Tenets, 15 December 1994, part 1

There are two things. Let’s start with few minutes meditation on kind thought where we shall meditate on the precious mind of enlightenment. In our case, we do want happiness and we do not want suffering. Similarly, all other sentient beings or mundane beings equally do want happiness and do not want suffering. This applies to just about and to all types of sentient beings, big, small, whatever shape and sizes they are.

Therefore, if we only work towards removing our one person’s suffering and accomplish happiness of one person, or it is very much self centered approach. By that way, anything done with such motive and way of doing is bound to be of very insignificant impact. Nothing much would be accomplished with that with that motive or way of accomplishing happiness and removing sufferings. Also to approach the removing of suffering and accomplishing of happiness through self centeredness is very inappropriate. This this is what we’ve been doing since beginningless time, and we have not been successful.

So to work only to accomplish happiness for once alone and to remove sufferings for once alone is not the appropriate method. Therefore, one needs to think of removing the sufferings of oneself and of all others as well to remove one’s sources of sufferings and the sources of sufferings of others. This can be intensified by making fervent prayers in one’s mind that that be accomplished so that further can be intensified by putting it into superior thinking of universal responsibility, thinking I alone will take the responsibility to remove my and others’ sufferings and the sources of suffering. When one is able to train in this line of thinking then that becomes compassion combined with the superior thinking of universal responsibility it becomes extremely powerful altruism of compassion combined with superior thinking. Similarly, one can think in terms of happiness, may myself and all other beings be with happiness and the sources of happiness.

The sources of happiness being to refrain from non unwholesome actions and to accomplish or to do wholesome actions. One then can pray that that becomes so and further think I alone will take the responsibility to bring about happiness for myself and for others. Through such way of thinking, one then has developed loving kindness together together with with the superior thinking develop of universal responsibility. Or to put in classical context analogy, we can think that we can see that working with the motive only of one’s own welfare is like cleaning a ground with just one stalk of a broom, whereas working for all beings and approaching one’s practice for all others’ welfare is like having a very huge sized broom by which one very instantly and very well be able to sweep the floor on the ground. Like that, we here in that way needs to have a broader perspective of removing not just one’s own suffering and bringing happiness for one oneself, but for all our sentient beings.

In order to accomplish one’s and all others welfare, the method which one applies is to make one’s mind potent enough where all weaknesses have been overcome and all perfections of the mind has been actualized. When one has that why that is so is because when one has that capacity of mind, then it is possible to very successfully accomplish one’s and all others’ welfare. In order to achieve such perfect state of mind’s capacity, one needs to train on the path which here in the context refers to Mahāyāna or the greater vehicle towards attaining enlightenment quicker and for more benefits. To be able to train on that, one needs to first know about it, which is done by way of learning about it, such as one in the process of learning, learn the advices and instructions through which one can reduce the unwholesome states of mind and eventually terminate them and increase the wholesome states of mind and eventually have all the perfection of mind actualized. Whatever one then knows, one needs to do reflection through which one ascertains, then they are the directions to seek and follow.

Whatever is ascertained through reflection, one then meditatively familiarizes with them in order for them to become a part of one’s inseparable attributes. So in this way here, due to such purpose, one can think our world in order to remove all weaknesses of mind and to attain all perfections of the mind, I will take great interest in the learning, reflection and meditative familiarization about the instructions taught in the greater vehicle path. In our case, generally, there are the sicknesses of the mind, which are the weaknesses of mind, out of which comes the illnesses of the body. The medicine through which one can heal oneself of the sicknesses of mind are the instructions by which one can develop the wholesome states of mind because when one has developed the wholesome states of mind then one would have removed the weaknesses of mind which are here like the sicknesses of the mind. Instructions which are taught towards that aim are taught by Buddha Śākyamūni, therefore the Buddha is like the doctor for curing the sicknesses of the mind.

Śāntideva advises all these secondary practices are taught by the able one in order to develop wisdom. What that advice means is there are variety of practices such as the practices of the six perfections and these four means of gathering sentient beings. No matter whatever varieties of multitude of teachings there are, the Buddha has taught them mainly as a secondary method through which beings can realize emptiness. To remove one’s and other’s sufferings and problems, one needs to realize the reality emptiness as well in order to attain the ultimate goal of perfections of the mind come the perfections of mind freed of all weakness as well comes from having realized emptiness. And therefore, the very core very core the very core point of which that earlier advice was directed was to that point meaning realization of emptiness after all is the source through which all freedom and attainments of complete perfections, fulfillment can be possible for oneself and for all others.

In essence, therefore, when it comes to correct correct realization about the ultimate nature of things, the realization of emptiness is the one which we need to develop. So that becomes in all four levels of Buddhist thinking and practice the guideline of view, the guideline philosophy. Combined with that guideline view or philosophy, all four levels of Buddhist practices needs to abide by the behavior of not hurting others and if one can upon that as well help others that is far more the better, so in this way Buddha Śākyamūni in the core essence of teaching has directed the way how to improve one’s mind and others through following two principle combined method, the view of realizing emptiness and the behavior of not hurting others if one can, on top of that, as well help others. There are so many varieties of practices we need or we need to do, and there are many different levels and approaches as regards our practices but if we are to summarize into core way of how to practice then we need to do a practice where no matter whatever the variety the practice are, that they combined or they include the two principal aspect, the view and the behavior combination of the practice.

As far as the view part of the practice goes, that realization of the view comes about when one has realized dependent arising or alternatively, the dependent existence manner of all phenomena. One comes to know that, then the view of realization comes indeed. What does the dependent arising or dependent existence manner of all phenomena means. It means there isn’t anything or any phenomena which does not depend on others, either by way of depending on its causes and factors or by way of depending on its parts and portion or by way of depending on the name and the concept labeling towards that thing or phenomena. In that way, factually all phenomena depends on causes factors parts portion name and label being labeled upon that that very is nature how they arise and exist with dependence so when one has realized dependent arising nature of phenomena then that is the understanding of view and put in the phrase it then means by view it means the view of dependent arising.

Flower at the front, it is a dependent arising phenomenon because the flower has, continuously in its beginning, dependent on a seed and then water, manure, heat, so forth, out of which the existence of the flower has risen. The flower arise out of depending on those of many many factors and its portion and so forth. There in a way in actual fact there isn’t any possibility of flower arising or existing without depending on all those causes, conditions, parts, and so forth. So the very manner the flower exists is in the manner of dependent arising phenomena. Another example, say the table, it it as well is dependent arising phenomena because it has depended on many factors and causes such as on the timber, which has become parts of it as legs, the top, and the the square shape, long oblong shape, and so forth.

On top of that, the craftsperson’s hard labor and so forth. So in this way, so many causes and factors have gone into making the table come into existence and it’s arising. It is dependent arising in that manner opposed to that the table has not all of a sudden appeared on its own without depending on anything at all. Similarly, all other phenomena are in the same fashion as well, including the room here, which has so many parts on which it has depended on the iron part, the soil part, the cement part, and the builders’ manner and the designers’ forethinking and so forth. So it has dependent on so many factors and core causes, and it exists in that manner of being dependent.

In this way, all other phenomena depends on many other factors and causes. They are in that way dependent arising phenomena and they are dependent existing phenomena. By the very fact they depend on others means they do not exist independently from their own side. So they are emptiness of existing from their own side. If that’s the case, then it fits very well to relate that out of understanding dependent arising manner of phenomena, there will arise the realization about the emptiness of phenomena.

And in that way, by view, it is first important to view it as the view being referred to the understanding of dependent arising. By the same way of how phenomena exist, meaning by way of dependent arising, we can establish many other important facts such as the bad result and consequences, occurrences, and phenomena are the outcome of bad causes. Or in other words unwholesome things happen because of unwholesome causes producing them. And the good or wholesome occurrences phenomena and things comes about because of being produced by good causes, the wholesome causes. The fact that cause good results come from good causes and bad results come from bad causes are very much because of the dependent arising nature of all phenomena, that it is in the first place phenomena’s nature existing and arising with dependence on the causes and factors that there is the feasibility of wholesome results coming from wholesome causes and unwholesome results coming from unwholesome causes.

That then becomes the relevance relevance of of having having such such a perfect view of realizing dependent arising nature of all phenomena and that means the view of dependent arising is logical way of establishing how two types of results are produced by two types of causes to put into modern way of language usage we might then say it is scientific way of looking at things. . Yeah. We want we want good results. We don’t want the bad ones.

Also, as good results come from good causes, we then need to accomplish good the good causes. And as bad results come from bad causes, we need to terminate the bad causes causes producing producing those those bad bad results. Results. What are the good causes? Well, the good causes are having a good body, having a good constitution of the body, having a good comfort of the body, and the happiness being present in the mind.

These we can look at as the good results. Bad results are the bad body, body, bad bad sensation, sensation of the body one presently experiences, meaning the sufferings upon the body one experiences, and the lack of perfect companionship with others so when one needs as well not having a spiritual guidance and support as well the lack of happiness in one’s mind which one experiences. So these can be seen as bad bad results. Now to interpret good body and bad refers more to rebirth in the state having those lower types of forms. Now as regards what the causes bringing about the bad body, meaning bad rebirths, they are they are caused by the act of killing others, terminating others’ life, the act of stealing others’ belongings, the act of engaging in sexual misconducts where one uses the partner of another person who is under the entitlement of a third person in its proper context.

So in brief, through firstly, these these three types, the bad rebirths are produced. As well other causes producing those bad states of rebirth are the non virtuous actions done through one’s verbal action or speech, telling lies where the intention is to play tricks on others or befool or cheat others, slander by which one makes those who are harmonious become disharmonious, and uttering harsh speech where one’s intention is maliciously piercing and hurting to others heart, and engaging in meaningless utterances or gossip where one deliberately engages engages in in making making others others engage engaged, making making others involved in conversation with oneself through which one hopes and aims to make other person’s time wasted and empty in the sense time, nothing achieved, nothing meaningfully done and so forth. So these are the unwholesome actions of the speech. Generally, the actions done by a person of unwholesome types are either through one’s body or physical actions or through speech or verbal actions or through mind or the mental actions. Now let’s then look at those of unwholesome aspects of actions which are of mental type or of mind, where one would engage in envy, where out of great desire or greed, one becomes envious of things belonging to others and wishes to have for oneself.

Second, one may have ill thought or harmful intention where one may first brood over past supposedly apparent misdeeds by others towards oneself such as, oh, this person has hurt me. This person has done such a nasty thing to my friends, to my relatives. I must retaliate, take revenge upon the person. By that way, such a process of thinking maliciously about others becomes the ill thought or harmful intention. And distorted view being the third where one has a wrong understanding about matter of fact, occurrences, sort of things, such as one through distorted view thinks.

Good results do not come from good causes. Bad results do not come from bad causes. There isn’t past life. There isn’t future life. There are there aren’t Three Jewels and so forth.

So such wrong attitude of mind as relates to facts and reality are the prototype of the unwholesome action of the mind, the distorted distorted view. View. The If we, by keeping our mind on the track, do the wholesome and wholesome actions of the body and speech, then we can avoid the bad results and have happiness, the good results. Why through the states of mind which are of those three unwholesome types when a person engages into the unwholesome actions of the body and speech that there will be definitely result of sufferings upon oneself. Why that is so is something we can very well establish by reasoning.

We can meaning or we can understand understand it it to to be be rationally, rationally, logically, logically true. Because when through those unwholesome states of mind engages into those unwholesome actions, through body and speech, what in the process that happens is one temporarily or on the spot currently directly hurt others. As well in the long run, one leads to great one makes others receive actions, continuous great hurt, suffering pain and so forth if this is something one has inflicted on others by way of those deeds then it is understandable that through way of inevitable cause and effect occurrence that one in return would experience similar type of hurt and sufferings. We can look very much ourselves as farmers where whatever we planted and so shall we accordingly reap. If we planted a sweet seed or a sour seed or a rice, barley, wheat, grain, whatever, accordingly, the crop that yield will be of similar nature.

If as a farmer, we have planted something extremely sweet nature, then a crop out of such seed would definitely be of sweet nature. So it’s something we can relate as like that. We, the one we, the ones who want to achieve happiness and to terminate suffering, are like the farmer. And the field upon which the farmer does the farming, that field are that field are the sentient beings. Therefore, if we inflict harm on sentient beings, the others, others, the the field, then in return, we will receive suffering the same harm and hurt.

If we bring happiness and hope and benevolence to others, the sentient beings, the field, then equally, we, in return, would receive the same benevolence, happiness, so forth. Relating back to our previous point of the unwholesome actions of body and speech done through the unwholesome states of mind, what happened and what does happen is through those way of our behavior, we inflict harm on others. If that is what happens, then it is inevitable. In return, we, one who has inflicted that harm, would experience the return of the harm. In our case, we do want happiness, do not want suffering, and in our attempt to