Audio recorded at Buddha House Adelaide. Transcript auto-generated and AI-corrected; may contain errors.
About this talk. In this 43-minute teaching, Ven Lobsang Namgyel guides students through the eighteen root vows and forty-six branch vows of the bodhisattva path, the commitment to work toward enlightenment for the benefit of all beings. He opens with practical clarifications about retaking refuge and vows, then systematically walks through each root vow with concrete examples drawn from daily life: how praising yourself or belittling others arises from attachment to offerings and admiration; why hoarding material aid or dharma knowledge breaks the vow of generosity; how holding grudges prevents forgiveness; the importance of respecting offerings made to the Three Jewels and ordained monastics; and why abandoning bodhicitta through thinking you cannot help certain beings is a fundamental breach. He emphasizes that breaking vows is inevitable in saṃsāra, but immediate purification through retaking the vows—a simple three-repetition verse—develops the crucial habit of regret and repair. Pitched at those preparing to take bodhisattva vows or already committed to the path.
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File: p2_2009 09 29.mp3
UUID: e19a9e7d-c4af-401f-9b5a-9f968f72b9a8
Teacher: Ven Lobsang Namgyel
Collection: Ven Namgyel Bodhissatva (Ven Lobsang Namgyel)
Date: 2009-09-29
Recorded at: Buddha House Adelaide
Duration: 42.9 minutes
Words: ~2,838
There was a question during the break whether those who have taken refuge before can retake it again. It’s not necessary, but can. And the other times, However, if you already took, for instance, not killing and not stealing, And now you’ve decided you quite like stealing. So now you’d like to change to not lying. You can’t switch.
I don’t think you’d have this mind, but anyway. You can’t take less vows. You can take more vows. More you can retake the same vows. About the question, Pujas, can they be made tomorrow or during the retreat?
So Rita said that if somebody wants to have a Puja made for them, then they can write on a paper and give it to you. So question regarding that. We can make dedication over the weekend. But if it’s for some sort of particular purpose that wouldn’t fit in with Tārā, you can give me the name and the purpose, and then we will do it when we’re doing pujas ourselves. When We’ll be happy to do whatever we can.
Is that okay? Any more? Very little time. Okay. Moving on.
One question. What about those small beings inside our stomach and bacteria? Bacteria is not sentient being. Okay. That’s good.
And fleas, if you Fleas are sentient being. Okay. If you have to kill, kill with compassion. She was tormented. I think she’s got a dog or a cat.
Yeah. But there are these drops that you can put on the tail and it makes the fleas jump off. It doesn’t kill them. You know? Some good news today.
But, yeah, because we’re living in saṃsāra, we have all these difficult decisions to make. So then we need to develop a renunciation of saṃsāra. Because you see how we can’t live perfectly without any harm in saṃsāra. So even in, you know, you’re somebody like his holiness, still does harm. Because his holiness has to eat.
So even through eating, whatever we eat, somehow. We’re just trying to become less selfish and minimize the harm. To become wiser in our actions. Is it clear now? I don’t want you using this as as a way of beating yourself.
Okay. So we have wishing bodhicitta. And engaging bodhicitta. Is it clear that if you’re taking bodhisattva vows, you already have refuge? Is there anybody who wants to take Bodhisattva vows without refuge?
That dog of yours? Possible. So wishing bodhicitta is you feel that you can’t keep the vows now, but you want to put an imprint into your mind stream. So great, but you see. And then engaging bodhicitta is that you have the vows.
And then there’s certain things that you need to avoid and certain things that you need to do. So the difference between wishing and engaging? You’d like to go to Kopan. You find out how to go. But at the moment, you just can’t go.
So you keep wishing, I wish I could do that. I wish I could do that. So taking wishing bodhicitta is planting a seed that will ripen in the future. Engaging is ongoing. So in this case, it’s not going to Kopan, but it’s going to enlightenment.
Okay. So there are eighteen root vows. The first one is you have to abandon. So praising yourself or belittling others? You would be doing this out of attachment?
Because you want to receive offerings or admiration? It’s clear, isn’t it? You wouldn’t do this, would you would. So, Sir, I’m so incredible. I’ve done some really compassionate actions today.
But this other person, they also took the Bodhisattva vow. I saw them not doing something. So you’re looking to get something for yourself. And you’re looking to put somebody else down. This is especially important when you take something as a group, that you don’t criticize each other’s behavior.
So you just understand everybody is a human being. And because we’re human, we make mistakes. And so in that way, you’re offering kindness and compassion. You’re not offering judgment and criticism. So number two?
Even though you’re able to, you’re not giving material aid to others. So this means you have resources, but you’re being miserly. Or you have dharma knowledge, but you’re choosing not to share it. Because you’re amassing this knowledge for yourself, but you’re not willing to give it to others. Then the third one is about you have a grudge.
Grudge. Explain. Somebody’s hurt you. So you’re holding a bad feeling up against them? That’s a grudge.
So even when they apologize, you still won’t let go of it. So you need to forgive. But breaking the vow is you’re not forgiving. Number four. You abandoned the Mahāyāna teachings because you say that they’re not part of Śākyamūni Buddha’s teachings.
So again, you need to be careful that when there’s something that you don’t understand, don’t reject it. Number five. So when those offerings that have been made to the Buddha Dhamma Sangha, You’re trying to take them away. So it could be directly by robbery or some sort of devious method. But you’re trying to get these offerings for your own purpose.
You have to be particularly careful about offerings made to Sangha. And particularly offerings made to monks and nuns. So in this situation, sometimes I think it becomes a bit confused. For instance, somebody could bring some biscuits for me, and then I just leave them in the kitchen, and other people eat them. I’m not saying you people have done this.
But I think whenever there’s offerings like that to a particular person, make it very clear. Because this kitchen is such a general situation. So whenever somebody says, oh, this is for you, then I would say, is it for me particularly or is it for everybody? So in this way, from my side, I try to make it clear. What have you done?
Yes? Oh, it was you who took my jacket. It was you who took it. I knew I’d find out sooner or later. It’s the one with the red face.
No. Nobody’s done anything to me. But I’m only mentioning this because we’re talking about the bodhisattva vows. And then we do things like putting the offerings here. And so always when you’re making offerings, be clear who or to which purpose you’re making those offerings.
So there’s no karmic downfall? So in the case of, say, somebody gave something to me and then you ate it by mistake. You didn’t have the motivation to eat my chocolate even though you ate my chocolate, then you didn’t think afterwards, his chocolate was really delicious. I wonder if he has any more chocolates. You you know what I mean?
That that sort of mind. It’s very unlikely you would have that sort of mind. That sort of mind would break the vow from the root. So it’s similar to the four parts of karma being complete. So it means there’s a very negative mind involved.
There’s a delusion. It’s not just you wander into the kitchen and you’re munching on a piece of chocolate. And then somebody says, that’s Venerable’s chocolate. That would be a good response. Yeah?
Because you have regret. Yeah. Then number six. Abandoning or despising the holy dharma. Despising him.
Two. The that was no. No. It’s national. So this is of any of the three vehicles?
So if you’re a Mahāyāna, you don’t criticize the Hīnayāna. So you don’t criticize the difference in various teachings? Because Buddha taught with skillful means. To guide disciples with different dispositions. Then number seven, harming an ordained person.
Not eating their chocolate. That was a joke. Inflicting violence on them. Stealing their robes. Or causing them to lose their vows.
Again, it’s not likely. However, it has been known for people to fall in love. Avoid falling in love with somebody who’s a monk or a nun. Number eight. Committing any of the five heinous actions?
Killing your mother? Father? An arhat? Causing disunity amongst the Sangha? Wounding a Buddha?
You might think, gosh. I’d never do any of those. The one we could possibly do causing disunity. Because whenever there’s a community, it’s always possible to make trouble in the community. So always be careful to bring people together, not to divide them.
Number nine. Cultivating and holding wrong views. So this is being sectarian? I’m Gelugpa. I don’t like the or I don’t think they’re they have good teaching, whatever it is.
So it’s all Buddhadharma. Then saying there are no Three Jewels. Or denying the law of cause and effect. Ten. We don’t want you destroying any towns or countries.
Such as by fire, by bombs, by pollution? Black magic? Again, it’s not likely. But these vows are to protect all sentient beings. And we have stories of people like Milarepa who did destroy a town.
So sometimes when delusion is very strong, you might think this is a good thing to do. So the vow is there to stop you. Eleven. Teaching emptiness to those who are untrained. Or not ready to understand it.
So maybe I broke this one. Yes, you may look it like that. No? Obviously, he’s listening. Teaching emptiness to those who are untrained or not ready to understand it.
But you’re not understanding. Now it’s we have to be careful talking about emptiness because some people can become very afraid when they listen to teachings on emptiness. That fear can cause them to let go of bodhicitta. So then they go back to individual liberation. So be careful when you are talking about emptiness.
Because sometimes you can see somebody is getting very agitated. So then stop. So this is this is a hard one for teachers. What to do? Number twelve.
Turning someone away from working to attain enlightenment. And telling them instead to work for their own liberation. So this is somebody on the Bodhisattva path. They’re trying really hard. And they tell you, oh, you know, this is so difficult to keep the vows or to do these meditations, whatever.
And then it’s somebody giving advice saying, oh, you should give that up. Much easier to go for nirvana. So then that person is giving up all sentient beings. So again, it’s not likely, but just be careful. Thirteen is encouraging others to abandon pratimoksha vows.
This is refuge vows or monks and nuns’ vows. So, again, it’s telling somebody, oh, it’s not worth having them. You don’t need that for Mahāyāna? What you should do is take the Bodhisattva vows. So actually the Bodhisattva vows are based on pratimoksha vows.
So you need the pratimoksha level to have the Bodhisattva level. It provides a strong working basis. Fourteen. Causing others to hold incorrect views that you might hold regarding the Hīnayāna teachings. Such as saying that by practising the Hīnayāna one can never give up attachment or be released from suffering delusions.
So it’s somebody who is practicing Hīnayāna teachings. Difficulties with their delusions. Then you as a Mahāyāna say, you should give it up. Because in the Hīnayāna, you can’t solve these problems. You need to come over to the Mahāyāna.
So then they drop their Hīnayāna teachings. And, again, this is sectarianism. Fifteen. Proclaiming false realizations of emptiness. So if you meditate like this, you will have realizations just like me.
So if the other person believes that you have realized emptiness but you haven’t, this is again a downfall. It’s spiritually cheating. Accepting as gifts, material that you know has been stolen or embezzled from the Three Jewels or from a monk or nun. Then seventeen? Taking material from someone who’s meditating on calm abiding.
Giving it to somebody who recites texts. So this would be a situation where there’s a meditator in a in a house or a cave. And you think they’re just wasting their time. And this one going is doing something very beneficial. So it’s understanding that both are doing something beneficial.
But particularly, we pay respect to the meditator. And then the last one. Abandoning bodhicitta. By thinking I can’t help sentient beings. Or I don’t want to help this particular sentient being.
When you think like that, you’ve given up your bodhicitta. So there are four conditions for breaking. You’re breaking the vows, but you don’t care. Second one is you don’t abandon the thought to do the action again. The third one is rejoicing or admiring yourself for having done the action.
And then the fourth one is having no shame or consideration for others. So you don’t care about the consequences of the action for yourself or for others? So it’s like you’re separating your action from karma. Any questions about those? Simple.
Yeah. Got you. Yes. Go on, Sandra. There’s forty six branch vows.
I don’t think we’ve got time. You have to protect the six perfections. So there’s vows protecting there’s generosity. vows to protect morality. Then patience.
And concentration. Concentration also. And then the there’s vows to protect the perfection of morality of helping others. So it covers every single thing you could think of? It has vows to protect concentration and vows for perseverance.
So these are the secondary vows? So these again are actions that you have to abandon. And of course we are going to break even the root vows. So you you’ll destroy a village And use with your black magic. And then you’ll think, I’m sure I have a vow to do.
And then you have to purify. So it’s not usually something so dramatic. It’s often you get a negative thought. I hate my boss. He’s the last person in the world that I would help.
And then you think, oh, no. Bodhisattva vows. So then you retake the bodhisattva vows. It’s just one verse that you have to repeat three times. So you can retake it virtually every day.
Which means then you keep it purely. And if even Atisha was breaking his vows for us, of course, we’re going to break it. But by taking vows and breaking them and purifying them, we develop a very good habit, which is regretting and purifying. So that when we’re reborn, we’re going to be reborn as humans, Because we’ve taken refuge in bodhisattva vows. When you take refuge, Buddha Śākyamūni Buddha said, you cannot go to the lower realms.
You can’t be harmed by spirits. So there’s there’s many, many benefits. And then having taken the Bodhisattva vows, you’re accumulating inconceivable merit. So this is a good investment for the future. But also it has a present benefit.
Because it means that you can rejoice every single day that you are working towards the mind of enlightenment. So no matter what happening around you, your river is beneficial. Because you’re using it to benefit others. It. Yeah.
Any questions? Yeah. I’ve got your time. She wants about a life that you have to repeat in order to. Do you have it translated?
There’s a short one here that is Holiness recommended. Oh, Buddhas, bodhisattvas and gurus. Please listen what I now say. From the depths of my heart. Just as all the Buddhas of the past have developed a thought of enlightenment.
True bodhicitta, then practiced its stages of greater development, following the trainings of all Buddha’s sons I think we can say children. Sir, may I too I sorry? For the sake of all beings. Follow the trainings. Exactly as all bodhisattvas have done.
Three times. Three times. So it’s not nothing difficult. It’s not because it’s I was reading today that his holiness has just said more women should be involved in political life and public life. So his Holiness said, you may call me a feminist.
But I think women understand suffering. And should be more involved to bring about a cessation of suffering. So I think his Holiness has heard about the battle I’ve been having with this language. Now he’s on my side. Just joking. Okay.
Quiet. Yeah. You have question? Anybody? Everybody’s happy?
Forty-six branch vows, if it’s possible to put it somewhere in there. That means you have to come to the Tārā retreats. Not that I’m advertising the Tārā retreats. But I am getting twenty laps’ commission for each person that comes. So I am trying to encourage people.
It’s good being on the commission system. So we’ll dedicate? Do you have anything to dedicate with? We can do Śāntideva proud. Even though there are difficulties, still we should focus on the fact that we’re trying to develop bodhicitta.
So every day remembering that sentient beings are suffering, And that until that suffering ceases, I will stay here. And I will work for the benefit of sentient beings. Until all suffering ceases. And so in that way, we dedicate our life to benefiting others. And then your life is beneficial.
Automatically. Automatically. Okay. Thank you very much.