In Praise of Dependent Arising (Audio and Unedited Transcripts)

By Kyabje Lama Zopa Rinpoche
Sydney, Australia (Archive #881)

Teachings given by Lama Zopa Rinpoche in Sydney, Australia, in 1993. Rinpoche gives an oral transmission of Lama Tsongkhapa's text, In Praise of Dependent Arising, and teaches on emptiness, karma, and the benefits of bodhicitta.

Click on the audio links to listen online and read along with the unedited transcript. The praise is now freely available as a PDF file, produced by Piero Sirianni, for viewing on your mobile device or computer.

Benefits of Bodhicitta, Oral Transmission of "In Praise of Dependent Arising"

...the, it is said, it is the saying that if one doesn't practice bodhicitta, then how the life becomes that not having enough time to confess, means the whole time becomes confessing, doing confession, because so without bodhicitta the attitude is self-cherishing thought.

For example, so constantly think, for example, this is one example, this body is mine, these possessions are mine, so for example, by following the self-cherishing thought that constantly that one think this is mine, constantly think this way, so that is, that breaks the bodhisattva precept, besides the avoiding four black dharmas, practicing four white dharmas, to think everything belong to sentient beings, everything, one's own body, everything belong to the sentient beings, so this is what one has to think. And when somebody gives harm to oneself then to not retaliate, so forth, there are precepts.

So with the self-cherishing thought, this is one example, so with the self-cherishing thought many other bodhisattva vows get degenerated; then on top of that there's tantric vows. So self-cherishing thought it makes to collect so many vices, rainfalls of vices. So then, it makes to, even those who have not taken vows, bodhisattva vows, so forth, self-cherishing thought constantly that makes to create, obliges the person to create negative karma. The actions that the person does with the body, speech and mind to become negative karma. So for example, action of killing, stealing, sexual misconduct, telling lies, slander, harshly speaking, gossiping, what makes them, that they can become virtue, but what makes them to become negative karma, even there's this possibility that they can become virtue if one has bodhicitta, the brave heart, the strong bodhicitta. So what makes these actions to become negative karma is because there's self-cherishing thought, the motivation is self-cherishing thought. Even those who have not taken bodhisattva vow, even those who have not taken any vows, so constantly makes them, obliges the person to engage in the, actions to become negative karma.

So therefore, practicing good heart, the bodhicitta, it becomes unbelievable protection, so this way in everyday life actions of body, speech and mind do not become negative karma, it doesn't allow to become negative karma, and then specially to become cause of the greatest success, among the success the greatest success, the most important, most beneficial thing, to achieve the peerless happiness, the full enlightenment. So that's why Kadampa geshes advise, without bodhicitta then you pass the whole life just confessing, you pass the whole life just only by doing confession, because so many vices, without bodhicitta, without this thought, that living the life for other sentient beings, that one is living for other sentient beings. However the bodhicitta, renouncing the thought of working for self and only the thought working for other sentient beings, so without this practice of good heart, like there's not enough time even to confess, so much, like rainfalls of vices, actions become negative karma, so not enough time even to do confession.

So however [pause], for the success, good heart that is one main thing, then also with that, wisdom, Dharma wisdom, able to discriminate what is right and what is wrong, that any benefit, the beneficial action, so if one, as that much wisdom one has then one is able to discriminate that whether this work benefits or not, how much benefit it has. So, then according to one's own capacity, then one can do that, one can choose, one can decide to do, it helps to decide to do those beneficial actions. [long pause]

I thought maybe I just read the oral transmission the dependent arising, the root text. So the main thing is more we understand Dharma then we know how to create the cause of success, so we have the opportunity to create the cause. So by creating the cause, accumulating extensive merit as much as possible, then dedicating the merits in the correct way, however to actualize the path to enlightenment, especially bodhicitta, and to be able to do extensive works for the teaching of Buddha and for the sentient beings, like Guru Shakyamuni Buddha, like Lama Atisha, Lama Tsongkhapa, like Medicine Buddha, like the Compassion Buddha, Vajrapani, Manjushri, Buddha of Wisdom, the Buddha Vajrapani, who is embodiment of all the Buddhas' power, like Tara, so this way then I think success comes, this life, in the future lives. So to be able to do everything most, to receive those beneficial conditions, all the needs, that able to do most beneficial actions, including actualizing the path. So more we study Dharma, especially the graduated path to enlightenment, which is the heart of the whole entire Buddhadharma, which conveys the essential practice, not only the words but as one knows them that creating the cause which are explained there, as the lam-rim teaching contains. So as lam-rim teaching contains, gives advice or the explanation those, all those cause to create, so by doing that and generally as much as possible that in our everyday life accumulating merit, extensive merit as much as possible with the holy objects, the guru, Buddha, Dharma, Sangha, then with the sentient beings one accumulate merit as much as possible, with the sentient beings one take the opportunity to accumulate merit as much as possible. So then from these things, then this life and future lives, in all the future lives there's success, without difficulties, without obstacles, as one wishes, as one thinks, able to bring success.

I thought to introduce a little bit, before doing the oral transmission of the text, to introduce a little bit the twelve links. So anyway, the time is gone, so I think I just do the lung, oral transmission.

So, this teaching, subject of this teaching is emptiness, from the heart of the whole path to enlightenment, there are three, as I mentioned before, renunciation of samsara, bodhicitta, emptiness, so without the renunciation of samsara, that the attitude, in our everyday life attitude, doing Dharma practice, any activity that we do in our everyday life, if the attitude is not possessed by renunciation of samsara, then all the actions, even the Dharma what one practices, what one believes I am practicing Dharma, even practicing tantra, they don't become cause of achieving liberation and become cause of samsara. Even there's danger, without the renunciation of samsara, without the renunciation renouncing the attachment clinging to this life, without the renunciation to this life then that means the attitude doing retreat or doing Dharma practice, doing walking, sitting, sleeping, so forth in our everyday life, so without the renunciation of this life, renouncing attachment clinging to this life then all these actions are done with the motivation that which is attachment clinging to this life; so therefore that motivation is non-virtue, so there's danger all these actions, even the retreat, even what one call "Dharma practice," even the meditation, there's danger to become even the cause of lower realms. So, besides normal actions, eating, walking, sitting, sleeping, so forth, there's danger to become cause, besides becoming cause of the lower realms, to be born in the hell, preta, hungry ghost, animal, those realms. So in our everyday life doing activities, including Dharma practice, if it's done without the renunciation of samsara, so there's danger like this.

Then, without bodhicitta, all our activities in our daily life, including Dharma practice, without bodhicitta, then nothing becomes cause of enlightenment. Without the right view, without the attitude of the activities that we do in our daily life, the attitude without possessed by the right view, then all the activities that which we do in the daily life, including Dharma practice, it doesn't become remedy to cut the root of the suffering, the ignorance, the concept of true existence, the concept of truly existent I, aggregates. So it doesn't become remedy and there's danger that it becomes, because without the right view, emptiness, that all these actions are done with ignorance, with the hallucinated mind, the concept of true existence, so all these activities, including Dharma practice, so there's danger to become cause of samsara.

So however without realizing emptiness, bodhicitta, whatever other realization, no matter how many realizations you have, no way, there's no direct remedy to cut the root of samsara, the root of the whole entire suffering and causes. So the wisdom realizing emptiness is the only one that which becomes direct remedy, which can cut the root of the whole entire samsara, the whole entire suffering, the ignorance. So therefore, now, so to be liberated, to end the whole entire suffering, to end completely the whole problem of life, to cease completely, so that depends on, to be completely liberated from the whole entire suffering and causes, all the karma, delusions, even the seed of the ignorance, the concept of true existence, so the main method, like the atomic bomb, the main weapon or the main method, to cut the root of the whole entire suffering, that is the wisdom realizing emptiness. So by doing the practice of listening, reflecting, meditation on emptiness, that which is the subject of this text, so this becomes preparation, this listening, reflecting, meditation practice on such these teachings, it becomes preparation to cut the root of samsara, preparation to generate, to have realization of emptiness.

So think, yeah, then, the purpose of my life is to free all sentient beings from all the sufferings, to lead to peerless happiness, the full enlightenment; therefore, I must achieve enlightenment, at any rate, no matter how difficult it is to achieve, no matter how long it takes time, how difficult it is to practice the path to enlightenment, I'm going to do it. To achieve enlightenment depends on actualizing the graduated path to enlightenment, so that depends on, to leave imprint on the mind, so by leaving imprint on the mind, imprint of the teachings of the emptiness, then that gives opportunity to have realization, to be able to understand the teachings, extensive teachings of emptiness, to be able to understand the words, the meaning of the words, able to understand the words and meanings, the subject path, able to realize the emptiness. However for these reasons one need to do listening, reflecting, meditation practice on the profound meaning, the emptiness. So therefore I'm going to take the oral transmission of this teaching, the teaching of the emptiness. And dedicate that immediately to be able to actualize the subject, emptiness, and every single word that I listen is to benefit for every sentient being, for the sake of every sentient being. And whenever I teach, whenever I say these words towards other sentient beings, may they be able to actualize the emptiness immediately. So one should dedicate like this.

The purpose of doing the oral transmission that is, so by receiving oral transmission so then when one study, when one recite or when one study the teaching, it has more power, it has more effect to one's own mind. Then when one teach, when one explain towards others, it has more effect, it has greater benefit to others' minds and also it carries blessing, from Lama Tsongkhapa, who is embodiment of Manjushri, Manjushri who is embodiment of all the Buddhas' wisdom and Lama Tsongkhapa is also embodiment of Vajrapani, who is the embodiment of all the Buddhas' power, and Lama Tsongkhapa is the embodiment also of Compassion Buddha, who is the embodiment of all the Buddhas' compassion.

So, there has been lineage of the oral transmission, which carries the blessing, which carries the lineage of the blessing, from Lama Tsongkhapa, who is the author of this text, that here is the well-expounded heart, that which is the praise to Guru Shakyamuni Buddha, having taught the profound dependent arising. In other words that Guru Shakyamuni Buddha himself as he himself realized the meaning of emptiness, dependent arising, so taught well to others. And in this way then guide the sentient beings, that caused them to realize emptiness, the unmistaken right view, the meaning of emptiness, dependent arising, then in this way, by developing the wisdom then eliminate the cause, eliminate the delusions, the root of the samsara, the ignorance, concept of true existence, including the seed of this, and even the subtle imprint. Then Guru Shakyamuni Buddha lead the sentient beings to enlightenment. So in other words, Guru Shakyamuni Buddha gave teachings dependent arising as he himself realized. So this is the way that, so from our side, by doing listening, reflecting, meditation practice on these teachings, then Guru Shakyamuni Buddha guide us sentient beings to enlightenment.

Then, just concentrate on the sound of the, as I'm reading then concentrate on the sound of the words. [oral transmission]

...oneself and all sentient beings, to be generated within one's own mind, in the mind of all sentient beings; those who have, may it be developed. [pause]

Then dedicate for the long life of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, all other holy beings, who came in this world to work for other sentient beings, and then Lama's incarnation, Lama Tenzin Osel Rinpoche, to have long life and like Lama Tsongkhapa to be able to, to take the aspect to have all the qualities, and extensive, become the holder of the whole entire Buddhadharma and extensive benefit for all sentient beings.

[Dedications in Tibetan]

Due to all the three time merits accumulated by oneself, by Buddhas and bodhisattvas, may the father and mother sentient beings have happiness; may the three lower realm beings be empty; and may the bodhisattvas' prayers to be succeeded immediately, and may I be able to cause all this by myself alone. [pause]

Due to all these three time merits accumulated by me and by Buddhas and bodhisattvas, whatever happy life, unhappy life, healthy, unhealthy, dying or living, poor or rich, whatever happens in my life, may it become most beneficial for all sentient beings, which means to become cause all sentient beings to quickly achieve enlightenment. [pause]

Due to all these merits, from now on, every single action that I do with the body, speech and mind, to never become slightest harm to anybody and to become only greatest benefit the sentient beings to quickly become enlightened.

Due to all the past, present, future merits accumulated by me and by Buddhas and bodhisattvas, due to all these merits, that which are empty of existing from its own side, may the I who is empty, achieve Guru Shakyamuni Buddha's enlightenment, that which is also empty, and lead all sentient beings, who are also empty to that enlightenment as quick as possible.

Due to all the three time merit accumulated by oneself, by Buddhas and bodhisattvas, due to all these merits, may the pure teaching of Lama Tsongkhapa, unification of sutra and tantra, to be actualized within one's own mind, in the mind of all sentient beings, in the mind of oneself, family, all the students, without delay even a second, to complete the path. The general organization activities to benefit others, to succeed immediately, and individual meditation centers, including Vajrayana Center, all the works to benefit other sentient beings, to spread Buddhadharma, h/e the works to benefit other sentient beings, all the necessary conditions to receive, all these to be succeed immediately. The Vajrasattva Mountain Centre and also the hospice to help for dying and dead to be most beneficial for all sentient beings and every student to have long life and healthy and all their wishes to be succeeded immediately according to the holy Dharma.

[Dedications in Tibetan]

So thank you very much. Good night. Thank you. So meant to talk a little bit on dependent arising, so didn't happen, didn't succeed today.