Audio recorded at Buddha House Adelaide. Transcript auto-generated and AI-corrected; may contain errors.
About this talk. In this 115-minute question-and-answer session from a 1990 Mind Training series, Lama Zopa Rinpoche fields questions from practitioners on bodhicitta, the awakening mind central to Mahāyāna Buddhism. He clarifies the two signs of genuine bodhicitta — an internal inspiration to achieve Buddhahood for others’ sake, and an external physical response of tears and goosebumps when encountering suffering beings. He explores how different practitioners enter the Buddhist path, addresses the relationship between bodhicitta and emptiness realisation, and distinguishes bodhicitta from mere compassion using the example of Mother Teresa. The session moves into detailed instruction on the six causes and seventh result method for cultivating bodhicitta — recognising all beings as one’s mother, remembering their kindness, repaying it, generating love and compassion, developing special responsibility, and ultimately the aspiration itself. Lama Zopa emphasises that the greatest challenge is the first step: seeing every living being with the same affection as one’s dearest mother. He addresses obstacles to Tonglen (sending and taking) practice, explains dedication and purification of merit through the lens of emptiness, and ends with practical guidance on how to sustain inspiration in daily practice through study of exemplary lives and remembrance of the qualities of enlightened beings.
File metadata (for organising)
File: 27 Lojong QA.mp3
UUID: 6f05cbc7-06f7-4910-ae3d-123542dcd805
Teacher: Lama Zopa Rinpoche 3
Collection: Mind Training (Lama Zopa Rinpoche 3)
Date: 1990 (exact day not recorded)
Recorded at: Buddha House Adelaide
Duration: 115.3 minutes
Words: ~10,155
So so today’s session, and there’s one another session, you know, on on the. One is on bodhicitta, one is on emptiness, Then tomorrow morning for meditation teachings. You know? So in fact, these three different teachings can able to cover entire aspect of your studies in Lamrim, Lojong, meditation teachings, and general secular topics, you know, which which include these three topics. So if you have any questions to your past understandings or classes that you’re unable to either you you you understand so well until you wish to, you know, ex explore even deeper or even even though you wish to, you know, see whether you can go even deeper than that or not.
You know? Or a certain certain area that you are not not sure, then this is the time that we have to conclude and finalize, you know, make a very make a very steady, firm, you know, understanding of those those areas, those teachings. So, you know, you feel free to ask. You just feel free to ask, and you don’t have to we don’t have to worry about, you know, the proper way of asking right word to ask, you don’t have to worry at all. As long as you have a doubt or as long as you wish to you wish to or maybe you you want to ask question that because you want to share with other what you understand.
You know, you want to ask a question because it’s not because you don’t understand, not because of you you you don’t understand. It’s because you wish to share with other. You know, you wish to share your thoughts with other. You know? And maybe in our case, your case could be that is the most appropriate reason because you might understand already.
You you know, already very good, but then you wish to share your understanding with others. So in that and many reasons, just feel free to ask, you know, so that we can have a very comfortable complete concluding Q&A. You know? Like that. Okay?
Okay. So we’d like to start. Anybody would like to start? The topic is on bodhicitta. Yeah.
But, of course, that involve just the idea that it involves, you know, all the like like, involve compassion, loving kindness, you know, six perfections, you know, Tonglen practices. You know? So all those subjects are actually actually within the bodhicitta subjects. So so not necessarily must mention all the time bodhicitta bodhicitta. You you can you can use another words in your life.
Okay? Well, that’s the question then. Okay. Yeah. If no question, then we go for a tea party.
Okay. Okay. They offer victory to others based on the Buddhadharma. It’s referring to if anything, it is a virtue of others’ deeds in relation to hurting your ego, then in that sense, then you should offer victory to others because because it’s not right to offer victory to your ego. You all have sent it reasons.
You know? But then if others, you know, are negative, harmful, and that action in relation to you, that’s not supposed to offer victory. You rather should protect by not offering victory of, you know, others to continue the negative actions. Means that you must what do you call the you must I think we don’t use the word confront, isn’t it? We must fight to eliminate the non-virtuous or negative act of the others, which is in relation to you, you know, instead of giving victory, but rather stand up, you know, rather stand up.
So I can say it’s a it’s a giving victory is based on others’ conduct on a virtue basis. Oh, In Lojong’s context in relation to what you say, in Lojong concern is something that which is to be abandoned as a spiritual practice. And anything is in relation to that, then anything that what do call? How to say? I don’t know how to say.
Anything against the worldly concern in relation to your aspect, then in that case, then you should offer victory to others. Yeah. Like that. Yeah. Yeah.
Because a a a mundane concern is supposed to be abandoned. Yeah. It’s a it’s a it’s a it’s a nondharma. So we and here, it means that we should offer Based on dharma, we should offer victory to the dharma. Based based on virtue and non virtue, we should offer victory to virtues.
Or in another way another word called the Ornament of Clear Realization, stated that there’s a two two sign of that one have actualized bodhicitta. One is external sign. One is the internal sign. The external sign is like without, you know, reasoning the object of the compassion or the object object of the bodhicitta, you you you instinct spontaneously, you know, gaining mentally, like, gaining, like, inspiration to to actualize Buddhahood for the benefit of liberating others or others from suffering. And and, you know, that that kind of inspiration remain within men within one’s mental continuum, you know, without any kind of degeneration.
They live at this spontaneous level. So that’s the internal sign. External sign is, you know, It’s all the time, you know, when you when you meet the object of bodhicitta and compassion, such as the the six realm beings and every single labels of beings within six realm with the six realm. You know, whenever you see them, remember them, you know, think of them, any action in relation to them, you know, Like, you all the time have a naturally fall of tear, you know, and the external goosebump will naturally stand up. So that kind of experiences is a is a it’s external physical sign.
Like, when you even when you watch, you know, like, the the the movie, you know, natural national, like, national geography, you know, even though you know it’s just a movie there, you know, maybe whatever whatever, but the moment you see is, like, a killings and, you know, harming anymore. It’s like you you know, it goes on to just nature. Tear naturally falls. You know? But that is sustainable and become spontaneous, you know, and that in relation to stranger, loved one, and the enemy.
Equally, we have the kind of sense or physical sense to others, then there is the external sign of the bodhicitta, the object bodhicitta. So this is according with the the the the text. Yeah. Internal sign is, the inspiration to actualize Buddhahood, you know, the the genuine spontaneous without reasoning, the spontaneous expression of inspiration to become Buddha for the benefit of all living beings. Yes.
So you you got the question. Yeah? The I’d say it’s yes. So in what do you call it? Enter into Buddhist level path.
So there’s a few different approach. One One type of practitioner enter into Buddhist path directly from the very first time develop compassion, bodhicitta, then gain the aspiring bodhicitta when they enter into So then for for that for for for that case, this practitioner, until he or she obtain path of seeing, he or she is Buddhist Bodhisattva, but is but not obtained that realization of emptiness. Still a Bodhisattva. Has genuine bodhicitta, but no emptiness realization. There’s another type of disciples or or students who who enter the Hīnayāna path first and who obtain the Hīnayāna path of seeing, which is seeing or realizing emptiness directly.
Then, eventually, you know, you know, they they enter into the Mahāyāna path, Bodhisattva path. And when they first enter into a path of accumulation of bodhisattvahood, so that’s the time that the practitioner has the realization both in emptiness and and bodhicitta. You know? bodhicitta like that. So then there is another type of students enter directly into Buddhist path, obtain bodhicitta, not yet obtained emptiness, but then during the path of accumulation, they degenerate their Bodhisattva vow and they fall into a hinayana path.
And they start from the the accumulation of Hīnayāna path. Then eventually, you know, they obtain the emptiness realization. They are not Bodhisattva, but they are practitioner who has direct realization on emptiness. So there’s about three, four categories. Right.
Think. Yeah. Yeah. Because it could be. Yeah.
Because I don’t know which label is, but her act is is like a bodhisattva act. You know? No. No. Yeah.
So in order to actualize enlightenment, you need to actualize direct realization, both bodhicitta and emptiness. But Mother Teresa has I think act is like, what’s it? You know, one way is that she really practice selflessness, you know, show the act of selflessness. And maybe who knows? Maybe she have obtained a direct realization of emptiness.
Then her activities of benefiting others, those needed one, you know, is also is is a act of compassion. That only qualified to be bodhicitta, which is extraordinary than compassion. So the compassion is, you know, such as great compassion, you without the true inspiration to become Buddha, but have the have the inspiration of liberating every single living beings from suffering. So, you know, so might have great compassion, but then having great compassion, not necessary to become Bodhisattva. You know, not necessary Bodhisattva.
But as far as concerned with Bodhisattva to become Bodhisattva, you need bodhicitta. But in order to have the bodhicitta, you need to have the conviction that there is enlightenment. And your first inspiration is yourself, your inspire to become Buddha. Then the second inspiration is the purpose of becoming Buddha is to to to enlighten the rest of the living beings in the state of Buddhahood. So in order to have that, first, you must establish enlightenment.
It’s it’s definitely existing. So you can see in many of the Christian practitioners, you know, the expression of compassion is unbelievable. You know? And you can say they do have compassion. But whether they are bodhisattva or not, whether they are conducting that those act based on bodhicitta or not is whether they believe in in in enlightenment or not, whether they have the conviction in enlightenment or not.
So if they have the conviction in enlightenment And you can say the the what you call the and most you know, normally, in the common language, you respect those who have a big heart, isn’t it? You know? So the bodhicitta is a is a is a mind. This is a is one of the biggest heart that that, you know, the the the biggest inspiration. You can also say the the highest altruistic mind, altruistic attitude.
You know, Buddhism, whether you want whether you know the term or not, it’s all about, you know, the one of the biggest heart, which cover not only loved one, but also cover strangers, you know, enemies, and not only human being, but also it cover, you know, the rest of the living beings, including, you know, insect creatures, germs, worms, whatever. You know? So it’s far more greater than than ordinary compassion. And and even greater than, you know, the great compassion. The Bodhicitta means is, you know, even greater than the great compassion, you know, which which is ultimately wishing to to to actualize the the highest freedom from the entire aspect of suffering.
And taking by yourself alone, taking full responsibility to to to to actualize that project. And and those people are called as Bodhisattva. It’s taking, like, by yourself alone, you know, without any reliance. By yourself alone, taking the full responsibility to give, you know, the ultimate protection, which is referring to Buddhahood. You know?
Giving ultimate protection to the living being without any bias, whether it’s loved one or enemy or stranger. So so that that kind of people who has that kind of mind called. But in another way, you don’t have to use the word, but you can give them this kind of contact. And I can say people will be happy to hear, you know, there’s such a big hearted living beings are there. Yeah.
So any suggestion from your side? This, I think, my my suggestion. Yeah. So it’s a it’s it’s a very interesting question or good question. Normally, hardly we raise the question.
This question hardly raised. So there’s a there’s a certain, you know, realization. It continues to the next week. But a certain realization or inspiration or practice doesn’t continue to the next week, next next next month. Such as bodhicitta, yes, it continue after the next rebirth.
But bodhicitta vow does not continue after next rebirth. Say, know, the extent is up to the the lifespan. When the death comes, all those vows just naturally cease. You know? So so next time when you take another precious human rebirth, you need to take the vow again, you need to retake the vow.
But then the bodhicitta, the inspiration, the bodhicitta, the mind, yes, it remain in your mental continuum. And once you take the imprint again. From there, again, you can develop continue to develop. So similar to refuge vow, you know, tantric vows, initiation vows, everything that the extent is up to the life the life lifespan. So all the vows are actually just for one lifespan, you know, up to one lifespan.
Yeah. The the Vows is a constant recognition of the precept. The inspirational bodhicitta instinct lies as imprint within one’s mental continuum. So at the subtle imprint level, it does not stop.
There’s no recognition. You know, when the when the when the the consciousness, you know, the gross consciousness sees, you know, everything goes to a inference level. And the vows, when we take the vows first time, it’s the gross consciousness is the one that acceptance for the vows. The moment that you do you are not alert, it it it’s not necessarily break, but it just cease. So that’s why in our day to day life, you know, it’s quite quite what’s it?
If you really want to pack if we really want to practice seriously, purely, actually, we have to be aware of the vow for twenty four hours. And every single moment, we have to we have to be the mentally recognize the precept. You know? The moment we lose the recognition of the precept, which we test the time actually lose the vows. We we lose it about.
So but we are trying our best. Even those who reach part of the preparatory part of preparation, the the there’s a four stage. When you reach the the third stage, the preparation of patience, then your body should also want to generate. Your body your body should want to generate. But until you you know, even you obtain that part of preparation and path of accumulation, if you are not realized directly and you are there is still a danger of influence by karma.
So that’s why even though those ordinary Buddhist are those who are in path of accumulation and those who are before part of preparations, third stage, which is a patient, you you you might need to come back to this world by the force of karma. So so the so the so therefore, the ultimate protection to not to, you know, drag us by the force of karma to this cyclic suffering world is to realize emptiness directly. So that is that gain that gain a firm protection. But once you get then the the question might ask, then how about those who are still not realize emptiness directly or who are still ordinary Buddhist type of who are still in a path of preparation who reach the third stage. But they have they they they have not realized emptiness directly, but they are protected falling into saṃsāra by force or karma.
Why? The thing is when they reach the path of preparation, in the third stage, they their their realization and emptiness is like a like a like a like what was it just let’s say, it’s a it’s a so intense. It’s almost like it’s a direct realization. Not yet, but it’s almost like direct realization. So the firmness of the concentration on emptiness, the firmness of the the genuine, you know, the understanding of emptiness is, like, almost like direct realization almost like direct realization, and the concentration is so stable.
And there’s in in in any case, there won’t be any kind of interruption for them to realize and then it’s directly to actualize the path of seeing. So because of that, they’re still protected. Once you reach patient part of preparation, you’re already protected not to fall into saṃsāra by the force of karma because of that reason. So that’s why we we we say the protection is must be realized immediately, not necessary. Okay.
So sometimes falls like prayer wheel, but sometimes like a ḍamaru also. So this is the card continuum continuum. Possible to actually play in reverse on this. The continuum continuum plays in reverse. One is fine.
Instead of that one direction. The consistent is based on you’re talking about just the conscious nature of the consciousness follow, or you’re talking about the imprints? The the moment second moment of consciousness arise, the first moment is already sees. It come to the second moment. When the second moment when the third moment comes, the second moment sees, then moment actually.
So it’s like it’s like a consistent, you know, without any even a short break for a moment. So it runs like that. So I think, like a like a automatic prayer wheel runs for twenty four hours. So not ready like tomorrow. Yes.
Yeah. In imprint, you know, in many many ways, imprint can be totally covered. We’ll never never we we we know, hardly actualize, hardly expose. You know, maybe cover for three countless years. The karma will never be exposed or ripen in a result and leaving the imprint hidden.
You know? And the sudden karma about to manifest, but then again influenced by another forceful karma coming in print, then again it go back hiding. You know? So so so the continuum of the consciousness is very heavy load with is abundance of imprints, negative karma, virtue karma, then a neutral karma imprints. You know?
Then in in another word, we have karma of every single, you know, the existing of past, present, and future. We have karma. All the causes after actualizing enlightenment, we have already planted a seed in our consciousness. We have also actualized the karma to go to the lowest hell and suffer therefore countless years, even that karma also already planted as a seed in our mental continuum. The only matter is whether to actualize or not is depending on the the conditional cause.
You know? So the conditional cause is applied purification to clear all those karma to born into the three lower realms, suffering realms, and actualize conditional cause of merits to to to actualize enlightenment, which is actually helping the the root imprint to to manifest into a result. So so in our day to day life, we are doing that. We are helping the karma, you know, the good karma to ripen, negative karma to be ceased, wash out. So that’s why purification and the accumulation of merit the two key thing involved in our life, special practice.
Oh, yes. Yes. Effect create a cause. Effect naturally create a cause. It’s a it’s a Yeah.
Same contract. At the same yeah. In the same transaction, it experienced the result of the previous cause, at the same time, create the cause for the the next or you know, a cause for the next experiences. No. No.
No. No simultaneous experience of cause and result together. In different in different factor, cause and result can experience same simultaneously. But the cause itself and the result itself, simultaneously, one moment cannot experience. You have to be separate more separate moments.
Yeah. Okay. Oh, I see. I see. Oh, that is the inspiration is a result of result of the the the future Maitreya.
I don’t know, future Maitreya. But the inspiration the the future Maitreya actualized before than the inspiration. So that’s why it’s not simultaneously. And that one also, we cannot say back and forth. We also cannot say like that because in the in the in the actualizing the time of cause and effect within our mental continuum or within our experiences, the cause are still before than the result.
Because the coming of Maitreya to actualize in this world is already prophesied long time. Yeah. And now, today, we start to believe that such thing. We try to create any comp any any any any any of karma for you to meet Maitreya. Yeah.
But the the thought of, you know, the thinking of future Maitreya is already before then the actualizing the inspiration maybe now or later. Okay. I said no. There’s no such thing. But you give me example.
Simultaneously. You know? That arises from producing Yeah. The two different area, two different factor cause and result can experience simultaneously. One moment.
But based on one one based on one circumstance, one event, the cause and result cannot experience simultaneously one time. There’s no simultaneous. Okay. Okay. All the best.
She will, but she’s not yet. She will become a doctor. No. She will become a doctor. So Yeah.
No. We recognize her today. Oh, recognize her today, but not valid. Not yet doctor. She’s going to become doctor.
Let’s not talk with the expiration. Help with expiration, but then that doesn’t prove that cause and condition can experience in one moment, same time, simultaneously. Oh, okay. But Also, it doesn’t it doesn’t show any reverse. It doesn’t yeah.
So you give me a more clearer example for that. I still still didn’t didn’t convince. Because that one, we don’t call is a result of the result which is not actualized yet. It is a result of your inspiration, and the inspiration is actually before then. I don’t know what is that.
Think you’re not convinced enough. Maybe I didn’t understand. I’m still not convinced. I don’t know. I also don’t convince what I’m saying.
I also not convinced what you are saying. So can you give me a few more points? Yeah. But maybe maybe you’re talking about in the in the in the mental level, not necessarily physically actualized, but mental level, imprint level, you kind of see the result is actually before then the cause. Based on the mental level.
Label. Based on projection. Based on projection. Even though so that’s why we have established here. Even in the projection label, the result always come after.
But are are we convinced then? I somehow it’s still something cloudy here. Know it’s it’s definitely the result have to be after, but now it’s, like, a bit cloudy. Also cloudy. Let’s let’s say just now you say, like, to become a doctor.
You know? You admire someone becoming a doctor, so you wish to become a doctor. Yeah. You wish to become a doctor. Yeah.
You wish to become a doctor. So so the inspiration to become an inspiration is the result of that you become a doctor. You’re going to become a doctor. But the the the it’s not a result of that you are already a doctor. It’s a result of just inspiration.
It’s totally just an inspiration. The inspiration actually came before then now Yeah. Also, not or they created for a long time. Yeah. Also happens.
Yeah. The inspiration, I can inspiration, we can take as a conditional cause and the karma as a base cause. So, you know, base cause. So I think both maybe it come you know, it help each other to actualize the result. Yeah.
But the karma has a has a quality to be changed also. So for that, you need a conditional kind of causes, which can be an inspiration. Like, you say, or, you know, like, whatever whatever you want to become. You need a sense of inspirational kind of support, which help you to achieve your goal, As long as as long as you have the right motivation, then you just read through or just repeat again and again. And that itself, you know, accommodate so much and bring about so much purification and fulfill the purpose of the Dharma.
There is also but but that is very limit. That is only, like, few occasions. Only only very limit area in Buddhism, you know, get benefit from that might from that. But then the rest of the Buddhadharma, we need to have a genuine initially, we have a genuine understanding of the benefit, the purpose. Then we have to bring about genuine inspiration.
You know, we call right motivation. Genuine inspiration. Right inspiration. Motivation. Genuine inspiration.
Right inspiration. So once you have the right inspiration, genuine inspiration, that will help you not just prioritize the recitation, rather you will put full heart into the practice. Once you put a full hearted practice, you will accomplish the full purpose of the activities into the practice. And once you complete proper motivation at the beginning, proper during the practices, then you’ll be able to have sources to be able to dedicate for the purpose again what you are motivated. So that brings about the complete karma of what you are what you are practicing.
And, otherwise, even though you have so good motivation, but then you didn’t inspire to boost, you know, like, so much instant inspiration while practicing, the karma is not hundred percent complete. You know? And if you don’t dedicate, of course, hundred percent complete. Or no motivation, but then suddenly, you just have so much heart to do the recitation or practices or meditation. Again, come on.
So it is necessary the three thing must come together, whatever practice you do. Initial. As you said, inspiration is necessary. But how to gain inspiration, you need to learn about the benefit, the qualification, the qualities of the the the practice and the benefit of the practice. That will only bring about inspiration.
So then again, from the sixth perfection, you need to have a joyous effort. A joyous effort only comes when you know the benefit of the practice. When you don’t know the benefit of the practice, then you just take as a kind of like a general discipline. I must complete seven, seven hours, seven, seven pages. But then you don’t have a kind of like like like a continuum instinct inspiration.
Your prayers, your practices, your meditation to be most forceful, you need a constant inspiration. It’s constant, you know, inspiration. You feel like so much respect, faith, you know, joy, you know, like constant joy in your heart. You know? You know, word by word when you’re reading whether you understand or not, but there’s a constant joy.
You know? And and and, you know, you don’t feel like finishing it. You don’t want to finish. You want to continue. If you complete a hundred thousand, you feel like doing another hundred thousand.
When you when you complete the second hundred thousand of the practice, you feel like you want to you want to top up maybe double, triple because of the inspiration. So that’s how that bring you, you know, so fast close to the Buddhahood. But I think that that is like a daily commitment. It’s more like a ruling ruled by somebody else, accept those commitments. So in that case, there’s a real danger of creating negative karma rather than creating merit.
You feel you have a wrong thinking, wrong perception of dharmatized disease is negative karma. When you have you have a beauty in Dharma practice, negative karma, heavy negative karma. You start to neglect abandon Dharma, heavy negative karma. And then so it’s all this because of no inspiration. Then your practice will become inconsistent Inconsistent because of no inspiration.
No inspiration. One will gain consistent practice in Dharma by knowing the benefit of the Dharma practice. When you look at, like, such as Vajrasattva mantra, when you before reading Vajrasattva mantra, you just, you know, read the the benefit. When you read the benefit, you feel like the entire rest of your life, you will only just recite the Vajrasattva mantra and don’t do anything else. But then eventually, you don’t remember the benefit.
You start to lose interest, and you feel tired. You you feel like giving up. You know, the most important inspiration. So that’s why the the great, you know, masters, they advise us, do meditate more even like when you’re doing recitation. You know, until you get physically tired, you meditate.
Meditate means meditate of the benefits. Try to exercise more inspiration. Then as ordinary body physically get tired, then only you recite the mantra. But in in our ways, recite the mantra, like a machine, machine, like that. Then when we get tired, then we feel, like, relaxed.
So take meditation as a relaxation. Then give up. Then say again. Then halfway it happened there, then you say, okay. The half of the prayer, I will do tomorrow.
Then when tomorrow when you wake up, busy start, They say, never mind tonight. And tonight, come back from work, too tired. Never mind tomorrow. So that’s how it goes. And then at the end, you’ll gain prostrations, upset, and so on.
So you need so it basically needs so much inspiration, so much inspiration. So that’s why it’s very good to, you know, read the and Buddha’s life stories. Buddhist especially Buddha Bodhisattvas and great, you know, Mahasiddhas, life stories. And Buddhas, Buddhist helpers, and holy, you know, beings, qualities, recall, you know, recall their qualities and remind all the good incident that you have established in relation to your gurus. You know?
So try to read those and try to think of those again and again until it become part of your thought, part of your mind. And whatever practice you do, you know, like, those holy beings and their quality, like, traveling around your forehead. Like like like, you know, like those inspirational kind of examples are, like, while you’re meditating, they are traveling here. Like like like like, we can see to inspire us. The thought naturally in between comes.
So that makes your practice more strong and more more more inspiring. So otherwise, if we just base on our own wisdom, based on our own, you know, understanding of the Dharma, and based on our own natural effort, most likely we will give up the practice and and or it become very inconsistent and and and eventually, there’s a danger of giving up. So we need a lot of whether your life is smooth or not smooth, you know, you all the time enjoy Dharma practice, and you will all the time wish to take the Dharma practice as one of the dearest companion, you know, to you know, to you know, to console you, comfort you, you know, be, you know, be everything for you. So then that’s the day is at the sign that you are good practitioner. Yeah.
It’s like are well well well practicing practitioner. Yeah. Yeah. You know, so in order to success in those those, you know, very challenging meditations or practices, is the first is good to have a very stable and well understanding of karma. Your karma is very helpful.
Once you understand the karma, then you naturally, you know, won’t blame or see that person as your enemy. It’s all reflection of your karma, all result of your karma. You know, if if I didn’t create a cause, there won’t be such enemy outside there. You know? So because of understanding karma, just this much symbol, the calming cause and effect, understanding you will naturally calm yourself.
Then but but but then you know you already have the karmic result, the right hand as he and me as an enemy. So so so for the benefit of practice, okay, now I put you as object in front of me, then whatever purification practice that you’re reminded of you can do. So that is one of very good way to convince us and gain strength to able to actualize those practices in relation to very difficult people and enemies. In another way is always start with the loved one. You practice compassion because loved also gives trouble, know, hassles, difficulties, challenges.
So it’s always easier to generate loving kindness and compassion practice to the loved one. So once you are quite well merged your mind training compassion towards a loved one, then naturally bring to the process that it will feel easier to do that practice in relation to enemy also. Yeah. I have to apply the conventional truth into into both into Buddhism practice and and the Vajrayāna practice. You know, if we don’t integrate the conventional truth, as you said, there’s a danger of falling into nihilism.
There could be either danger of denying, which we cannot deny, which is the reason is because it’s the fact of the karma. You know, whatever experiences, good or bad in relation to others. Then in another danger is that one might, you know, fall into nihilism of cherishing other but forgetting yourself. You cherish other, care for other, but you you you you just, you know, forget about yourself. You know, then that again, you can say in the category of falling into.
So you so you cannot forget about yourself because you are also one of the living being. You are also one of the living being. Then the starting point to bring benefit to others is start from you you as yourself. So you see, if you want to, let’s say, bring happiness to other, you have to be happy. If you want to make generous to other generosity to other, you have to be generous to yourself.
If you want to practice patience to other, you have to be patient to yourself. If you are to be you want to provide ethics to other, you have to be ethical yourself. If you want to train in concentration, you yourself have to be, you know, trained in consultation. If want to train in wisdom to other, you yourself have to live a life with wisdom. You see?
So, you know, so so here, the nihilism, the danger of, like, forgetting yourself. Once you forget yourself and how much effort you put for others to bring back to others, That also danger of becoming a self-abusing depression, which is your your own self. And another danger is you might not able to develop a renunciation. Because renunciation start from renounce renunciation is protect yourself falling into a creation of negative karma and falling into a creation of falling into a creation of negative karma, which is cause for suffering. So let’s say you want to help other, but you skip your own food.
You want to help other, you skip your own food. So at the end, you get, what do you call it, gastric. So you say, never mind. Never mind. As long as I benefit other, I don’t care for my gastric.
So that that also in your you abuse your own precious human life, and and that is another relevant practice because you deny conventional the protection for your own existing. Okay. So let’s say one or two questions on wait. The one one at least one question on wait for the one question on the the six causes. The first one, recognize your own living being as a mother.
What is the challenges on that? You know, in order to actualize bodhicitta, there’s a two tradition. One tradition is to actualize the six causes. First, recognizing mother, every single living being as one’s mother. Secondly, remembering their kindness.
Thirdly, repaying their kindness. Fourthly, love, then special responsibility, then great compassion, then only bodhicitta comes. Without the six causes earlier, not possible bodhicitta could actualize. So then again, in the teaching, it’s stated that within all the six causes, the result of bodhicitta, most challenging is recognizing every single living being as a mother. Once you recognize every single living being as a mother, once you gain the realization in that, then the rest of the the five causes and even the resultant bodhicitta is like spontaneous.
It will just come. It easily will come. So the challenge is the number one, recognizing every living being as a mother. So through your experiences in in your practice of bodhicitta or understanding, when you when you try to engage these six causes into your your practice. The first cause to recognize every single living being as your mother, what is the challenge?
What is the challenge? What is the failure? What is the success? That’s my question. Okay.
First, what is the success? What is the failure? Doesn’t matter. Either any anything. I want the answer is what is the success?
Or first, what is the failure? You try your best. What is the failure? Then second is, no. I forget what I asked.
Yes. Okay. So so now my turn to ask. Thank you for a lot of questions, but now let me ask you a few questions. Okay.
Eugene, what do you think? Because I was eagerly wish to debate with you, but you never come up. So if anything that when he give the answer, if you think something is missing wrong, so you can you can help. You know? Because I I I’m gonna challenge him.
Okay. So other than that, do you see the the six causes and the seventh result which which is regarded the most supreme method to exercise bodhicitta? It’s not relevant to us and maybe relevant two thousand six hundred years ago, or maybe a thousand years ago, maybe not relevant to us to this time. Do you think it’s not relevant? And if you think it’s not relevant, what is the most relevant?
Because the fact is without having a genuine, affectionate love to every single living being without any condition and without any bias, is there any tool that today’s time that we can able to say this is better than recognizing everything being as a mother? As I mentioned earlier, recognizing Do you still think recognizing every single living being as a mother is still the supreme method, the supreme door method to actualize bodhicitta. And if you think it’s not relevant this this or this time, you have any other suggestion, but you have to prove to me with the reasoning. I think I think it’s definitely more relevant. But Okay.
But now Yeah. Maybe the point of view. But then you see. Yeah. Maybe you think it’s most relevant, but it doesn’t helps you.
So it doesn’t help you. So so it doesn’t have to figure the connection. How how about you regard, like, your mother as your beloved child, and you recognize every single living being as your beloved child. Yeah. Yeah.
That’s why, as I mentioned, you know, in the class, I mentioned many times, not necessarily have to be a mother, but in general, mother is the the closest, you know, where you can comes? What is the obstacle for this problem? Ego? So ego. So ego.
So here, at the conclusion of the mind training teaching, then what is the through your, you know, through your own ability, affect eye on eye contact has become much closer than past time. Now it’s through the media, through television. You can see so many other beings in front of your eyes, what’s happening. But the thing is, have we ever have we ever have a one instinct, one moment instinct of, oh, poor dear mother is suffering there. Oh, poor my dear mother is suffering there.
You know? There’s so many killings going on, so many war going on, so many tsunamis, pictures coming in, you know, the photo in December 2004, whatever. We feel pity on them. We feel compassion towards them. Compassion towards them.
We feel like we wanna do something for them. But did did we ever felt, oh, my dear mother is trapped in such kind of something. Did we ever feel? No. The answer is quite obviously no.
So that’s the mistake. That already show that bodhicitta is impossible to us. We generate compassion, but we jump you. We didn’t follow the cause and condition. You know?
We just you know, before before before, you know, actualizing the sense of the the dear feeling of every every single living being, we immediately jump in a conclusion of compassion. That means that the cause is not properly structured. No way the bodhicitta will come. Even though we might think, general compassion, compassion, approximate compassion might come, but it’s it’s no way. Without the complete cause, no result.
So therefore, now we know whenever we watch movie, whenever we watch TV, newspaper, when things go wrong, we have to tell ourselves, you know, that trapped suffering being is also as dear as is my present mother. If my present mother in that situation, what kind of expression will I express? What kind of, you know, actual sense of bodhicitta will come. The the the physical and mental, both will, you know, zoom like that. So so then after that, you teach yourself.
It is a fact that they are no different than my mother, no different than my brother, sister, or whatever. The only thing is because of interrupted life in between. That’s why I cannot perceive directly that they are. I cannot treat them exactly like how I treat my mother and my most dearest one. It’s just because of that.
So therefore, whatever I can, I must help? If such like, even in case my mother is there, I will do that much effort I will put to help. So then in that instance, immediately, you will start to pray, you will start to generate a sense of, you know, sense of, you know, relieving them from any form any any any form of suffering, either through prayer, either through your physical help, financial help, moral support, whatever. You put a full effort like as like you will put to your own mother. You know, That kind of expression will come, feeling will come.
And that is one of the way to practice to develop seeing every single living being as dear as your dear one mother or whoever. So once you have that, naturally remembering that kindness will then become. And then repaying kindness just naturally come. Then compassion naturally come. Learning will naturally come.
Then bodhicitta naturally come. So so one of the the Mahasiddhas, Kadampa’s teaching, it’s always emphasized for us to put extra effort with the first one, recognizing every single living being as your deepest one. So then here, in day to day life, if you cannot do that with your children, you cannot do that with your partner. You know? If you see your mother is the dearest, most kindest, but you cannot treat the the most the best extent to your your dearest one, how are you going to treat such a nice to your enemy and a stranger?
Impossible. So how to how to how to get that practice done in our day to day life is to start with your loved one. Start with your your loved one, your mother, So if you fail to do that, that is impossible to extend your practice. So you see so so that’s how the Buddha Dharma is so helpful. If you seriously follow the structure and practice, then you start to have a very caring, you know, partner, very loving partner, loving family.
You know? And if you cannot provide this to your family, how are you going to provide to outside families? And how are going to provide such care to your neighbors? That’s why it says the world peace also starts from there. If really one world peace have to start like that.
Every people should practice recognizing the every living being as a dearest as your dear one. And that have to start from home. That that again, the fundamental practice is still to to to recognize every single living thing as the dear one. Still still needed. You know?
So so in the in the in the form of, you know, developing the bodhicitta using the other tradition, using the equanimity of tradition, then first ground is to establish equanimity practice equanimity. And practice equanimity only use different word equanimity, but actually it’s no different than recognizing every single living being as a dear one. equanimity, seeing every single equally as dear as your most beloved one. Then to that most beloved one, how you will treat. So then again, the first cause is still very, very important.
Most dear one. Just equalizing your thought to enemy, stranger, and loved one. Not necessary that you have a sense of thought of treating them most dear, you know, affectionate one. You see? So so so when you when you treat every single living as dearest as a mother, that comes about the sense of, you know, like a genuine sense of love, affectionate.
So so then, again, can imagine, know, you need to add a little bit soft. You know? And the sense of not better. Okay. So so then How you differentiate compassion and love?
You know, the love that which which love from the Buddha’s teaching, which is described from Buddha’s teaching, and the the great compassion that was described from Buddha’s teaching. Both are calls for Buddha’s teaching within these six causes. Yeah? So what is the differentiation? Love and compassion.
It sounds like same, isn’t it? Okay. Yeah. Yeah. So that’s right.
It’s just one thing, giving them happiness, bringing them into happiness, bringing others beings into happiness, and that is called love. The love that which is described from the Mahāyāna teaching is bringing every single living being, the inspiration wishing to bring every single living being into the causeless happiness, which is Buddhahood, is the love. Then the great compassion, which is far more different than compassion which is practiced by Hīnayāna. Great compassion is wishing you know, inspire or wishing every single living being to be free from entire aspect of suffering, karmas, delusions, defilements. That means ultimately liberating them to Buddhahood.
That’s great compassion. Then number six, even though you know, the number seven special intention the special intention or the special special intention, which is number six. So what is the difference that inspiration different from the compassionate inspiration? So that special inspiration is is qualified the qualification of both love and compassion. The only extra thing is taking full responsibility full responsibility by yourself alone.
That’s a special intention. Taking full responsibility by yourself alone to liberate every single living being from entire suffering and liberate them into the state of omniscient Buddhahood. There is happiness Buddhahood. So that is the special thing. So those are the six causes. The seventh result, the inspiration, is oneself to become Buddha for the purpose of liberating all other living beings in the state of Buddhahood.
So then, you know, without special intention, no bodhicitta. Without great compassion, no special intention. Without love, unconditional love, no compassion. So you see, we need to actualize so this year, the love and compassion, you know, some of the practitioners train in love before compassion. Some of the practitioners train in compassion before their love.
These two are not necessarily in sequence can be both are in different inspiration. That’s why both have to be trained also. So without the, you know, sense of realization, repaying the kindness of sentient being, as like repaying kindness to the one’s most kindest mother, no love, no compassion, no compassion for anyone. Without remembering the genuine kindness of all living beings, you know, then then, of course, you cannot repay the kindness. So without remembering, without having the realization of the recognizing all living beings as a mother, one will be unable to repay the kindness of the living being.
And what is the repaying the kindness? Repaying the kindness is the day that you can able to liberate them from entire suffering is that you repay the kindness. And you’re putting effort in that kind of act means practicing Dharma generally in compassion to others is one of the way to repay your kindness. Alright. So, okay, Tonglen practice.
You know, I’m sure all of us here try one’s best to practice Tonglen practice, which also regarded one of the most effective, you know, healing practice to recover your own problems, sicknesses, the Tonglen practice. But then again, when you bring into conventional level, it kind of contradict, and also it faces difficulties. So based on your own different experiences, what is the challenge when you practice Tonglen practice? Let’s say that I mean, we do experience migraine, pain now and then. We ask, do we ever practice from that or not?
I, most of the time, forget and get stomach now and then. So did you apply Tonglen practice? Most of time, I have forget. And sometimes difficulties come into your life from any all sort of factors. Did I ever apply Tonglen practice?
Hardly. So Buddhism is not possible. Accumulation of extensive merit is impossible. And not only that, to what do you call it? You know, the developing of self-cherishing, not cherishing to other beings and letting go of self-cherishing.
It’s very difficult. It will be almost impossible because it never occurred. Even in that kind of situation, the Tonglen doesn’t come. So when the Tonglen will come? You see?
So this is this is my challenge, voicing out my challenge. So from here and even so from here, what we are what the conclusion is, even a small matter, difficult is coming down our life, one of the most forceful practices to practice. So Tonglen practice is giving all your happiness virtue, you know, to others and taking whatever adversity into your life while experiencing that and taking, all other difficulties, sufferings, onto that adversity, onto that suffering. So that’s called Tonglen practice. So if you have any challenges, then you can express to me.
If not, never mind. Then in Tonglen practice, regarded using, like, wind as mentioned in Lama Chöpa. The the in the Guru Puja texts. As I mentioned, that using the, you know, wind as a horse. And the right by practice of taking a giving is one of the most effective.
So are you clear about this practice? We have discussed in the module classes. You know? And I have also mentioned that there’s one initial Tonglen practice before getting into the extensive, like, really taking like, like, really, you know, mentally taking other suffering over you, giving all your happiness and merit to So it’s it’s more like just making the frequency of your of your mental strength or mental power. You know, our mind has so much power.
Our mind, our intention is is our intention is so powerful. You know? Some of the intentions are so negative, so powerful, and they say, you fall down immediately. Immediately people fall down, it happens. It’s similar way in virtue.
There is you know, our mind is very concentrated, you know, properly concentrated on those inspiration, those those mind, can become so powerful until then your thought can cure other sickness. Not only help to develop your heart to be bigger, also help to cure other sickness. Why how to cure? It’s because of sending the frequency and the the fastest, the most effective way to send the frequency is using the breathing, using the air. You know, our mind travels through air.
Our mind travels through air. So when you breathe out, you send the energy out, and it is easier to influence the other party. And especially if you do Tonglen face to face, Using air, somehow energy will be directed to the person. And that energy, that frequency is not the cause, direct cause to change the karma of the suffering person, but that frequency will influence the person, person’s mind, person’s karma, and it becomes a conditional cause to ripen any positive karma in that person to change the life of the person from from suffering to not have suffering, not feel like that. Oh, yeah.
Yeah. The the yogis, you know, that is one of the way to, you know, bring benefit. In another word, we the common word say benefit other through your prayers. Actually, the prayer is one form of Dharma practice. Know, If you don’t dedicate, you only become not.
So another reason the meditators isolate to practice seriously is They practice like that through bodhicitta motivation because they see the conventional condition of their own ordinary aspect, which is no way you can able to cover their their benefit every single living being, not even every single human being, not not even your family or whatever. The only way to bring ultimate benefit to others is for yourself to become Buddha first. So when you obtain the ten powers of the Buddha or all the abilities of the Buddha, so that you can benefit other being according with other’s mental abilities. And especially once you become Buddha, all remaining sentient beings, their reliance on enlightenment based on you, you becoming Buddha, their enlightenment becomes faster. One step getting closer to Buddhahood is getting the the benefit of that person closer to Buddhahood.
So that’s also one of the reasons. Okay. So we stop if we have more questions. Main main main challenge of Tonglen. Yes.
Is itself the fear, as you say. The fear. And the reason why we have why we fail to practice Tonglen and why we have fear when we do when we practice Tonglen is because of, again, we don’t understand karma. If you didn’t create a cause of ripening that particular person’s karma from you, Even even even you you took the suffering, imagined it plunging into you, you won’t suffer. Mhmm.
But then you might raise a question then. Now I’m creating a cause because I’m taking other suffering onto you that also creating a cause. Then you might think that this will not bring suffering onto you because you are generating bodhicitta or compassion or Tonglen practice, which actually bring about self-protection. Not about harm, rather will bring about protection. So you see, so Tonglen will never harm.
Unless you are a highly realized Ārya Bodhisattva, then really, whatever you pray, the other’s suffering will ripen onto you, but you won’t suffer. What is the the essential, thing to keep in our mind to actualize genuine generosity? What is the essential point or the concept or the teaching into our mind in order to bring about the genuine, true practice of generosity. Because if you practice generosity, it will bring about prosperity in your life. It will bring common accumulation of merits.
But if we don’t do that, if we don’t properly perform the practice generously, sometimes it becomes like wasting your wealth. It doesn’t bring the great that extent great benefit. So what is the sense of giving. A sense of giving without any rewards or returns. Sense of giving.
You have to have a mind mind of giving. So even you don’t give physically, you know, money or wealth, whatever physically, but as long as you have a sense of giving all the time, you are all the time making extensive generosity. You see? So then what is the most powerful object of generosity? So there’s many, many objects.
What are the most powerful object of generosity? Since that is of the most powerful cause for your prosperity, we all want that. Generally, there are two, Buddha, the holy beings and sentient beings. But then the most powerful is Buddha’s object. We don’t call it object of generosity, we rather call the respectful work or offering the object.
In most within the Tibetan Buddhism, regarded the most powerful is the the the guru to whom that you establish a Dharma connection because for your spiritual practice, the Dharma guru is kinder than the the ten direction Buddhas. So in general concept, Buddha, Buddhas, and Ārya Bodhisattvas, then ordinary Bodhisattvas, then arhats, you know, those those Hīnayāna arhats, then Hīnayāna Aryas, you know, then to the those holy, I mean those beneficial beings that will bring a lot of benefit to the society. It is even more forceful, more powerful than a very poor beggar. So you see, you know, that object and, of course, if you make a generosity to a poor beggar with compassionate heart with bodhicitta, then, of course, as an equal as a it can be as equal as making offering with the Buddhas also. Then again, see every single living being as a Buddha, then you you make a charity, you make offering.
Then then that is that is one of the most forceful. You know? But whatever it is, whether you are giving one spoon of rice or or or one cent of money or or billions and billions, whatever, we need to have a sense of total giving total letting go for the benefit of the other party. Sense of proper letting go without any concern or rewards, without any much without any concern or rewards. So that’s the best way.
Yes. Yeah. Of course, you know, to make it to make it as a very pure practice of Dharma, you have to you must inspire by the the renunciation. But in order to inspire renunciation, you have to have a sense of understanding of the impermanence. Yeah.
This I think is very, very, very important very important practice. You know, we do accumulate so much merit, but then we waste the merit very fast. We exhaust the merit very fast or either we just simply, you know, waste the merit. Basically, it’s by the influence of negative emotions, you know, such as anger, anger, desire, you know, all those negative emotions actually dominate our mental habits. So so the teaching have given an antidote for that is to dedicate in firstly, in bodhicitta and, generally, make a dedication in emptiness.
You know? If you’re dedicated in bodhicitta, the merit you know, establish the cause to actualize happiness until one become Buddha. You know? But then but then it’s still not a hundred percent safe to to secure the merit, you know, until then. So then the security is you have to provide through the emptiness understanding.
So the giver and the substance, the object what you are providing, including the the merit that you actualize through giving, then the object which is your dedicate dedicate to the Buddha enlightenment, isn’t it? Whatever I give generously, may this be a complete cause to myself or living beings to become Buddha or may my family get prosperity, whatever dedication that you make. All these three things is empty of inherent existence. Empty of inherent existence means is nothing exists is from its own side. It’s an exists mainly, you know, the the based on the the comp the composition of different factors, cause and conditions like creation of giving, then the the fact of the karma.
You know? Then so so based on that based on dependent arising, you know, the merits, you know, I dedicate in that. I mean, it means I I leave the merit in that that kind of aspect. My you know, the dedicator, substance, and the dedication, the object dedication, Say, may may that may this treating, you know, you know, dissolve or abide within the aspect of empty of inherent existence. So that’s that much simple.
So when we do purification, same thing. In order to have a complete purification of the karma, then we also have to think at the end the purifier, yourself, the substance of negative karma, then the the completion of purification. All things are completely, you know, dissolving the nature of emptiness. Okay? Yeah.
Then another way of purifying karma is whenever, you know, you have done wrong thing or remember that you have done wrong thing, you instantly think all those negative karmas cease or or cease or cease into emptiness. Just think like it ceases into emptiness, like, disappear into emptiness. Thank you.