Audio recorded at Tibetan Buddhist Institute, Adelaide. Transcript auto-generated and AI-corrected; may contain errors.
About this talk. In this 47.5-minute teaching, Kyabje Rinpoche uses a seed analogy to show that Buddhas and we share identical potential—what differs is whether we provide conditions for growth: hearing, reflection, meditation. He then systematically explores why bodhisattva practice centers on sentient beings by examining all six perfections. He demonstrates how generosity requires those in need, ethics requires others to avoid harming, patience requires others who cause harm, and effort requires working for others’ welfare. A family analogy shows how serving others indirectly serves ourselves. A final Q&A addresses the core tension: maintaining pure altruistic motivation while acknowledging that helping others ultimately benefits us. The resolution hinges on acting from compassion, not calculated self-interest. For practitioners with Buddhist foundation.
File metadata (for organising)
File: 1989-10-10 – 12B – Sun's Radiance of – KR.mp3
UUID: 42a3ac2f-33cc-4706-8e0c-697987216594
Teacher: Kyabje Rinpoche
Collection: Sun Radiance – Thought Transformation
Date: 1989-10-10
Recorded at: Tibetan Buddhist Institute, Adelaide
Words: ~2,563
All of those who previously attained Buddhahood, whether it was in India, in Tibet, they were no different than ourselves. There’s no reason that we can’t duplicate their feat, their accomplishment. We are exactly the same. We have exactly the same potential as they did. There’s no difference.
So it’s just as if, you know, the difference would be by way of analogy that if we had a seed, we had two seeds. We put One seed was in the field and with this we supplied water, fertilizer, and another seed was in a box. And that in this box there’s no possibility for it to come in contact with the necessary conditions. But the seed in the field, it comes in contact with the necessary conditions. No matter how They both have the exact same potential.
But the seed in the box, no matter if it’s there for hundreds of years, it will never activate its potential. But that seed out in the field will activate its potential and can develop quickly, even in just a few days it can flower. We as humans have this great potential within us, that we have this seed within us. And we have to provide the necessary conditions to begin to activate this potential within us. And this is done through the process of hearing, reflecting, and meditating.
That we have to provide the complete conditions, just like the providing the conditions for a seed in order to grow the fruit, the result that you’re seeking. Likewise, we have to begin to eliminate all the conflicting conditions and begin to gather together all the conducive conditions. It is dependent upon this process that we can begin to activate and realize the potential of this seed. If in fact we were to throw away this opportunity which we all presently have, if we were not to listen to the teachings, to begin to reflect, to meditate, to cultivate the qualities of compassion, love, awaking heart, try to understand emptiness. It’s not too long before we’re going to die.
We don’t have that ability to stay as long as we might like. We’re going to die. And the same as a dog, a cat. A cat is going to die. And we will die no differently than this cat.
We would have had this opportunity, this great potential, but it would have the chance to cultivate it would have been lost. That we die not having developed any of our potential in our spiritual practice, any type of real love, real compassion. Nothing has been gained. So, you know, we look at the situation of a dog and cat having died. And they during the course of their existence, they had not even created the smallest skillful action during the course of their life.
That they were involved in all the negative states such as anger, attachment, and involved in a great deal of killing. And that in such a situation, having done no skillful actions, but in fact having created many preponderance of unskillful actions, then the situation can only worsen. It cannot improve. That there’s no possibility in the future for any type of human existence, any type of existence where they’ll be able to have the opportunity to practice a spiritual path. So this is a wonderful opportunity that we presently have, this attainment of a human existence that we should make use of it.
We should begin to cherish sentient beings, that we should begin to cultivate other-centeredness, that we have to begin to develop compassion, love toward other sentient beings, to cultivate this, to practice these qualities. It’s a very great time to make use of hearing and make use of meditation, to gather all the conditions together, you know, to make at this auspicious time to make much to make a great effort as possible. Today we’ve been talking about the great benefits of compassion, its wonderful qualities, the positive potential involved in its cultivation. That all of the marvelous qualities arise in dependence upon it. Without an awakening heart, and without love and compassion, we cannot develop an awakening heart.
And without sentient beings, we cannot develop love and compassion. Therefore, these all arise in dependence upon all of these wonderful qualities arise in dependence upon sentient beings. So even once having become a bodhisattva, we have to practice. And the practices of a bodhisattva entail the four means of amassing disciples practice of the six perfections. And these two practices are dependent upon sentient beings.
Amongst the six perfections, taking the practice of generosity, the perfection of generosity as an example. If there were no sentient beings, there would be no place for us to practice generosity. For example, if there were no poor people, then there would be no one to give to. We couldn’t give food, we couldn’t give clothing, we couldn’t give Dharma, we couldn’t give love. There would be no sight, no place for us to practice generosity.
So the practice of the perfection of generosity is dependent upon sentient beings. And again, within the six perfections, the perfection of ethics and its practice relies upon sentient beings. And why is that? The practice of ethics is the factor of abandoning harming others. And what is it that we abandon harming?
We abandon harming sentient beings. Without sentient beings there would be nothing that we could abandon the harming of, and therefore the practice of ethics is reliant upon sentient beings. Again, the third perfection, the perfection of patience, which involves the cultivation of tolerance with respect to the harm brought to oneself by others. Without harm being brought to oneself by others, then we would not be able to develop the perfection of patience, and others is sentient beings. So, we cultivate the third perfection, the perfection of patience, in reliance upon sentient beings.
And then the fourth perfection, the perfection of effort. Again, it’s reliant on sentient beings because the perfection of effort involves the striving for the sake of others’ happiness and the elimination of their suffering and to benefit them. Without sentient beings, there would be no striving, making effort to eliminate their suffering, to bring them happiness, and therefore there would be no perfection of effort. So again, the perfection of effort is developed in reliance upon sentient beings. Within the Buddhadharma, there are the two vehicles of the lesser vehicle and the greater vehicle.
Within the practitioner of the lesser vehicle sets aside the welfare of others and strives for one’s own happiness and the elimination of one’s own suffering and makes effort at these ends. But even though one makes effort toward these ends, this type of effort can never lead to Buddhahood. One cannot attain Buddhahood. And then the fifth perfection, the perfection of meditative concentration, and this involves the meditation of the cultivation of calm abiding and special insight. And here we’re cultivating these two for the welfare of sentient beings.
That in cultivating these two as for the welfare of sentient beings, then they become a method for the attainment of Buddhahood. The lesser vehicle practitioner also cultivates these two factors. But because he sets aside, he’s not meditating for the welfare of others, then it can never serve as a method for the attainment of Buddhahood. Then the sixth perfection, the perfection of wisdom, which involves the meditation on emptiness. But this is by the meditation on emptiness, but for the welfare of sentient beings that one is able to eliminate all thoughts and bring to fulfillment all positive qualities.
But, you know, we this we’ve described the practices of a bodhisattva, and the bodhisattva, you know, all of these practices are for the welfare of others. Between self and others, the bodhisattva is mainly making effort for others. And we might think, well, you know, if I set aside my own welfare and practice only for others, then I’m not going to get anything. If if we were to actually act in such a way for the welfare of others, working for the welfare of others and bringing about their welfare, that our own welfare would be indirectly fulfilled. That we don’t have to really make special concern for our welfare by striving for the sake of sentient beings to eliminate their suffering, to bring them happiness, then our own happiness will be brought about indirectly.
Our own suffering will be indirectly eliminated. So, we were to make an analogy, we take a family made up of a husband and wife and children, and if one of the members of the family with the concern for the welfare of the family as a whole, the concern for their happiness of their family goes to a great deal of effort, goes to a great deal of trouble, for example, works and provides money for the family, their concern is, even though their concern is for the family, they themselves will be indirectly made happy through this concern. By providing for the welfare of the family, their own welfare is indirectly brought about. So you don’t need to worry that you won’t get what you want in acting this way. So if one were a member of a family and one simply set aside the welfare of the family and they were having difficulties and one’s only concern was directed towards oneself, then this would be an extremely negative way of acting.
So the bodhisattva, in working for the welfare of others by engaging in the various practices of, for example, the six perfections, the perfection of generosity, ethics, patience, etcetera, indirectly brings about his or her own welfare by collecting the two accumulations of positive potential and wisdom. And this way, that in in this way, the welfare of others and one’s own welfare are brought to fulfillment. So we should reflect well upon the kindness of all sentient beings and begin to cherish them, to begin to care for them, and to not harm them, not fight with them, to cultivate the qualities of love and compassion toward them, to meditate in this way, to seeking to benefit sentient beings. If we begin to enact the various practices of generosity and begin to show love for others, then we are going to benefit others. And benefiting others, we are going to indirectly benefit ourselves.
The Śāntideva said, Whatever happiness there is in this world comes about in cherishing others. And on the other hand, suffering there is in the world comes about through cherishing only oneself. And because we want to be happy, have to begin to abandon self centeredness, and because And because we want to be happy, have to begin to abandon self centeredness and begin to cultivate other centeredness. So, we’re almost out of our time, but we’ll spend about maybe five minutes if you have some questions. How can we be sure that our motives are really pure in attempting to help others or selfless attitude and so on, if the teachings imply that ultimately that will benefit us?
You know, if we know that that is is ultimately going to benefit us, how can we be sure that our motivation for developing selflessness isn’t Mhmm. Actually directed towards, you know, still cherishing. So this would be a mistaken way of relating to others, of trying to help others. If we were to have the motivation that if I help this person, I’m going to be benefited. That this would be more often than not the self-centered motivation.
That this would be a mistaken motivation. That seeking to help others so that you can have happiness. That we should have the, as our motivation, the qualities of altruism, compassion, love, caring, seeking, setting aside, not seeing that this is going to benefit yourself, but seeing concern with helping this person due to the force of your love and compassion, seeing the benefit, wanting to benefit this person and not considering how it’s going to help yourself. So we have to examine whether our motivation is in any way mixed with an afflictive emotion, whether our motivation is mixed with attachment, or hatred or delusion? Or on the other hand, is it a skillful state of mind?
Is it an altruistic state? Is it caring? Is it loving? We’re motivated by these positive qualities, then this will be a skillful action. It would be a Dharma action.
If on the other hand, if it’s mixed with the afflictive emotion, then this would be simply unskillful. But without knowing being able to distinguish between these positive and negative states, it is difficult to know one’s motivation. If for example we were going to give something to someone and but we had the thought in mind that by giving I’m going to get some kind of resources in the future, then this would not be a perfect type of generosity. That it would be mixed with motivated by self centeredness, and therefore is definitely mixed with some afflictive emotion. If we could develop the attitude, the altruistic attitude, actually giving, practicing generosity, that I am giving for the sake, for the welfare of the sentient being.
That in order to attain perfect, complete Buddhahood, then I’m going to give this person, this needy person, this food or this clothing or whatever. With such a type of altruism, with such a type of beneficial mind, then this would be a very skillful motivation. So the bodhisattva in no way concerns himself for his own welfare. He’s completely concerned about the welfare of others. That all of his actions are directed for the welfare of others.
All his effort is made for the benefit of others. It’s unmixed with the thought of benefiting himself. There’s no concern for his own welfare. But even though he’s not concerned making effort for his own welfare, he will be indirectly benefited. So this is a Dharma practice, but it’s a middling level of practice.
So this is a practice of Dharma, but it’s not the motivation of the great vehicle practice. If our motivation was for this life, we practiced, we gave something hoping to get some kind of benefit in this life, then it does not qualify as a spiritual practice. The being of small capacity would engage in, for example, a practice of generosity in order to be benefited in a future life. Whereas the being of middling capacity, not wishing to stay within cyclic existence in any way, with practice generosity, not for a future life, but in order to be liberated from cyclic existence. And the being of greatest capacity would practice generosity in order to attain Buddhahood.
So if it is going to be a practice of the great vehicle, it must always be motivated by the awakening heart. If an action is not motivated by the awakening heart, it’s not a practice of the great vehicle. Whereas if it is motivated by the awakening heart, even giving a piece of bread to a bird is a practice of the vehicle. So in general, whether an action is a negative action or a positive, whether it’s a spiritual practice, is dependent upon your motivation for the action. And within the spiritual motivations, there are the three levels of small, middling, and great.