Audio recorded at Buddha House Adelaide. Transcript auto-generated and AI-corrected; may contain errors.
About this talk. In this 103-minute teaching, Lama Zopa Rinpoche guides practitioners through Tibetan Buddhist mind training with particular emphasis on how to integrate the two awakening minds—bodhicitta and emptiness—into daily life. He begins by unpacking Precepts 19-22 of the Seven-Point Mind Training, focusing on how to avoid anger through compassion, abandon self-centeredness by practicing exchange of self with others, and live free from the desire for gratitude. Rinpoche then clarifies the crucial distinction between ordinary virtue and dharma practice: virtue alone does not lead to liberation unless animated by renunciation—a genuine aversion to samsaric existence and even the peace of nirvana for oneself and all beings. He emphasizes that every action, from work to childcare, becomes cause for enlightenment when infused with this renunciation and bodhicitta. The final precept teaches transforming all adversity into the path by viewing difficulties as opportunities to purify karma and strengthen practice. Rinpoche stresses that practitioners in the present age of degeneration—marked by shortened lifespans, corrupted views, intensified delusions, and distraction—actually accumulate merit more powerfully than those in fortunate times, making sincere practice now supremely valuable. Pitched at dedicated Mahāyāna students familiar with Lamrim teachings.
File metadata (for organising)
File: 25 Lojong.mp3
UUID: b1cc6a65-5e79-4876-b2ef-1c59055e4adf
Teacher: Lama Zopa Rinpoche 3
Collection: Mind Training (Lama Zopa Rinpoche 3)
Date: 1990 (exact day not recorded)
Recorded at: Buddha House Adelaide
Duration: 102.9 minutes
Words: ~12,651
Positive. All sufferings are from negative causes not created by others, but by oneself. The purpose of knowing teachings on karma is to prevent ourselves from creating more negative karma. Having accumulated such negative karma, one must purify to avoid its negative results. If karma has not ripened, then by engaging into purification practices, one can prevent the experience of the result, and also break the continuity of experiencing such results.
The phrase blame oneself doesn’t mean scold oneself, which might lead us to depression, lack of confidence and faith in oneself. Instead, it means to blame one’s negative karma and its creator. Who is the creator of negative karma? Our delusions. So we should find the faults of our own delusions rather than find the fault of others.
The precept of do not be ill tempered is very detailed. It even addresses the issue of facial expressions, which should be taken into account because in reality, we do forget about them. the mahasiddhas always advised that we should control our three doors from the tiniest negative actions. Only then can we overcome greater delusions. If we can guard our mind, which is the supreme door, we need to guard with extra effort because otherwise, it will be difficult to guard the actions of our body and speech.
We might think that small acts of anger and small acts of negativity are all right, but they are not. We need to avoid taking for granted our Dharma practices. Because our Dharma practice has not yet become an antidote to our self grasping, we need to be vigilant and serious about our practice. As our minds are emotional and unbalanced, we can fall into negative states of mind, bringing harm to others and to oneself. Attachment, pride, anger are all forms of ill temperateness.
Ill temperateness makes our Dharma practice weak and renders our purification practices ineffective in purifying negative karma, and thus our suffering never ends. We should make our minds more stable in virtue. The purpose of this is to ensure that our Dharma practice becomes the real antidote to the self grasping mind. So we need to know what the self grasping mind is, what the self-cherishing mind is, what the inherently existing mind is, what non inherently existing mind is, and what permanently existing mind is. Each one has its own antidote.
In order for dharma to be a forceful antidote to the self grasping mind, we have to put more effort to find out all the different types of self grasping mind. The nineteenth precept, do not get angry. One of the most destructive emotions is anger. The Mahāyāna Bodhisattva practice offers a method of transforming attachment into the path, but has no method to use anger in the path. Only tantra offers the method to use anger into the path.
The most forceful opponent to anger is compassion by thinking that I cannot get angry with the being because they are affected by afflictions, and similarly one’s own experience of harm is caused by one’s own delusion. It is also worthwhile to think how one moment of anger can destroy one’s merits. In ordinary life, even if we are patient, it is beneficial for us to reflect on the disadvantages of anger. By not having anger, there is peace in ourselves, in our family, in the community, and in the country. Precept twenty: Do not be fickle.
This means do not have erratic responses which are due to self centeredness and worldly concerns, and temporary concerns like pleasure. We tend to prioritize ourselves. Instead, we need to practice the exchange of self for others. Then our actions will be virtuous. Otherwise, it only creates inconvenience for others and also causes us to create negative karma.
So in the so in the Bodhicaryāvatāra scriptures, it stated that the verse stated that in that, no one wishes for the even the slightest suffering, nor is ever content with the happiness that they have. There’s no difference between myself and others realizing this. I seek the guru’s blessing joyfully to make others happy. So Uh-huh. So as stated in the teaching mind training teaching that so this is our today’s motivation.
The purpose of engaging in the mind training practice is by understanding by understanding that oneself and others are, you know, total equal, you know, seeking seeking happiness and do not even, you know, wanting even a slight suffering. So that is the instinct nature within every single living being. So for that reason, you know, for for that reason, the purpose of my life is to to actualize as much as benefit to the other living beings and bring about the happiness from the slightest happiness, making them happy, then to the ultimate happiness of enlightenment. So that’s the intention, the motivation, we are learning or try to follow the path of the Buddha, and why we are you know, putting effort to engage in the mind training teachings, the lojong teachings. So with that, then we can follow yesterday’s continue at page one hundred and twenty nine.
So we are on the precept twenty one. Do not be boastful. So in the meaning is do not do not wish for gratitude. You know, do not wish for gratitude. So here I say that avoid seeking fame and praises to the expressions of gratitude for as assistance that you may have rendered others or benefit you may have brought them.
So in brief, do not desire even even to hear compliment for help or assistance rendered to the others. So in one of the the one of the the main what do you call the one of the main characteristic of the compassion practice, the practice of compassion is practice of compassion and loving kindness is to to have the unconditional expression or unconditional love kindness and compassion towards others. So the meaning, the unconditional here is, you know, even whatever the the return received in relation to the person that to whom that you have benefited, even the one received harmful return after benefiting greatly to the person, we still shouldn’t reward ourselves or we shouldn’t hope or wish that the positive return or positive gratitude from the others. So as a dharma practitioner, whatever assistance, whatever benefit that we do for the others, it should be total unconditional. It will it will be in the aspect of total selfless, you know, total selfless and and and and total cherish of the others’ well-being and other’s welfare.
So if that happens, then, you know, one can able to actualize the action of virtue or we call the good karma or virtue karma. But it’s still not necessary that action of benefiting others can be dharma, as long as the act which is not introduced by the renunciation towards the three lower realms or or slight aversion to the existence of saṃsāra or even the renunciation towards the the peace of nirvana, you know, the peace of nirvana, then whatever, even unconditional, you know, compassion and loving kindness towards others won’t be a Dharma practice. You even though it’s a virtue, but it it won’t be a Dharma practice. So here, it is necessary for us to to know the differences between Dharma and virtue. You know, the differences in Dharma and virtue.
Dharma, not and Dharma have to be virtue, but virtue not necessarily can be dharma. You know? So so as I mentioned, you know, earlier, without the influence or without the initiative of renunciation, then whatever action or virtue, it will not become dharma. It will it will not become cause for liberation. It is cause for happiness, but it is not a cause for liberation.
So as a dharma practitioner, and particularly as a Mahāyāna dharma practitioner, and and and particularly Mahāyāna lojong practitioner, you know, our renunciation, our Dharma activities, or our Dharma actions, our virtuous actions must, you know, inspired or introduced by the renunciation of the higher vehicle, the renunciation of the Mahāyāna practitioner or Mahāyāna teaching. The renunciation here referring to is the renouncing renouncing sufferings of three lower realms for oneself and others. Renouncing samsaric rebirth, samsaric rebirth or samsaric existing within oneself and others all others, and oneself renouncing even the peace of nirvana for oneself and for the rest of the other living beings. So one’s action is introduced with this attitude, and it’s called dharma action which introduced by the the Mahāyāna renunciation. So by by by actualizing any virtuous deeds based on the Mahāyāna renunciation, then one was it one established the the virtue or the established the virtue causes to actualize for the enlightenment.
You know? And that doesn’t become a cause for samsaric conditioned happiness, and that doesn’t become that virtuous action doesn’t become the causes for the the beyond saṃsāra, even to the peace of nirvana. You know, it won’t become the causes for peace of nirvana. Rather, it will become the complete cause to the ultimate everlasting the state of the omniscient one within oneself and to all the rest of the other living beings. So so so here, as a as a dharma practitioner, as a true dharma practitioner, then we have to make sure that our day to day life, that whatever action we do, we we cannot miss out the intention of renunciation.
We cannot miss out the intention of renunciation. So that means every single action we do, we have to recall in our mind the the the practice of renunciation, the thought of renunciation, you know, thought of renunciation. So what it really means by total renunciation means is, you know, total detaching, you know, total, you know, total the the mind of total detach total detach the mind will totally detach to the the to and the existence of the and the existing of the samsaric rebirths and including the the attainment of the peace of nirvana. Total detachment is, you know, in a in a in a in a ordinary word, the expression is almost like the moment you hear of of three lower realms. The moment you hear, you know, one sub taking rebirth in three lower realms.
The moment you hear of taking rebirth again in the six realms of rebirth such as in human or god. And the moment you hear of the, you know, living in the peace with a self centered mind, then it’s feel like vomiting. You know, like, people are awful. You know? Like like, you know, feel feel extremely awful.
You know, there’s a you know, like, you really don’t want at all. You never want to be born such kind of situation. So that sense of genuine expression from table your heart, then that is the they they call the the renunciation. And that kind of, you know, attitude is for the purpose of not only yourself, but for the purpose of even all rest of the other being for the rest of the all other being, then so that become the the Mahāyāna renunciation. Mahāyāna renunciation or the renunciation of the great.
You know? So those of you have learned Lamrim, then from there, you know, you already learn those three different, you know, type of renunciation. You know, as a Mahāyāna practitioner, it’s so important, you know, just for us to, you know, just for us to, you know, practice pure Dharma without the the renunciation. All our action become non Dharma. Even though it’s virtue, even though good cause, but it become non Dharma.
So is it? So if we cannot differentiate that, then it is like there’s a danger of entire rest of our life be wasted. You know? So then the question might arise, then what is the purpose of creating virtue? And many people never talk about renunciation, but always encourage to do virtuous action or good action, you know, kind action, compassionate action, loving kindness action.
You know? So there is a benefit of actualizing contaminated pleasure, contaminated temporary samsaric pleasure, samsaric happiness. You know? Whatever whatever the suffering will change, you know, whatever the happiness, the contaminated happiness in saṃsāra in our day to day life, we experience, which is in the nature of suffering will change. Those are the result of virtue action of the past.
Those are the result of the virtue action of the past. So those are the, how to say, those are the, yeah, those are the result of the virtue action of the past. And if we continue to create such kind of action, we will experience, you know, some some comfort in saṃsāra, you know, such as richness, good health, prosperity, you know, fame, name, you know, good shelter, you know, large, you know, great companions, etcetera, will experience. But that all, you know, are in the nature of suffering of change suffering of change. That all will eventually that all that all happiness and experience in saṃsāra eventually will will turn into the suffering of suffering.
You know, eventually, it would turn into suffering of suffering. Or, eventually, it would turn into suffering of suffering. You know? So because of it has the nature of turning into suffering or suffering, then in the dharma, in the scripture, they label as a suffering of change, you know, suffering of change. First, we feel we we perceive we experience, like, happiness or joy or kind of like a game, but eventually, it has a nature of, you know, become a suffering of suffering.
So so even, you know, praying the Buddha, reciting sutras, know, doing meditations, making generosity, you know, including, you know, listening the advice of gurus and gurus, you know, including meditating entire stages of the Lamrim teachings. If that is not imbued with renunciation, all are for samsaric good cause, but not a cause for liberation. So you see. So if we if we are not clear about that, rest of our life, we think we are practicing Dharma, but yet we are continuously accumulating, you know, samsaric cause. The cause for saṃsāra.
You see? So like that. So so here, you know, not not just from this teaching, it’s, you know, it’s not it’s not just advising us to be, how to say, unconditional, you know you know, whatever benefit that we are we are offering to others, you know, it’s not just us and be it’s not just not just not not enough just being unconditional. It have to be introduced by renunciation. If if our even, like, samsaric actions such as going office or taking care of your childrens, if that action is introduced by renunciation, you know, introduced by renunciation, even that become such a pure dharma and such a such a creation of the cause for liberation.
You know? You see? So otherwise, including taking care of children, you know, taking care of business, taking care of, you know, one’s saṃsāra well-being, all are creation of negative karma. What’s it? All are creation of no.
Sorry. All are creation of cause for saṃsāra. It’s not necessarily negative, but it’s all are creation of cause for saṃsāra. One will eventually will obtain saṃsāra rebirth, and one will able to gain the result of those those kind and those caring actions such as taking care of your children, etcetera. You know?
If that’s so, then, you know, as a well, once a meeting, you know, Lamrim. Well, once a meeting of mind training teaching. And and and if we if we we take from that, I would say, if we forget about, you know, cultivating renunciation to those action, then is a is a how to say? It’s a great loss. It’s a huge loss.
You know, it’s a huge loss. Then we are unable to take the benefit of obtaining precious human rebirth. As a Mahāyāna practitioner, you know, we will be missing the advantage of precious human rebirth. So then here it says, in this manner, you should train your entire life in the two awakening minds by means of both meditative session and practicing during the subsequent period. So in this manner so by understanding whatever we discussed now, then one should, you know, way to live a life with Dharma is to live a life with two awakening minds.
Means live a life with bodhicitta and emptiness. But bodhicitta and emptiness only comes if you have renunciation. You know, without renunciation, emptiness, it it doesn’t it doesn’t it doesn’t no effect of emptiness if you don’t have renunciation. If you don’t have renunciation, there’s no forceful, you know, effect or benefit of bodhicitta also. You see?
So so again, the renunciation still comes, the the root principle practice in our day to day life. So then when that when you put the renunciation within the category of the principle teaching, then that’s called the three principle three principal aspect of the path. Then give you know, even he’s one of teaching, the the the condensed Lamrim teaching. He give a name just for us to remember, you know, those three key thing called three principal aspect of the path. You know, the Lamrim teaching.
Three principal aspect of the path. What are the three principal aspect of path? Renunciation, bodhicitta, emptiness. So so in this manner, you should train your entire life in the two awakening mind by means of both meditative session. So then I put meditative session and in the practice of subsequent meditative meditative session.
Subsequent meditation periods means during the post session as well as during the meditation session. So for us, what means by post session and meditation session? Meditation session for us is when we are when we are, you know, when we are settled to, you know, you know, to to to habituate the mind of emptiness, the mind of bodhicitta, the mind of relaxation is meditative sessions So a post meditative session or subsequent meditative subsequent Subsequent period from the meditation is a time that we go to work, when we communicate with people, you know, do housework, whatever. You know? Other than settle your mind, your body, your speech, and habituating, cultivating, you know, entire aspect of your mind in the meditation object such as bodhicitta or emptiness, whatever.
Other than that, all are including sleeping time, also on the subsequent meditative session. Subsequent meditation. In normal in some of the text, it’s it’s called meditation session and post meditation session. Post meditation session. No?
So so here, to training into our awakening mind is not not only in meditative section. The training intwo awakening minds, you know, is also should train during the post meditative section. That means, bodhicitta and emptiness and renunciation must integrate during our working time, you know, family time, you know, you know, nondharma time. Means like, you know, in our ordinary word, non-Dharma means not coming to center, you know, not doing sadhana, then we regard it like non-Dharma time. Isn’t it?
A non-Dharma time. Not necessarily Dharma, but we ordinary word, we label as non Dharma. So even that kind of time that we have to integrate the two awakening mind into our practice. So so the question lies here, how we how to practice? So we have discussed almost every class almost discussed in every class how to integrate, you know, the two awakening minds into our day to day life.
So those those are the those are the teaching that we have to we have to apply. No need to answer, but if I ask a question, no need to answer. Anyone can if I ask a question, how to integrate, you know, awakening mind into our daily life, in a daily into our working daily life. So how to integrate? So so now individually check our own mind.
Do I have an instinct answer for that or not? Check our own mind. Do I have an instant answer for that? If we have an instant answer for that, right, correct answer for that, then that means, you know, we are quite good. You know you know, we are we are quite familiar with those practices.
And that shows that our life will be not much rested. You know? So if we still doubt, what is that? You know? How do I about without your caution?
Your mind is not clear, then that means that we we it’s so urgent for us to, you know, recall all our past classes and and and and summarize in one word how about applying the the emptiness mind into our day to day. And after finish all our all our course, the thing only we have to carry along is not this book, not whole words. There are only two things. The the application of the two awakening minds in our day to day life. That’s the conclusion.
You know, comes into two conclusion. You know, the implication of two awakening minds during this session and during the post session. If we’re able to do that, we’ve done a great job of attending this course. So if we if we cannot do that, then even if you might remember every page, what they really say, then we still miss the point. Then another question, same thing.
You know, how to, you know, integrate the bodhicitta, conventional bodhicitta into our day to day life. According with the teaching here, we have to apply living for sleeping, living for going to work, living for going to toilet, living for, you know, gossiping, chitchatting, whatever. You know? For every single act of what is feeling in mind have to integrate in this this two awakening minds. So how to go about it?
So renunciation, as I mentioned earlier, just now, that characteristic, that way of thinking, you need to adapt into your mind and make it as a habit of your mind. Make it as a as a part of your mind. So whatever the practice that you you you engage before the before engaging the practice or even while engaging in the practice, you need to have a sense of that that renounce the renounced mind. So when you have that, then it naturally your your your practice pick your your action become. So there will be then be no basis of dis dispute and no reason for conflict with the god, and god here referring to Buddhas and demons or your fellow humans.
If we’re able to live a life with two awakening mind, bodhicitta, emptiness, then, you know, we will not contradict our action of body, speech, and mind. We’ll never contradict what Buddha asked us to do, what Buddha asked us to be, you know, what kind of our physical, verbal, mental attitude, you know, how Buddha want us to be. You know? So if we integrate this to our mind, then our body, mind, action will not against Buddha’s Buddha’s Buddha’s expectation in on us. Yeah.
Then if that’s the case, we will not we will not even against we will not even disappoint the demons also, spirits and demons. Spirit and demons, because we we don’t take care of our karma, that’s why they harm us. You know? Again, if we didn’t create the karma, no spirit will harm us, no elemental disturbance will harm us if we didn’t create the cause. You know?
So why we receive so much harm, so much disturbance, elemental disturbance, you know, spirit disturbance disturbance? It’s because of we create the harm. But if we live a life according with the habituation or live a life integrating to our awakening mind, you know, the demons will be very happy also. Even the demon most, you know, negative hearted, like spirit demons who wish to harm us, you know, will be totally protected. We we cannot be harmed.
Then not only that, of course, fellow human brothers, sisters, fellow human beings. You know? In most of in our life, we get harmed by human beings. You know? We get harmed by enemies.
We get harmed by strangers. You know? We get harmed by our own beloved one. You know? We get we get harmed by children.
We get harmed by our own parents, you know, brothers, sisters. You know? It’s it’s like, you know, we get so much harm, so much disturbance from every single corner. You know? Even Dharma brothers, sisters also harm each other.
Disturb each other’s mind, disturb each other’s, you know, use harsh words, you know, very unpleasant physical reactions. If we live a life according with this teaching, the mind training teaching, Integrating to our human mind, we will not receive such kind of harm from even from human fellows. That’s it. The only reason why we receive because we create the cause. We create the cause.
The cause is the karma. We create a cause in relation to human being and in relation to this and that and those human beings. Might not be this life, might not be today, but maybe yesterday or maybe last year or maybe last life, or maybe billions of lifetime before, you know, and your karmas are not purified yet. And you are not intended to purify it, and you are not putting any effort to purify it. The reason why you’re not the reason reason why you see that you are not intended to purify, because you are not integrating the two awakening mind in our day to day life.
That means we are not intended to purify. We are not putting any effort to purify. So because of that, even though one might think that in this life, you never offended anybody, you only benefited other beings. But somehow, you keep receiving harm, isn’t it? We all experience, including me experience.
You know? Somehow, you know, you thought that you you you you you generate good heart for them. You’re honest with them, you know, and you never harm for them. You know? Many years before, I even don’t know them.
After knowing them, you you try your best to help them, but you get return. Unbelievable harm. And that the blame doesn’t goes to the person. The blame goes to, again, yourself as we discussed it today. Yourself.
Yourself means your own delusion, your own karma. Because you created your own karma, and you never practice on purification. You never intended to practice purification, and you never build up a protection, you know, build up protection. So purification also comes by practicing to our awakening mind. Protection also comes by practicing to our awakening mind.
So that’s why seriously asking us through the the the mind training precept number twenty one, advising us to live a life with true awakening mind. You know, live a life of emptiness. Means, in a simple word, live a life with selflessness. Live a life with, you know, cherishing more others. Others are, you know you know, priority others’ well-being are priority for your own your own benefit.
In another word, others’ well-being are first priority for your own benefit. You start to treat others more more precious, more important. Others’ well-being are superior than your own well-being. At the end, the result, you yourself will receive the benefit. You see?
So by making the gods, Buddhas at peace, the what? The Nagas. Seven pine. Seven pine. Seven pine.
Nagas. Seven pine So many harm we receive from Nagas, isn’t it? Know, we we say, from long. Chinese say long. Isn’t it long?
Long. Long. Long. Long. Long.
Okay. So, anyway, you know, so many Chinese, they they believe that many harms are get from Nagas. And it is true. You know, the Nagas the Nagas, you know, one of the animal you know, one of the animal. And, you know, they they are very strong, but some in the in the form in the in the in the in the form as a snake.
Some are formless formless, but they are they are their their mind is they and the the formless, but their spirit within the category of animal animal, and they reside as a landlord. You know, normally, the Chinese, pray landlord. It’s a different one. There’s you know, every single earth, trees, as long as it grow from the as long as it comes out from the earth and water, stone. So all has the what do you call the belong belonging belonger?
Some are formless naga. Some are naga with form. You know? Like that. So so what we eat, we depend on the earth.
What we drink, the water also in relation to the, you know, I mean, to the water. Yeah? So then, you know, the concrete many is the earth and the stones, etcetera. Then the trees, plants. So there’s so much you know, we have to we have to live a life in relation with that.
So so we never, you know, like, take permissions. We think it belong to us, you know, then we just consume. You know? And that unintentionally gain lot of harm and disturbance to the to the. You know?
They do do that. Then the worst worst consequences, it will experience AIDS, then after a cancer, then it’s skin, like a leprosy leprosy sicknesses. You know? It is skin diseases. Yeah.
So many of them, when you know how accurate, but when you look into the astrological checking, the most of those sicknesses, it comes the prediction of the some some harm by Nagas some harm by Nagas. Then by performing some kind of, you know, paying the debts to the Nagas, it it in many cases, it helps also. You know? Many of those sicknesses which cannot cure by doctors, but then by by by paying the debts to the Nagas, the landlords. And also, you know, we we can can cure.
You know? Can cure the moment they they release, you know, after paying the debt of their karma, then, you know, the person can be cured in this many cases like that. So that’s why when you during the fire puja, that maybe you people not notice during the fire puja, you know, even the grains, you know, all the the thing that we burn into fire puja is grains and and kusha grass and long life grass. Before burning, the a novice monk or novice nun if possible, best is novice monk. If not, at least a lay person, not a fully ordained monk.
You have to light two sticks of incense and wave a fork over the grains. So so so that is one of the symbolism of, you know, to you know, through the vajra master has to perform the ritual of taking permission to to own by you or those those substance. You you you will not earn just by paying money. You you have to earn coming. Comingly, you have to own it.
You know? So that have to consume by fire burning, isn’t it? Consume by fire. So so before before doing this, have to do that. And even even even before that, we have to even to use the fire mandala place.
We have to do the groundbreaking or or or asking permission to the landlord. We have to do a certain ritual, certain prayers, you know, before to the fire. So all this is a symbolism of, you know, how importance we have to we have to respect those beings. In other words, receive harm. So so so so like that.
So and that if you practice two awakening minds, then you you will not be able to see Naga’s harms. So that’s what he is trying to say. If you practice two awakening minds, then I wanna be protected, you know, receiving harm from Naga’s landlords. And whatever karma that we have in the past in relation harming Nagas, then it will help to purify. Everyone happy as as best as possible.
If you practice your awakening mind, everything everything, including yourself, you know, it would be happy as best as possible. You know? You’ll be you’ll be very happy. So when when your last breath approach when your last breath approach, you will experience the beginning of true happiness. When you then then I you know, after striving, you know, great practice of true happiness in mind, you know, and when the death comes when the death comes, you know, the the one of the supreme, the great serious practitioner, the successful practitioner will will will begin to have a great joy.
You know? Like, you know, it’s unbelievable great joy to, you know, the the is looking forward for the the experience of the death. Because you are so confident due to the practice of two awakening minds, your next rebirth will be definitely either enlightened or either in pure land or either in higher rebirth. You’re so confident. You’re confident in our practice, our level of practice, you can able to obtain by actualizing the practice of two awakening minds.
You know? When you adopt these two practices in our day to day life, then we start to gain some kind of, you know, happy and great great contentment and great happiness, Present moment. And if if anything goes wrong with you, your your health, it’s suddenly unexpected sickness come to your your your health. You know? Instead of you worry, instead of you get fear, you get upset, rather you feel great joy.
You know? It’s almost like because of the sickness, you are one step nearer to a fresh, new, or rebuild. You know? You know? You see, are you are so happy that you are one step, you know, nearer to the to to to a wonderful rebound because because this body is already old already not functioning.
So, you know, you are you are so delighted to take a better better rebirth. See, better rebirth. When when you are confident in two awakening minds, practice of two awakening minds, then you are confident in your rebirth. Once you are once you actualize the the sudden realization of two awakening minds, then you you are qualified to choose your own rebirth. You’re qualified to choose your own rebirth.
So that’s why, you know, it comes about the Buddhist lovers, you know, choose their rebirth, you know, choose their reincarnations according with their wish. You know, they can choose their parents. They can choose their rebirth like that. You see? So so here, what you call it?
So you see. So then the physical sickness, it become more intense, and your mind become more joyful. You know? More and more intense, more and more joyful. But that only can possible if you practice two awakening minds.
Otherwise, how can we be more and more happy? Your sickness get worse and worse. It’s impossible. You know? But if you adopt this two awakening minds, it’s definitely gonna happen.
Impossible. Then, you know, less and less appear. So in in in your life, no problem. Your mind is, like, totally like peace and kind of flat. Peace, but good.
When more problem come into your life, you become more joy when you adopt these two practices. When more problem falls into you, you become more joy, more in your life. More joy, not because of that you can conflict with other. You know, the more joy is more joy is to cleanse the past karma. More joy because of that you can able to take that adversity experience as an opportunity to to to to practice the Tonglen, the taking and giving practice.
To take all others’ problems, all others’ adversities into your own problems. You see? And that helps to strengthen that help to strengthen your your two awakening minds again. You know? So so so like that.
So at least by you know, even how poor practitioner of two awakening minds is. But still, at the end of the day, that you can at least would not fear for that. You know, how poor once you meet this once you meet this Dharma, once you meet mind training teaching, once you once you once you start to practice the two awakening minds, live a life with two awakening minds in your mind, even how poor, how bad practitioner you can be you are. But when things go wrong, you at least you will not fear. You know, you at least have a a protection from fear.
Even death comes, you won’t fear to face the death. So then Then you will I would say true happiness. And then you will turn your back on misery and trouble for light to light and from joy to joy. You know, you will turn back to the misery. It means you will turn back.
You will ever close the door of saṃsāra. You will ever close the door of, you know, taking rebirth taking rebirth, taking a reincarnation by force of karma and delusion. One will be completely closed that misery. It means one will close the door to saṃsāra. You know?
Then one will travel joy to joy, light to light, joy to joy. You know? Here, it’s regarding about, you know, how worse practitioner you can be of this two awakening minds. You at least will obtain precious human rebirth. Next slide.
Then from there, you will continue to meet the same Dharma, and you will start to upgrade the Dharma of this practice. Then you will take rebirth as a even you cannot obtain enlightenment, but you were at least born into, you know, pure realms. You know? And then or you will take you will actualize, you know, certain labels of the grounds and paths. And, eventually, then you will be enlightened.
So that’s that’s we’re saying. The from light to light and joy to joy. The effect or benefit of so here’s the the effect or the benefit of this spiritual practice are presented in the following. So that’s that’s the that comes about the conclusion of the the twenty-second precept of the mind mind training teaching.
The twenty two precept of the mind training teaching, which is transform every event into a part of enlightenment. So that one you regard as the the last precept, the twenty two twenty two precept. So three through through this what? Pro proliferation. Through this proliferation of the five degenerations through this proliferation of the five degenerations, transform every event into the path of enlightenment.
Transform every event into the path of enlightenment. So, again, it’s extremely important. You know? The first striving the two awakening minds to our day to day life. Then now, the twenty-second precept is to actualize every single event into the path of enlightenment.
You know? And that conclude that in fact concludes the entire Lojong teaching, entire Seven-Point mind training teaching, which is to transform entire adversity, entire adversities into a path. So it’s it’s we there’s so many words, you know, came in the earlier page about transforming adversity into a path. So here, the conclusion transform every single event into the path of enlightenment. So generally speaking, the teachings of the Buddha Śākyamūni Śākyamūni emerged during an an era when the five degenerations were on on the rise.
In particular, it has emerged during this present age, the era of the last five-hundred-year cycle, when the degenerations are even more severe than the five degenerationss. So they we we here, we have to know what are the five degenerations. Yeah. Five degenerations are the because degeneration of lifespan. First one is degeneration of lifespan.
Then second one is the degeneration of views view, our way of thinking, view. Then the third one is the degeneration of delusion. Know? Delusion is established, degenerated, but then the, you know, delusion is established in the category category of degeneration. The delusion what we have today’s time is more degenerated.
Then after that is the degeneration of person or the being. Person or the being. Fourth one is the degeneration of person. Then the fifth one is the degeneration of time. You know?
So here, degeneration of lifespan in during the, what’s it, two thousand six hundred years ago, during Buddhist time, the fortunate era fortunate fortunate time, you know, the practitioners can live even five thousand years. You know, five thousand years. Can live for even five five five thousand years. You know, solely dedicate their their life into practice. And even for the five thousand years, they within that period, they actualize three countless years of merit and actualize the enlightenment.
So today’s time, from five thousand years, degenerate up to hundred year. So today’s time, the maximum, majority, almost most people, you know, live only after hundred, you know, or, you know, die below, you know, before reaching hundreds. So in fact, Śākyamūni Buddha showed the Parinirvana age of eighty. You know? That shows the the during our time now during our time now, when the the the sign of the five degeneration is one of the sign is when the human beings face their death around the age of eighty, like sixty, seventy, eighty.
You know, the majority is like if you live above eighty means you are very long lived, you know, long lived. You see? So so there’s so Buddhist Buddha himself, you know, show the the deeds of the passing at the age of eighty is it has a reason. It has a reason. So then was it eighty?
Then now it’s eighty. Then during this period, it’s already regarded the degenerate the five degenerations five degenerations, and and there’s most intense five degenerations. And it will go even it will go even more intense than now, which is at a time of the lifespan is about age of ten. It has been the maximum and the maximum lifespan of human being will be around ten years old. And height during Buddha’s time, you know, Buddha’s time is very, very tall, very big big big big height.
So then it’s getting smaller and smaller and smaller like me. You know? Smaller. Smaller. Smaller.
Smaller. Smaller. Smaller. Smaller. Smaller.
Smaller. Smaller. So then then when when the most most degenerated time, there’ll be the size of, like, about, let’s say, almost like a Himalayas. Like, about six years old boy. In the western country, in your country, you know, six year old son are very big.
But in most of Himalayas, my my type, maybe because of nutrition or whatever, the the climate. We we six years old, we are really little. It’s, like, about one one foot. Slightly bigger than one foot. You can see now, you know, am, you know, very, very, very short.
You see? So this it will be, like, that much short, about one one foot. Slightly bigger than one foot. You know? The ish is about ten years old.
The longest, you know, is about ten years old. And that is called at that time, we call the Buddha-Dharma in the era of signs. Sign? Sign. Is sacral rock, the sanghas.
Whether the Dharma is still alive or not is is whether the Sangha community is still alive or not. Whether the Sangha community is still alive or not, whether there is, you know, the there’s so many cuts. It’s saffron robes. There’s so many many cuts. It’s all the each cuts is symbolism of the two hundred and fifty three vows.
You know, it’s a meaning of two hundred and fifty three vows. So during that period during that period, called. During that period, then, you know, this this side of dharma is only, like like like like one small piece of saffron robe. You even no opportunity to see a full saffron rose. You know?
Even even you can able to see one color of small piece of saffron cloth is already regarded. There is a you know, it’s still there’s a sign of dharma. It’s still the same thing. There. Like like that.
So so compared to them, we are very fortunate. We have many, many sets. And almost now in Nepal, India, you know, most of the shops, South India, in Mysore The the tailors all know how to make hundreds of inches. But there is a time that we can even find the color of the saffron color in a small color. Then view in during during during the, you know, you know, whoever meet Buddha whoever meet Buddha Dharma, whoever meet Buddha Śākyamūni Buddha, But today’s time, five degenerations time, you know, majority people who who know Dharma, who meet Dharma, misunderstand.
You know, it did put it wrong. You know? You know, like, there’s so many so many beings, so many human being in this world. When they say Buddha, they say devil. When they say Buddha statue, you know, they say it’s a devil statue.
There’s so many. It’s much more than those people who already pray for Buddha, who admire Buddha statue. There’s a large number of people. They have wrong view. Buddha statue is a devil statue.
He’s saying, the one of the five degeneration and the degeneration of view. So degenerated. Even Buddhist practitioner, you know, when we when we when we first we have a a small Kuan Yin statue, when we first made Dharma. Very small one. Maybe past plastic or porcelain or whatever.
Then after you sold golden Kuan Yin statue, then you throw the small, you know, the the Kuan Yin into rubbish or you give away to people and say, oh, this I don’t need. No. I have a golden one. You know, I have a golden very beautiful. Okay.
So even that also, you know, it’s a wrong view. You know, it’s a wrong view. Degenerated. You know? During Buddhist time, even like a nail size, even the broken, you know, the the the image of Buddha, you know, always put on your crown.
You know? Put on your crown and see see see no difference as a Buddha himself life like that. No. Something like that. So so then we differentiate.
When we have Tārā statue, when we have Tārā statue, first, we check it with the Buddha statue. So after that, you see very beautiful Tārā statue, then you you start to forget about Śākyamūni Buddha statue. You know? And slowly, you you usually, in your temple, you will never see Śākyamūni Buddha statue. Without him, none of the other Buddhas will will actualize in this world.
Because of Śākyamūni Buddha, the rest of the ten direction Buddhas, you know, to whom that we can make connection, you know, to whom that you can make connection. You see? Yeah. So so like that. And, you know, as a as a Hīnayāna practitioner, instead of, like, you know, generating generating faith and inspiration in Mahāyāna teachings, you know, Mayanic Tantrayāna teachings, will be criticized.
If if they dare to say it is not a Buddha’s teaching, you know, so it’s a the lack of knowledge in the whole area of Buddhist teaching, then criticize. Mahāyāna teaching is nonexistent. Mahāyāna Tantrayāna is nonexistent. Or you’ve been saying that Mahāyāna Tantrayāna is like Hinduism. Okay.
You know? Not a Buddhism. Okay. So it’s lack of your own knowledge and and a pride thing about it, and such a wrong view. You know?
And and today’s time, a lot. Even Buddhist practitioner, a lot like that. And as a Mayanic Buddhist practitioner, lack of knowledge and history of gaining respect and inspiration to Hīnayāna teaching, criticize or even look down, say, Hīnayāna teachings are very low, you know, not necessary to practice. You know? It’s for the lower level practitioners.
It’s not for us. We are higher level practitioners and then so all our own view or all our sign of degeneration. See? So those who who has a even though, you know, there’s the time and, you know, generally, it’s degenerative, but you can be in a in a most fortunate time or fortunate view by seeing every single, you know, the the teachings of the Buddha, eighty-four thousand teachings. Gain respect, show respect, and do adopt as a study, contemplation, and actualize in our one’s day to day life practices.
So that’s how we should overcome being being falling into long wrong view. So the delusion in earlier time, like attachment, hatred, angers are very light. It’s, like, very easy to overcome. You know? It’s not so stubborn.
Now we look our own anger, our own attachment. So stubborn. You know? Unbelievable. How much you try to apply antidote, the the the anger and attachment are even more forceful, more smart smarter.
And then then then the ignorant mind is much more smarter, almost like much more smarter than the wisdom. No. If wisdom says that, oh, things are lack of know, don’t cherish much yourself. You know, look at Śākyamūni Buddha. He cherish other beings that he have enlightened.
Then the deluded mind Be a human way. Take care of yourself. Don’t talk about others. So then the deluded mind immediately comes to advise us. You see?
So until the wisdom mind feel like it’s quite true. You know? Sometime, you know, you know, it is like that. See? So that shows that how degenerate the delusion is.
It means that delusion is so stubborn. It’s very stubborn. You see? And we can experience it, how stubborn our delusions are. So that person, what do call the person or the beings are degenerated.
human beings you know, compared to the past, is so much degenerated. Know? Degenerated in the sense that, you know, what what we call what we call call it? More non non virtuous. You know, we are more you know, we have more non virtuous, like, environment and condition than the virtues of positive conditions and environment to inspire and to practice Dharma.
So much temptations. You know? So much temptations. You know? So much tempteachings, which is which is a food, like, very delicious food for desire attachment.
Even mobile phone, you know, every time. I’m very attached to mobile phone. Mhmm. So I can share my experience. You know?
Every time new model come, I want that. Yeah. One to one to one. Like that is so so much creation of temptation there. You know?
And and and the person is like and there’s so much distracted. There’s so much content. You know? So much content. So much distracted.
You know? You know? You know? Like like like like temple where you can practice. Like, sanghas, number of the sangha, they work in inspire.
You know, the Dharma friends virtuous friends that we we can inspire you is so little compared to the the the non virtuous friends, compared to the non virtuous environment. It’s so little. It’s like a dot. One single dot. You know?
One thing it’s it’s like a the map of Nepal in the in the whole globe. One dot. Like that. Map of Nepal? One dot.
You you search this camera, you can’t find it. That shows how degenerative the persons are. Then the time, you know, time, you know, in a contaminated time. You know? Here, the time is is not about the the clock time.
It’s a time the period that, you know, condemn our five senses. This is the period that this is the period the external environment, you know, totally condense, totally control our five senses. Because of that, it’s regarded so degenerated time. You know? So so so like that.
Five senses. You know? Condemn five senses. So here, in particular, it is it has emerged during this present age. So those five degenerated are emerging now present age, an era of the five hundredth year circle.
So era of the you know, even though it it derived derived derived after Buddha passed away, so five hundred years until now is one of the era. But we now come up to the eight hundred eighty years or you can say hundred years hundred years of lifespan era. When the degenerations are even more severe than the five degenerations due to due to the degeneration itself makes, you know, the the five degeneration within us become more degenerated. Because of this, sentient beings have only afflictions in their thoughts and only negative karma for their actions. So due to that, due to this five degenerated influence, know, we all are overwhelmed with afflictive emotions.
All the time, overwhelmed with delusions. In short, all the time, all overwhelmed with delusions. And in in particularly, we as a within the desire realm, you know, there’s a there’s a form realm, formless realm, desire realm, the three realms. You know? Other than six realms, there’s three different portions of categories.
Desired realm, form renum, formless renum. We are in the desire renum. So our one of the the spontaneous instinct in in the moment we born into this world is is the instinct of desire. You know? We are hungering for the objects of desire.
You know? So those desires instinct are afflict emotions or delusions. Delusions. Due to that afflictive emotion or delusion, what we what we act through our mind, through our intention, through our physical verbal is only negative act, called the negative action. You know?
Negative action is called harmful action, either to you, either to others. So they they relish when others suffer and feel anguish when others are fortunate. So in that kind of manner, we only feel rejoice when others get into trouble. You know, we feel we feel so joy you know, we we feel rejoice and into trouble. If somebody gains something better, fortunate, happy, we we feel jealous.
We we cannot stand. You know? So this is nature in us. Why? Because of we are in desire realm.
We are at least instinct of desire and the afflictive emotion, and we practice seriously the desire. You know? Because we never practice to our awakening mind. Something like that. So so with all this so with all three doors, body, speech, and mind, sentient beings indulge only in the deeds that are harmful to others.
So because of that. And why we have to generate so much compassion to every single living being? Why we have to pray so hard to bless every single living being’s heart? It’s because they are like a you know, all all sentient being in saṃsāra is like a like a crazy, like, you know, the mind went into the same crazy. You know?
You know, they are they are uncontrolled, you know, cannot control in the influence of the desire, you know, the creation of negative karma. So because of that, we are urgent to make prayer. We’re urgent to practice Dharma. We’re urgent to dedicate our merit to bless their mind. Bless sentient beings sentient beings’ mind.
You know? If we go out of this game and to try to rescue, suffering living beings, it’s very difficult. Let’s say even we provide dharma, we regarded one of the very forceful, powerful medicine or or, you know, to cure, you know, from the from the problem and desire, or I say from from from inflicted emotions. You know, even we advertise whole world, you know, only ten, thirty people comes. You know?
That that really shows that by oneself going outside and trying to rescue one by one is impossible. Impossible. But one thing that we can able to do without, you know, the one person’s physical, you know, action of rescuing the suffering being is to make a strong dedication of your practice. Means you yourself practice seriously and make a dedication. The dedication is to bless your mind.
You you have a conviction to pray to Buddha, and then Buddha have omniscient. So you request Buddha to bless everybody being’s everything’s mind. As long as the being’s mind is blessed, they won’t generate afflictive emotion. As long as they don’t generate a afflictive emotion, they will not create negative action, negative karma. As long as there’s no negative karma, no suffering.
You see? So, you know you know know, some you know you know, common commonly, some people say, oh, you just sit there and practice, you know, close to your door and practice there. You should go out and rescue, you know, suffering beings. You know? I would not regard your meditation as a benefiting other.
You know, we we think that. I used to think that also. But then if we think carefully, honestly, even that is necessary. And going out, you know, to rescue one person to one friend, one person also very necessary. But then at the same time, cultivating the the the practice and gaining realization and getting gaining yourself enlightenment itself is one of the biggest benefit that you can ever to offer to free free every single living beings.
You see? So what so some some of you, you don’t want to face one person to one person to rescue them. It’s okay. As long as you practice purely, seriously, and do dedication to bless every single living being’s mind, you are perfectly practicing most extensive level. But then you you you can do that together going out and rescue one by one.
Of course, it’s madness. You know? So so like that. Why I’m saying this? Because there’s a many people have a misconception.
You know? Benefiting to dharma means that you have to go and pull one by one from the suffering. And if you if that’s the way, it is almost like impossible. You know? That is good, but praying and trying your best to at least yourself not to generate negative emotions and always dedicate your practice to other is also very beneficial.
Therefore, an error when harmful sentient beings have gathered. Furthermore, those nonhuman against the admirably positive white force have departed to the pure realm to benefit benefit the Bodhisattvas. So then again, many many great practitioners, you know, face so much obstacle in their practice. So you see so here, if any of you, because of being so serious practitioner, then you face somehow there’s so many obstacle coming into your life, you cannot you cannot feel bad, you cannot lose the confidence. You cannot feel discouraged.
You cannot feel discouraged. As it says here, this verse, when you practice more pure into Dharma, more serious, more dedicated in Dharma, somehow, yes, there is a negative forces which which distract us, which bring obstacle to us. You know? But as a practitioner, we cannot give victory to those obstacles. We have to overcome those obstacles.
The way to overcome is one’s never give up one’s practice. And never giving up one’s practice is the way to overcome. You know? Not fighting there, but just never giving up what you’re doing is the is the way to overcome. You see?
So so many, you know, great enlightenment many great, some of them not enlightened. And when they are engaging in such a serious practice, then some are, you know, to cause sicknesses. You know? You know? You know?
Some even, you know, fall from the clean also happens also happens. Then they depart. But then due to the strength of their practice, even though they cannot sustain in the human realm, then they depart to the pure land. They depart to the pure realm to turn the Dharma over there. So, you know, it happens in many ways.
So as we, as an ordinary practitioner, during our Dharma practice, we cannot expect everything goes smooth. During our Dharma practice, we cannot expect, oh, I practice Dharma, so everything should be smooth. Cannot expect. Cannot expect. We still have a contaminated body.
We still have a contaminated mind. We still have so much negative karma to be purified, so we cannot expect smooth path. You know? But we are on the way to gain the perfection, the smooth path, but we are not perfected yet. So any wrong thing comes into your life, that cannot be the obstacle to give up your practice.
If you give up, you’re giving victory to the negative. Giving victory to the inner Mara, I’m not referring to spirit Mara, referring to the delusion. He then you give victory to delusion. You see? So so for this, you need antidote.
Every day to day, need antidote of inspiration and joyous effort are the antidote. Inspiration is always think of Buddha’s qualities, Think of the the benefit of bodhicitta. Think of, you know, those your your unexpected whoever, Buddha, guru, whoever, their life stories. So very important to read and know about their life story. Through that, one can able to overcome those obstacles such as demons, which is delusion.
Where the strength and force of those who admire the dark side increase. And the death here is very much referring to the the negative negative emotion itself. You know, the moment, you know, you start to discourage because of one small small obstacle coming to your practice, then the negative emotion become happier. You know, the negative mind of your negative side of yourself become much more happy, more relieved. You know?
That’s how the what do call it? Negative the admirer for the dark side become more greater. You know? And those negative emotion, again, you know, attract, you know, the the living negative beings or such like a spirit also. You know?
So so it’s like losing refuge. You know? Once you you lose the faith in refuge, then you are already overwhelmed by the dark side or the or the negative emotion, and that naturally attract the harm givers. And that’s how the, you know, the experience of harm givers harm you. Okay?
So that’s how it happens. Because of this misfortune, like I said, it means because of that, then so many misfortunes comes into your life, and it get worse and worse and worse. So for now, whatever difficulty comes, make sure you never give up. Rather, you want to put more effort. Then again, remember, so important to remember is, you know, to learn, read, or recall about the qualities of the Buddhas, qualities of So much so difficult.
We know. So difficult. But continue. Never give up. We have so much happiness, so much joy, so compassion.
So those those qualities, you know, try to recall. Put some effort to remind yourself. The moment you think of that, your problem is nothing. Your problem is like like, just just just a dream. It’s nothing.
So today, therefore, multitude of the adverse conditions cause all kind of suffering for sentient beings. So now one should think like that. And my my what? Myriad. Myriad obstacles, particularly before those who put the lojong into practice, which is referring to yourself.
So at this at this time, when adverse conditions compare to form a kicker, if you do not train in this special practice, though you may enter other system of practices, you will fail to success in the Dharma practices. So that, you know, when when when difficulties come into your life as a as a, you know, as a mind training practitioner, when any difficulty come, then immediately, instead of applying mind training, immediately go and ask powerful mantra. Know? Suddenly difficult come into your life, instead of applying the two awakening minds, go and rush and ask the powerful mantra or powerful blessing or powerful puja. Here it says wrong.
They say, shouldn’t do like that. No. Rather, you should even make more serious, strengthened the mind training practice into yourself, you know, when such kind of obstacle comes. You know? So that’s the way.
By entering this practice and the striving need, on the other hand, you will transform all adversity condition to factor conducive for the training of the path. So that’s how how how how how how it should be. When adversity comes, well, that is the best opportunity. You know, as mentioned earlier, you know, the good practitioner of my training, when problem comes, you’re more happy. When the problem comes when I you know, I say one story.
Our most respected guru, in Bodh Gaya, we have one center, good institute for past many, many years, maybe about ten years. Know, here all the time I sign as one director. First, I don’t want to name, you know, my brother’s sister. So but I really cannot take it. You know?
There’s one there’s one first, I think first, the wife appoints as a director. It’s almost like appoint somebody to become a, you know, troublemaker. You know, it’s like you appoint somebody, the most troublemaker, as a leader there. So, you know, not only me, but everybody is screamed. Why?
So let him let her continue for, I don’t know, few years. Then after that, the director changes. So then in which we everybody is hoping that we appoint somebody who’s very gentle, you know, very dharma, you know, very happy, you know, like, you know, all the colleges that work in one, you know, he appoint his husband, which is worse. You know? Her husband, you know, put aside her husband.
Do you got in here? Look. Only people who visit there get trouble and get get difficult, but even the cooks, even the sweepers, even the beggars in Bodh Gaya, there’s so many baggers. Even the baggers go near to the center also get bothered. Even the beggars, you know.
So then whatever problem comes, whatever problem comes, we have to inform the person so just dissolve into no no word. Just dissolve into laughter and and and smile to hear all the complaints. And it it happened again. So so it’s a you know, it it has a reason why, you know, the master had to assign such people. Maybe because of that, maybe there’s so many people can able to practice.
Maybe. I don’t know. You know? I don’t know whether it but I think it it or not. So what I’m trying to say is the guru, you know, always have a reason.
You know? So we are wrong to judge wrong to judge this and that. The guru always have a reason, you know, to to any of the assignments and stuff like that. So so anyway, now I cannot connect this story in here, but never mind. So anyway, here what I’m saying, whatever difficulties, you know, come into your life, as a good practitioner, strengthen your understanding.
Then by by strengthening your your bodhicitta emptiness using the difficulty as a as a reason, then that difficulty, that adversity become a path for enlightenment. So that’s how about it. And the answer for the previous question is yes. Difficulty, problems come into your life, take that as a reason. Take that as a reason.
A reason, that problem as a reason to strengthen So in that manner, that adversity, that problem becomes a path to enlightenment. That you know, qualified the twenty second precept, which is called the transform every event into a part of enlightenment. Every event into a part of enlightenment. When you when you have happiness event, of course, you to you should take that as a part to enlightenment. How to take that as a part to enlightenment?
Immediately dedicate. Immediately dedicate. If somebody next to you, you share your happiness to the person. If somebody next to you, sitting next to you, you share. You share the the happiness, which by knowing that that happiness will also bring happiness to other person.
But then if other person don’t want to hear, you keep share, then you’ll be frustrated, so you have to be mindful. Yeah. The dermatitis always have to be mindful also. So by knowing the person next sitting next to you wish to hear the calm message, and he or she will be also enlightened, then you share. Sharing that, by by by the thought of benefiting somebody else, that also it become cause for enlightenment.
If something goes wrong, something comes. Then take that as opportunity to to take as a purification of past negative karma and engage the practice of Tonglen. One of the best ways to engage the practice of Tonglen. You know? By engaging the practice of Tonglen, taking and giving, taking other suffering, giving one’s happiness to other, in both level, happiness and suffering, then that strengthen your bodhicitta.
That strengthen your bodhicitta. That strengthen your awakening mind. Once you strengthen your awakening mind, that, you know, that event turn into a path to enlightenment. As for other benefit, a year’s worth of virtuous activities during the age when the teachings of the Buddha face hostile threat will help accomplish the accumulation better than eons of virtuous activities in the pure realms. So this is one of the message normally, you know, comes through the the guru’s speech.
But also in the teaching here, the course are here. Yeah. Whatever virtue karma, whatever virtue, whatever Dharma practice we do with during the five degenerative time is more forceful, more powerful than the virtue and the merit that you accumulate during the fortunate time. Even the virtues and the virtue and the Dharma practice that you will strive in the pure land compared to the virtue and Dharma that strive in this realm, suffering realm, when there is a practitioner at that time, it’s more forceful. It’s quite difficult to accept, isn’t it?
But that’s the fact. Means, if you generate one single moment of compassion here, is equal value of generating compassion, you know, maybe five thousand years in Pure Land. The benefit, the effect. Is it the effect that what we receive of the practice? One single moment of compassion in this regenerative time, in this southern continent is more powerful than, you know, meditating on compassion.
Five hundred years in in the pure realm, Tuśita or Sukhāvati, whatever. And one moment of merit accumulation and the force of the the the merit and the Dharma is more powerful than during the fortunate time in Buddhist time, fortunate time. You know, it’s more forceful now. More more much more forceful. So so the accumulation of negative karma, also very intense.
Accommodation of virtue, also very intense. Very intense. So if you will strike accumulating negative karma, heavy, very heavy. It’s like all all the the the the the the mission comes, like all the five degenerations from every corner. But you you you strive virtue or the dharma, one also.
It’s the most forceful, you know, most forceful. Because of because of five degenerations time and because of we are in the southern continent, we are not southern we are in southern continent. If we happen to be in northern continent, we don’t have that opportunity. Opportunity because of the southern continent, because of the because of the five degenerations. And another third is because of the warm we are born from what do call it?
From womb. Womb. Womb birth. Because of we are womb birth, because of the southern world, because of we are in a five degenerative era, because of these qualities that whatever virtue virtue dharma that we do become super effective, super forceful. So you see, so so enlightening, You know, how degenerative we are in, but we are still the best.
In the best situation. Best place. Better than Pure Land. It sounds like better than Pure Land, isn’t it? It sounds like better than Pure Land.
It sounds like better than born in the time of Buddha. You know, the teaching sounds like that. And we normally interpret literally. You know, this this this message, interpret literally. We don’t interpret.
We we just accept literally. We don’t interpret. You see? So so so that’s the fact. So here, this verses is talking about that.
Therefore, those capable of training the mind are not vulnerable vulnerable the how to say it? proliferation of the five degeneration and remain contented. If you know how to train the mind, even your body even your even your body, the body of the mind training mind training yogi is known as the source of joy. Means, you know, the mind training our mind itself and the mind training the the the person, you know, the the the physical aggregates are is a citadel of joy, city of happiness. You know, if we know how to how to integrate the mind transformation into our life, given how contaminated we are, how painful we experience, but still we can strike the joy and happiness.
So based using using this body, means using this body, using this life, you can able to strike happiness in immediate level, and you can able to strike the ultimate joy of enlightenment. Just like how Milarepa strived using that contaminated ordinary body, like exactly what we have now. Use that body to to to to use that body, take that body as a city of joy, and actualize the joy. Immediate, while he was not enlightened, he he what do say? He he he practiced the transformation.
He lived in a in a in a in a contentment, peace, joy. Ultimately, he able to actualize enlightenment within one lifetime. So so those those are the examples. The mind training yogis are such as such as, you know, Atisha, all our mind training practitioners, you know, at. Then, you know, during It’s known as the city of the source of joy.
Source of joy for all happiness of this and future life. This is a present present in this this moment. You can gain all the happiness. Ultimately, future joy future joy, future lifetimes is the happiness of enlightenment of self and other. And the happiness of future lifetime is not only for self, it’s also for others.
Why is for others? The nearer the nearer you the nearer you get to the Buddhahood, the nearer your benefit comes to the be. You see? You know? So it’s sort of like that.
You know? The nearer nearer the closer you get to the Buddhahood, the pervasive benefit to the old living being comes, you know, closer. You see? So that’s that’s that’s part. Others comes about on the basis of this very body.
So then, again, this very body is not not much about talking about this flesh body, this very rebirth, which is qualified by being born in the southern continent, born from womb, and the five degenerations, you know, born in a five degenerate era. So strive there therefore, by concentrating all your effort in this endeavor. So, you know, so my understanding is that, then one should put extra effort. Then if you make sure that the teachings are integrate with your mind, that the rule of that the rule of Dharma is established as a firm firmly as a what is that? Steak.
Steak driven to your heart, and that you experience the taste of dharma before long you will attain the perfect state, wherein the complete aims of self and others are accomplished. Thus said the master. To illustrate this point in the definitive formulation, the author himself wrote the following line. So that’s the conclusion. And then we will we will do the next session.
Thank you. It’s a mind great mind training practice of reading English. Thank you.