Audio recorded at Buddha House Adelaide. Transcript auto-generated and AI-corrected; may contain errors.
About this talk. In this 93-minute session, Ven Sangye Khadro introduces the four attachments—a foundational teaching that originated when Mañjuśrī appeared to the great Sachen Kunga Nyingpo and transmitted four lines of verse distilling the entire spiritual path. She establishes right listening through a striking metaphor: a container can fail in three ways—upside down (unmindful), full of holes (forgetful), or containing dirt (selfish motivation). She then teaches the two primary preliminaries: taking refuge in Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha, explaining the three causes (fear, faith, compassion), the objects of refuge, and the vows; and cultivating enlightenment thought (bodhicitta), the determination to attain Buddhahood for all beings’ sake. She demonstrates how teaching itself naturally embodies all six perfections. This is the first in a course treating these four lines as the essence of the Mahāyāna path.
File metadata (for organising)
File: 1 Compassionate way of life.mp3
UUID: dba45d5b-9cfd-48ae-805c-c9e67a28adb5
Teacher: Ven Sanghy Khandro aka Kathleen McDonald
Collection: Compassionate way of life (Ven Sanghy Khandro aka Kathleen McDonald)
Recorded at: Buddha House Adelaide
Duration: 93.2 minutes
Words: ~6,892
My main root guru as in our tradition, of course, we have many I have many many root gurus, many gurus that I receive teaching. But my main root guru is the abbot of Ngor. Ngor Monastery is actually the second most important monastery of our tradition. Sakya order is the one. And then we within Sakya order, we have a subsect, the Ngorpa and Tsarpa, and he is the abbot of the Ngor monastery.
This Ngor monastery was established in the fourteenth century by the great Muchen Kunga Sangpo, who was actually born in the Khon lineage and study in his main Sakya monastery, but then he wished to establish monastery in retreat center. Initially, it was like a meditation center. And so Ngor Monastery is actually about roughly speaking maybe fifty, sixty miles from Sakya Monastery and in a very secluded place and there he first started the monastery as a retreat center, but later it became very important monastery where many of his great disciples and they were sent to all over the Tibet, not only in Tibet but in many even as far as India and Nepal and China and so forth. And so it had many, many branch monasteries. So within our tradition, Ngor Monastery is actually very, very important.
It is almost equivalent of the Ganden monastery within the Gelug tradition that you have Ganden and Drepung and Sera, the three most important monasteries. So similar to this to us, the Sakya is the main the first monastery, but then the second is the Ngor monastery. So this my main root guru is the abbot of this monastery. This monastery has ever since from the great Muchen Kunga Sangpo himself. There were many great successors.
And the recent time my main guru, whose name is now Luding Khensur Rinpoche, was a very great master, not only in our order, even the other orders also treat him as once their own guru and it became very famous. And there was at that time there’s almost no one who is not following his who is not receiving teaching from him. So he was the real great master. And of course, in reality that he is a real great vajradhara, but even for our ordinary eyes that he possess infinite qualities. One example is that when he was traveling in Kham area at one time visiting Nyingma Lama who was also a very great master in his it is also a kind of a meditation center, retreat center in a very secluded place.
And of course there is no way to retain any information before his arrival. But this Nyingma Lama, he had a dream, a very clear dream saying that today you will have a great bodhisattva who have got a high realization visiting you and so he’d be wondering that who will visit me today and then on that day that my main guru, Luding Khensur Rinpoche was visited. So this is just one tiny example of how great he was. So from him that I received most of our own teachings, including parting from the four attachments, the profound teaching that I’m that we are going to do this weekend. So today is his Mahaparinirvana Day, and so this is a very auspicious occasion.
And of course, before we start the actual teaching course, it is a tradition to recite the lineage gurus’ prayers because root of all the qualities lies on the spiritual masters. Without the spiritual masters, then we could not get the blessings of the Buddha. Although so many Buddhas have come into this world, into this universe, so far we’ve not been able to get the blessings and so due to this we are still caught up in this realm of existence. Although the Buddha’s blessings are all the time bestowing to the sentient beings just like the sun is all the time brightly shining in the sky, but many of the times that we do not see the sun. So similarly, although the Buddhas all the time bestowing blessings, due to our own karma, due to our own defilements that we’ve not been able to receive so far.
And at this moment, we do not see Buddha in person and we didn’t so therefore we could not receive teachings directly. So what we do is that we receive through the spiritual masters Although the sun is brightly shining in the sky, but without the special instruments that one could not make the fire out of the sun. So although the Buddha’s blessings is also all the time shining brightly in the sky, but without the help of the spiritual masters that we could not receive the blessings of the Buddha. So therefore, in general and particularly in Mahāyāna teachings that spiritual master is very important. So before receiving teachings that we must remember their kindness and to pay homage to the all the lineage gurus starting from the Lord Buddha himself, then to his disciples such as Mañjuśrī and so forth until the all the lineage gurus up till now.
And pray to them and so that and pray to be able to carry on the practice and not only that we will understand the meaning, but also to be able to apply in our life so that we will be successful in achieving the results. So with deep devotion and faith that you recite the Lineage Guru prayers. The Lineage Guru prayer has special tune, so we we just all try to follow. We will draw it slowly so that everyone can follow. So now to start the teaching, first of all that whenever you are receiving teaching that it is very important to create the right motivation.
When you do not have the right motivation, then whatever practice you do that it does not become the right path. So it is very important to create the right motivation, which means that as space has no limit, the sentient beings also has no limits. And the limitless sentient beings who are all suffering and who all wish to have happiness. So for the sake of all those sentient beings as wide as space that one must attain ultimate enlightenment. And in order to get enlightenment that you are receiving this very deep and profound holy teaching and will diligently practice that whatever one learn that one will diligently practice.
So to create such motivation is very important and then also as it is described in the sutras that the right behavior such as sitting on the low seat and physically and voice and mentally to sit in complete calmness, peaceful way and one should look open the master and teachings with a great joy. And just like drinking the nectar of words. And so with the very respectful form, physically in the respectful form, Mind, pure mind without any disturbances just like the patient listening to the doctors advice. And then with such thing that one should listen which means that when one is receiving that one should not physically lying down or bending or or facing the back to the teacher or the side to the teacher, etcetera.
One should avoid this and that one should sit possible in the cross leg or if not kneeling down with full respectful form. But of course, there are always exceptionals. Those who are who cannot do physically, like the sick people who cannot sit and cross leg all the time and who cannot kneel down, who have to sit on the chair. In some ways that if it is not possible physically of course it is always the permission is given. Lord Buddha has of course always given special to the sick people.
So in any case the main thing is to have the clear mind and to have the deep devotion Because the reason why that we have to do this is that to come the Buddhas to appear into this realm is very rare and we as him to get human life is also very rare. So many difficult conditions all gathering together here is very, very rare. So when you have all these right conditions that one should listen the teaching with a great interest, enthusiastic enjoy and with great interest. Also it says that in the sutras that one should listen carefully, one should hold carefully with a pure mind which means that actually there are three types of faults that one must avoid in listening the teachings. The number one fault is that For example, if the container is put it upside down, then whatever you pour, then nothing will go inside inside of the container.
So similarly, even though one is sitting in a religious course, spiritual course, but one’s mind is not concentrating on the words and meaning, then it is just like container upside down that nothing could goes into your mind. And the second fault is that the container is upward position, in the right position. But if it has holes underneath, then whatever you pour in, whatever things that you pour into this container, it will comes out. So even though one is listening the teachings, but if one did not hold it, remember it and hold then one forgets everything. When the teaching when you reach the middle part of the teaching, you forget the beginning part and when you reach the ending part of the teaching, one forget the middle part.
And by the time that one leave one finish the teaching and leaves, that everything is forgotten and that one could not remember anything. So therefore, the second thing is very important not to be like container with the holes that one should must hold. What one even it is a very little one. The teaching that you want to receive may be very little one, but that it is important to hold it. The third fault is the container is in upward position and it has no holes, but if it contains dirty things inside, then whatever good thing that you pour in that when once it is mixed with the poison or something dirty, then it is not it is ruined.
Whatever thing that you pour in, it is ruined. If it contains dirty things and it will mix with the so therefore, it has to be clean, clean in a sense that free from pride as the pride as we were saying that on the ground of pride no qualities remain. So one has the pride particularly in receiving teachings like this that to be pride from out of pride, pride of race, the pride of qualities, pride of discipline, etcetera, that such pride is and also disrespectful to the teachings, disrespectful disrespectful to the master or not a real interest in the teaching. Or distraction, one’s mind is distracted on other things and one’s mind is sort of going into the sinking or in a kind of very sleepy or once our mind is kind of tired of listening the teachings, etcetera. And particularly that to mix one’s mind with the defilements and that by receiving this teaching that I will give this teaching to other people so that that I will gain the wealth, prosperity, and fame, etcetera, out of desire or by listening this teaching, by learning this teaching that I can compete with the other fellow spiritual practitioners that so that I can defeat them, etcetera, out of anger or out of jealousy and out of competition, to compete, etcetera, are the faults, the dirty things that are contained in the container.
So if one mixes with such thought teaching, then it is like mixing good food with a poison. Even though it may be a very good food but once it is mixed with the poison then it is not helpful. It is not worthy. So similarly, here also that one should very important to be a clean mind without any kind of defilement. The is to subdue defilements, to conquer defilements, to destroy defilements.
And instead that if the teaching also becomes creates defilement then it is like the medicine turning into a poison. So therefore it is very important for us to be very clear and pure minded. Free from the three three three contain three containers three faults of the container. And then from the disciple side as well as from the master side that one must practice with a good intention, teacher as a doctor, the disciples as a patient, teaching as a good medicine, defilement one should look at as a terrible illnesses and to practicing practicing it diligently, to performing it diligently is to receiving the treatments, etcetera. There’s such an intention that one should receive.
And when one is teaching itself contains all the six perfections. Great activities of the Buddha Bodhisattvas in order to ripen oneself practices are included into the six perfections. And the six perfection is actually one could apply even while one is receiving the teaching itself. By the Guru as well as the disciples. For example, the spiritual master who is giving the teaching, the words and meaning are explaining so it is a giving, the perfection of generosity or the perfection of giving.
And so from disciple side, in order to receive teaching, to make offerings, to make the mental offerings is also giving. So the perfection of giving is included. And the second perfection, the perfection of moral conduct. Moral conduct means actually to abstain from abstain from the non virtuous deeds. And by listening, by explaining and by listening that one will know the what is the right thing to do and what is the wrong thing that one should avoid.
So the moral conduct, the perfection of moral conduct is also practiced included in the teaching. And the third is the patience. While one is receiving teaching that physically and mentally to be a patient, to practice, it is a good chance to practice the patience, to spend the time, to bear the difficulties and to listening. So it is the patience. And fourth perfection is the perfection of endeavor or the efforts is that to have enthusiastic, to have an interest in development actually interest or the enthusiastic in practicing the virtuous deeds and that one is listening the teaching here with enthusiastic and with the interest so it is the perfection of endeavor.
Then concentrating on the meanings of the teaching. The fifth perfection is the perfection of concentration and that is to meditate to the one pointedly concentrating on the teaching is the perfection of concentration. And the sixth one is the perfection of wisdom and that through the words and through the meaning that it can create the wisdom that one will have the wisdom by listening the teaching. So the teaching itself contains just by while one is receiving the teaching that one could practice the all six perfections. So this with this kind of things with this kind of things that you want to receive the teaching then it is a great benefit.
And now the actual teaching itself. This particular teaching is actually the path of all the past, present and future Buddhas And it is the the essence of all the deep sutras. The Buddha’s teaching are actually like ocean. Wide and deep and has many different, levels of understanding, many different levels of meaning. So it is difficult to understand for ordinary person to all of it.
But the great masters who have already reached a very high spiritual stage and who have got very high realization that they can take the essence out of the sūtra and make a short profound teachings so that even an ordinary person like us can without difficulties, practice. There are many different ways of practicing Dharma, more in a sort of academic way, more wider way to study and to go through a very great detail and on the other side you have a sort of essence all combined together in short form so no need to study very vast things but whatever one has studied to apply into the practice. So this is actually the second part that it is the essence of profound teaching all combined together known as parting from the four attachments. The history of this particular teaching is that when the great Sachen Kunga Nyingpo is actually one of the founders of the Sakya order. When he was twelve years old, his spiritual master.
Since you are a son of a great to to study a vast scriptures and so in order to study that one needs to wisdoms and so in order to obtain wisdom that you must practice the Mañjuśrī retreats. So he gave Mañjuśrī initiation and teachings and also helped him his spiritual master also helping him and with together with the help of his spiritual masters that he did a retreat on Mañjuśrī in his in his house. And although the great Sachen Kunga Nyingpo actually in reality he is the manifestation of all the Buddha’s compassion. He is the emanation of Avalokiteśvara. But born as a human being, so in order to suit our human level that he also just follows the ordinary ordinary way of life like having spiritual masters and to accumulate, to obtain wisdom, to practice retreat and to study and to contemplation and to do the whole proceedings.
So in reality, actually, no need to do, but just to show the common for the common people’s eyes, for the common people’s to set an example how ordinary person can succeed in the spiritual practice that he is also following the ordinary way of life. So for this that he was doing the retreat. And in the beginning, there were some signs of obstacles, which were then removed through the practice of wrathful deity known as Achala. Achala is the wrathful deity that especially removing the obstacles in the practice of wisdom deities. So through these practices that he removed all the obstacles and then after in the six months, about in the six months’ time that in his pure vision that he saw Lord Mañjuśrī sitting on a jeweled throne with the preaching mudra and seated on just like the Lord Maitreya is sitting, not in a cross leg but in sitting on the throne just like sitting on a chair.
That a person sitting on the chair that his two legs down and sitting on the jewel throne with the two other bodhisattvas as attendants. And at that time the main Mañjuśrī, main main the main Mañjuśrī said that give this four line teaching, which says that if you have attachment to this life, you are not a religious person. If you have attachment to the world of existence, you do not have renunciation. If you have attachment to your own purpose, you do not have the enlightenment thought. If grasping arise, you do not have the view.
So these are just four lines he gave. And when he was concentrating on this that he realized that it is the essence of all the Buddha’s teachings and it contains all the path of contains all the path of Mahāyāna. And so by receiving this teaching that he got very high realization and that he become the owner of all the Buddha’s teachings, Hīnayāna, Mahāyāna, vajrayana, that he became the real regent of the Buddha. And then he gave this teaching to his own son as well as a spiritual son, and he gave to to his disciples and so forth and so forth, and which been passed down all the masters one after another. And that I received from from my main root guru whose Mahaparinirvana is today is now Luding Khensur Rinpoche.
His picture is here. There you are is to see. And also I have received from His Eminence, Shabdrung Rinpoche, who is actually living in Nepal, who has a monastery in Nepal. So I received from both masters. So this is the history of this particular teaching.
Now for the main part of the teaching. Now every teaching has the preliminary completion part. And so the first preliminary part is common to all. And the preliminary teaching is taking refuge. Refuge is of course without taking refuge even though one may be very good spiritual practitioner but one cannot be a Buddhist.
In order to become Buddhist in any level that one have to take refuge in the triple gem. So it is common to all Hīnayāna, Mahāyāna, vajrayana in everything and the refuge is actually the root of all Dharma, preliminary practice for all path, and the foundation of all the vows, and it is the thing that to differentiate between the Buddhist and non-Buddhist. So therefore, it is important and particularly So normally, the refugees explained with the five divisions. The number one the first is the cause of taking refuge. That’s why we are taking refuge.
What makes us to take refuge? So there are three causes. The cause of taking refuge is fear, faith and compassion. Fear in a sense, for example, in ordinary worldly level when you meet certain danger, danger, when you met a certain challenge that one could not certain problem that one could not solve, then the thing to do is to seek help someone that who can do this. So similarly here that we are without any choice, without any freedom, out of defilements, of karma that we are forced to be born.
We are forcing every every direction, forced to go to in every direction. So therefore in order to free from the suffering of saṃsāra, out of fear of the suffering of saṃsāra that we take refuge in the buddhadharma Sangha. So the number one cause is the fear. And the second is faith. Faith is very important.
Without faith, the qualities of the will not arise. Faith, the seed of the crop is burned or roasted from the roasted seed, the crop will not grow. So similarly, without without faith, one will not be able to obtain the qualities. So the faith is very important and there three types of faith: a clear faith and desiring faith and believing faith. Clear faith means that when you see the tremendous qualities of the triple gem, the tremendous qualities of the Buddha, Dharma, Sangha that it sort of refreshes your mind, it clears up the confusions and obscurations, the confusions.
So therefore, it is called the clear faith. And second is called desiring faith. When you see the great qualities of the Buddha that you yourself wish to obtain such quality so that not only oneself will be free from the suffering, but one could also help the other beings to to free from the suffering. So the is second faith is desiring faith, and the third faith is believing faith. The lord buddha himself said that those who are his followers should take his teaching not by out of just without reasons, but one should take with a great reason with this thorough investigation that if you yourself convinced that it is a genuine teaching, that it is a genuine thing, then one should take.
So similarly that here also that not just because that one is belonging to the Buddhist family or following the tradition but oneself convinced that one has inner certainty, the inner belief, to believe in the the law of karma, the Four Noble Truths, truth, etcetera. The the teachings that Buddha give are so genuine, so true that when you compare it in our day to day’s life that how true, how clear it is. So therefore in this way to believe it so it is called the believing faith. So out of these three types of faith And then the third cause is the compassion. As oneself not as oneself wish to be free from suffering, every sentient being has the same feeling whether they could say or whether they could explain or not even from insects or worms to the most intelligent human being that everybody has the same feeling.
So therefore out of compassion, of loving kindness, out of compassion that you would in order to help the sentient beings that we are taking refuge in the Buddhadharma Sangha. So here in Mahāyāna, the tradition that the main cause should be the compassion. Although the fear and the faith also, but the main cause is compassion. Then the second division of the refuge is the object of of taking refuge. To whom that we are taking refuge?
Although the triple gem is common to all Buddhist traditions, Buddha dhamma Sangha is the same to all. But the explanation differs. So here according to the Mahāyāna, when we mean the Buddha, the Buddha means the one who possessed the three kayas, three bodies in a sense. The one who possessed the infinite qualities and one who have who is free from all faults and one the matchless, the Buddha who possess the three kayas. The three kayas are the first one is called dharmakaya.
The dharmakaya means actually in the ordinary sense the mental aspect as we also have physical aspect and mental aspect. So the mental aspect, the Buddha which has the dharmakaya which has the double purities. The double purity purity means that actually every sentient being possess the Buddha nature. Every sentient being, the true nature of our mind is pure right from the beginning, that everybody has. So the one purity is this.
The true nature of our mind is pure right from the beginning, never diluted with the defilements. So the one purity is there that everyone has. But on top of that, but at the moment, our view possess only one purity, although the true nature of mind is pure, but at the moment, it is completely covered, caught up in the net of duality, dual illusory vision and defilements. So therefore, have real truth. So Buddhas, through the practice that they have torn all this illusive vision, completely awakening, completely discarded all the faults and the defilements.
So the second purity, the dharmakaya means the one that possess the double purity that realize the ultimate truth and that one that become the completely emerged with the ultimate truth. It’s called the dharmakaya. The transcendental wisdom aspect of the Buddha is called dharmakaya. And then the physical aspect of the Buddha has two parts, the sambhogakaya and the Nirmānakāya. The Sambhogakāya means the one that has the five certainties.
The Sambhogakāya means that or the highest physical aspect of the Buddha. With the five certainties, the place is certain, not changing the place but place is always the same and the highest Buddha realm known as Akanishtha, highest Buddha realm and the time is all the time remaining there giving the teachings. The form is also always the same with thirty two signs and the eighty qualities, etcetera, the Buddha’s qualities remaining. And the teaching is also certain that it is always the same, the Mahāyāna, the highest Mahāyāna teaching that is given and surrounding or the disciples are also the same certain as the bodhisattvas. Bodhisattvas who are in the highest stages of bodhisattvas.
Bodhisattvas who have already gone beyond the worldly path. And the bodhisattvas who are in the stages of the ten bhūmi stages, ten stages, The bodhisattvas who are on the ten stages. So it is certain that it is always remaining, all the time remains in there giving the teachings not to ordinary person but always to the highest bodhisattvas. So that is called the Sambhogakāya. And then the third kind of body is also a physical form but the difference it is emanation.
While the highest physical form of Buddha Sambhogakāya is remaining always in in the highest Buddha realm, but his emanations appear, wherever, whenever, whatever form request that he will appear in this particular form. And of course there are times when there is not enough karma, no no karma to see Buddha also disappears. So So the Nirmanakayas are completely different and they appear, sometimes appear, sometimes do not appear and form also changes. Whatever form, whoever place, whoever required either in this world or in any any part of the universe, in any form or any teaching also in difference Mahāyāna teaching, Hīnayāna teaching, different many different levels of teaching and the time also not always changing sometimes born, sometimes passed away, sometimes giving teaching, sometimes not giving teaching, etcetera. Our historical Śākyamūni Buddha is also actually a Nirmānakāya.
But he’s called excellent Nirmānakāya because that even for ordinary persons can see him as a Buddha with the thirty two signs and eighty qualities, etcetera. So whereas others, if necessary, that even in the animals form, birds form, human form, master’s human form, master’s form, in many different forms, wherever, whatever form requires that the emanations, the nirmanakaya will appear in this particular form and help the sentient beings. So the one, the Buddha, when we mean Buddha, means the Buddha who possess three kayas that we take refuge and that is the object of the the refuge. And the second object is Dharma. Dharma also has two aspects.
The teaching teaching Tripitaka which means Vinaya, Sūtra, Abhidharma. Vinaya which explains all the moral conduct and the antidote for desire, Sūtra which explains all the different types of meditation and antidote for hatred. And then the Abhidharma that explains all the wisdom antidote for ignorance. That is the teaching. And other one is the realization the realization, spiritual attainment got by the Buddhas and bodhisattvas who have already reached irreversible state. So the two types of the teaching.
Dharma, that is the Dharma that we are taking refuge. And the third is the Sangha. Third object is the Sangha. The true Sangha are actually the bodhisattvas who have reached irreversible state which means that who have got into a higher state that we are no longer falls down, that who have gone already beyond worldly path. So to this that we take refuge in the Buddha, Dharma, Sangha, the object of refuge is this.
And now the way we are taking refuge is that how how we take refuge is that we take refuge in the Buddha as our guide or the teacher. If one needs to go to unknown place that one requires a guide who can guide us, who can show us the path. So we take refuge in the Buddha as our guide, our the one who can show us the path. And we take refuge in the Dharma as our main path because actually it is the Dharma who will save us, who will save us from suffering, who will by practicing Dharma that oneself proceeds further on the spiritual path. So the main path, the real we have a very with Dharma.
A very strong Dharma. And one is traveling in a long distance journey in an unknown place that it is a great benefit to have companions. By having companions that one could solve many problems, same goal, those who are following the same path and the same goal, that it is important to take the refuge in the Sangha. So we take refuge in the Sangha as our spiritual companion. And then the fourth division, main division in the taking refuge is the the benefit of taking refuge.
Even just hearing the name of refuge that one will have a great benefit. And so really taking refuge from one’s own heart. Then of course it is a great benefit and the enormous amount of merits that as it is said in the sutras that if it has the merit that we earn from taking refuge, that if it has a form, even the whole space is too small to accommodate the merit that we earn by taking refuge. And besides one’s name is changed, one’s in reality also one is changed. Name is changed from worldly who’s not practicing to a spiritual or who are Buddhist or following the triple gem.
And the meaning also the meaning or the in actual actual situation also that one who is not practicing the Dharma, one who is not following the spiritual path is now switched from the worldly path to a spiritual path. So therefore, it is a great benefit. And the one who is taking refuge in the Buddha Dharma Sangha, all the Dharma protectors, protectors of the teaching will protect you and that one will not be that one will be really it is the beginning of the spiritual path. So it is very important in taking refuge. And the fifth one, the fifth division is to follow the rules.
When one is taking refuge in another country, say from one country to another country, when you take refuge in a new country, then one is bound with all the rules and the law of that particular country. So similarly that we have taken refuge in the Buddha Dharma Sangha So we have to follow the rules and that there are individual rules and general rules. And the individual rule is that by taking refuge in the Buddha that one should not take refuge in any worldly deities, any other deities, any other worldly deities. And instead that we should always have a clear faith in the Buddha and respect even broken image, even the broken pieces of the Buddha image that one should treat with the full respect. By taking refuge in the Dharma that one should avoid harming innocent living beings intentionally and one should respect even the pieces of paper that has written any words about Dharma with full respect and try to practice Dharma as much as one can according to one’s own abilities.
And by taking refuge in the Sangha that one should not take non-Buddhists as one’s spiritual companions, one’s spiritual friends, and try to be the Buddhist as the one’s spiritual companion, one’s friends, spiritual friends who have the same goal, same path, and that respect the monks and nuns and even the pieces of robes, the red and yellow colored pieces of robes that should treat with respect, which means that one should not step on the robes or even pieces of cloth. So these are the individual rules and the general rule is that after taking refuge, one should always consult spiritual masters and try to live your whole pattern of life according to the teachings and try to receive more teachings and try to receive more vows according to one’s own ability the the the the And also even if whatever sacrifice that one has to make, whatever price or even if it means to cost one’s life that one should never give up the triple gem and the sickness or the suffering whatever the problems sufferings that one may face, that one should never give up the triple gem and do prostrations to the images of the Buddha Dharma Sangha in the morning and also at night and make offerings whenever you eat food that you make offerings to the Buddha Dharma Sangha.
As well as make offerings to the protectors. And Whatever that one whatever undertakes that whatever things that one do, that one should always rely on the blessings of the triple gem and that so in this way that one has set on the right path. And with this kind of thing that one should take refuge from this moment until enlightenment is reached in the Buddha, Dharma, Sangha and pray so that one will be able to to overcome all the obstacles and so in this way by taking refuge that one has set from wrong path, wrong path to the right path. So taking refuge is preliminary practice which are very important in all the practices. Every practice must have in the beginning the taking refuge in the triple gem.
Then the second preliminary practice is the creation of enlightenment thought. Although we see all saṃsāra as suffering and nobody wants suffering, and so but if we seek nirvana for oneself, then all the ones the the fire that has exhausted fuel will naturally dies out. So similarly then once one you once one reaches nirvana for oneself, then all the causes of the suffering which are the defilements and actions are exhausted so there’s no suffering and permanent peace. Although it is a good thing to obtain, but to obtain such state is not fully developed for oneself. One could not gain the higher qualities and one could not help other sentient beings.
And it is a hindrance to attain the ultimate enlightenment. Ultimate enlightenment. Like for example, if one is building a house, if it is something went wrong, then it is very difficult to redo it, to remake it. If it is right from the beginning, so therefore, it is right from the beginning to make it correctly and rightly because once you made something else then to change to another way is very difficult. So therefore it is a hindrance.
As oneself wish to have happiness, every sentient beings wish the same thing. And as we have our continuity of the mind has coming from the past and present and it’s going to future, so therefore that it proves that we are born in this universe from the beginning last time again and again. So there’s not a single sentient being who did not become our parents, our very dear mother and their father. And every time they have become our mother, they have given us so much love and care as our present mothers have done. So it is not proper to leave all mother sentient beings in the suffering of saṃsāra and one self seeking nirvana.
Even in this life, in the ordinary level, if all of your other family members, present family members are in a dangerous place with many difficulties, if oneself reached in a safe place, then it is not if one is good hearted, if one is a good man, good person, then one will not feel happy. One will rather go with your family and share their sufferings rather than oneself reaching in a safe place. So similarly, we have to think of all the mother sentient beings who also have the same suffering, same kind of wish. So therefore, we must help the mother sentient beings. But at the moment, ourselves are powerless.
We do not have the full knowledge. We do not have the full compassion. We do not have the full power. Not only us, even the most powerful worldly deities such as like Brahma, Vishnu, do not have the full power to save sentient beings from the suffering. Not only this, that even those who have already reached in nirvana, the Shravakas and Pratyekabuddhas do not have the full power to save sentient beings from the all sentient beings from the suffering of saṃsāra.
So who has now only the fully enlightened Buddhas who have freed from all obscurations and who have obtained every possible quality, possess the infinite wisdom, compassion, and power and that even issuing but one ray of light from his body and giving one teaching, one line of teaching can So that. Can do that. So the only one who can truly help all sentient beings is the fully enlightened Buddha. So this wish, this kind of wish wish to attain ultimate enlightenment for the sake of all living beings is called enlightenment thought. And this just wishing is called the wishing enlightenment thought.
But just mere wishing will not accomplish our goal. For example, if one needs to go to India, that the first thing is that you wanted to go to India. You wish to go to India. So that is like a wishing enlightenment thought. That then in order to go to India, that you pack and you actually go in in a car or plane or like this, all the efforts that you make until you reach India.
So that part is called entering enlightenment. So in order to get enlightenment is a very great goal. It is the highest goal. It is the biggest goal. So therefore, in order to get enlightenment at every effort you make starting now like studying, contemplation, meditation, that every effort you make until you reach enlightenment is called the entering enlightenment thought.
So these two two enlightenment thoughts are very important to create before you do every practice. That first, I must get enlightenment for the sake of all living beings. And in order to get enlightenment, that I will do the every necessary practice as bodhisattvas, the great bodhisattvas have done, that I will also physically, through voice and through mentally, that I will diligently practice the virtuous deeds in order to practice the in order to get enlightenment. So in this way, by creating the enlightenment before every practice that one’s path will not only the right path but on a higher path as it is the highest path. To obtain enlightenment is the highest path that one could possibly think.
So creating the