Audio recorded at Tibetan Buddhist Institute, Adelaide. Transcript auto-generated and AI-corrected; may contain errors.
About this talk. Kyabje Rinpoche opens this 59-minute talk with a personal question: what does he focus on every morning? His answer—three essential practices—becomes the framework for the session. First, bodhicitta and its two aspirations: full enlightenment for all beings, and great compassion. Second, his daily commitment to help and protect sentient beings, or at least refrain from harm. Third, understanding the faults of afflictions, which he grounds in his own decades-long struggle with anger and jealousy. He then teaches the Lamrim, walking through the five topics of small scope, the two objects of abandonment (the ten non-virtues and worldly concerns of this life), and how to apply antidotes. A closing Q&A explores the effort required to renounce this life versus all future lives. Pitched at practitioners already familiar with Lamrim.
File metadata (for organising)
File: 03122017ThreePrinciplesEnglish – KR.mp3
UUID: b8199413-ca0e-4082-a64c-ab498823a8cc
Teacher: Kyabje Rinpoche
Collection: Three Principal Aspects
Recorded at: Tibetan Buddhist Institute, Adelaide
Words: ~2,519
Okay. Thank you. Thank you for, how do you say, coming to, you know, my teaching in English. So today I would like to talk about what I focus on when I wake up every morning. Do you understand?
Very important. So when I wake up every morning, every morning, there are three different topics. Three topics of practice levels, points. Three different topics practice, actually. Practice and Dharma practice.
So one, first, the first, the first, I think, I focus focus on the definition, you know, Definition of the definition of bodhicitta. bodhicitta, little bit difficult, but so what is the definition of bodhicitta? Okay, yeah yeah. The definition of bodhicitta is the specially, is it? The specially mind with two aspirations, two aspirations, is it?
What is the two what is the two aspirations? What is what are what are the two two aspirations? Very important. I think, actually, you know, what what do you think? You know, what are you think about great compassion and generate over great compassion and bodhicitta?
What is the difference? Is it? What is the what is the different between great compassion and bodhicitta? What different, big different, actually bit different. Yep.
Okay, okay, so yeah. Okay, so talk a lot. So The aspirations are, you know? The two aspirations are, the goal of the within the two aspirations, there are two different, you know. One is one one is the goal of the, you know, the the goal of the bodhicitta.
Is it correct? There’s none to you. Is the goal of the bodhicitta subject. Do you understand? The goal of the bodhicitta, you know, is actually full enlightenment, know.
Correct? Enlightenment, know. So for mother sentient beings, for father sentient beings, For brother sentient beings. But you know Tibetan says, mother sentient beings, but you say it’s a little funny, think. Why?
Okay. Actually, it is for, you know, all sentient beings. So second is, you know, yeah, cause second is cause of bodhicitta. Actually it is compassion. Also I focus on strong refuge, you know, refuge.
Every morning every morning. If I have more time, then focus more focus more longer. Very Yeah. Important, very important every morning. Time Sera Monastery, that time I can focus on Lam Rim.
Yeah, yeah, yeah. Short Lamrim. Do you understand? Lam Rim. How can how how can we focus on Lam Rim that time?
Easy. Because bodhicitta, you know, generate bodhicitta is dependent on when when I think about two aspirations, one is cause of bodhicitta. It is great compassion, it is great compassion. So great compassion is dependent on renunciation. Yeah.
Yeah. You don’t understand? Renunciation or Renunciation. Renunciation is dependent on what, who, what, which. Renunciation is dependent on small scope.
How do you say? Lam Rim topics, is it? Yeah. So short Lam Rim. Short time, short Lam Rim.
Okay. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Important, you know.
Okay. So second, you know, I say, three to three different different practice, you know, every morning. I finished, you know, first. And second is my promise, you know. Promise or commitments for each day.
Very good. Very good. For each day. From morning to night. From morning to night.
Anyway each day. So my promise is that I have to or must help and protect all sentient beings. Very very benefit. Very powerful. All mother sentient beings.
Also father sentient beings. Anyway, just joking. All sentient beings. If I cannot help and protect sentient beings, I must never harm, is it? Harm or harm or attack.
Attack, you know, sentient beings. Because I am a person. Person. I am a monk, you know, and I I am I am Geshe-la. I am not thoughtless.
Thoughtless. Thoughtless. Oh, I see. Yeah. Thoughtless.
Yeah. I am not thoughtless. Funny. It’s funny, isn’t it? Strange in some way, you know.
And also, I am a follower of Buddha Buddha Śākyamūni. You know? Follower of I am follower of Buddha Śākyamūni. So these these are my permissions or commitment. Commence is that?
Commence. Okay. Commence, you know, for each day. Yeah. Yeah.
Yeah. Very important. Each day. Careful. Careful.
Yeah. Good, you know, good life, you know. My life. You can think, you can think, you can try. Do you understand?
Okay. Yeah. Actually you know, it’s just think in mind you know. Mind not out. Mind very important.
Because I will follow, can’t say, I will follow our mind. At the moment I’m not sure you know. Some tell our mind follow, our minds follow afflictions, anger, jealousy, you know. All afflictions follow ignorance, you know. Okay, so delta.
Do you understand? Owned it. And finally, finally, third, you know, finally, I have to or must understand the faults of all afflictions. Very good. My afflictions.
No you are afflictions. My afflictions. Especially, you know, especially within the afflictions, anger, jealousy, no good. Anger, jealousy, you know. This is because anger, jealousy are afflictions which are easy to engage in for me.
But now little bit less, know. Little bit less my anger, jealousy. Little bit less. When I was in Ceremonial Street, that time because you know, for example, know, very hard, know. Okay.
Okay. Good. Good idea. I say, yeah yeah. Was synonymous with that time.
Was angry. I was angry and jealousy with my classmates. Classmates? Yeah. Very difficult for exam.
Do you understand? So now you know, little bit explains Lam Rim, explains more Lam Rim, more contentment, is it? Yes. When when when I first came here, then the Rinpoche said, was here, you know. You try to, that tried to, Lamrim again and again.
Then you get tired. Then you have regret. Then you will little bit experience more contentment and less less rather less afflictions over suffering of mental mental suffering. Yeah. That’s true.
True. Since 2011. Yeah. Very beneficial. You can can do the same.
You person, just person, I am just person. So very easy, but now a little bit less my anger and jealousy. Anger with my students actually ceremony. In I have students. Yeah.
Something, you know. Let’s be careful. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, you know. So fun is strange, isn’t it? But, you know, it’s a tradition, you know.
Tradition. Tradition, you know, monastery especially in the Tibet, you know. Father, mother, look look after children, and old brother look after us, young sister, young brother, you know. Yeah. You you.
Yeah, you know. It’s tradition, tradition. But different in Australia. Oh, really? Yeah yeah.
But for students, know. But for students, my anger is for students. Okay, so I focus on, you know, I focus on eliminating, eliminating over, you know, dark color, over you know, reflect over you know, practice over faults of anger, jealousy, over and over again. No one day, no one week, not just one year, over and off. Then, so now I a little bit control my anger, jealousy, and I don’t follow and the how do you say it?
And the view. I don’t follow and and the a view. False view? So I don’t follow on the slope of anger, jealousy. A difficult word for the Tibetan tongue.
Follow is fine. So I can’t. So I don’t follow under the of anger and jealousy. Yeah. Sometime jealousy arises in my mind, then I focus thoughts of the my jealousy, no good, this is.
Yeah. Very good. You understand? Yes. My English is terrible.
So now we to understand the faults of afflictions within the especially you know, affliction, it is easy to engage for you. Yeah, I’m not sure you know. I said my flesh is anger, jealousy you know. But you can choose. I don’t know.
Differently. For few minutes, please. Okay. Now, you know, I am teaching about Lam Rim again, know. There are five different topics, which are impermanence and death, and the suffering of the lower realms, refuge and karma and causality.
Five. So at the beginning, at the beginning, at the beginning, at the beginning, you’re in the small scope. You must reflect the goal and method, and the abandonment of non-virtue, you know? Abandonment, is it? Object of object object of abandonment.
There are two mind, you know, abandonment. One is to abandon. Is that? One is to abandon the 10 non-virtues. Virtues, you know?
Body, speech, and mind. Three of body, four of speech, three of mind. Know? So killing, stealing, sexual misconduct, they are all body. And lying, divisive speech, harsh words, gossip.
Gossip. Yeah all, you know, speech and covetousness. Covetousness and which one? Second? Do you say?
Ill Ill And another? No, no, no. Second. Malice. Malice.
Malice. And Malice. Wrong view. Harmful intention. They are all mind, you know.
Second is to abandon. It is a little bit difficult. Second is to abandon the worldly, is it? Worldly persons. Is it?
Concerns. Concerns. Word wordly concerns of this life. . .
Vanities. Vanities of this life. It is a little bit difficult for practitioners, you know. Is that why? So many things.
Number, know, not just number. It is difficult for practicing. So because if you want to experience the realization of the small scope, almost of the small scope. You must stop thinking about this life, just this life, you know. That’s the one.
Little bit little bit difficult. So we thought, you know, we thought stop thinking about this life, you never experience the realization of the small scope. Do you understand? But try, we can try, you know, try, try, try. Focus on faults after, you know, after then.
But if you arise arise arise any afflictions in your mind, you have to apply the antidote. Mhmm. Afflictions. Yeah. Yeah.
Afflictions. Afflictions. I say, you know, non virtuous. Yeah. Yeah.
Yeah. Non virtuous, you know. But, you know, killing person and stealing is a steal, no just you know. If I steal, no. Big stealing, car and bank .
Yeah yeah yeah yeah. Not just, you know. Yeah, no no little. It is big things, know. Big house, you know, I think, car, you know.
Yeah, that’s the one. And session, you know, sexual misconduct. They all would be very dry for us, I think. Dry. Dry.
Very dry. You’re right, right. Yeah, yeah. They are all would be very dry for us. Yeah, yeah.
I think, I think, but not sure, not sure in society. Yeah, so much easier it is to engage in our mind, know. Divisive speech, no lie. No lie is very right for you, for me. It’s very easy.
Lie. Lie. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.
Lying. Because lying is a high level, high lama. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.
But not just me. I’m not a high lama. But at the moment, I am, how do we say? That’s the one, very rare for you. Lie is lie, lie, lie.
Don’t understand? Oh, really? Yeah. Yeah. If you were married, let people let people yeah.
Let people. No. Very close, you know, at the moment for me, you know, I now, you know, talk about lottery, you know, for few people. So that’s the one. Okay.
So easy easy to engage, you know, divisive. Yeah. Divisive speech, harsh words, gossip, and covetousness. Then second how say? Malice?
Malice, I like malice. Ill-will. Malice, yeah. . Malice, covetousness, malice.
Where is it for us all? So careful. Yeah. Careful. Wrong view is a little bit difficult.
Do you understand? You you you can you have, you know, experience. Then no. Careful. No good.
No good. Men no good. In society, for for us, for others, you know. Yeah. So if you, I say, I just mentioned you know, if you, any, you know, any them, is it?
Arise in your mind. Any of them. Of them arise in your mind, you you reflect. Reflect. Must reflect.
You know? Reflect. False. Yeah. False.
False and you have to, you know, apply the, you know, you have to color the, you have to apply the you know, antidote, you know. But faults, faults. You have to understand the faults then. It is very important. Most important most important before you go you go to bed tonight.
That time, you have to remember, you know, what I do today from morning to here at the moment. Yeah. Very important. Then a good sleep, you know. Yeah.
Okay. Have you any questions? The goal of the small scope to turn away from this life takes much effort, lots of effort. And it seems that the effort to turn away from all lives Mhmm. Is not much more.
Is that correct? There is so strong effort to turn away from this life. Then to turn away from all lives, not not much more. Now please, again, please can you repeat it? It’s it’s hard to turn away from this life, the vanities of this life.
It’s hard to turn away from the of all lives. All lives, from future lives, but not much more difficult. Once you have turned away from this life, is it then easy to turn away from all lives? Yeah. If if you so if you if you generate the what’s it called?
Attainment of the small scope. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay.
So can you, for example, before you know, can you for example, the worldly concerns, say? Concerns. Which one? If Chris gives up worldly concerns for this life, if then for him to turn away from future lives is not much more work. Is that correct?
Marie, that’s you know, for example is, the eight, the eight, only Dharma. Small scope or middling scope? Small scope, yeah, yeah. But if you want to achieve attainment, high rebirth, that’s okay. It is dependent on the 10 non virtuous practices, that’s okay.
If you want to experience the realization of the small scope, You must stop thinking just this life. One. A little bit different. I think, I think. You say you you say, you know, the word, you know, the wordly, the worldly concerns or dharma.
As you say Is it small? Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, But yeah, difficult, you know. Okay. Okay. Yeah, I say, you know, if you want to high rebirth, but not necessarily the worldly concerns of this life.
Don’t understand? Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Okay.
If you want to experience the realization of the small scope, then very important, the worldly concerns of this life. You ask but not sure. No, not easy. Very close, very close.
Oh yeah, yeah, very close, but not easy, very close, you know. Yeah you’re close. Okay, so just one question. Not sure. Yeah.
Not sure. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. It is the same, you know.
Not sure. How did we get here? Now we left 10:30. 11:30. Karma?
Is, involves many things, but I can’t speak in English, you know, in the future. But you have to reflect on the 10 non virtues. That is very important. Okay. Thank you.
Page nine, offering.