Sun Radiance: Thought Transformation, 11 September 1989, part 2

So in dependence upon the activities of listening, reflecting, and meditating on what has been taught, we begin to examine our own mind. We have to try to gain some inner experience of the practice. This is the measure of actually integrating the Dharma within one’s mind. If we’re not beginning to recognize that the source of suffering is within your own mind, that if we don’t begin to integrate this understanding with our mind, then no matter how much we may listen, we may reflect upon the Dharma, we will still continually generate afflictive emotions, and thereby we will continue to experience suffering. Do you understand that? So, you know, these words which have been presented by the Kadampa masters are the essence of the teachings.

They’re like the condensation of all the vast teachings into a very brief form, and therefore they’re difficult to comprehend. So we should understand that the essence of what is being presented is that all undesired suffering arises in dependence upon self-centeredness or self-cherishing. If we are trying to understand the evolution of our suffering, then we have to understand it arises in dependence upon our self-centeredness. From beginningless time of continuous and unremitting rebirths in cyclic existence up to the present, we have been under the influence of self-centeredness, and it has created all our negative actions and therefore has brought us only suffering. So we all want happiness, none of us want to suffer.

And so we have to understand that the root of all our suffering is self-centeredness, that all suffering whatsoever, all that we do not desire arises in dependence upon self-centeredness, that all undesired, that the source of all that is undesirable is self-centeredness. So we have to understand a method for eliminating self-centeredness. So we have to begin to understand the faults of self-centeredness and begin to drive all the blame for all our problems on this very fact, one fact of self-centeredness. We have to understand that because we all want happiness, that we don’t want to suffer. And that we don’t find happiness because of our self-centeredness, but in fact we experience suffering because of our self-centeredness and this we don’t want to happen.

This is the fault of self-centeredness and we have to determine to be rid of self-centeredness by considering all its various faults. This is the method for eliminating self-centeredness by understanding thoroughly its faults, its disadvantages. So self-cherishing, self-centeredness is our enemy. It is the source of all our undesired suffering. We have to recognize this fact very thoroughly, that especially for those who are seeking to practice the great vehicle, that it prevents us.

It is an obstacle to the practice of the Great Vehicle. That it is due to our previously not having understood the simple fact that self-centeredness is our greatest enemy, not recognizing that self-centeredness is our greatest enemy. But even when we recognize that self-centeredness was our enemy, not having a method to work against it, and even when we had a method to work against it, not cultivating the methods for a long time, that we still are under the influence of self-centeredness. So we have to thoroughly understand what self-centeredness is as a cause for all our suffering if we’re going to actually eliminate it. Just as in the case of trying to catch a thief, first we have to be able to identify the thief.

Likewise, we have to be able to identify self-cherishing to be able to eliminate it. So, Śāntideva has said that self-centeredness arises through the power of attachment to oneself. Whereas it is also said that self-centeredness arises in seeking and desiring happiness for oneself. So if we were to integrate these two descriptions, then we can say that self-centeredness is the desiring of happiness for oneself under the power of attachment, due to the influence of attachment. The desire for happiness for oneself due to the influence of self-attachment.

So if we add on, if we expand this description in order to identify it very accurately, we would add on another part to this description. So we have the self-centeredness as the desire for one’s own happiness due to the influence of attachment. And then we would add on at the exclusion of others. The desire for one’s own happiness due to the influence of attachment at the exclusion of others. The desire for one’s own happiness at the exclusion of others due to the influence of attachment.

So, whatever types of activities we may engage in, which are motivated with the desire for one’s own happiness at the exclusion of others due to the influence of self-attachment are going to be negative actions and are going to be sources of suffering. As long as this attitude remains with us, we will always experience suffering. There will be no end to our continual circling in cyclic existence. We will never attain liberation or even enter into the path of liberation. So within the great vehicle practice, we are seeking to implement, to foster the attitude of other-centeredness.

And what do we mean by other-centeredness or other-cherishing? It is a desire not influenced by attachment to one’s own happiness which seeks, which is the desire not under the influence of attachment to one’s own happiness which wishes to bring happiness to others and to eliminate their suffering. A desire which is not under the influence of attachment to one’s own happiness, which wishes to bring happiness to others and to eliminate their suffering. So these two are contradictory. If self-centeredness is manifest in our mind, then other-centeredness cannot arise. If other-centeredness exists within our mind, then self-centeredness cannot arise.

So what is the method for ridding ourselves of self-centeredness and developing other-centeredness? We have to look very closely at the faults of self-centeredness on the one hand and the excellent qualities of other-centeredness on the other. In terms of self-centeredness, understanding thoroughly that self-centeredness is the source of all our problems, our suffering, and it prevents us from, in fact, even experiencing happiness, that all undesired suffering and our lack of happiness arises in dependence upon self-centeredness. On the other hand, the excellent qualities of other-centeredness, that it is said that all the qualities of the great vehicle arise in dependence upon this one quality of other-centeredness, of other-cherishing. That is the most precious attitude that we can develop.

That is, it brings complete happiness both to oneself and to others. We have to, you know, think well about the faults of self-centeredness and the excellent qualities of other-centeredness to contemplate them and try to understand them within our own actual experience. That it’s because of not knowing the faults of self-centeredness that we’ve been from beginningless time up to now continually under its influence, under its power, and that we have not sought to get rid of it, and that we have not developed other-centeredness. In the context of thought transformation, we first listen to the faults of self-centeredness and the excellent qualities of other-centeredness and try to understand them and begin to actually put them into practice to diminish the power of self-centeredness and to foster the qualities of other-centeredness. And this, you know, we can’t do this quickly.

It’s not going to happen all at once. It’s very difficult. But we can do it in a gradual manner and eventually it will come about. So previously, we did not understand the faults of self-centeredness. And therefore, not understanding its faults, we were continually under its influence.

We remained under its influence. Now we understand some of the faults of self-centeredness. And likewise, previously we didn’t understand the excellent qualities of other-centeredness and therefore we didn’t seek to foster it. But now we have developed through hearing some understanding. And as Tsongkhapa says, What is the need of understanding?

We need to understand in order to practice. And why do we need to practice? Because it is through practice that we will attain the ultimate fruit, in this case Buddhahood. So it’s said that we have not been circling within cyclic existence undergoing continual suffering simply because we did not understand what was needed to be understood. We haven’t been wandering in cyclic existence only because we didn’t know, that in fact knowing is not enough, understanding in itself is not enough.

We have to practice. It’s because even by knowing, if we don’t practice, then we will continue to experience unwanted suffering. We have to do both. We have to seek to understand and then to begin to put what we understand into practice. This is, you know, whatever we understand, it’s necessary to put it into practice.

This is why we need to listen. This is why we need to reflect. This is why we need to meditate in order to take what we hear, to take what we have understood, and then finally to cultivate it, to actually put it into practice. So to exemplify how the Kadampa masters used to put what they understood into practice immediately, there is the story of the Kadampa practitioner who was reading a text on moral discipline. As he was reading the text, he came to a passage which said, You shouldn’t sit on the skins of sentient beings, upon the hides of sentient beings.

And he was sitting on one, he immediately pulled it out from under him and set it aside. And then as he read further, it said, unless the ground is very cold, in which case it’s permissible, and he placed it back under him. We have about five minutes left. We can take that time to answer questions. So that’s right.

We generally don’t refer to this attitude when the object is ourself, this compassion which is the attitude of wishing to separate the sentient being from suffering. We call this renunciation or the determination to be free when oneself is the object. When the same attitude is turned toward others, the wishing to separate from suffering is turned toward others, and we call it compassion. But first, it must come for oneself, that is, we must develop renunciation of our own suffering before we develop the wish to separate others from their suffering. And to develop this quality, this attitude which seeks to separate oneself from suffering, one has to care for oneself.

I think sometimes this word is translated as empathy, care, love, empathize toward oneself. One has to determine to give up, one has to develop an attitude, You know, I’m tired of suffering, and want to abandon the causes of suffering. One has to care for oneself in that way, wanting to cease one’s own suffering and to give up the causes of suffering, to abandon them. Yes. So the difference between the attitude of wishing to separate oneself from suffering, which is what we mean by renunciation, and self-centeredness is, well first the one, the former is extremely positive and the latter is extremely inappropriate or negative state of mind.

But they are determined by the factor of attachment. And here the type of suffering is not even animals wish that they didn’t have suffering. You have a toothache or you have a headache, you wish to be separated from that type of suffering, but that’s not the type of suffering that we’re talking about here. When one wishes to be separated from suffering, it’s the suffering of cyclic existence in general. The all-pervasive conditionality, the suffering of universal conditionality.

This type of suffering is what we mean which we’re trying to separate ourselves from, and this does not arise under the influence of attachment. This wish to be separated from this type of suffering. So it’s determined on what type of suffering that we’re seeking to be separated from as to whether there’s influence of attachment or not. It determines whether it’s self-centeredness or renunciation. Attachment.

So, the mere wishing to be separated from, you know, pain such as headaches and toothaches is a product of self-centeredness. You know, those who are not seeking to practice a spiritual path, even animals, have this type of desire. When we talk about renunciation, we mean the seeing that all of cyclic existence is in the nature of dissatisfactoriness and wishing to be separated from it. So, actual renunciation is understanding that contaminated aggregates which we possess are universally conditioned, are suffering, represent the suffering of universal conditionality which is brought about, which we are forced to take under the influence of karma and afflictive emotions. So seeking to abandon, to no longer take contaminated aggregates, which are in the nature of suffering due to the force of karma and afflictive emotions is actual renunciation.

So this is good to have equal concern for yourself and others. So one should not seek happiness for oneself only at the exclusion of others. Those who wish to be happy and who wish to be happy in worldly ways are going to suffer because of being self-centered. Because they’re not wishing to be free from saṃsāra. So any action which is motivated by self-centeredness will bring about the creation of karma and afflictive emotions which will perpetuate cyclic existence and therefore suffering. But this is the case with ordinary beings. But in the case of bodhisattvas, their actions are not motivated by the force of self-centeredness. Yes. So, the conventionally existent self, relatively existent self is a being.

You cannot call it self-centeredness.