Audio recorded at Tibetan Buddhist Institute, Adelaide. Transcript auto-generated and AI-corrected; may contain errors.
About this talk. Khensur Rinpoche presents bodhicitta—the awakening heart committed to enlightenment for all beings—as a trainable mind quality, not an institutional achievement. In this 45-minute teaching, he guides students through the thirteen-stage path to developing bodhicitta, a ladder integrated by Tsongkhapa from two classical traditions: the seven-cause-and-effect instruction (Maitreya to Asaṇga) and exchanging self for others (Mañjuśrī to Śāntideva). The stages progress from equanimity through recognising all beings as one’s mother, cultivating gratitude and love, equalising self and other, and performing the practices of taking on others’ suffering and giving one’s happiness, before bodhicitta finally awakens. A closing Q&A addresses the ethical tension between compassion and allowing others to experience consequences.
File metadata (for organising)
File: 1993-10-26 – Side 2 – KR.MP3
UUID: 83a0f933-4ff1-4ffc-a79e-708b78801846
Teacher: Kyabje Rinpoche
Collection: Three Principal Aspects
Date: 1993-10-26
Recorded at: Tibetan Buddhist Institute, Adelaide
Words: ~2,428
So one must reflect and develop the the aspiration that I must develop, I must cultivate such an attitude. So one develops the the the the concern that I I have to I have to develop this attitude. I I must do it. But how am I going to do it? So once developing the the determination to develop this attitude, then one questions, well, what is the method?
What is the way I can actually develop this attitude? So the actual method of generating this attitude, mind generation or the awakening heart, The the the past Indian masters, taught two methods. There is the the method of which came down in a lineage from Maitreya to Asaṇga, which is called the seven cause and effect instruction. And the second method came down to a lineage from Mañjuśrī to Śāntideva, which is called equalizing and exchanging self for others. The great Tsongkhapa integrated these two methods into a single means of instruction, which is extremely powerful and extremely quick method.
So we’re going to explain the the practice since we are talking about, discussing Tsongkhapa’s Three Fundamentals of the path. We’re going to discuss the practice where these two methods are integrated together. So though this is an extremely profound practice in general, the profundity of the practice is determined by the profundity of the individual who practices it. So it though the the practice may be extremely profound and deep Mhmm. Unless it’s unless it unless the individual practitioner implements it well in in a in a powerful manner, then though the practice may be deep, the practitioner is not going to go deep into the practice.
So it’s just as analogy would be, if you had excellent ingredients for preparing a meal but you didn’t know how to combine the ingredients well, that no matter how excellent the ingredients may be, you’re not going to end up with a very delicious food. So we’re going to be discussing this this, integrated method, which is that is the combination of these two traditions, which is explained in 13 stages. So these 13 stages are like the rungs of a ladder. In order to to climb the ladder, it’s necessary to to step on each rung as it as we proceed in order to rise up along the ladder. The the former is necessary in order to reach the ladder.
And when we the final end is the awakening heart in order to develop the the the awakening heart is necessary to have stuck stepped upon this have achieved the stage which is previous, which is former to the awakening heart. In order to have achieved that stage, it’s necessary to have achieved achieved the stage which is which preceded that particular stage and then proceeding downward until one comes to the initial stage. So it’s necessary to go through a series of stages, one depending upon the other in order to reach the end. So the end point that we’re seeking to develop is the awakening heart. But preceding the development of the awakening heart is necessary that we develop exceptional resolve.
In order to develop exceptional resolve, we have to meditate on taking and giving. Wherein in the con in the context of love and compassion, we take upon ourselves the suffering of others and we give them our happiness. In order that our practice of taking and giving go well, it must be preceded by the practice where we exchange self for others. We must develop a real determination that I am going to exchange myself for others. In order that our practice of exchange of self for others go well, it’s necessary that we that we have be preceded by the development of what is called appealing love or attractive love or pleasant love.
I think appealing love. This is a very special appealing love, which precedes the exchange of self for others. In order to that our practice of appealing love go well, it’s necessary that it be preceded by the practice of equal equal the equality the equality of self and others, coming to understand that that others are equal to ourselves and that they want happiness, they do not want to suffer equally. Preceding that is necessary that we develop love. Preceding love is necessary that we develop a sense of gratitude, wishing to repay kindness.
In order to develop that, it’s necessary that we have a remembrance of kindness. Preceding that, it’s necessary that we recognize living beings as our mother. And preceding that, it’s necessary that we develop equanimity. That’s probably 13. The awakening heart is extremely precious and therefore, we have to have really pure causes, really perfect fine causes which bring it about.
Just like if we had some precious article, the substances which went into making this precious article would have themselves have to be pure and precious and really excellent. So, you know, what if we’re if we’re making some valuable article, whether it’s clothing, whether it’s jewelry, and it’s going to be very precious, and we want to we want to start with the finest ingredients that are going to be combined to make this end product. If if the ingredients which go into it aren’t pure and of the finest quality, then we’re not we can quite easily understand that if if the the materials that we’re using aren’t of the finest quality, then the end product can how can it be of the finest quality when the materials that we’re using aren’t? No matter how we might well, we might be able to fashion them, still, the final product cannot be of the finest quality. Well, you know, this is, this is we all know this from in the world that if you that things which are made from the finest article materials and that one if one knows how to fashion them well to work with them, that one can clearly come up with a a really, an outstanding product which can be of really a great benefit both to oneself and others.
This is we all know this in terms of of the world, worldly ways. So if this is true in terms of external things about us and bringing about really, valuable and, precious products and items that we manufacture. You know, what to say of the internal qualities of our mind and bringing about these precious and powerful and really excellent to find qualities of mind that causes the materials that have to be of the same quality. These days, the Mahāyāna or the universal vehicle is is extremely popular. It’s it’s famous, you might say.
And, you know, what makes the universal vehicle the universal vehicle? It is is the quality of mind and but but specifically, the quality of mind of the awakening heart. This is what makes the universe of the vehicle precious because the awakening heart is so very precious. Without the awakening without the awakening heart, there’s no universal vehicle. So previously in when I whenever I discussed the universal vehicle, the Mahāyāna, I I I made I made it I made it a point to to emphasize the fact that the the Mahāyāna or the universal vehicle is not is not set out in terms of is not posited in terms of a monastery or or monks or books or red wearing red robes.
None of these are the universal vehicle. The universal vehicle is the quality of the mind, and moreover this quality is the awakening heart. You know, the word Mahāyāna, Mahāyāna, Maha is a Sanskrit word and means great or or big, big and universal. And and yana is vehicle. So the big big vehicle.
This is something of the mind. So what we mean we mean by we say Maha is great and then Mahāyāna, the vehicle, translated as vehicle. And it is that which has Here is that which is the precious quality of the ability to bring about the both the welfare of of others and oneself. So that which is extremely precious quality which has this ability to bring about the purpose or the welfare of both others and self is what is meant by the vehicle here. So the on the other hand, the individual vehicle.
In terms of, having, the ability to in terms of the ability to help oneself and others is able to to bring about one’s own welfare and in turn and not the welfare of others. In terms of what welfare of both self and other, it is it brings about the welfare of oneself and this in terms of the abandonment of the afflictive emotions and the suffering of cyclic existence and the attainment of the of the bliss of liberation. So it has that ability to to bring that in terms of one’s own welfare. So this is not a great vehicle, this is a small vehicle. So but in terms of the great vehicle, of the universal vehicle, the Mahāyāna, it it is it is an ultimate quality an ultimate quality which is has the which is the ability to bring about one’s own as well as other’s welfare through the elimination of all of one’s own faults and the bringing to consummation of one’s own excellent qualities.
This this is this quality is the awakening heart. So the universal vehicle is a quality of mind. It and this mind can be found in in in monks and nuns, in lay people, in males, in females, in animals. Animals can develop the awakening heart. Whosoever has this quality of the awakening heart is a has entered into the universal vehicle.
So those Dharma practitioners, and those books which set out the methods, the and those who practice these methods are books or the texts of the universal vehicle are the practitioners of the universal vehicle Dharma. So we’re going to stop there. But if you have some questions, we’ll spend a few minutes on those. Yes. What happened?
What was, what happens? And could you turn that into a question? Yeah, I don’t. What should you do if you think that’s the best or? Thinking if one finds oneself in a situation where one thinks it’s best that this person experience the results of their negative actions or it might be necessary to speak to them harshly?
What should one do if one thinks that one should allow this person to experience this suffering out of their negative actions? I’m just trying to make it into a kind of a question rather than just open and so that I mean, I that’s what I gather your question is. What should you do if you think it’s best for this person to be allowed to suffer the the consequences of their negative action? Is that what you’re do you wanna or do you wanna refine that or Yeah. Is that Yeah.
Or is it is it of use to let people suffer the consequences of their negative action? I I mean, if you’ll help me here. I’m sorry. I can’t hear you very well. I’m just can you help me a little bit?
Okay. That’s, that’s the way you’re gonna reap greater benefit, by allowing them to suffer. Is what? I’m sorry, I interrupted. Is?
Okay. So the I mean, within the two types of it, there are two possible types of individuals. One who can learn from their past mistakes and those who do not learn from their past mistakes.
So, but, you know, and therefore, they’re suffering having suffered, then they understand that they’ve made a mistake in the past and that they try to correct. The other doesn’t know where their suffering is coming from. They don’t realize it’s coming from that past mistake. But in either case, it’s best to help them not to experience the of the sufferings. Either of these two types of people, it’s best that they not suffer experience the suffering of whatever their past negative act, whatever they did.
Just like when a doctor, a doctor doesn’t he gives or she gives medicine to whosoever in order to prevent them from experiencing illness. So it’s it’s to make effort in bringing about a happiness where people do not suffer. I don’t know if that’s maybe I didn’t ask your question very clearly. Maybe if you’d like to go through it again, of course.
So there two cases. One is that, you know, example, you know, a child was always doing something wrong, involving himself in some destructive activity, and that and this is you you thought that this is going to lead them to a lot of trouble in the future. And that out of one’s kind hearted concern for the child in order to eliminate this behavior, in order to eliminate this future trouble that you foresee is going to befall the child, then it would be proper to scold them or to spank them. On the other hand, just to spank if you’re angry or if you’re just indifferent, just just to bring harm. So within Buddhism, our activities are are determined with and the positive or negative quality of the activities is dependent upon the mind, the attitude that we involve our in the activity whether it is positive or negative.
So an example would be if, you know, someone was walking along a path and there was a clay image of a Buddha on the path, a small image. And it was raining and the and the, you know, the the image was beginning to to dissolve, to deteriorate, to dissolve. And this person, this, you know, had a great deal of faith in Buddha and and didn’t want to see the the image ruined in this way. So they they take off their shoe and and cover cover over the Buddha image with that attitude. This would be a skillful action.
So then then a second person comes along and it stopped raining. And they look and they see they see the shoe and they pick up this and the shoe and it’s all there’s a there’s a Buddha image under that shoe. And they take off the shoe. That’s also a skillful action. People people shouldn’t put people shouldn’t shouldn’t put shoes on top of the Buddha images and they take it off.
That’s all for No. Not for Buddha. Not for Buddha. And both of them had positive attitudes in mind.