that. So the way how is on this put is very encouraging, yet it’s not saying that he has a realization. It’s very nice way. So in case any of you have, it’s better follow the technique. So that you are practicing and you learn it.
Mhmm. Or that you are so when last time, my late guru, Geshe-la, always, you know, objected to me becoming Geshe. You know? You know, totally objected. He want me to study, but he don’t want me to become, like, the the the go through the graduation, the so called graduation ceremony and that.
He said, that is the most dangerous thing will pull you down. You know? So so so he he he knows. His omniscience can see that I want that. You know?
I I don’t want to study, but actually I want to get the name. But, you know, then sometimes you also argue, you know? So today’s time, you know, without name, difficult, you know, people won’t even you have the knowledge, you know, you deliver, people won’t accept you, you know. But once you have the Geshe name, then whatever you deliver, you mean wrong, most people will say, right. You know?
So I I I didn’t quite say like this, but quite similar. Think name very important, you know. Your time is long, long time ago. Never mind. But now the world changed.
The world changed. So it is great. So after I went to Sera, then three, four years later, I came back and I traveled together with him to Hong Kong. So so before than that, like, whatever he say, I only say yes. You know, I only have one word.
You know, there’s actually more chance to say more than that one word, yes. If you say, cannot. Whether it’s right or not, you just have to say, yes. And And the yes also have to be very soft and have to make sure that he hear and and the gesture, everything have to be, yes. This is really absolutely yes like that.
It’s like that. So after when we return to Hong Kong, I was because I was quite upset because he never let me watch TV. So there’s one there’s a tough guy called Dhamcho, you know, that is now, you know, senior monk. So the the one place called Chungking Mansion where there’s a lot of Indian movies, you know. So Geshe la asked him to go to get the Indian movie, the CDs, down here, like, the tape, the big tape.
So all day they watch, you know? Sometime whole day, you know, they watch. So he Geshe la don’t understand Hindi. So that so he need the translator to be sit beside, you know. And he he he’s fond of movie.
He he must watch movie. So he’s so happy. The two of them like, wow, so happy. So he, like, translate. Like, even, like, hours and hours, you know, translate the movie, you know, and and they’re watching.
And I have to stay in the room, you know. So once a while, I have to why why are you looking? So I have to go in. Then one day, said, you know, you know, I I also want to watch movie. He said, you don’t know how to watch movie.
You don’t know how to watch movie? He said, oh god. Captain, I said, you know, how can you say that guy, you know? I know. I I can understand Hindi, you know?
Almost I say better than you see, I tell you. Now you go back, you go to Sera, do some debate, know who you think you are. Now last time only say now, now you have two, three more words as well. That’s the fault. So so I totally understand.
Yes. I don’t know how to watch a movie because they they when they watch the movie, they transform. They they really they through that, they generate compassion. They they understand the nature of saṃsāra. I mean, all sort of little things.
And for me, I might dissolve into the movie. Maybe who knows? If somebody cry, I really feel sad. I cry until, like, you know, like, depressed. When when when when when any fighting go, I will get angry, fight, you know, dangerous, you know.
So, yeah, I I it makes sense that, yes, you know how to watch movie, and I don’t know how to watch movie. Then it’s also true after when to do some debate, you your mind start to have some kind of, like, some, like, little extra wisdom or whatever, you know, know, gain more some kind of like and there’s a problem. So you think that he’s wrong, you start to debate. But if you really regarded that person as a Buddha or a guru, then what I’m doing is absolutely wrong. You see?
So you see, that you so what I’m saying is knowledge is important, but sometimes we are carry out, you know, the the the one you obtain. And especially when you receive the titles, that’s the one of this most scariest thing called fame, name, you know, It it can be very dangerous for the special practitioner’s life. You know? Fame name. So the low profile practitioner is always the best, most secure.
And you are industrious in your ethical discipline. Like a very, very, very, very, Very intercessing, very hardworking. Yeah. Very hardworking. You know, like like like, so disciplined.
You know? Like, it’s like even typhoon come, you can turn into a movie. So sometimes that also there’s a danger of gaining some kind of, like, a delusion. You know? So even that manner that you have to make sure that don’t against this person.
Don’t against this person. So, again, you you have to remain humble. Or that you are great. You know, people call you great. You might think you’re great.
Well, I’m a practitioner all around. Or that you your family, you know, your lineage is excellent. Then in the ordinary practitioner’s life, you know, we have a family a family lineage, you know, family caste, and this and that. So then there’s a danger of discriminating. You know?
So the I’m I’m I’m it’s a higher caste. You know? I’m from a richer family. You know? I’m from a richer family, so I should have a better kind of facilities even go even come for a dharma dharma events.
You know? You are poorer from from from low caste or poorer family, you know, you should be sitting like a totally outside the door. And even in the Dharma practitioner’s life, there’s a danger. You know, we we could be one of them might think that way, you know, dangerous. So if that happens, it against the perception, teaching us make sure that never happen such thing.
It’s in Dharma, everyone is equal. All living beings are equal potential to become Buddha. You know? In order to become a Buddha, it’s every single living being has this. It’s a it’s a it’s a it’s a every single living being exist with the nature.
So that’s the that’s the thing. Every single living being has Buddha nature. You know? So in that aspect, every single living being in in Buddha is equal. And then you agree.
And then you agree. This the Kadampa great master, you know, what do you call the? Actually, it’s red redang. Here, I think it was reding ba. Redang ba.
Redang ba. Said that don’t place too much hope in humans. Means that, you know, means that don’t put too much effort. Say, this group of people are my close one. This group of people are my enemy.
This group of people are I I I don’t know. Like, ignorance. You know? So Langri Tangpa’s advice is that it it doesn’t mean, you know, hopeless or a human being. No, by the way.
He says, don’t put too much effort, you know, to to to make up so many portions within the human being. Rather rather, supplicate the god instead. Means one if you want to treat, you know, if you want to treat, like, loved one, the close one, it’s the it’s the it’s the gem triple gem in the future. And one will be not disappointed. One will be never let down.
You know? And in relation to Triple Gem, one will never gain delusion. You know? Never gain delusion. In relation to Buddha, we will never gain attachment.
We will never gain we will never create attachment. We will never okay. We will never generate attachment. We will never generate anger. We will never generate ignorance or hatred to in relation to Buddha.
In relation to human being, even how close the person is, how kind the person to be to you, somehow, you know, there’s there is a discomfort feeling, either too much attachment, desirous attachment, or either there’s some hatred or misunderstand. All sort of like the negative emotions are there. You know? So that negative emotion is the creation of negative karma, creation of cause for something for both you and the relation to the other beings. You know?
So in short, he’s advising us. Treat all living being as a equal. You know, treat all living being as a equal. Then treat all living being as an equal. Yeah.
Treat all living beings as equal. And reliance your heart to the god god. You reliance your heart to the Buddha. So in any case, if you have correctly distinguished between enemy and friend, you understand everyone to be a friend. Then even when you work for others, jealousy of self-centeredness does not arise.
Instead, you are recognition all such task as a obligation. So boastfulness towards others simply does not occur. At this point, your mind has become trained. So so so here, if you have probably distinguish between enemy and friend. So it has been said that one should establish the mind training into one’s mental stream.
What the degree, what is the label that one can call as one’s mind trained? When one has actualized bodhicitta or great compassion, that is the degree, that is the point that our mind is trained. In order to do that, without neutralizing every single human being, every single living being, you know, without neutralizing our our our heart towards the the three portion of being, enemy, you know, close one and the ignorant one, stranger. Without neutralizing it, without without establishing in your heart the, what do call it, what do you call it, the nondiscriminated mind. That that as long as we don’t establish the the platform of the equanimity mind within our mental state, the mind training will be unable to success.
The reason is without that equanimity mind, good compassion will never actualize. Of course, for sure, Buddhist will never actualize. The the achievement of the success in mind training is to actualize through our mind, the Buddhism. And that very much, as I mentioned earlier, relies on the compassion compassion, you know, loving kindness. But all those to to actualize within our heart, first, we need the the ground, the very, very smooth, you know, you know, the equal label, very, very small, very, very, very comfortable ground, which is the the mind of equanimity.
Equanimity. So how to actualize that equanimity mind is to to look into our own self, the the our own person’s nature, which is travel from life after life. Came up to here from beginningless lifetime. We have obtained obtained numberless rebirths. And each rebirth, we have reliance on the mother, parents.
You know? And I say mother. We have reliance on mother. Whenever we have taken the the birth from the womb without depending on without reliance on the mother, it’s unable to actualize such a such a such a rebirth. Including this precious human rebirth, what we are obtaining now, without the help of the mother, without relying on the mother, is it won’t be able to actualize such a precious human rebirth which we can actualize the whole purpose of our entire life, which is to actualize Buddhahood.
So it’s impossible to see. And such a the the womb birth womb birth, we have taken numberless times. And those noblest times when when womb womb birth rebirth, we have reliance noblest beings as mother. And those noblest beings mother have been extremely kind, extremely compact, extremely kind, you know, provided extremely kindness to us. You know?
Extra kindness to us. And those numberless mothers are not just one person or one sentient being. Many different beings take take turn, you know, many different beings. If we carefully search and investigate that, you know, even a one sentient being which have not been one’s mother in the past. You know?
But we don’t have the wisdom ability to see that through, you know, clearly. You know? So now we have to rely on the Buddha’s teaching, the omniscient one. And the omniscient one stated that every single living being has been one’s mother in the past. And every single living being has been as kind as one’s present mother, present mother.
You know? So if you have difficult with your mother, then you think of your father. If you have difficult with your father, think of your brother, sister, or your loved one. Whoever been the most kind to you in this life, every single living being has been kind as a disperse to you. And because in general, the mother is the most closest, most kindest to you.
That’s why in the teaching, they use the word mother. You know? So so in short, Buddha have seen through his omniscient that every single existing living being, including past Buddhas who have attain enlightenment $2, all have been our mother. The only thing that we cannot see through is interruption of life. Like, last life, if we happen to be a human being or animal, we have reliance on the mother.
But that mother, we cannot remember who is who is she. We’re gonna remember. And the the reason is we are fundamentally, we are ignoring. On top of that, during the birth, we’re going through so much suffering. And and due to tremendous pain, Somehow we’ve somehow that that, you know, our our mind is numb to see that.
Our mind is unclear to to see our past life, to our past parents. You know, our our past life parents were unable to see, you know. So believe in Buddha. Trust in what Buddha said. Since Buddha have said that every single living being has been our mother, then Buddha also have said that every single living being has been our most kindest person in our in our past lifetime, in many times.
So therefore therefore therefore, there’s no reason for me to be so particular saying that this portion of beings are is totally my enemy. This total this this portion of beings are totally my lover. And those beings are like somebody that I will never knew. You know? So Buddha’s advice is that we shouldn’t have such kind of partial thought.
You know? If you have that partial thought, bodhicitta is impossible. Mind training is impossible. And to to to be the success to to able to success, you know, to reach the point that your mind is completely trained is impossible. You know?
Impossible. You see? So it’s it’s difficult, isn’t it? It’s very difficult for us to do that with blame. You know?
You know? We we we naturally have some kind of, like, more heart to our own members, you know, our own families. You know? Yeah. Then we we somehow have some people that will really make obstacle to us from the ground.
We have some kind of difficulty with them. And there is a people that will really we really we really don’t know. We really can’t think of any reason to know them. So so we we have that. You know, we we we have that, you know.
So but since but because of having that, we cannot give up this practice. But here Buddha is asking us to start being too grasping on it, You know, at least start from there. At least loosen the grasping. Say, this is my concrete anime. And we have a perception that this anime will ever be anime.
You know, our way of our way of projecting to the anime is like ever lifetime anime and whatever lifetime future will be anime. And every single moment will anime. And the the the the very loved one now, oh, we have a grasping that it will be everlasting loved one. But in in the reality, it never happens. You know, the loved one become anime, anime become friend, the stranger become one of the closest one, you know, and the closest one become disappear and become a stranger.
You know? One day go and plastic surgery and come back, you know, this guy’s house. Maybe he or she might know you, but you will unable to recognize. For you, it’s total stranger. Is it?
So life is like that, you see. So but we hold so tight. We are, like, totally, you know, as we discussed yesterday, the the seriousness of the emptiness, the, you know, the the self grasping line. We are grasping so concrete, you know, concrete. This is my enemy.
This is my my loved one, and this is a stranger. So Buddha asked us to release it gradually. Slowly, slowly, slowly, slowly. One day, the practitioner can able to obtain such kind of mind that your care to the loved one will increase. Then compared to the love that you provided to the loved one during the partial mind, the partiality towards the three objects.
Yeah? Then equally that that that much love, you can also offer to the enemy. That much love, you can also offer to the strangers. And that much love offer to every single living being without any partial mind equally. So when so so this is possible, you know, but we have to start to loosen, you know, the the the the the the the what do call this?
Yeah. Screw. Lose it little bit, you know, little bit. I shouldn’t be too attached to my loved one. You know?
I should I should hundred percent love, but I shouldn’t grasp on it. If something happen, it will hurt me. It will hurt everyone. So if something goes wrong, it’s so easy to let go also. So the the the initial process is you shouldn’t grasp, but you should treasure, you should appreciate, you should even provide more love, but don’t grasp on it.
Don’t see this is permanent. Never see it’s permanent. You know? Even though it won’t happen any complication, but if if death comes, you know, your loved one died before the new war. So painful.
But that is the nature. That that could happen. If that happens, you you cannot stop. But then if you have a strong grasping, you will suffer so much. But if you have less grasping, you will do more virtues, more help to the person, yet you don’t suffer.
So then again, the many teachings have stated that when you generate compassion or mercy or compassion to the others, we shouldn’t be the victim who suffer together. You know? When you help sick people, dying people, suffering people, you know, you you you cannot suffer for them. Did I say the right thing? You cannot suffer for them.
You cannot you cannot be emotional for them. You know? You have to help them. You have to you have to provide them the the most extensive help, but you cannot suffer. See, if somebody like, one one one cat knocked on the on the street by car.
And if you can save, you you better save. If you cannot save, you just do your best, whatever you can. But you just sit there and you also cry and, you know, sad, you know. You know, like so the cat that that dying cat become a object of your pain. And that cat indirectly cause a negative karma in you.
You know? So you cannot be a cause for others to feel pain and suffering. Otherwise, you become a victim of creating negative karma to other. So you see? So if that’s okay, instead of contributing virtue to the dying care, you contribute negative.
So you see? So especially like hospice, you know, like volunteers, people who go and help, you know, sick dying people. You have to be very positive. You have to be very very very positive, you know, very light positive, you know. You you have to generate compassion, but you cannot feel set.
You you can fix. If you are if you are if if you feel set, your wisdom start to, you know, like like, you know, and your energy become, you know, your wisdom is shaky, your energy become lesser. But when you have compassion, you are very alert and you’re very energetic so that you will find more resources to help. You see? So same thing goes to your parents, your family, your anybody, the loved one.
You know? So that that can happen when you don’t have a clinging, grasping mind. As long as we have clinging, grasping mind, that kind of failure falls or come, including to your own body. You see? Your own body, your own self.
You will have such a strong grasping, a permanent grasping. If something goes wrong, suffer so much. But as long as you understand the nature impermanent of yourself and your body, It’s it’s the natural flow, you know. You won’t you won’t suffer. It’s a natural flow.
Even death comes, you won’t suffer. Because it’s the natural kind of like a follow, you know, you know. If if you if you have a way to help, overcome. If not, you will very easy to let go. So so so like that.
So so grasping is the mind is the one that we have to, you know, we have to loosen it. So we’re still then there is a day that one can able to establish equanimity mind. Then one can able to actualize great compassion. So now based on this, great compassion is very far. The compassion.
We normally say, oh, yeah. Emptiness is very difficult, but I do have compassion. You know? Sometimes I encounter many people express this. I have great compassion.
You know, this is really difficult, you know, quite difficult to understand. But I have great compassion. But you are already talking about the great compassion. Based on this, and maybe you might have. I could be wrong to think that you might not have.
You might have. Yeah. But when you look into your own self, oh, yeah. Oh, great compassion is very far because equanimity is not there. And to establish the equanimity, I need to loosen the grasping.
I need to I need to let go of the grasping of these three portion of different beings. I have very strong feeling on that, you know. So so so that means it makes me very far from her compassion. So now this teach us now. Don’t simply jump to the compassion, rather go to the the root.
You know, start from the number a. And starting from there, then can go to the next. So number one. Number one is loosening the grasping. The the the the the tightness of the grasping, losing it.
Then then gradually try to establish the equanimity mind. Then gradually, loving kindness, compassion will come. Genuine loving kindness compassion will come. You know? What we have now, the loving kindness compassion, is like a goosebump.
Stand up, boom, and suddenly disappear. It’s like kind of like a it’s just a very temporary and like, flash. It’s like it’s like flash, very unstable, you know, and and and that doesn’t that that that doesn’t bring much help. And and and yet you are totally carried out by that and you lose the the fundamental practice. And and and then at the end, whole life finish.
You see? So so that the the point missed when I finish, you regard you are a good practitioner. I will be totally protected from lower realms. I will obtain enlightenment, but yet, missed the whole point. You see?
So also misconception. And again, go back to yesterday, that also ignored in mind. You see? So quite clear, isn’t it? The the point.
Yeah? Yes. Yeah. Can I just ask one question Okay? On this particular issue?
It seems that it seems like from what we have learned about emptiness and as well as written pattern, Buddhi, Hittali, Hindustan, and all. It seems that emptiness is not dependent on one’s karmic situation. It seems that also seems that emptiness can actually be realized without emptiness can be written. Cannot. Realization cannot.
Nature or emptiness share with nonverting virtue, everything with the equal. Same same and same same same characteristic. Same. Yeah. So can one actually And and the first one, you say the first one.
The first one, what did you say just now? First the first word. What emptiness is what? If there’s no karma, no stick. No.
No. No. No. No. Like that.
Emptiness emptiness is part of emptiness is the the nature part of every single existing whenever the existing is exist. You know? So it’s it’s a karma, no karma, nothing to relate. You know? Every single karmic act also exists in the same entity nature of emptiness.
You know? But in order to realize, you need to have a virtue accumulation to realize it. That that realization require wisdom. And that wisdom to understand the true nature, which is called emptiness, is only is possible when you are when when you are positive environments are utilized. And that that that utilizing of the total positive environment is only can happen when you have enough merit.
You know? Just to gain the theory and and and to just to gain the theory just to gain the theory, yeah, very, very smart guy, you know, learning about like like, very smart scientist guy. He also can able to tell something about the the formation of the, you know, the formulas and this and that. You know, like, it sound like emptiness, but to gain the realization, the fact nature of the that existent is still require a positive virtue merits. Something like that.
Did did I answer your question? One is the virtue is the setup of conditions for the realization of emptiness. Yeah. It’s a condition. But not necessarily for the academic understanding of emptiness.
Noted. Yeah. That’s right. Yeah. That’s right.
But I’ll say, even to understand the emptiness also, I think, require a merit. Even to meet the teachings of emptiness also require merit. So, actually, it require merit all all the way. I think require all the way. You know?
So it’s not possible to actually realize something that’s right at least for at the understand it deeply emptiness by pursuing non virgin. Oh, pursuing non virginal. I think impossible. I think I think need merit. Even intellectual knowledge to to to to have some understanding in in also need merit.
So that’s why I don’t know which text one of the I think Nāgārjuna’s text or whatever. The greatest merit is the the merit of emptiness. The greatest merit is the merit of emptiness. So I don’t remember exact exact the text or whatever. And there there is a there is a quote that, you know, the great greatest merit is the merit of emptiness.
So from there, in order to actualize some great merit, you need a great merit to actualize that. You know? So you you need a cause, the positive cause to actualize the the the the positive result. You know? So even intellectually, you need lot lot of merit.
And they says, even to have a doubt on emptiness is regarded that you have such a great merit. Even to have a doubt on emptiness. You Even you start to start to have some caution on I mean, like like, you know, emptiness possible, but I think not possible. Even to just have that much idea says that is a fair you know, requires so much merit and regarded that you have so much merit, even that. And to have a deeper understanding regarding very much merit.
And to gain the realization is unbelievable. You know? But then again, just along that, cannot establish the two collections of merit. You need the need the help of bodhicitta. The reason is the fundamental defilement is the defilement of ignorance towards phenomena.
So that obstruct the enlightenment. Because of that, in order to clear that, you need to you need the emptiness, but the emptiness, you need the most forceful emptiness. And that forcefulness emptiness only comes when the bodhicitta is very forceful, when your mind your your altruistic mind is forceful. When when you have emptiness, when you have little compassion, emptiness is, like, much more forceful than when you don’t have a compassion. When you have emptiness, when you have bodhicitta, well, very forceful.
The bodhicitta has become more and more intense. The emptiness emptiness antidote, the realization become more and more effective. So that is how it goes on. And emptiness can realize without without compassion without great compassion. Emptiness can be realized without great compassion.
You know? So even before obtaining great compassion, you can gain a realization of emptiness, direct realization of emptiness. You see? And those the Hīnayāna and Solitary Realizer beings. They have direct realization emptiness, but they don’t have great compassion.
They do have compassion, but not great compassion. Direct realization here means actually direct seeing of emptiness. Direct seeing of emptiness. Yeah. Yes.
We have to. That means Without meditation, cannot then can Yeah. Truly experience Yes. Yes. And truly understand Yes.
Activities. So the meditation the requirement for for successful meditation, you need a contemplation. Successful contemplation. In order to obtain the successful contemplation, you need a successful study, at least on the theory. You need to have a successful study, the the the analytical study of the object of negation, you know, the how the negations the negation the opposition of emptiness, how how how they recite.
You know? As like we discussed yesterday, how the how to investigate the basis of emptiness. So that’s that’s that’s exactly what we are doing the first stage, which is the the the learning part. Once we have rough idea on that, then we contemplate we think again and again, contemplate on the understanding what we have learned. In a certain period of time, we start to have some kind of conclusion.
We start with some kind of, like, taste. Once we gain that taste, then do either analytical or absorption. It’s a single pointed meditation on that. You know? So once you you are you have done the stable meditation, then one day, you obtain what they call the direct seeing of emptiness.
So you are right without meditation, not impossible. So if you have correctly in in distinguish between enemy and friend, So here, we have to you know, the commentary have to deliver the teachings on the the Buddhicitta, the, you know, the seven causes and effects, then the as well as, you know, what I call the the practice of taking and giving, you know, which is, you know, one of one is the traditional, and one is the traditional, you know, the the way to you know, the technique to actualize the bodhicitta. What do call, the seven cause and effect, which starts with seeing all living beings as your mother, then remembering their kindness, repaying their kindness. You know? So those are the seven causes and effects, to actualize the bodhicitta.
So in order to actualize that, we need the, you know, the the the the foundation of the equanimity, which also only happens once you realize every single sentient being as your mother. Then the another tradition is to to to train in exchanging self with other, to train in exchanging self with other. So by doing the the practice training and self exchanging with other, giving your welfare, giving your goodness and merit to others, taking others’ misfortune, you know, to to to yourself, that also brings about the bodhicitta, you know, actualizing the realization of bodhicitta. So jealousy of self-centeredness does not arise. So if we practice in that, you know, what we have mentioned before, then this the you know, one will not have the the self centered mind.
Means once we start to have a taste in bodhicitta, then the self-cherishing mind naturally disappear. You know? So one of the one of the task to training in the bodhicitta is to let go of self-cherishing mind and exchange that cherishing other. You know? Let go of self-cherishing mind and exchange the self-cherishing towards other.
It’s true up until now, cherishing yourself. Now change to cherish other. Then as stated in the as I stated by the Bodhisattva Śāntideva, that yeah. The the the cause is also the self-cherishing is a cancer. The because you know, the immature child, you know, only behaves, only lives with a self-centered attitude.
You know, the immature child, you know, only live a life with a self centered attitude. You know? So therefore, we suffer. You know? From beginningless life until now, we live as as a self centered manner, as like a child childish.
You know? So that’s why we suffer continuously. And the the the the enlightened one, you know, the the Buddha have achieved enlightenment because of, you know, live a life during the path, live a life cherishing other. You know? So here, that we should learn the the the the differences of these two attitude, and oneself should follow the step of the Buddha to cherish other and let go of cherishing oneself.
So, again, that start from losing the grasp losing the grasping mind. We cannot jump in all the ways. You know, you you you suddenly start to throw all your possessions you give to other people. And, you know, you know, you know, your your household give to people, Your your bank account doesn’t give to people. And food doesn’t give people.
Tomorrow, you know, on the street, you will be, you know, worse than suffer. Begging. So it’s not it’s not like that. You know? Letting go of self self centered means always put other in the first priority.
You know? And and start with start with, you know, small, you know, like, very minor practice, then gradually that one can able to actualize such kind of heart, such kind of mind, having a less grasping towards your own welfare, but having such a great cherishing of others’ welfare. You know? And, you know, we’re totally not asking us to give up the external what we have. You know?
Asking us to have a detached mental state. And if if you think like that, it’s possible. Instead, you recognize all such tasks as obligation obligation. Instead, you recognize just your. Instead, you recognize all such tasks as obligation.
Tasks of working for the benefit of us. Tasks of the working. Instead, you recognize all such task working for other beings. Or instead, you recognize all such tasks benefiting other working for other beings as as obligation, you know, as a duty. And one should be, you know, thankful to Buddha and, you know, feel appreciated.
You are such a good karma to have such opportunities. You know? So boastfulness towards others simply does not occur. If we live a life if we if your mental state live in that manner, then the boastfulness towards others simply will not occur. It will eventually, you know, cease.
So at this point, your mind has become trained. You know? So this is the the the stage that one can one can one can can tell that one’s mind is trained if one’s mind can able to leave, you know, in such kind of manner, cherishing more to others and, you know, lessen one’s grasping towards, you know, self-centered purpose. I think that is also what it says. So I’m gonna stop here. So I’m gonna stop here.
Any question? I’ll stop here. Any questions in relation to yesterday, today? Oh, yeah. From today on, I think there’s no Lojong class until the Lam Rim retreat is over.
You know, we have a retreat in in until Eight. And Yeah. Until seven and eight of November, so there’s no Lojong class. But then there’s a lot of Dharma activities during visit. There’s a lot of teachings, you know, prayers.
So and also a thousand offering event. All of you, you know, involved into so many activities and so many virtual Dharma works. So then during that period, whatever action you do, try to apply the Lojong practice. You know? Sometime, you know, even you when you’re serving for Dharma, we have to go through so many hardships.
You know? So so try to apply the Lojong practice. So whether we have class or not, it’s always we have to live a life with the lojong practice. You know? We every day is as a lojong class.
You know, whether you are in in this conversation or not, every day is in a lojong mind training class, mind training practice. So so so then the the two together going along is possible. So yeah. Thank you. Thank you.