Sun Radiance: Thought Transformation, 24 October 1989, part 1

It has been scriptures explained in if the merits which one gains by generating the bodhicitta mind, if that merit is to be formed or if it is to be manifested into form, then that merit would be so vast that it would not be enough for the whole three systems of universe to fit into. So in meaning, quotation explains, suppose if we do a practice where we try to meditate on this bodhicitta, the mind of enlightenment, if we do a practice like meditate on this bodhicitta for a minute or two minutes, then whatever merits which we gain by doing meditation for a couple of minutes, so that merit, if it’s to have a form, that merit would not be enough, not be able to accommodate into three systems of world. So three systems of world is like explained as this world system, hundreds and millions of times, gathered together forms or it’s counted as one world system of worlds. So it’s kind of a technical explanation where it means meaning of whole system makes one whole system. And then there’s a second one and third one.

So in meaning whole or limitless universe would not be what I call space big enough to fit your merit, which accumulated one by doing meditation. So it explains how precious the practice of bodhicitta is. So that mind of enlightenment, if we are to generate, then we have to think this way. I’m going to remove all the sufferings of these mother sentient beings who have been so kind to me. And I’m going to place all these sentient beings in happiness which would be permanent, never changing happiness.

So in order to do that, I have to first attain Buddhahood, a state of complete, perfect enlightenment. Therefore, because it’s required, I must first try to attain that state of Buddhahood. And in trying to attain that state of Buddhahood, firstly, I have to listen to the teachings to understand them. Therefore, at this point, practitioners should think on mind of enlightenment in that way. So in this case here today, at the beginning of teaching, let’s try to generate that mind by thinking on it and by meditating on it for about three or two minutes together.

So far we have been trying mainly to train one’s mind in the process to generate bodhicitta mind. That training of mind is done through the method called equalizing and exchanging oneself with others. So in that method, firstly, the main obstacle is the selfish or self-cherishing mind. And so far in last teaching, the teaching or explanation was mainly about how the self-cherishing mind is the source of all the unwanted forms. And it’s a thing which we have to abandon.

And now the teaching or explanation will be about how, opposite to that thought, the thought cherishes other which consider other sentient beings more important than oneself. So here it will be about how this thought which we have to practice, how important it is and how one has to develop that. The reason why we have to cultivate this thought of cherishing others is because if we have this thought of cherishing others, then all the personal individual sufferings which we as a person have will all be removed. And also through this thought of cherishing other, it can also be the source to remove the sufferings and problems, dissatisfactions of other sentient beings, other people too. And in trying to have this thought cherishing other, which literally in Tibetan goes the thought holding others dear.

So in order to have this thought holding others dear, firstly one should have a clear idea that other sentient beings are thinking of great value, are very dear. So in trying to think how are the sentient beings are very dear, one has to understand their total, what I call, factor for us to have our ultimate and temporary, what I call, welfare’s accomplishments are dependent on them. Meaning, how we can understand the sentient beings are dear is by thinking how everything we have to achieve on a temporary basis and on ultimate basis, like attaining Buddhahood and enlightenment, all that are possible only in dependence by depending or by relying on those sentient beings. And also in the past, like last teaching, there had also been explanation about this, how sentient beings are there and how to develop this thought of cherishing others. And also the remainder of last teaching was the point in trying to practice on this thought of cherishing others.

There are situations which will definitely come about where while one being practitioner of this thought, there will be outside other people who may try to harm you in the form or aspect of criticism, abuse, insult, or even beating or sometimes even killing. So in those cases, the practitioner should have a kind of thinking that, Oh, it’s not fair for me to retaliate back and be angry. Instead, I have to think that maybe in the past I have done the same thing to him and because the law of cause and effect is truth, it’s something which will definitely happen. Therefore, I am now, because of past bad actions, I am now experiencing the results in the karma having been ripened. So there is what I call a kind of acceptance of one’s past bad karma ripening now.

Through that one tries to practice on patience, tolerance. So in this way, to practice patience, be tolerant, and especially think about how beneficial or how good things one will receive out of being tolerant. And also think on the faults or disadvantages of being angry, especially when thinking on that point, especially thinking about how anger is the cause to accumulate negativities. And these two being two ways of thinking in those situations. And also, on the other hand, think that past karma or results are ripening now upon me.

Therefore, it is me who is to blame. I was the one who in the first place have done the wrong thing. Also, one thing on that point about I’m to blame and it’s because of past karma, also on that point, think because of my past karma, in this life, this person acts as a cooperative condition for that karma to ripen, because of which I’m now experiencing the past karma or bad results. And it’s quite good because if this person hasn’t acted as a cooperative condition for this karma ripening, then it may be in the future that I may have to experience that past bad actions, bad karma, result in the form of rebirthing a hell, hungry ghost animal and in which cases I might have to suffer for hundreds or thousands of years. So I think it has been very good that this person actually helped me to experience that past karma in such a small, insignificant suffering compared to what I would have had to suffer.

In that case, that person who is supposed, in our way of thinking, who is supposed to be the harmer, in actual case, it is not him who is the harmer, it is me, oneself, is the harmer. Because one has to think he’s not the harmer because he actually is the helper who helped me to not have the experience in intense form afterwards. So he is really our helper. And on the other hand, think how one is the source of harm. One has to think this way, that in the past that I have been so angry, in the past life I have been so angry and has created or accumulated a karma and because of why in this life it has caused for me to get in contact with this person and in circumstance in this of coming in contact with me, that he became angry.

And being angry with me, he has accumulated at this moment. Being angry with me, he has accumulated so many bad karma. Now, afterward in the future, might have to experience intense suffering. So think that how in actual case that I’m the one who is bringing harm to him and not him to me. The great Indian master bodhisattva Śāntideva quotes explains this context meaning in a quotation, where in meaning it says, in a case, let’s suppose, for example, in a very, very poor household, In that household, somehow, suddenly, they emerged from underground a great treasure, then how happy would the householder in that case would be?

That they would feel, Oh, of course this is very good. They would be so, you know, overly happy. So that treasure, somehow without effort from household, just comes out, that treasure would be the source for the person himself to have all his temporary wishes like food, enough food, enough clothing, enough possessions. He can have out of that treasure and also he can help others by providing the same thing to others through that treasure. There wouldn’t be any hardship at all for him to fulfill his and others’ wishes.

So in that case, the person has all his wishes fulfilled so spontaneously, without effort, all of a sudden. And same thing here in the meaning. Here when a person is trying to practice on this thought of thought cherishing others. And when the practitioner is practicing this, and if there arise, some people may appear and try to inflict harm. So in that case, it’s like a spontaneous occasion for the practitioner without his least effort to practice his patients.

So it’s the best opportunity for the practitioner to progress his practice, especially on patients. So that’s how the meaning goes in parallel with that example. So in this case, the practitioner, if he can clearly see in that way that it is the supreme occasion for him to do the practice of patience. Therefore, if he persists and be strong enough to continue his patience, then that is the best practice because from that practice of patience, practitioner in this case accumulates a lot of merit. That, what I call, great amount of merit will be the source for the practitioner afterwards to whatever kind of supreme happiness, supreme achievements like enlightenment and so forth he can have after.

It means he can achieve that through that merit. Normally a bodhisattva, a person who has generated this altruistic bodhicitta mind, normally a bodhisattva would pray and dedicate whatever merit he has accumulated in this way as the words go in meaning. In meaning, where the words go like whoever, either a friend who has done benefit to me or enemies who has done harm to me or whoever abuses me with unpleasant words, all of them may attain all of them may perfectly perfectly have opportunity to attain enlightenment. So in meaning to that quotation it says, Our nominal bodhisattva would dedicate whatever merit he gains in that way. Like he would dedicate by not having the slightest of differentiation between these different kinds of beings.

Either they have done good to him or somebody harmed has beaten the bodhisattva, Or if not somebody who has beaten him, then somebody who has behind his back criticized or said something unpleasant about him. Still, from his side, he has no discrimination, no differentiation at all. He would still dedicate all his merit for their enlightenment. The great master, Geshe Langri Tangpa, he has sang a verse where in the first part of the verse it goes in meaning like, In normal case, in worldly situations where if we encounter a person who all the time has been inflicting harm to you, in that case we should try to, instead of angry and retaliating back, we should try to meditate. So in Tibetan it’s called meditate or familiarize.

We try to familiarize on the thought of compassion, thinking, or he’s just creating so many negative actions for himself to suffer afterward. All these things which he’s doing harms, which he’s doing to me is because he doesn’t know he’s ignorant. So try to have a kind of a sympathetic, compassionate thought on that person. Normally in the old situation, if we have been helping somebody and somehow afterward if that person in return does also harm and bad things in return to you. So in that case, in normal worldly situations, most people would be angry and if that person is quite weak, then we would try to fight and try to beat him up.

And in the case if that person is quite powerful and you think, I can’t fight, then in that case one may even try to put him down through such means like praying, all sorts of bad wishes for him that he may suffer and all sorts of things. Whereas to a bodhisattva who is practicing on this special thought of cherishing others, whereas to a bodhisattva, whenever such situation arise, he may not criticize, he may not retaliate back. Instead, he goes on generating compassion to the person. And in the next two parts of the verse, in that Bodhicaryāvatāra, it says in line, The great beings, the supreme beings of the Jampu Continent, they return good in return of harm. So this is referring to the Buddha and bodhisattva, because Buddha and bodhisattva are like the supreme kind of beings or persons in the Jambu Continent in the whole universe.

So for them, whenever such situation arise, they don’t retaliate back. Instead, for whatever harm other people may do to them, they may still try to help others. For bodhisattva, the main practice on which he emphasizes his whole practice is this practice of thought cherishing others. He, all the time, tried to practice on this only practice thought cherishing others. And this thought cherishing others is like the essence of all the spiritual teachings, in this case Dharma.

It is the essence of all the Dharma. And why it is the essence and why it is the sole practice which is the essence of all the other different Dharma is because if a person practices this only, then it is like within this one practice of thought, cherishing others, everything else can be included within that one practice. There is a saying which goes like, for one person, one Dharma, and very meaningful Dharma. So this is referring to this thought cherishing others. For as an individual, you don’t need many.

You can have just that only practice, the thought cherishing others. And it has to be meaningful, and it can be meaningful in the sense because if one has that practice of cherishing others, then it can fulfill one’s aims, welfare, and it can also fulfill others’ welfare. Therefore, the saying goes, For one person, one Dharma and meaningful Dharma. At this point, on the whole explanation about the false disadvantages of self-cherishing and all the benefits of thought cherishing others. This point, at the end, the great Indian master, bodhisattva Śāntideva, he summarizes everything in a way of saying, There’s no need to talk more. Ensure the child works for his own interest and the able Buddhas work for others. Look at the difference of these two. So the child refers to an ordinary person who hasn’t yet had any realization of the grounds and path, and it can refer exactly to us as an ordinary person beginning. And for us, from the beginning of time, we have all the time been selfish self-cherishing. Even now, we are still in this self-cherishing attitude because of why?

We’re still going to circle in this cyclic existence of repeated rebirth, death, suffering and so forth. Whereas on the other hand, there are the Buddhas who, because of all the time cherishing other sentient beings, that they now have attained the enlightenment state. So that’s quite a clear, our clear difference between the child, the ordinary person, the Buddha. So in the verse where when it says, There’s no need to talk more, the master in meaning he was going to say, we don’t have to go on talking too much. The short meaning is that the child works for their own interest and the able Buddhist works for the others.

That’s the difference. The Buddhists, they are perfect because they are completely free of all the faults, and they are completely with all the good qualities. Also Buddhas, they are perfect in the sense that are complete with all the perfect resources of having accomplished their own welfare and interests. And also they are perfect, completely resourceful in doing the welfare of other sentient beings. And now, from where has Buddha attained that state of perfection?

If there is such question, it will definitely have to be the thought cherishing others from which Buddha attained that state. Whereas with us, we have a whole lot of different, countless sufferings. In the past, have experienced countless sufferings. And even in this life, we have countless sufferings. And even in one day, if we are to count the sufferings of the mental and both physical sufferings which we have, there will be countless sufferings in a day.

So where do all these sufferings which we as ordinary person experience? From where do all these come from? Definitely Definitely they all will have to come from the selfishness, the self-cherishing mind. So this is the clear difference between these two. And that’s how, at this point, we have to compare clearly that this is the source of all the good and this is the source of all the faults and disadvantages, the things which we don’t want.

Regarding what’s called the past things, it’s a past. We can’t alter the past thing. But regarding future, we really definitely have to have a careful preparation thinking, Will I need happiness in future lives? Will I need suffering in future lives? Try So to think about future.

And it’s not a case when this person dies, things end. It’s not like that. The consciousness will still go on and consciousness will take rebirth. And when the consciousness takes rebirth again, this person in that rebirth will still have the same instinct of having what I call aspiring happiness and not wanting suffering. Because this was the case in the future, therefore one has to prepare now thinking, What should I do in order to not have suffering in future lives?

And What should I do in order to have happiness in future lives? So in trying to determine, one clearly understands with all this previous analysis that it is the self-cherishing thought from which all the sufferings arise and it’s the thought cherishing other from which all the happiness arises. Therefore, because of this reason, from today onward, I will look on the self- cherishing thought as enemy and will try to avert it as best as I can. And from today onward, I will take the thought cherishing others as my essence most practice because it is due to these all the perfect beings like the Buddhas who have attained enlightenment. So in this way, definitely at the end will have to kind of resolve that I’m going to take this thought cherishing others as my main practice.

In the past, there have been countless beings who have attained enlightenment of the Buddhas, and in the past there have been countless bodhisattvas, and all of them attained their supreme achievements by looking on the self-cherishing thought as enemy and by taking the thought of cherishing others as their main practice. And in the course of trying to do that practice, have developed compassion, they have developed bodhicitta, and in this way they have attained that. Therefore, one should also try to resolve and think from now onward I will also try to take this thought cherishing others as my main practice.