Audio recorded at Tibetan Buddhist Institute, Adelaide. Transcript auto-generated and AI-corrected; may contain errors.
About this talk. In this 103-minute session, Kyabje Rinpoche teaches how past karma manifests as present obstacles through the metaphor of the sword of evil karma revolving back upon us. He systematically addresses five hindrances — overwhelming sleep during Dharma practice, negligence toward afflictions, repeated failures despite effort, ineffective rituals, and unanswered prayers — tracing each to a karmic fault: disrespect for Dharma texts, failure to meditate on impermanence, contempt for karma and causality, reliance on harmful spirits, and critically, lack of genuine conviction in the Triple Gem. The core teaching: blessings depend entirely on the student’s faith, not the Buddha’s effort. He illustrates with the hook-and-ring metaphor — the Buddha’s compassion (the hook) cannot connect without the student’s conviction (the ring) — and with a story of a Tibetan widow who verbally praised a tantric yogi while instructing her daughter to watch he didn’t steal. For practitioners with vows and serious engagement.
File metadata (for organising)
File: WSW 23 Mar 2011 – KR.mp3
UUID: 3b65c22f-10d3-4df8-8245-2c2df4564215
Teacher: Kyabje Rinpoche
Collection: Mind Training
Date: 2011 (exact day not recorded)
Recorded at: Tibetan Buddhist Institute, Adelaide
Words: ~4,094
Okay. Okay. Okay. So we will now meditate for one or two minutes on generating the motivation to listen to these teachings. This must be motivation, because if it is a good motivation, then the teachings will hit their goal or their target.
The goal of the teachings is to impact our minds, and therefore we should do this through generating the motivation to tame unsuitable minds and to transform unsuitable minds and to transform unsuitable minds into suitable minds. Not just to tame our own untamed minds and to transform our own unsuitable minds into suitable minds, but also to tame the untamed minds of others and to transform the unsuitable minds of others into suitable minds. With this as a motivation, we should listen to these teachings. Okay. So as I said, all of the teachings and all of the Śāstras were uttered for the sake of taming beings.
This first verse refers to the fact that the teachings here, kä in Tibetan, are actually those utterances which are directly attributed to the Buddha, whereas the Śāstras are the commentaries by the great Indian pundits, such as Nāgārjuna or Asaṇga, whose sole goal or whose sole intent was to tame the minds of beings. And with this as a motivation, they uttered the Śāstras. All activities of the body, speech and mind can eventually be subsumed within mental activities. If the mind is untamed, then whatever one does with one’s body or one’s speech does not lead to any benefit. For instance, if one were to accumulate, let us say, hundreds of thousands of prostrations with one’s body or hundreds of thousands of manis with one’s speech with an untamed mind, this would not act as a cause for liberation, even if one did this for countless eons.
This is the case because the tamed mind is actually what gives rise to renunciation. And renunciation alone is the cause of liberation. Generally speaking, it is said we have three doors, the body, speech and mind. They are however not equal. The body and speech are secondary.
The mind is foremost. This is the case because whenever a virtuous mind is generated, happiness follows from this. So if the mind is tamed, then whatever activities of body and speech one engages in act as a cause for liberation, for such a mind is a mind of the nature of renunciation. On the other hand, if the mind is of the nature of bodhicitta, then whatever bodily or verbal deeds we engage in, act as a cause for full enlightenment. However, should we act with a non virtuous mind, then whether we recite verbally Manis, or for that matter read Lamrim Chenmo, not only is this not virtuous, it is actually non virtuous.
So everything depends on whether the mind is tamed or not. And therefore, a virtuous deed depends exclusively on the motivation. If we are motivated by renunciation or definite emergence, everything we do acts as a cause for liberation, even reciting Manis. If we are motivated by bodhicitta, everything we do acts as a cause for full enlightenment, reciting Manis for instance. Without this, whether we engage in recitations, in prostrations, or in purification, this does not act as a cause for liberation, nor does it act as a cause for full enlightenment.
It may remain virtuous, but it exclusively acts as a cause for leading the wheel of samsaric existence to continue circling. Therefore, for instance, we offer Mandala. However, we must offer Mandala meaningfully. If we offer Mandala motivated by renunciation, it acts as a cause for liberation. If we offer Mandala motivated by bodhicitta, it acts as a cause for full enlightenment.
We don’t have to offer lots of Mandalas. Quite a few is more than enough. Otherwise, if we offer them without any of these two motivations, it’s only a cause for cyclic existence. So we must be very careful with our minds and whatever virtue we generate, we must do so with a good motivation. To give an example, regarding the seed of a tree, if the seed is good, then it will blossom.
If the seed is bad, it will lead to nothing. Likewise, from virtuous deeds with a good motivation, virtue and happiness arise. From non virtuous deeds, non virtue and unhappiness. Therefore, we must practice perfect virtue and generate a good motivation first. Then on page 33, the stanza in the middle, when oppressed by sleep while engaging in Dharma, since it is through having accumulated obscurements with regards to the holy dharma, that the sword of evil karma has revolved back upon me, At present I will undergo hardship for the sake of the Dharma.
In the first verse, what is being referred to here is a situation we all know. We engage in Dharma practice, whether it is reciting our commitments, or meditating, or for that matter entering a retreat, and all of a sudden we are crushed by fatigue, exhaustion and sleep. Whereas when we are having fun, we open up and relax and are delighted. Now this is the result of having accumulated obscurements with regards to the holy dharma. Obscurements here refer to sins.
The holy dharma is of two types. It is scriptural dharma and the dharma of realization. Scriptural dharma are the books, the texts of the Dharma, and the Dharma of realization are, for instance, the three trainings and so forth. Now, accumulating sins with regard to Dharma texts is, for instance, by mistreating Buddhist books, by putting them in dirty places, throwing them away, by selling them, for that matter, by transporting books with dirty things like one’s handkerchief and so forth. Whereas on the other hand, accumulating faults with respect to the dharma of realization is for instance not protecting ethics correctly.
If one is a lay if one has lay vows, breaking lay vows. If one is a novice, breaking novice vows. If one is a bhikṣu, a fully ordained monk, breaking bhikṣu vows. If one is a bodhisattva, breaking the bodhisattva vows. If one has Tantric vows, breaking the Tantric vows.
In every single case, one accumulates faults with respect to the Dharma. So we behave ourselves in a very childish and immature way in this respect. We have, or we say we have respect for the Buddha, we should have even more respect for the Dharma, since it is in dependence on the Dharma that we attain both liberation and full enlightenment. The Buddhas themselves attained full enlightenment, in dependence on the Dharma. And therefore, the Buddhist books contain the totality of the teachings.
They contain explanations on emptiness, on the view, on bodhicitta, and so forth. So we should have respect for these books. Actually, should make offerings to these books. We should prostrate to them because it is in dependence on them that we ourselves attain full enlightenment. And therefore, to carry them together with one’s drinking cup in a bag in any which way is not a minor fault, it is an extremely heavy sin.
To treat them in any which way is an extremely heavy fault. We should have respect for these texts because they lead us to full enlightenment. And therefore, when through thinking no understanding arises, through meditating no realization arises, this is a direct result of having committed faults with respect to the Dharma in past lives and we should at present have faith in the Dharma and practice it. And, the following stanza on page 34, when greatly negligent in my delight in afflictions, since it is because of not having meditated on impermanence and the the defects of cyclic existence, the sword of evil karma has revolved back upon me. At present, I will increase my horror of cyclic existence.
The afflictions here in the first verse refer to our foremost enemy. We ourselves see them as friends, but they are enemies because they are the cause of suffering. And precisely because we do not understand that they are enemies, we delight in them and we see both desire and anger as friends. Delight in them arises because we do not understand the true nature of the aggregates. The aggregates have four characteristics which are misunderstood by ordinary beings.
Ordinary beings apprehend the unclean aggregates as clean, the impermanent aggregates as permanent. The aggregates which are the nature of suffering as of the nature of happiness, and the aggregates which are the nature of selflessness as having a self. They apprehend the first, misapprehension. They apprehend the aggregates which are filthy by nature as clean, under the power of karma and afflictions. They apprehend the aggregates impermanent as permanent.
Seeing aggregates which are changing instant by instant as something permanent. And they apprehend all aggregates as having a self. in dependence on these four misunderstandings, in turn, all of the afflictions arise. In this very life, we can see, for instance, that great attachment to food, to clothing, and to the valuable things of this life arise in dependence on the afflictions. Therefore, these can only lead to suffering precisely because they have arisen in dependence on the afflictions.
The term negligent in the first verse, nam yeng in Tibetan, refers to being, through disregarding mental training and not being careful. Then the second verse indicates that these afflictions arise because we have not meditated on impermanence and on the faults of samsaric existence. If we do not meditate on impermanence and the associated meditations, which are the meditations on the fortunate human rebirth with the eight freedoms and the 10 endowments, as well as meditations which are more elaborate on the suffering of cyclic existence, then we will be unable to eliminate our attachment to the afflictions. Specifically, when we meditate on the suffering of cyclic existence, we have to meditate on the three types of suffering. The suffering of suffering, the suffering of change, and all pervasive suffering.
It is only through doing this that as the final verse says, we are able to increase our horror and cyclic existence, in other words, through meditating on the totality of the faults of samsaric existence. The following stanza on page 35, when things go wrong irrespective of what I have done, since it is due to having had contempt for karma and causality that the sword of evil karma has revolved back upon me, at present I will put effort in endurance, karma and so forth. So in the first verse, when things go wrong irrespective of what I’ve done, this means that whether in this life or in future lives, should choose to become ordained or we should try to practice Dharma or engage in business. We find that when we become ordained, we disrobe. When we practice Dharma, we gain no realizations.
When we engage in business, not only do we not become rich, we lose everything and eventually incur debt. When this happens and we experience what we do not wish, this is directly the result of having had contempt for karma and causality in former lives. Having had contempt for karma and causality in former lives means having said there is no such thing as virtue and non virtue. Karma and causality here refer to the notion that virtue leads to happiness, and non virtue leads to suffering. To understanding this clearly, we abandon non virtue since we do not want to experience suffering.
The wrong view in this matter is to think there is no such thing as virtue and there is no such thing either as non virtue. Then, when one becomes ordained, one is unable to keep the vows and one returns ordination. When one studies, one is unable to finish one studies and one gives up one studies. When one enters business, one is unable to succeed in business and one incurs debt. As a result of this, the sword of evil karma has revolved back upon me.
Therefore, the final verse says, at present I will put effort in endurance, karma, and so forth. This refers, as Brecht says, to abandoning non virtue and putting effort in virtue, and in addition, trying to help subject beings as much as we can. And the following stanza on page 36, when averting rituals go away, since it is due to having relied on the dark side, that the sword of evil karma has revolved back upon me. At present, I will turn away from the dark side. This stanza in which he says refers to the situation where, for instance, we are sick or have health problems, and we do everything we can.
We make long life offerings. We offer numerous torma rituals, propitiatory rituals, so forth. Yet, not only do these rituals not help, but our situation keeps deteriorating and gets worse and worse. Or, when we are involved in a business venture, the venture turns south, and we offer numerous pujas and rituals, and yet there is no benefit whatsoever. Let alone this, we incur ever greater debt, and eventually go bankrupt.
This is the result of having in former lives relied on the dark side. The dark side here refers to both on the mundane level, evil lords and leaders engaging in dark deeds, as well as on the super mundane level, evil gods, ghosts, and elementals, which are spirits from the dark side. Through relying on these, and not relying on the dharma, making offering to these evil entities, and not making offering to the triple gem, the sword of evil karma eventually revolves back upon us. Therefore, in conclusion at present, one resolves to turn away from the dark side since these dark entities are of no benefit in eliminating disease. And moreover to help sentient beings, one must rely on beings and entities of the white side.
So there is an example, which is a bit of an anecdote to illustrate this, but she says, once in Tibet, there were two ladies, an old mother and her daughter. And the old mother had to have some rituals recited, so she asked a yogi, tantric yogi, to come and recite the rituals. And when he came and he settled down in her bedroom to do the rituals, she said to him, I have so much faith in you. I believe in you more than in anyone else. I will never entrust myself in any other being but yourself.
And while saying all this to the tantric yogi, she had work to do, so she said to her daughter on the side, I’m go outside to work. You just stay and keep an eye on him to make sure he steals nothing. Nothing. Then she went outside, and the daughter stayed inside keeping an eye on the venerated tantric yogi. And she looked and she looked like he was just doing his recitations.
And the daughter was getting tired. So she said to him, she shouted to her mother who was just outside, mother, can I come out? And the mother said, no, no, you stay, you stay. And then it went on and on, and finally she was so tired, she said, mother, let me come out. He doesn’t steal anything.
So remember this is this is a classic case of entrusting oneself verbally but having no faith within one’s heart. And we see this a lot, he says. This is how one accumulates obscurations with respect to the dharma. And now, the following stanza on page 37. When one’s requests to the Triple Gem go unanswered, since it is due to having lacked conviction in enlightenment that the sword of evil karma has revolved back upon me, at present I will rely only on the Triple Gem.
So we see this very frequently. We see people who just recite verbally, I take refuge in the Buddha, I take refuge in the Dharma, I take refuge in the Sangha, goes on and on and on. And it has absolutely no benefit for them. Actually, their prayers to the Triple Gem go completely unanswered. And this is the case because these recitations are purely made verbally.
There is absolutely no conviction or faith within them. It is merely talk. And then obviously if it is merely talk, then it is not an entreaty to the Triple Gem, since an entreaty or a supplication requires faith to be authentic. So this faithless, convictionless entreaty cannot be an entreaty and in turn does not give rise to a result. And therefore such entreaties cannot protect us from rebirth in the lower realms, cannot protect us from any type of suffering and so forth.
When then people make these insincere prayers to the triple gem, which are not fulfilled, they then become very skeptical and negative about the triple gem and think perhaps perhaps this triple gem does not really exist and their lack of faith increases. Then in dependence on this, their lack of faith in the Dharma as well increases. And they say people are talking about practicing ethics in this virtue and it leads to happiness. Is that true? They say from non virtue there is suffering.
Is that true? And in turn, they doubt both the Buddha’s word and the totality of his Dharma. They doubt that non virtue gives rise to suffering, that virtue gives rise to happiness. They have no conviction, in dependent origination, and end up entrusting themselves to channelers, seers, and astrologers, old ladies who claim to see the future. And instead of relying on the speech of the Buddha, they go to these diviners and the astrologers, and then they’re amazed by what the astrologers say instead of relying on pure Dharma.
So initially, one must generate strong, incontrovertible conviction within one’s mind. So, what do we mean here when we say we take refuge? We have to take refuge, as the Tibetans say, with one’s mind, one’s heart, and one’s breast. In other words, with the very totality of one’s being. This means to single pointedly, with single pointed focus generate faith and conviction in the triple gem.
Faith and conviction in the Buddha, faith and conviction in his teachings of Dharma, faith and conviction in the Sangha. When this happens, then there is refuge in the Buddha, refuge in the Dharma, and refuge in the Sangha. And then when we say from the depths of our being, As long as there is cyclic existence, I will not seek for any other refuge than you, then we find protection from cyclic existence, we find protection from the lower realms, we find protection from suffering. And therefore, irrespective of the Dharma we practice, one must have faith and conviction in this. It is through single pointed faith and conviction that the act of refuge occurs.
We see this for that matter in worldly affairs. We know very well that if in worldly matters we meet someone who actually never means what he says, his talk is all sweet, but deep down he has completely different intentions. Then, even if he says he’s going to help us, we don’t trust him, we don’t rely on him. Now, this is just an example. On the other hand, if we meet someone who from the very depths of his heart likes us and who says he will help us, then we trust him and we feel that he will help us.
In the same way, the Buddha from his own side is extraordinary in the blessings he imparts on beings. Therefore, from his own side, the Buddha will benefit beings. However, what is capital from our own side is to give rise both to faith and to conviction, in dependence on which we can receive these blessings. Blessings. There is a quote from the Buddha which says, If one has no faith in the Guru, the Dharma and the Sangha, there is no generating the white dharmas.
In the same same way, as without a seed sprouts cannot arise. Now in this quote, the white dharmas refer to generating for instance, the three principal paths, such as renunciation, bodhicitta, and the authentic view of emptiness. Faith is compared to a seed. Without a seed, there is no possibility for the sprout to arise. As is said also, the greater or lesser blessings one receives do not depend on the Guru but on oneself and oneself alone do they depend.
The meaning of this quote is that there is no difference in the blessings extended by the gurus and the buddhas to sentient beings. However, it depends exclusively on the conviction and faith of sentient beings whether or not they receive these blessings. Otherwise, one who has no faith in the buddhas and the teachings, even if he or she meditates on emptiness or bodhicitta, will gain no attainment and will just be sitting around. So over countless eons, the Buddha’s trained in their qualities and they developed developed the hook of compassion and love. But this hook of compassion and love, is so sharp, which is so powerful from the Buddha side, must connect with the ring of faith in the trainees or the disciples.
If there is a ring of faith, then the hook connects, and he says, draws the disciple upwards towards full enlightenment, towards the state of the Bodhisattva, towards liberation and so forth. If however, the disciple’s ring of faith is absent, if the disciple’s ring of faith is absent, then the hook of compassion of the Buddha cannot in any way connect with the disciple, however hard the Buddha tries. So it behooves the disciple to create a strong, firm and stable hook of faith so the Buddhas can help them. It is said, countless Buddhas came, and yet I was not able to meet one single one of them through the power of my afflictions. So it is not the case that the Buddhas have not worked for our benefit.
The number of Buddhas is immeasurable. It is infinite in number. Infinite great beings have attained full enlightenment and they have worked to extend refuge and protection to sentient beings. However, sentient beings from their own side, the power of their faults, were unable to meet with these great beings and were unable to receive refuge from them. For instance, when the Buddha himself came to Bodh Gaya and Vajrasanā and taught there, we ourselves, through the power of our sins and non-virtues, were not there.
And it is not the case that the Buddha did not take care of us, it is the case that when he came, we were not there, and when we came, he wasn’t there. Therefore, from our standpoint, what has been lacking throughout is faith and purification. So if you have questions, Rinpoche will take one question, but he says a good question. Think well. Okay.
Ask a question which will be of help to others, not just a question which can be put aside. Is a question? Very, very good. If there are questions, it’s okay. Otherwise, if all of you have cleared all your doubts, excellent.
Yes, Richard. Okay. Can summarize your question, Richard? So, Rinpoche says before engaging in any action which could be virtuous, one must first set the motivation and reflect on the possible motivations of beings of the three scopes.
If we take the case of reciting commitments, if one recites them just like this without thinking too much about anything, then it is a neutral deed which has no specific karmic results and no real point. If one sets a virtuous motivation, it becomes a virtuous deed. And on the other hand, if there’s a non virtuous motivation, it becomes a non virtuous deed which leads to rebirth in the lower realms. Therefore, the best minimum motivation for us to have is before doing something like reciting our commitments to think, at least may I not be reborn in the lower realms where suffering is very great and I go for refuge and protection from this. This is good enough as a motivation.
This is a virtuous motivation. Then, in addition, one can say, I am not working for this life, but for the happiness of future lives, rebirth as a human being and as a god. This motivation is dharma. And then slowly, slowly, one will improve over the lives, and in future lives be able to pray for liberation from cyclic existence, and eventually, that all sentient beings be free from suffering and the causes of suffering. Okay.
Okay. .