Kadampa Teachings (Audio and Unedited Transcripts), Continued

By Kyabje Lama Zopa Rinpoche
Root Institute, Bodhgaya, India; 26 December 2003 - 02 January 2004 (Archive #1470)

Lama Zopa Rinpoche gave these teachings at Root Institute, Bodhgaya, in December 2003. There were seven days of teachings; days 5 through 7 are included here. You can listen to the first four days here.

During these three days Rinpoche continued to give commentary on Atisha's Jewel Garland

Day Five: Jewel Garland Commentary - Protecting ordination by reflecting on impermanence and suffering of samsara

So the following stanza, the verses, so, requesting to grant blessing to be able to see this, then the shortcomings of samsaric perfections, which nothing definite, to realize this and then to rise the thought, great longing, the happiness of the liberation. So nothing definite in the perfections, shortcomings of the perfections of samsara, indefinite, that includes, whatever beautiful body, in the samsara whatever beautiful body one has taken, everything has to be left. And joining again and again, to the next samsara. One become high, even the tip of the samsara, the formless realm, even one’s born there, even the limitless sky, then consciousness, nothingness and the tip of samsara, so even one is born in tip of samsara, again one fall down even in the hell realms. As it’s mentioned in the teachings, even one become those body full of light, like those Deva’s Son, after that then one get reborn in the animal realms where there’s not one single light in the whole life, so things like that. After become high, then become lower. So same as what I mentioned before, after meeting, separation, meeting ends with the separation, then birth and the death, birth, end of the birth is death. And after the collection, the ending, finishing. So, all those shortcomings of samsara, all these are contained there in these verses.

So the next verse, Please grant me blessings to be able to do, the root of the teaching, the liberation for self, the pratimoksha vows, that is taken, this practice which is inspired by that pure thought, so means the, by realizing how the samsara is only in nature of suffering, so having meditated what I was explaining before, full of suffering, it’s only in nature of suffering, including samsaric happiness, only in the nature of suffering, samsaric perfections only in the nature of suffering, so by realizing this then the thought, pure thought, by realizing how the samsara is in nature of only suffering, even the samsaric perfections, happiness, only in the nature of suffering, then there’s no attachment to samsara and samsaric perfections, so there’s thought, that thought of seeking liberation, it’s a pure thought, pure unstained by attachment, so the practice of the pratimoksha vow which is inspired by that, which is derived by that. And that this vow to practice this with remembrance and alertness, remembrance and awareness, so to practice this, dup pa nyingpo, the essential practice, so this, living in the pratimoksha vow derived from the renunciation of samsara, practicing this with remembrance and awareness, so this to be the essential, heart practice, essential practice. So asking blessing to be able to do this, living in the pratimoksha vow is to be the essential practice. So what I was saying before here, to cherish, must cherish the practice, another way of saying, [Tibetan] must cherish to practice, so the other thing, this practice, according to Lama Tsongkhapa, so this, as a lay person living in the lay vow, cherishing that as a heart practice. Then those who are living in higher ordination, ordained, and then that doing that practice as main. So it is said in other traditions, many numbers of prostrations, so many, many numbers of Vajrasattva, many numbers of this and that preliminary practice, many numbers, recitation of mantra, but in the Lama Tsongkhapa tradition, it’s said, in the lam-rim teachings, that by Pabongka Dechen Nyingpo that the main emphasis, the main practice is not the preliminaries, it’s the pratimoksha vows as the main practice. Then if that, so if that happened, the main practice, what we cherished, essential practice, pratimoksha vows, then this way you don’t create much negative karma, so therefore you don’t need to do many preliminary practices, so the meaning behind is that, the meaning behind is that you don’t need to do so many preliminary practices because your life is pure.

Want to mention this section where it says abandon all the doubts, yesterday I explained like that, but when we, if you don’t know Dharma, if you haven’t learned Dharma, if you don’t know Dharma then it looks like there’s no doubts. If you don’t learn Dharma, if you don’t know Dharma, if you haven’t learned the scriptures then it looks like that you have no doubts. But you learn more and more, there’s more and more doubts. As you learn more and more, there’s more and more doubts, many questions, more you learn more there’s more questions. So however, again, it’s like this, but however, conclusion, along with the learning, you practice, you experience the path, you do collecting merit and purifying defilements, negative karmas that which hinders to have clear understanding, so then that’s what causes to have many doubts, many questions, so at the same time learning, doing practice of purification and then able to do, then through practice then experience comes, realization of the path comes, then more you develop that, higher you achieve, then that ceases, when you achieve the arya path, the exalted path, the right-seeing path, the path of meditation, then that’s the time which directly perceiving emptiness then that one ceases the actual, actually, directly ceases the defilements, disturbing-thought obscurations ceases, so like that.

Then, especially when you, by achieving Mahayana path, the right-seeing path, the path of, Mahayana the right-seeing path, Mahayana the path of meditation, then you cease the disturbing-thought obscurations you haven’t ceased before by following, by proceeding the Lesser Vehicle path. However, also you cease the subtle defilements, with the Mahayana path the right-seeing path, path of meditation, ceases also the subtle defilements. So when you, here I would like to say, when you complete the path to enlightenment, ceased all gross and subtle defilements, and all the understanding is completed then that time there’s no one single doubt. When your mind become full awakened mind, so then there’s no one single doubt. That you have removed even the four cause of unknowing, which arhats, even tenth bhumi bodhisattva hasn’t removed, so that time you have removed, so there’s no, even four subtle, to check the subtle karmas, there’s no questions, there’s no doubts.

So ultimate cutting doubt, ultimate one is when you, by actualizing the path more and more, through your experience, actualizing the path more and more then that’s the real, I think that’s the real way cut the doubts.

So, abandon the sleep and dullness or drowsiness and the laziness, abandon well the sleep and drowsiness and laziness, always attempt the perseverance, the happy mind in the practice, in Dharma.

So that is, easiest one, most powerful, easiest one is to think of impermanence, easiest method to reflect impermanence-death. Reflect eight freedoms, ten richness, how this human body is so precious and then that one can achieve the three great meanings, those, how this is difficult to find again, this is just about once, having this is just about once, this time. So, that the death can happen any time, so impermanence-death is one, on the basis of this, impermanence-death is very powerful, for us beginners especially, it’s the most powerful thing. And to relate it to negative karma and then result, rebirth in the lower realms, all those, remembering again and again most unimaginable suffering of the hell, hungry ghosts, animals. As Nagarjuna explained that every day, remember the hot and cold hells, remember in every day, [Tibetan] so, daily remember the suffering of the hot and cold hells. So Nagarjuna’s saying this, advising this so that to control, so that when we think that then no space in the mind for attachment and anger, these negative emotional thoughts, which does the function disturbing and obscuring one’s own mind.

So whenever one give up, whenever the thought of happiness of this life comes then you stop, then one delay, stop the practice. When the thought of the happiness of this life, whenever the attachment clinging to this life comes, when that comes, then laziness comes, not wanting to practice, want to, enjoyment of this life, want to spend time for the comfort of this life, so instead of the practicing Dharma. So, that time then remember death can happen any time and the lower realm suffering, death can happen any time then what happens after that? Then most unbearable suffering. So even the sickness, even the headache or toothache, stomach pain, something or even small problems in this human realm, little bit hot, little bit cold, we can’t bear, can’t bear. So, even a small problem in this human realm, when we experience cannot bear and then we give up to practice Dharma. Because you can’t bear then give up to practice Dharma. So, then, if one, if I am now in the lower realms, in the hot hell, cold hell, those preta, animal, sufferings are far more, I mean such as preta realm, the hunger and thirst a thousand billion times much more heavier, so as well as the hell realm, so even the not major hot hell, cold hell, not major hell, but even neighborhood hell realm, if I was born there, even the ordinary hell realms, the suffering is unbelievable. So, for example, very boiling hot water, so hot, boiling hot water, when one put one’s finger in that, can’t bear it; but if one is born in neighborhood hell realm, like the Chor Ra-me, like lava, the fire, liquid but oneness with the fire, so that could be lava. So, oceans of lava, so if one is born Chor Ra-me, if one is born in that, so this is, comparing to that, being in the boiling hot water in the human realm is extremely cool, it’s so cold comparing to the neighborhood, the Chor Ra-me, the liquid oneness with the fire, oceans of that, drowned, you are born in that. Suddenly you see yourself into that.

So however, so death can happen any day, any moment, even this hour, even this minute can happen and then what comes after that is the lower realms. So to remember those most unbearable sufferings what Nagarjuna explained, as Nagarjuna advised to remember lower realm sufferings. So then, the negative karma, nonvirtuous action, the cause is nonvirtuous action, so any activity we do, for example, today, when we dressed up, done with the motivation of attachment clinging to this life, then so that action of dressing up become nonvirtue, because the motivation is nonvirtue. So when one is washing, what was the motivation, so many of us, like myself, many of us, then motivation of washing is just simply attachment, clinging to this life’s happiness, comfort, so again the washing become nonvirtue, negative karma. Same, then, eating lunch, dinner, going to bed, sleep, so whatever activity we do, if we analyze what is the motivation, the motivation, attitude, is nonvirtue, because it’s attachment clinging to this life, so all these activities become nonvirtue, negative karma. So negative karma doesn’t have to be only ten nonvirtuous actions, so negative karma is very extensive. So therefore then there’s ten nonvirtuous actions, gossiping, covetness, so depending on the person, so in the ten nonvirtues there are those nonvirtues that we collect every day so many times. Even we don’t do killing or stealing, however, but His Holiness Ling Rinpoche said, this subject about stealing is very extensive, one time Rinpoche made that comment, there’s so many details about it. However, so from the ten nonvirtues then depending on the person, however, that we commit many times in one day. So, then are other, then we have taken those vows, pratimoksha vow, lay vow, then there’s pratimoksha ordinations also taken, then there’s ?ordination vows. So therefore, but this is talking just this life, this is just talking today, but then from birth-time you think, it’s unimaginable. So then, past lives, beginningless rebirths negative karma, so like that.

So it is said in the Pabongka lam-rim teaching that ordained person being careless, without confessing immediately, you purify the negative karma, downfalls, then leave it ?being careless, then it’s heavier than killed one hundred human beings and one hundred horses. I think it doesn’t have to be only horse, it can be any animal, not particular, but I think in Tibet maybe they used a lot of horses for riding, so in the past maybe there’s no cars, so use horse. So anyway, so who’s taken ordination, so if one live being careless, intentionally careless, so then how heavy that karma is is like that explained.

So however, so when you think of the lower realms, death can happen any time and the lower realms, related with karma, then you cannot, you can’t ignore, you have to get up and do the practice, you’ve got to do something immediately, purify and collect merit, meditate on the path, so you can’t stand.

And also very useful to think that, now, who have before, for example, Italian monk, Andrea, for example, anyway he took ordination again and I think I might have advised to him and he died being monk. However, Andrea, so, many of us who have been here at Bodhgaya so many times and in Dharamsala, all that, anyway, many of us here could remember, one old student, Italian, who was monk before then he changed his life, then again before he died, while he has sicknesses, he took ordination. So now, it’s gone. Doesn’t exist. There’s no Andrea. Before there was, but now not, _________. Before used to joke, play, enjoy his humble, good personality, however, now doesn’t exist. That, so same, same, the time that I don’t exist any more, time I’m not here in this world, this can happen any time, this can happen, by this time next year, I could be the same as Andrea. Can’t see. Doesn’t exist in this world. So, this can happen. By the time next year, could be like that, I could be like that, doesn’t see in this world.

So you see some people have Andrea’s possessions, malas and this and that, so like that, same can happen to me. Any day this can happen to me.

Then, there is, there was another Italian also, I think, Stefano. Yeah he was monk before, but then when he was dying I don’t think he was a monk. So same. Whom we used to joke, make fun of him all the time, play with him, but now not there. Now not here in this world, so like that, that, exactly like that can happen to me any time. Gone, here from this world, doesn’t exist. Can happen any time.

What’s her name? The nun? The short nun? [Ven. Ailsa: Tenzin Konchog.] Tenzin Konchog. Sorry, I said short nun. So, Tenzin Konchog, so she was here I think a few years ago. Two years? No, I mean not two years, four or five years ago. Huh? Five years ago, okay. So she was here five years ago, she was doing, I think she started the tsa-tsas, no? She started the tsa-tsas here. She was I think the main person who took responsibility of tsa-tsas, making tsa-tsas or something. Stupas? Tsa-tsas or stupas? Tsa-tsas. Anyway, so a few years ago she was here, in Bodhgaya, now not here, gone.

So, that exactly can happen to me any time, any day, time that I’m not here, there’s time it’s gone from this world, doesn’t exist, so this can happen any day, any day this can happen. That your body on the cemetery or burnt by fire, at the cemetery burnt by fire, body’s carried there, burnt by fire, so any day it can happen, any day it can happen. Or suddenly heart attack happened or paralysis or coma, suddenly it happened, then time death came, something like that condition, suddenly, so now it’s gone, precious human life is gone. So, if we did the practice, if we did continual strong practice of purification and lived the life with bodhicitta, practiced morality well, didn’t make mistake correctly devoting to the virtuous friend, then correctly devoting to the virtuous friend was done well, however, then no regret. Even death, even this sickness came, even death happened, that doesn’t disturb you, doesn’t make upset at all, so happy, so happy, that one has full confidence or one can see, one feel full confidence to go to pure land or to receive perfect human body next life, you have full confidence. Mind is so happy. So at least, no fear, no fear in the mind, the death, even death came on you, but there’s no fear to be born in lower realms. Mind is not scary. [pause]

So, if we really think of our life, if we really bring our attention inside, really think our life, the nature of life, impermanence-death, it can happen any time and the particular, all these lower realm most unimaginable sufferings, relate with all those karmas, negative karmas that one does, in one day so many, like rainfall. So one, from the ten nonvirtuous actions, having committed one nonvirtuous action, that complete one has four suffering results. One of them is creating the result similar to the cause, so that produces again four suffering results, one of them is creating the result similar to the cause, doing that action, committing again. Again that complete one produces four suffering results, so it goes on and on, so one negative karma, from the ten nonvirtuous actions, one complete one it produces suffering result on and on and on, unending, so unending suffering, endless suffering of samsara. So one negative karma, from the ten nonvirtuous actions, one negative karma committed, it has this effect, goes on and on, unending suffering of samsara.

So therefore, so ten nonvirtuous actions, so from those ten there’s so many that is done in this life, from birth, and then from beginningless rebirth there’s so many that was done, that result which goes on and on like that, from beginningless rebirth. So there are so much that we haven’t purified and we haven’t finished experiencing, there are numberless of those left on our mental continuum.

So even one, committed even one negative karma from the ten, so since it has ongoing suffering like this, on and one, endless, so therefore, you can’t stand. If you don’t get rid of this, if you don’t purify this immediately, without delay even a second, if you don’t purify this immediately, can’t stand, it’s like poison gone inside the stomach and you will die any time. Like poisonous snake bitten you and you will die any time, so immediately spread the poison and you die. So, but that’s nothing, that alone doesn’t make you to be reborn in the lower realms, but if there’s negative karma, makes you to be reborn in the lower realms.

So, I’m talking here just one negative karma, but then there’s so many from this life, one day, from birth, from beginningless past lives. So, can’t stand, no way, can’t stand without purifying all this right away! And this time, by having received this perfect human body, you have all the opportunity to purify. So if the death came, before it happened, [snaps fingers] if the death came, [snaps fingers] finished. So then, when? When you can, so then when you will meet Dharma, when? When you can actualize the path? When you can purify all these negative karmas? Then, extremely difficult to say, extremely difficult.

So, now, on the top of that, all these vows, that degenerated or broke, three levels of vows. So therefore, now, then on the top of that, negative karma collected with the guru, even smallest is so powerful, so much, heresy, negative thoughts, anger, all these, there’s so many, these negative karmas much, much more powerful than all those others. So heavy. That’s way it says in the outline of the having made mistake in the guru devotion, correctly devoting to the virtuous friend, even you [Tibetan], in the outline, if the anger rises to the guru, what’s the first one, I didn’t remember? What’s the very first one? I think I remember this one’s the second one, I think. The very first one? Something that displease to all the buddhas, something like that. Alle.

So, if the anger rises to the guru, equaling the number of that, the shortest time, destroy the merit, that means eons of merits it destroys, so how many shortest time one get angry to the guru, so that many number of eons one’s merit gets destroyed, then that many number of years, number of eons, sorry, not years, not that many number of years, eons, I’m not making shorter. That many number of eons, how many shortest second, shortest time one got angry to the guru, then many number of eons one has to get reborn in the hell and experience suffering.

Even one practice tantra cannot achieve sublime realization.

So even with so much, not sleeping, fasting, in the cave, live alone and retreat tantra, practice tantra for so many years, fasting, no sleeping, no talking, however, practice tantra then it’s like achieving the hell. Why? So here you have to understand the meaning here, why? Because as long, so this means, yeah, this means, the mistake that is done in devoting the virtuous friend, so then, even small disrespect or criticizing or harming or rising negative thoughts, however, so heavy that even though you are doing retreat sessions, collecting merits, I mean you do practice the virtue and collect merit, but when you compare, how much merit you collect, virtuous action you do, but if you compare that negative karma collected with the virtuous friend, it’s so huge, that how much you do virtue, chant mantras or, it’s so small comparing, this negative karma is so heavy. So therefore, still that kind of takes over, reborn in the lower realm, in the hell realm. So, unless you change your mind, following negative thoughts, mistake that one has done, one purify and one confess to the guru, purify, by recognizing then purify and confess to the guru. You change and transform your mind into devotion by looking at it buddha seeing buddha, by using the reasonings and the quotations from Buddha and Vajradhara.

It doesn’t mean that you have no hope, it’s not saying that. There’s hope, if you do that, if you do change, recognize the mistakes what was done, then very strong regret, repentance, then confession and purification. Then, to not commit again, so keeping the mind in devotion towards that guru. You can change; it’s not that it’s saying you can’t change. But if you don’t change, no matter whatever practice you do, so many years of retreat, fasting, no sleeping, chanting mantra, whatever, even though you are collecting merit, but it’s nothing, because the karma’s completely _____, so heavy, so that’s what it’s saying. [Tibetan] Even you attempt to practice tantra, but it’s like achieving hell. So as long as you don’t change, so then it’s like achieving hell. So instead of achieving enlightenment, achieving hell, because that karma’s so heavy.

So anyway, so therefore, here, what I was saying is that, so there’s no time to be lazy, when you think, reflecting negative karma and lower realm suffering, and this is the only chance you have. So, if one cherish oneself, if one love oneself, then this is what has to be done, so if you want to take care of yourself, if one want to take care of oneself then this is the practice what needs to be done.

So however, if we think like that, there’s no time for laziness, to be distracted in the works of this, in the appearance of this life or works for this life.

As it is mentioned in the motivation of the, by my root guru His Holiness Trijang Rinpoche, the Eight Mahayana Precepts, the motivation of the revealing refuge, the motivation of the refuge in Jorchö is similar, so that, so if one think of all the endless suffering of samsara, that one has to experience, then it’s something that, then particularly lower realms, that cannot feel, dare not eat, unable to eat food, dare not eat food, can’t, dare not, unable to fall asleep, unable to eat food. So when there’s a lot of fear, something, you can’t eat food when there’s a lot of fear, so frightened can’t eat food. And even you eat food, you vomit. And then also, thinking of all the past beginningless suffering of samsara then in particular the three lower realms, then it’s something which, if you think of that, something which cracks the heart. So frightening.