Audio recorded at Buddha House Adelaide. Transcript auto-generated and AI-corrected; may contain errors.
About this talk. In this 7-minute session from the Opening the Eye of New Awareness series, Ven Jampa Gendun opens with the story of Milarepa — who killed many people through the power of mantra yet attained Buddhahood in one lifetime — using it to illustrate how a teacher’s instructions may appear shocking yet still constitute a skilful path. He then turns to the traditional three-year examination period that should precede any serious guru-student relationship, advising students to observe conduct, consult other practitioners, and investigate carefully before following a teacher’s guidance. The session closes with a question about whether teaching meditation to people who do not observe Buddhist ethics is beneficial, drawing on a TM study as evidence of potential harm, and weighing it against the argument that even imperfect practice plants seeds for future development.
File metadata (for organising)
File: 09 OtE 1991 11 13.mp3
UUID: b9891be3-cc1a-40e4-a713-a95a57f8ea52
Teacher: Ven Jampa Gendun
Collection: Opening the Eye of New Awareness 1991-1992 (Ven Jampa Gendun)
Date: 1991-11-13
Recorded at: Buddha House Adelaide
Duration: 7.3 minutes
Words: ~428
The So Milarepa attained Buddhahood in one lifetime. So, you know, no matter what these other people might think, this was a a correct method this was a correct method path for him to take. Had earlier in his life he had created a lot of negative karma action through he killed a lot of people through the force of mantra, And he and this was seen as a method to purify all this negative karma. And so this was actually a very skillful method for him to follow the path. So we have to be sure whether what our guru says, whether they’re just crazy or whether or there’s something else.
So, you know, shouldn’t be haphazard in what teacher that we listen to. You know, if one teacher says this and you do this, it may be good. Another teacher says this and you do that, it may be bad. Previously, was accustomed that there would be at least a three year examination period. Teacher would examine the student three years before to watch his conduct.
Then when he thought he was worthy, was given teachings. And likewise, the student would watch the teacher for three years and check out his conduct, examine his conduct, and then he would listen to him what he said was good and bad. So, you know, it says in the various texts that there should be this examination period that goes on. You know, if it can’t be three years, two years, if it can’t be two years, one year, or maybe six months, check out the teacher. You can ask about other people, other students, Ask an area that he is teaching in about him and watch his conduct and see if there is any type of faulty conduct.
Carry on an examination before you listen to what he says or she says. I was wondering if you could ask Rinpoche whether he would say that teaching meditation to people that don’t want to observe correct ethics is less useful than perhaps not useful. There was a study done on people who practised TM who wouldn’t have been practising the ethics of Buddhism and they were found to get more neurotic and more problems after meditating, quite a large percent. Remember they said that it would be beneficial to teach even though they weren’t observing ethics to teach in meditation because it would implant good seeds for the future, that they would develop in their meditation quicker in the future. So there would be some good result from that.