Audio recorded at Tibetan Buddhist Institute, Adelaide. Transcript auto-generated and AI-corrected; may contain errors.
About this talk. In this 60-minute teaching, Khensur Rinpoche opens with how to make human life meaningful—cultivating the healthiest attitude of caring for others. He teaches the three types of wisdom: from listening (studying teachings), reflection (analyzing until firm understanding), and meditation (habituating mind to that understanding). He uses cooking as an analogy—without instruction you spoil the dish; same with happiness and suffering, you need teachings and analysis. Supporting practices are generosity, ethics, tolerance, joyous effort, and meditative stabilization. After a guided mindfulness-of-breathing meditation, a Q&A addresses Vajrayāna: why meditate on deities as real beings if they’re mental constructs, and how wrathful iconography expresses compassion rather than anger. For practitioners with some Dharma familiarity.
File metadata (for organising)
File: 1991-02-23 – Sunday – KR.mp3
UUID: 1f4164f0-4976-4db7-bdb5-cabe1d5b3859
Teacher: Kyabje Rinpoche
Collection: Meditation
Date: 1991-02-23
Recorded at: Tibetan Buddhist Institute, Adelaide
Words: ~3,681
So we should try to cultivate a sense of rejoicing in the fact of appreciating this wonderful opportunity which a human life presents to ourselves in the way of putting into practice the methods whereby to eliminate our suffering and to achieve happiness. So, when we consider and begin to appreciate the potential of a human life, we must ensure that we don’t allow our life to become meaningless, that we have to create some kind of meaning, purpose in our life. So how can we make our life meaningful? The fact is that we want happiness, we don’t want to suffer. So one method of making a life meaningful is to create a stable type of happiness in which there is no suffering whatsoever.
A really good question, what are the methods upon which we can depend, we can make use of to create happiness, to eliminate our problems? And this is in terms of our very healthy attitudes, our constructive attitudes, and dependence upon those we can solve our problems. And of the various types of healthy attitudes that we can develop, the most healthy, the most constructive, is the attitude which holds others more dear than our own selves and wishes to eliminate their suffering and to bring them happiness. So, we must strive to develop this healthiest of healthy attitudes, this attitude which seeks to eliminate the problems of others and to lead them to happiness. We can bring this about and we can accomplish this, and right through the training of our mind, the elimination of our various faults and the development of all our excellent qualities.
So with this attitude, then whatever we do becomes constructive. Developing this attitude of wanting to make this human life meaningful, and that end, developing the healthiest attitude of all of it, what I am about to do is for the benefit and happiness of others, that even the practice that we are going to do for the next fifteen minutes, that of mindfulness of breathing, becomes a significant practice in making our life meaningful. So for the next fifteen minutes, with this motivation, we’ll do mindfulness of breathing. So, if you’ve had previous teachings on mindfulness of breathing, then you can make use of those, whatever techniques that you have learned. If you haven’t, then you can One thing that you may make use of is the technique of when you are breathing out, imagine that a black light is going out, and these are all your various negativities, Any type of heaviness, darkness, any type of illness, mental depression, completely going out to a far distance and disappearing, completely gone.
And then breathing in, imagine a white light, which is brought into yourself. And this is bringing you happiness and peace, long life, health of body and mind, all good things of life. So, the darkness going out in the form of black light, and the brightness coming in the form of white light. So, begin the meditation. Would you like to stand up for a few minutes to stretch?
Śāntideva’s verse, which was just quoted, points out the necessity that in the course of our meditation we must make use of wisdom. So wisdom is extremely necessary in the course of our practice. And how are we to develop wisdom? And the Buddha taught that if we’re the way in which we can develop a powerful wisdom, profound wisdom, we have to begin to create its causes. And what are the various causes for the development of wisdom?
And these are, first off, to the practice of generosity, giving to others. And second, the practice of non harming, not giving harm to others. That is ethics. And thirdly, the practice of tolerance, that is, not being distraught when harm is brought to ourselves. So those are the first three.
And then additionally, the practice of joyous effort striving in our practice of Dharma. And additionally, developing meditation of stabilization, the stability of mind where we can carry on an acute penetrating analysis of the meaning of Dharma, whatever is being looked into. And dependence upon these five practices, the practice of generosity, ethics, tolerance, joyous effort, and meditation of stabilization we will develop the wisdom which has not been developed previously. That wisdom which has been developed previously will not degenerate, but will increase higher and higher. He said that it’s quite necessary that we develop wisdom, and these are the various methods to develop a very vast and profound wisdom.
So if we develop this excellent type of wisdom, then no matter what we might seek to understand, we can readily gain a realization of it. We can understand whatever the faults of a particular phenomena are, what is to be adopted, what is to be rejected, what are excellent qualities, that we are able to penetrate into the meaning of things, the significance of things, our meditation will bring forth realizations. Presently we’re in a situation where the meaning, the significance of what is being said, it simply doesn’t dawn to our mind. We aren’t able to penetrate it. Nothing appears to our mind when something is said, the various words, we don’t understand their significance.
And those understandings that we do gain are quickly forgotten. And so there is this inability to penetrate, for the meanings to appear, to dawn to our mind, to understand, and this tendency for them to degenerate and be forgotten is due to the fact that we don’t have great wisdom. So there are said to be three types of wisdom from the point of view of how they develop. These are the wisdom arising out of listening, the wisdom arising out of reflection, and the wisdom arising out of meditation. So each of these is a prerequisite to the latter, that there is this order for the development of these wisdoms, that in dependence upon the wisdom arising out of listening, we can develop the wisdom arising out of reflection.
in dependence upon that, we can develop the wisdom arising out of meditation. So, with respect to the first of these three wisdoms, the wisdom arising out of listening, the fact is that we want to be happy, we don’t want to suffer. So we must begin to understand the nature of suffering, the nature of happiness. From where does suffering arise? From where does happiness arise? What is the cause of suffering?
What is the cause of happiness? What is to be rejected? What is to be adopted? What is to be abandoned? What is to be cultivated?
So it is necessary initially to hear about these things and to gain an understanding of these various subjects. This is as if we wanted to learn how to become good cooks, And so, How are we going to learn how to cook well? The best thing we could do would be take a cooking course, in dependence upon the teacher, telling us how to combine the various ingredients, what is necessary, how long to cook each of the ingredients, then we can become good cooks. And some people can make use of cookbooks. So, same holds true with respect to coming to an understanding of how to find happiness and to eliminate our suffering.
It’s necessary that we understand the nature of happiness and suffering, how to go about applying the various methods, what are the methods. And in order to arrive at that understanding, it’s necessary that we listen to explanations that we read books. This is if we don’t either use a cookbook or take a course in cooking, then how are we ever going to become a good cook ourselves? How are we going to be able proficient in combining the various ingredients in order to arrive at something delicious. Likewise, with respect to our own happiness and suffering, it’s necessary that we listen to the teachings and read various books which set out an explanation.
And dependence upon this explanation, that is to say, hearing and studying of these explanations, then there’s a certain wisdom. We say, Ah, this is this, and this is means this and this means this and if I do this, then this will happen. If I don’t do that, then that won’t happen. And this way, we gain an understanding, a type of wisdom of how to carry on a practice. So it’s important if we’re going to carry on a proficient practice that we involve ourselves in listening to the teachings, that we hear the explanations and read various explanations.
Without this, then there cannot arise an understanding of how to carry on a practice, the nature of the practice. It’s just like in training to become a cook. If we don’t either take a course learn from someone else, or you make use of a cookbook, then the various types of foods that we might want to prepare. We may actually add inappropriate amounts of different ingredients. When this calls for a little bit, this recipe calls for a little bit, we might add a lot.
When this recipe calls for a lot, we might add a little bit, and we end up with dissatisfactory product. And when we’re finished cooking, no one enjoys it, you don’t enjoy it, the other people don’t enjoy it, and you just throw it out. So, in dependence upon hearing various explanations, the teachings, then we, it’s necessary that we reflect upon what has been heard. That is, think about it. We simply don’t jump to some immediate conclusions.
We examine the significance or the meaning of what has been heard, trying to penetrate it to its actual, what is actually being gotten at. Out of this, we were examining in terms of our own selves of what is being said, what has been heard, then we will come to a definite ascertainment, which is very much our own, of the significance of what has been heard. Firstly, out of a process of again and again listening to various explanations, different teachings, then they’re understanding the terms, what has been said, then there arises the wisdom arising out of listening. Then we go, we take what has been said and having understood the various terms, the categories, etc, and then we begin to reflect upon them. We begin to analyze what the significance of what has been said, what we have listened to, and then when we arrive at a definite ascertainment, a very stable conclusion, which is a conclusion brought about through a process of analysis in developing our own understanding, then this is the wisdom arising out of reflection.
So having come to some sort of definite conclusion, a type of very stable, firm penetration using analysis and understanding for your self. Then we begin the process of meditation, that taking what you have, the significance of what you have found for yourself, the meaning, and again and again cultivating or habituating the mind to this conclusion that you have arrived at. And out of this, again and again, re associating the mind, rehabituating the mind to this confirmed conclusion that you’ve arrived at. The mind becomes the conclusion becomes very stable, becomes integrated. The mind becomes very powerful.
Our mind the nature of the mind actually begins to be transformed, and this transformation process is the wisdom arising out of meditation. So, if we take an example to illustrate this process. First, as the basis of the example, use emptiness. So, first off, we want to know what is this emptiness all about. So we listen to the various teachings, we read books, and to understand the nature of emptiness.
We simply want to hear the various explanations on emptiness. Then, having out of this arises a wisdom arising from listening. We have heard the explanations. We get straight to various terms, the various categories. Then we begin to try to understand the significance, the meaning of what has been said.
We make use of reasoned analysis until we arrive at some sort of definite ascertainment, some sort of very firm conclusion on our own what is the meaning of emptiness. And this is the wisdom arising out of reflection. Once we have developed this understanding, which is a realization of emptiness, then we go on to apply this to our meditation. In our meditative equipoise, we again and again penetrate into the meaning of what we have understood, and our realization increases higher and higher and higher. It becomes an integrated part of the nature of our mind.
Out of this process, if this realization of emptiness is combined with the mind of renunciation, then all of the various realizations of the various paths and grounds will arise, the various paths of accumulation, preparation, seeing, meditation, and no more learning. All these various realizations become more and more powerful within our mind. Through power of these various levels of realization, the various levels of faults within our mind are eliminated. The various excellent qualities are allowed to arise, and this is the way that we can develop. So, the wisdom realizing emptiness is like a very sharp axe.
We are the woodcutters, and what we are cutting at is the tree of suffering. And the roots of this tree of suffering is ignorance. So making use of the axe of the wisdom realizing emptiness, we can cut away at the very root of our suffering. And if you cut away the root, then we don’t have to concern ourselves with all the various leaves and branches which grow out from the source of the root, that they will wither away, they will wither away of themselves. And this likewise, if we cut the root of our problems, that is to say, we cut away ignorance, then all of the various experiences which grow out of ignorance, such as the various sufferings that we experience, the various ills that we experience, will wither away of themselves.
So, meditation is extremely important, and we can use mindfulness of breathing as a preliminary to the actual main subject of our meditation. The practice of mindfulness of breathing is helpful since it quiets the mind. Various thinking processes will begin to lessen. And then out of this, can develop healthy attitudes, which are the purpose of meditation. The healthy attitudes, such as the real we can take as our subject the emptiness or selflessness, we can develop the awakening heart, the mind of renunciation, the development of these.
But as a preliminary to that, the mindfulness of breathing is helpful since it quiets the mind. It reduces the thoughts which would interfere in the process of developing more healthy states of mind. So, we’re going to We have just five minutes left to meditate on. So, the subject that we’re going to meditate is just what we have been talking about during this session, how to develop the wisdom and the necessity of developing wisdom. And we’ve talked about the three types of wisdom.
The wisdom arising out of listening, that arising out of reflection, and that arising out of meditation, and the necessary order why each of these is important, why this order is important, and the necessary practices which support the development of wisdom the practices of generosity, ethics, tolerance, joyous effort, and meditative stabilization in order to act as causes for the development of wisdom. And I’m just trying to understand and see how these all work together in order to help us to arrive at a very stable, a very that if we work in this way, it’s sure that we’re going to get some results, that the results are going to be beneficial, and the results will be extremely stable. That Other than this, there’s no We cannot be sure about what is going to arise, whether it’s going to be a benefit or not, and if, in fact, we’re going to get any results. So, going through this, what we’ve learned, these five supports, the causes of development of wisdom, the three types of wisdom, the necessity for developing wisdom, and seeing this, clarifying this within your own mind. So, in the course of developing wisdom, it’s necessary that we apply a great deal of effort, that we have to have enthusiasm.
One of the ways that we can be motivated in this process is the development of compassion. So, what we will do is actually cultivate compassion for the next five minutes in order to develop this enthusiasm, to carry on these practices in the development of wisdom. And begin with the thought that may sentient beings be free of suffering and the causes of suffering, and developing this feeling, then I myself will free them from suffering and the causes of suffering. So we’ll meditate on that for the next five minutes. So we’ll take the session if you have some questions or some doubts you’d like to talk about.
It seems to me that there’s no explanation that people swallow whole the idea that these entities, deities, are actualities, when for in fact, they’re products of our own mind. And I’m wondering, would it be worthwhile there must be a lot of conflict going on in people’s minds as to why the northern forms of Buddhism have taken on Vajrayāna Buddhism. Does anybody know what I’m talking about? But I know it caused a lot of conflict with me because with my background of, so to speak, non idolatry, which is very strong, The idea of worshipping a figuration as a reality rather than being a symbol. And I think there must be a lot of people who feel the same..
So, the Buddha taught many teachings according to the dispositions of the students who he was teaching to, in accordance with their capacities. And in general, we can say that to those who were of the lesser vehicle, disposition, capacity, such as what has now become Theravāda, That there was no particular interest in the development of great compassion, and there was no capacity to understand the most profound aspects of emptiness. So, this were not appropriate to be taught to such disciples, so he did not teach them. In order to carry on a practice of tantra, of Vajrayāna, secret mantra, it’s necessary that one have great interest in the development of great compassion in pursuing the profundity of emptiness. So without the understanding of emptiness and great compassion, one cannot carry on a practice of tantra.
Those who had this capacity and interest to learn these subjects, then not only were these subjects taught, but additionally, the Buddha taught the secret mantra to them as an additional skillful means. So, is why the tradition of Vajrayāna is present in some areas and not in others, in accordance with the dispositions and capacities of those who are being taught. As far as the nature of the deities in tantra, then there are actual beings who are on the various levels such as bodhisattvas, those who have not as yet eliminated all their faults. There are those who have actually eliminated all their faults and brought to consummation all their excellent qualities. That is to say, there are Buddhas who embodies who are in fact these deities.
They are actual sentient beings. They’re not ordinary sentient beings. And the reason that we meditate upon them as the object of our meditation is to purify our impure aggregates, to eliminate the various faults of our various aggregates. And we cause ourselves to appear in the form of the deity in order to eliminate any faults within our aggregates, in order to attain that state. And in the iconography, the visual imagery of Vajrayāna.
Oftentimes, you’ll see the consorts embracing a male and a female consort in embrace. And the meaning of this is that in order to attain Buddhahood, it’s necessary that our practice be a combination of both wisdom and method. The male consort is symbolic of method, and here the method is that of the awakening heart, and the female is symbolic of wisdom. And here what is meant by wisdom is the realization of emptiness. So, in order to attain Buddhahood, it’s necessary that we practice a combination of both the method of the awakening heart and the wisdom of the realization of emptiness.
So, they aren’t embracing out of attachment or desire. They’ve already eliminated that. Also within the Tantric iconography, visual imagery, you may see extremely wrathful deities with many heads, many arms, carrying all types of really horrible types of weapons. And have very wrathful expressions on their faces. Actually, in fact, they don’t have any anger within them.
They’ve already gone beyond anger. In fact, is an expression of their great compassion because what they are angry at, what they are being wrathful toward, is that which harms sentient beings. And that which harms sentient beings are factors such as ignorance, attachment, pride, jealousy. So, they are as if becoming giving a wrathful appearance or angry appearance at that which has harmed beings, the various afflictive emotions within their students’ minds. So, this is what their expression is being directed toward out of a sense of compassion for the student.
So, it’s very much like a child who a mother who loves her child very much cares for her child. And someone comes along and treats the child very badly, hurts the child. And the mother would, out of her great compassion for the child, show a very disturbed, wrathful expression at her child being hurt by this other person. She would direct this wrathful expression at whatever was harming her child. So, wrathful deities are simply displaying an aspect of wrath.
In fact, they are not in a wrathful state. They are not in any way involved in anger. But, they do this in order to display their displeasure with the afflictive emotions, the hatred and anger within sentient beings’ minds.