Audio recorded at Buddha House Adelaide. Transcript auto-generated and AI-corrected; may contain errors.
About this talk. Using the image of emptiness as mother and bodhicitta as father, Ven Jampa Gendun opens this 104-minute commentary with a pointed challenge: most practitioners, whatever mantras or deity practices they pursue, are in reality making the three poisons their basic practice. Drawing on Pabongka’s Lamrim text, he recounts Atisha’s journey to Indonesia to study with Guru Serlingpa and introduces a three-tier framework — uncontrived bodhicitta (arising effortlessly, like hunger), contrived experience, and bare intellectual understanding. He then covers five benefits of developing bodhicitta: becoming a child of the Buddhas, outshining Shravakas and Pratyekabuddhas, becoming a supreme object of offering, and the inexhaustible merit generated even by small acts, illustrated through a bowl of barley and a stick of incense. The session ends with Q&A on empowerments and practice commitments for busy lay practitioners.
File metadata (for organising)
File: 02 BV.mp3
UUID: 8b51c664-8173-40d1-b54b-10931dead997
Teacher: Ven Jampa Gendun
Collection: Bodhisattva Vows (Ven Jampa Gendun)
Date: 2007 (exact day not recorded)
Recorded at: Buddha House Adelaide
Duration: 104.8 minutes
Words: ~5,057
And then there is a strange translation here. The Geshe la was explaining that when you when you have the So then, Geshe-la was telling us that if we do not have that mind, but we meet with the conditions for wisdom that realizes emptiness. That wisdom that realizes emptiness serves as a condition, as a cause for the three vehicles, for the enlightenment of the three vehicles. So that wisdom, we are told, is like a mother. And then bodhicitta itself, which will serve as a cause, as Geshe-la was explaining, only for as a condition.
When we have bodhicitta, those conditions act as a cause for full enlightenment, we are told. And bodhicitta then is like the father. Okay? So then because bodhicitta is the father, then the wisdom that realizes emptiness is called as I was explaining for some time the word yum from yab yum, which is the honorific for mother. So because bodhicitta is is the father, then the wisdom we realize is the mother in a honorific sense.
And then the text goes on to say, now if you do not have So in brief in brief, if you do not have that if you do not have that that yearning for the the the state of of enlightenment. So in brief, what what Pabongka is telling us that if we do not have any wish whatsoever to develop the mind of enlightenment, unless we do not have absolutely any wish then we should make our basic practice the cultivation of the mind of bodhicitta because anything that is of value any good quality that is of value or any any of the good qualities what we can obtain from all the three vehicles the Hīnayāna and Mahāyāna they all they all come from from the bodhicitta and we are told that if if when people are asked what their basic practice is you know some people say some people say I recite Hayagrīva mantra vajrapani mantra yamantaka mantra and so forth but what Pabongka is telling us that in fact most of us usually make the the the three poisons our basic practice. Geshe la was saying now is and that is really the case, isn’t it?
Because most of us, we we are working only for the sake of the things of this life, isn’t it? And we we’re never thinking we’re never contemplating the mind of enlightenment and impetus and so forth, isn’t it? Most of it most of our activities are involved with the three poisons. And then we are told the story of Atisha who was versed in various teachings, various dharmas, but he wasn’t satisfied with that. So he went all the way to Indonesia to meet with his teacher there to receive a teaching on bodhicitta, on the mind of enlightenment.
This one teacher, Guru Serlingpa, he made this teaching his basic practice. He got from this teacher. This teacher was the one that he praised the most and the one he revered the most. Even though even though this guru himself, he was a. So so, again, he made he made this this instruction on on bodhicitta that he got from Serlingpa.
He made it his main practice, his heart practice, and he paid more respect to Serlingpa than to other lamas. Still Serlingpa was, in terms of his view, he was a mind only he he held the view of the mind only school. And in this sense in this sense only, he was inferior to Atisha who held the view of of of the middle way school. But still, even though the in in in his view, he was in in this sense, was inferior, he still held him in high regard, higher higher even than other lamas. And then we are told in concluding paragraph in the concluding paragraph of this text of this topic, we are told that for all these reasons, we should make effort in giving rise to bodhicitta in our minds, in our mind streams.
And that we we we don’t have a better base. This human body has no better base for for developing, for practicing it now. In in the future, we won’t be able to find another such good human rebirth. And then so then we have these opportunities to give rise to bodhicitta. And then if we were If we were to not take advantage of this opportunity and practice, if we did nothing to develop bodhicitta, to give rise to bodhicitta, that would be a great pity.
That would be yeah. That would be a great pity. Yeah. A great a great waste.
And then again, there is another goes on to say that there are people who who pride themselves in in doing special practices such as as living on on special pills in the essence of of plants and so forth. And but they they have no regard for bodhicitta. And then and this is and this is this is people do. And then So then we must make effort to develop uncontrived, to give rise to an uncontrived mind of enlightenment in our mind streams. If we cannot do that, that’s the best thing we can do.
If we cannot do that, then at least we should develop some contrived experience of this mind. And even if we cannot do that, at the very least, we should we should gain some some understanding at least. And Geshe la was explaining in regards to the to the expression, which is translated as uncontrived. Geshe la was saying is is that is that which appears comes up without us having to make any effort. So in the case of of food, for example, when we when we get hungry, then we naturally, immediately, the thought of acquiring food, getting ahold of food comes to mind without us having to make any effort whatsoever.
And that is that is the meaning of uncontrived. That’s experience the experience of uncontrived bodhicitta. And the same the same happens with us with attachment, anger, pride, and so forth. Without without any effort, they just pop up in our minds. So then, Geshe la explains the meaning of the contrived experience, which is basically that which when we make effort, it comes up.
Right now, Geshe la says even when we make effort, it doesn’t come up. But the contrived experiences, when we apply ourselves to it, it would come up. So that would be the meaning of the contrived experience. And then as for as for this low level understanding or insight, Geshe la was explaining. In the case that we are not able to develop the uncontrived experience or the contrived experience, then at the very least, we should have a solid understanding we’ll determine this we’ll make we’ll be able to decide what it is.
It is this. It is that. Yeah. At at very least end. And then is saying, if we can if we can produce any of these three, then our our human rebirth has has been meaningful then.
And then we are told concluding in conclusion, we are told that this is why you said that when engaging in a meditation session, a formal meditation session, first if you do not first engage in this meditation, in this topic of bodhicitta, then again for the rest of the hard work that you put in the recitation of mantras and so forth, in the deity meditation, all that will be pointless. And that will be there will be a pity And then we we go to the next topic, which is is commenting on on on the benefit. When you develop the mind of enlightenment, you gain the name of a child the name child of the victors. And then we are given a quote from the the way of the bodhisattva, which is saying that from the moment from the moment ordinary beings who are trapped in the in the prison of Samsāra developed bodhicitta, then from that moment on, they are given the name of child of the tap Tathagatas. Then another verse which says, today, I have been born into the into the family of the Buddhas, and I have become a child of the Buddhas.
And Geshe la goes on to read the commentary, and the commentary is then saying, again, if you becoming a child of of the victors or not depends entirely on bodhicitta. Again, if you if you do not if you if you have not developed bodhicitta, you are not a bodhisattva or a child of the the victors, of the conquerors. And even though you might have clairvoyance, you might can perf you may be able to perform miracles, you might be skilled and proficient in the five sciences, you might have gained under diet understanding of emptiness and completely abandon all delusions, still, you are not a Mahāyāna being at all. And then, again, on the other hand, as as Pabongka is telling us, if if if you have developed if you have given rise to the mind of enlightenment in your mind, then you have you have joined you are a Mahāyāna a Mahāyāna being. You have joined the ranks of the Mahāyāna.
Even though you you you might be an animal or a dog or a pig or some very stupid and and and and and animal without any qualities such as a donkey, even though you might be such, you would you would you would be a Mahāyāna being blessed and worth of worth of praises and offerings and so forth, And then, again, when one develops bodhicitta it is said. The signs that come up, Geshe-la was saying. When one develops bodhicitta, when bodhicitta arises, then the earth quakes and the thrones, the seats of the buddhas, they shake. And We are told because the earth is produced by the collective karma of beings. When someone develops bodhicitta, it proves unbearable for the earth, which then shakes because this person, the person with bodhicitta, will lead many sentient beings and cause a great it’s not commotion, but will cause a great movement.
No. Do you have shakes because he will come he move great mass of being. Yes. And then we are told that Bodhisattvas regard anyone who has developed bodhicitta as their sister or brother. The Buddhas of the ten directions, they will become just as happy as a universal, as a wheel-turning emperor who has gained a new child to be the new heir.
Heir. Yes, exactly. And then the person then becomes what is called the child of the victorious ones. On the other hand, if the person if the being might forsake the mind of enlightenment by any means, then that person would be shutting herself or himself out of the Mahāyāna. Lastly, we are told all of us in the past we have we have attained different types of clairvoyance emanation powers and so forth and all of this did not do us any good in the long run we are told it is better to understand to gain an understanding of the lamrim teachings being a clairvoyant and having miraculous powers is neither unusual nor beneficial we are told and it is said that we we actually have all these powers when we reach the Bardo, the intermediate state.
So then and then we approach the next of those qualities. Okay? Next of those ten qualities with it. When when bodhicitta, one will outshine even the Shravakas and the Pratyekabuddha. And we are given a quote from So then we we’re given a quote from a sūtra, okay, which is this, just saying, look.
If when if you have if you have a Jew I’m just gonna give Yosh’s jewel, because a jewel is very precious, then you can outshine every other possession that you have. Because with that jewel, you can acquire them everything that you want, everything that you need. So the jewel outshines everything that you have. I mean, the same applies for bodhicitta. When you have bodhicitta, it outshines all the beings, such as Pratyekabuddha, Shravakas, and so forth.
Yes. And then there is a sūtra on my life story where where we we are giving more of these illustrations. Just as a small prince, a young prince outshines many elderly ministers, or just as a garuda would outshine any group of other birds, and a fledgling bodhisattva who has developed bodhicitta in his or her mind stream outshines the whole group of Shravakas and Pratyekabuddha. So then in all these, we are told all these happens by the power of the superior intention, the superior determination, if you recollect the the teachings on cause and effect. And this is a of saying, superior determination, superior intention amounts to the might of enlightenment itself.
And then goes on to say that goes on to say that even a flawed diamond, but it will still be called a diamond. It will still outshine golden jewelry and so forth and still make make someone rich. Similarly, also, those who have developed bodhicitta in their minds, even though they might not be capable of of training in the in the six perfections of generosity, ethics, and so forth, they they are still going to be called the child of the victors because of bodhicitta that they have in their in their mind streams. And of all the precious collections of virtue, theirs is the best. That’s what we are told.
No. This So, again, of all the the the precious collections of virtue, then theirs is is is the supreme one. And of all and and then, again, Geshe-la was making reference to the comparison of of gold and the So of all the collection of of gold of the hearers and solitary realizers, still the the mind of enlightenment outshine even these collections of of of the Shravakas and Solitary Buddhas. They also say Samsaric poverty is dispelled by it. This one?
Oh, okay. Samsaric. Right? Oh. And all the the poverty and the misery of cyclic existence is dispelled by.
And then of all of all the because of all these reasons, we are told that of all the the eighty four thousand teachings of of the Buddha of the Buddha, then the very the very essence of the teachings is the mind of enlightenment. There is no teaching superior to the teaching of the of the mind of enlightenment. No Dharma superior to this. What are the Dharma of the mind of enlightenment. And then concluding quotes from Lama Atisha which is saying, give up this life.
Meditate only on loving kindness, compassion, the mind of enlightenment. And then we will go to the fourth of those benefits, which is then by developing the mind of enlightenment bodhicitta, you become a supreme object of offering. And Geshe-la again goes on through the text, which is saying when you develop bodhicitta in your mind, humans and the worldly gods will fold their hands in respect will pay respect to oneself and in other words one becomes an object of a supreme object of the offerings of gods and humans alike and then we are told still one does not one is not able to develop this mind by training in it for just a short period of time. And Geshe goes on to say that even Atisha himself has trained in bodhicitta for twelve years. Pabongka was just looking at the people who are merely meditating on deities and who recite mantras making effort at these things for so many years.
It would be much more valuable for us, much more meaningful for us to try even harder to develop bodhicitta instead. Okay? And then the used to say that everyone has images of deities to to meditate on. Everyone has mantras to recite. But the problem is that no one has a Dharma to contemplate.
No one has Dharma to contemplate. Geshe-la was saying, look. People contemplate they meditate on deities and recite mantras and all that, but they do not have the motivation of of enlightenment of the mind of enlightenment. And then because of that, these practices do not bring any result. So then we and then Pabongka goes on to say that it’s important for us to plant as many imprints as possible.
The text talks about instincts, but we we should plant as many imprints in our minds as possible. And then there is a story that once five hundred they just heard the voice of the Buddha one time, and then in the future they were born as gods and they came to see the truth. They came to meet the teachings. Then there’s another story of King Ajatashatru, who he had very strong imprints in his mind stream on the emptiness, about emptiness. And then one day, he tried to offer Mañjuśrī some robes worth a lot of gold.
And then and and he wasn’t able to to do that because Mañjuśrī, the recipient, just he just vanished. He just disappeared. So he then the king then put the robes himself and vanished. Lost. Lost.
Lost. Lost. Lost. So then and then that’s that’s the reason because that’s because he had some imprints. He had very strong imprints in his mind when this happened.
This is all to to say how important planting imprints in our mind streams is. And so for person who develops such a mind, the text goes on to say that even the gods such as Brahma, Indra, and so forth, they come and make offerings to such a person, and they lend their beauty and their brilliance to this person. And they will help this person to fulfill all hers or his wishes. And then even the Buddhas will respect the bodhisattvas because of the because the Buddhas themselves to the world, Bodhisattvas, and and they had bodhicitta. bodhicitta was the cause.
This one? This one. Oh, yeah. And then we are given the the illustration from the sutras where we are told that we shouldn’t we should pay homage homage to the new moon and not to the full moon. and Geshe la was saying and explaining that the new moon goes on increasing all the way up until it becomes full moon.
And the full moon, from that moment onwards, starts to diminish. So, again, we shouldn’t if we pay homage to the new moon, then we are also paying And that’s and that’s amounts to to the Buddha saying to the Buddha saying, no. You do not have to make offerings or prostrations to me. Make offerings, prostrations to the bodhisattvas. And then the Buddha is going to say, likewise, anyone who draw inspiration from me should pay homage to the bodhisattvas and not the.
And Geshe-la was saying because if you pay homage to the to the bodhisattvas, you you at this you accomplished also paying homage to the to the buddhas because the bodhisattvas are the cause. The Buddhas are the result. So you accomplish both by paying homage only to the. And then we are told that when the bodhisattva mounts a chariot, then the buddhas Then the buddhas will provide all sorts of of sensual delights for the five senses and entertain them and so forth. And even even when if there weren’t to be any anyone, any horse or anything to pull the chariot, then the Buddhas themselves would pull the chariot.
And was saying that that’s a very nice thing, isn’t it? It would be a very nice thing to happen. And then concluding the two concluding paragraphs of this section that has given the illustration of, for example, the who was a foe destroyer. It’s thought that somebody, an Ārya being such as Śāriputra, will remain in this utter serenity, in this cessation of the arhat foe destroyer for many years. The Tathagatas, the buddhas will not pay much attention to them, will not care much about them.
Then there are stories that, for example, the Buddha once did not offer to Mañjuśrī the first portion of the alms from his begging bowl, so the bowl sank into the earth. And Geshe la was explaining that, you know, instead of to such a being as an Ārya, Ārya Śāriputra, who was absorbed in this realization of emptiness, and the Buddha wouldn’t care much, wouldn’t pay much respect or give all the sense pleasures. But a bodhisattva is worthy of all these of all these offerings, and the Buddhas would do such for them. And then we move on to the fifth of those topics, which is then one that amasses developing bodhicitta, one that amasses the great accumulation of merit easily. There’s a quote from Geshe Langri Thangpa.
Geshe Langri Thangpa is saying again, when somebody develops bodhicitta that accomplish the first accumulation of merit, that purifies their obscurations and raise themselves of of of obstacles and hindrances and accomplishes every happiness in in short. So I think I was explaining something with regards to accomplishing the accumulation of merit. Mind of enlightenment can do so because the mind of enlightenment is wishing to accomplish. Every happens to every sentient being, and because of that it has the power to accomplish the accumulations of merit. Then, Geshe-la went on to the second line of the verse, which is making reference to the mind of enlightenment and purifying and clearing away all the negativities, all the obscurations.
Purifying all the obscurations. Geshe la was saying, look, the obscurations are like the darkness and the accumulation merits are like the lamps, the butter lamp for example. Geshe la was saying so then the more darkness there is the less light you have and then the more light there is the less darkness you will have the less obscurations you will have the more collection of merit you you have, the less obscuration you will have. And also it bridges oneself of of all obstacles. Geshe-la was saying as for obstacles or hindrances, everything that will harm oneself.
Obstacles and hindrances. Somebody who has the mind of enlightenment does not wish any harm, only wishes to benefit people and free them from suffering, The person wouldn’t be causing harm to anybody, so we wouldn’t experience any harm also. And then we’re given another quote from Lama Tsongkhapa, which is saying again that like the philosopher’s stone for the two collections. It gives you the merit together, a huge amount of virtue. And then is was was reading another quote.
But, again, we we were told that it will be very easy to gather the collections of a great amount of merit. And then another quote from Śāntideva, which is saying, again, it is, just like the philosopher’s stone, for it would turn this this appropriated body, the aggregates, this filthy body, into something precious, which is the body of a Buddha, the Dharma body the bodies of a Buddha. Thus, always maintain this thing that we call bodhicitta. Always keep the bodhicitta. And then just like the philosopher’s stone will turn anything into gold, then, again, the bodhicitta can turn this appropriated aggregates, contaminated aggregates into the body of a.
And then we are told again from from Śāntideva that all the virtues are like a banana tree for it is for it is barren once it is fruited. But bodhicitta is a living tree that continues to give fruit and to grow those. And Geshe-la was saying and it’s just like this every every happiness that we experience in this life our human rebirth and every happiness that we experience when we experience it then these results are exhausted. The causes are exhausted. The mind of enlightenment, it will keep on giving results all the way until enlightenment, inexhaustible results.
The mind of enlightenment is in relation to an innumerable amount of sentient beings so it will always be giving results and other virtues are just like again like just a banana tree which gives fruit once, and then it is barren. And and but the mind of the land just keeps on giving fruit. And Then we are told in the commentary from Pabongka, are told that there is nothing better than bodhicitta in order to complete the accumulation of merits. Even if one were to generous, practice generosity, without bodhicitta for hundreds of thousands of beings, for many hundreds of thousands of eons, and fill billions of worlds with jewels, again, still results of this, because Geshe la was saying, which is a very nice thing to do and all that. The results of this still would would eventually come to an end.
It will be exhausted. And then and then Geshe la goes on to explain that that act, it’s a virtuous, meritorious act, but still, the results would eventually come to an end. There will not be an action of a bodhisattva, a child of the victors, and there will not be a cause for one’s buddhahood. On the other hand, if one had bodhicitta, then even if one were to give just a bowl of barley to an animal, then of that action would never come to an end, would be inexhaustible. And then and then we are told again so with bodhicitta, then that little bowl of of barley flour dough, the results of that will never come to an end.
That that will be a bodhisattva deed, and that will also become the cause of one’s enlightenment. And then we are told that if with this mind of enlightenment then were to offer just one stick of incense, it is said that it gives one the same benefits as having offered the same number of sticks as there are sentient beings. And Geshe-la was explaining the same goes for anything that you offer, would be food, incense, or anything. You offer it once to one sentient being, and it’s the same as offering to all sentient beings. And then and then, again, because of that, with this mind, if if one were to recite only one mani mantra, it would be just as beneficial as reciting this mantra as many times as there are sentient beings.
Yes. Yeah. So we stop here for questions. So we have to we have we have to understand that we need to to meditate on the mind of enlightenment, Geshe-la says. So is is it is it is beneficial in that it will plant imprints, but one one will not attain the empowerment.
So again, one one one does get the imprints, the benefit of having the the imprints, but one does not actually attain the the initiation, the empowerment. I wanna say also, you know, this this whole thing about empowerment is also very difficult. One needs, again either of the three you know an uncontrived experience of the mind of a contrived experience or at least a very solid understanding of it and the same with emptiness in order to be able to to to get the empowerment, and that’s and that’s very difficult. So it leads me to the next part of my question. So if a working person, you know, with a very busy life has only an hour or thirty minutes or an hour and one should, is that time better spent doing one’s commitments or meditating?
How do you say commitment again in Tibetan? So is is is what what you have committed yourself to. That’s important. So parts of it. If you have promised, vowed, or committed yourself to practice the long sādhana and then you decide, oh, I will do the short sādhana and do some lamrim, then you have broken that commitment.
You have broken that. Yeah. He at some point, Geshe la said We didn’t have an accident. Yeah. At some point, Geshe la said, even when you are at work, could still be going through the sādhana in your mind.
Yes. But I don’t understand the vision life. Yeah. We do as best as we can. No pressure.
Can I just get back to that? Sorry. Because I guess what I’m I guess what I’m getting at is if I’m not allowing myself time to meditate, have I been silly in taking those empowerments? I guess that’s what I’m saying. We’re we’re better off.
Do you want to Not taking more empowerments, which I I’ve actually stopped anyway so that I can develop, you know, hopefully, in this life, I’m trying. Don’t worry. No. No. It’s it’s a general question.
Someone you know, are we silly taking That’s the silly that the part is difficult to translate. Are we unwise? Are we unwise? If we’re if we’re stopping ourselves meditating, are we unwise going to initiations? Can you help me, please?
Yes. I do the commitments. Geshe la was asking what would would be better for a for a beginner, somebody who hasn’t taken any initiations, to go and take an initiation or to just contemplate the. And then Geshe la was gonna say, look. It really depends on on on the person.
A person has to look for himself. But he should think that, you know, taking initiation attending initiation not taking initiation, but attending initiation should be beneficial to plant the imprints. And was given the analogy of people who have a certain aversion to the view, the view of emptiness, and they are not suitable vessels to receive the view of emptiness. But when they are introduced to the view of emptiness, even though at first a temporal way, in a mediate way, they might experience harm because of having been introduced to the view, ultimately, it will be beneficial because that would then lead them to to enlightenment itself. And I would say the the things that the same more or less the same applies here in the context of I didn’t get the beginning.
What was that?