Audio recorded at Tibetan Buddhist Institute, Adelaide. Transcript auto-generated and AI-corrected; may contain errors.
About this talk. In this 34-minute commentary on the Ornament of Clear Realization, Kyabje Rinpoche investigates a subtle distinction in bodhisattva practice: how the same compassionate motivation can lead to three different kinds of action with distinct benefits. He unpacks the path of meditation’s inclination—accomplishing one’s own welfare, others’ welfare, or both—all within a single bodhisattva commitment. He explores the seven benefits of this practice, particularly three main ones: Buddhas and bodhisattvas respond with praise and admiration, encourage the practitioner to continue, and offer appreciation and recommendation. He illustrates this through a family analogy—a mother supporting a child in school through praise, encouragement, and recognition—showing how such response sustains diligence. The talk closes with practical encouragement: why Mahāyāna practice purifies negativities, generates good qualities, and deserves our effort.
File metadata (for organising)
File: 1989-10-26 – 21B – KR.mp3
UUID: aba268e3-0cba-4b04-925a-f6a7d2ba3d59
Teacher: Kyabje Rinpoche
Collection: Ornament of Clear Realization
Date: 1989-10-26
Recorded at: Tibetan Buddhist Institute, Adelaide
Words: ~2,056
Normally a bodhisattva in this particular explanation we have to explain it in reference with bodhisattva. So normally a bodhisattva, what his interest is of. So his interest is trying to achieve his own welfare, trying to achieve others welfare and try to achieve the welfare of himself and others both. So in short, bodhisattva’s interest is of those three welfares. So these three welfares is what is being, so these three welfare is what is meant by, in the definition, the meaning of the three mothers.
So in order to accomplish those three meanings, welfares, he, the bodhisattva, bodhisattva who keeps the perfection of wisdom as things to achieve and in trying to achieve that he does extensive study and hearing, listening on the scripture perfectional wisdom and also in the course of that he also meditates and practices on the perfection of wisdom. So therefore, he has a strong belief that the three meanings can be achieved by depending on the three aspects of mother. So that’s what in the what the definition it says, believing in the meaning of the three mothers. So regarding the what called path of meditation’s inclination, how many divisions there are? The divisions are of three.
The path of meditation’s inclination of one’s welfare and second one, path of meditation’s inclination of others’ welfare and third one, the welfare of both, one’s and others. So with each of the three, there might be what we call a question of how the difference of these three, they were called one’s welfare, others welfare and welfare of own or both. So the difference is with each of these three, there are three attributes which goes along. So when a person meditates on this part of meditation’s inclination of one’s welfare, this has three parts or it is of three features. First is called the thought or the action, the thought or the action.
So in this case thought itself is the action therefore it’s called total action. And second one is the actual, the actual act of it happening. And then third is what we call completion. Once he has meditated, there is something achieved, so that’s completion. So perhaps maybe it’s better we differentiate the thought with the action.
So first there is the thought and then there is the actual act of doing and then there is the, what I call, completion. So maybe we can instead put it thought, action, and actual. So regarding the thought, whatever activities a bodhisattva may do, he does this with complete motivation of bodhicitta, trying to accomplish others’ welfare. So therefore thought in this context is a kind of bodhisattva’s motivation of doing others welfare, whatever activities you may be engaged in. And regarding the second action or act, so this is what I call, with that motivation of bodhicitta, whatever acts he does at bodhisattva is what we call act or action.
So all the actions and act they can be of kind, doing acts to accomplish his own welfare, one’s welfare, and doing acts to accomplish others’ welfare, and doing acts or actions to accomplish welfare’s one’s and others’ So regarding the three kinds of the path of meditation inclination, so first one is path of meditation inclination of one’s welfare. So this refers thought of accomplishing others’ welfare with that thought in the actual act if a bodhisattva does welfare of his own. So that belonged to the first group, part of meditation’s inclination of one’s welfare. And second one is a thought of accomplishing others’ welfare. With that thought, whatever act bodhisattva does to accomplish others’ welfare, so that belongs to the second one, meaning that belongs to path of meditation’s inclination of others’ welfare.
And then with the thought to accomplish others’ welfare, whatever acts the bodhisattva does to accomplish one’s or other’s welfare both. So that is the third kind, the path of meditation’s inclination of oneself and others welfare. So there are three. So this is more elaboration of the three kinds of part of meditation’s inclination, explaining what they are and how they can be. So with each of them, the thought is same.
The thought is the wanting to accomplish others’ welfare, but the difference is through the act or actions because of doing act to accomplish one’s welfare and because of doing others’ welfare and because of doing both, therefore, there are three kinds. So regarding the border line ranging from what point to what point this part of meditation’s inclination, so regarding the borderline, it starts from the first ground up till the last of the continuity. So last of the continuity meaning one moment prior to attaining Buddhahood. So last of the continuity. So that’s a more technical way of saying in meaning up to the point or moment just prior to attaining Buddhahood.
And now it’s the seventh one in this series and this is called the benefits of the inclination. So this explains what are the benefits if one has those inclinations. So regarding the definition of this seventh one, it is almost same like the previous activity or path of meditation. The wordings are almost same. It goes like the qualities which has been obtained by the power of having meditated on the path of meditation’s inclination, which is the means to attain it.
So repeating it back, the qualities which have been obtained from having meditated on the path of meditation’s inclination, which is the means to attain it. So almost the same as the previous one. And regarding the benefits, there are three three main benefits. The benefits starting from praise, benefit of veneration, respect, and benefit of commendation, benefit of what I call benefit of appreciation. So first is admiration, second is veneration or respect, and third is we also say recommendation or slightly different from admiration, a sort of admiration, So in between whatever.
So with each of the three has nine divisions making 27 in total. So regarding the first one, they were called admiration of the inclination. So admiration is meaning, in this case, admiration means when the practitioner meditates on the inclination and goes into deep meditation, which is normally called equipoise, and after having stayed in deep meditation, he again arose into normal or post meditation activity state. And again he goes, again he comes out of that meditation. And having done that, sometime after the Buddha admired that practitioner saying, Oh, you have done so nice, and because of having meditated on this inclination in the first moment, in this, because of having meditated in the first moment on this inclination, you will have all these qualities, good things you can have and these are the qualities you can have.
So that explanation after the practitioner meditates, whatever Buddha explains the benefit of that practice, that is called admiration, in this case, admiration of the inclination, the first one. So with the first one, when Buddha explained that by meditating on such and such path you will have such and such good qualities, so whatever benefits being explained, mentioned out of that path, So that mentioning, that whole explanation of the benefit is called admiration. And then afterward there would be repeated, repeated what’s called encouragement and recommendation that oh it’s so good that you will have this benefit, now you must continue to meditate on this. So this second, trying to encourage and let the practitioner continue. So this second part is called veneration.
In Tibetan, the word has similar sound with the entreating or requesting, so it can also be called requesting. I think the best word is entreat, to ask somebody to do entreating, second one, in place of veneration, and after that there will come a time that the practitioner will get a lot of compliments saying, Oh, you have done such a nice thing. And these compliments are being done with the aim for the practitioner to generate rejoicing for the good practices he has been doing and trying to keep it continuously doing. So that third part where in this case Buddha tells the practitioner, oh you have done such nice, these are the benefits, now you have done such nice, that’s what kind of appreciation is the third one, the appreciation. So first one being admiration or praise, second one entreating, and third one appreciation.
In the case, normally, in a family, if there is a kid who goes to school and returns back in the evening to the home, Then the mother would try to, what I call, keep the perseverance of the child by complimenting the child, Oh, you have gone to school very nice. You have studied so nice. So that’s the first part, praise, admiration. And then mother will also try to let the kid continuously studying by trying to put every means possible for the kid to work on studying. And that is the second part entreating.
And then the third one, admir appreciation or more or less recommendation. So he he started to keep on changing. So that’s because how technical it is. Like normally, it can still remain like that, but when it explains, you require different wording. So you can still keep it as appreciation.
A recommendation I was thinking before session could be quite a good word. So this is like the mother would say to a kid, Oh, if you go on and keep studying very nice, you will afterward become very learned and you will become very famous. So that is the third part, recommendation or appreciation. So the practitioner who meditates on the path of meditation’s inclination, so for that practitioner there would be Buddhas and other bodhisattvas who would compliment him, admire him. So that is the admiration.
And after that, these, those sublime beings, Buddhas and other bodhisattvas, will try to press upon this practitioner to continue his practice. That is the entreaty. And then they will still try to keep him doing that by saying, if you go on doing this practice, you will have a whole lot of good qualities, you will attain the state of perfection. So that is the third part, appreciation or recommendation. So in the case of a kid, mother would try every means by complimenting, admiring, and pushing on for the kid to be more diligent, continuing to be more studious.
So in the same case here for the practitioner who is doing the on the path of meditation’s inclination, there will be all the Buddhas and other Bodhisattvas who admire him and entreat him and recommend that his practices are meaningful. So in this way, try the practitioner to be more diligent. Anyway, this whole effort we are trying to put in course of our practice on great vehicle Mahāyāna path, it’s meaningful, it’s not like normal only activities because even though it may be a bit hard and we might have to put effort, but it’s meaningful in the sense from one point our negativities are being purified and from another point our we are generating our new good qualities of the mind of knowing things are being born and on the third hand we are still, along with that we are still implanting new imprints on the Dharma. So it’s something quite meaningful we should be still doing. In the past, we have we have experienced in the past, we have we have worked so hard, but all those efforts have been for other purposes and they have not been in the purpose of the Dharma.
Especially, we have never in the past put any effort towards understanding such profound subject of emptiness, such profound subject wisdom, perfection of wisdom, and such profound subject of the way how mind progresses on in realization from ground to ground So we should be really feeling joyful thinking, oh, today, this evening, I have been very fortunate to be able to listen and be engaged in these activities on the practice of great vehicle path. If one can remember like that very well, if one can think that very well, then all the hardships will be gone. Maybe if you have questions, release some some time for questions. Maybe if you have any good questions, you might stop.