Download Land of Compassion Buddha Edmonton English Dharma talk

English Dharma talk notes
September 13, 2015
Geshe Pema Tshering
Land of Compassion Buddha Edmonton
http://compassionbuddha.ca
Four Noble Truths Class 5
There’s no one who can protect you from suffering. In this statement the Buddha said no
one can give you happiness/suffering. Although we can wish for happiness or good
health, this isn’t something someone can hand to us. Suffering isn’t bestowed to us by
others.
While we want happiness, we don’t always find the happiness we want. Although we
want to be physically well, we may feel sick. This is because making wrong choices, we
end up where we don’t want to be.
There are different paths to avoid suffering and achieve happiness. There are many
religions, different teachers, different paths. Here, we look at the path of Buddhism. The
Four Noble Truths.
What’s known by the term Dharma (Buddhist teachings)? Something with certain
qualities. How do we relate to the Dharma? Is it something we hear and leave aside or
read and leave aside? The right way to engage in Dharma isn’t just hear/study, but think
of its meaning: investigate what kind of benefit it can bring out. Active analysis, not
passive acceptance. Based on analysis, determine what to adopt on the basis of these
teachings.
All of us wish to have gain, not loss. This attitude should be applied in investigating
spiritual path. E.g. in school we check which subjects are most suited to us. With
spiritual practice, we must also check carefully. If Buddhism really does offer valid
teachings: how to attain happiness and decrease suffering.
The reason why we need to investigate Buddhism is because it offers presentations on
happiness and suffering. Happiness and suffering can be traced to mental afflictions,
especially the 3 poisons: attachment, anger, ignorance. It we eliminate these three, what
benefit can we attain? It’s not like we just pray and we’re free from suffering. The right
way to approach Buddhsm is 1st study, 2nd contemplate meaning and examine if the
presentation is valid. Presentation’s based on the Four Noble Truths.
How should you investigate the validity of Buddha’s teachings? E.g. cause of suffering =
afflictions. Imagine you go about with a very angry expression on your face. How does
that change your relationship with others? By being bad tempered, how will others relate
with you? Consider the reverse cause: you’re relaxed, easy going, and have a pleasant
expression. How will your relationships change as a result of being relaxed, pleasant,
and easy going?
You can do this experiment if you’re very bad tempered. If you have 10 friends. Check
if you’re very hot tempered. What happens? Very likely in a month you’ll lose all your
friends. If you consistently show angry behaviour, they may give up hope on you.
Similarly, you can put on good behaviour: be kind, act in a beneficial way. Chances are
you’ll make new friends. Buddha gave different kinds of advice. If you’re a Buddhist,
you may adopt Buddha’s advice and see. If you’re not, investigate his teachings: is there
benefit or harm?
E.g. in Buddhism, we talk about generosity. There are 4 types: 1. generosity of giving
material objects, 2 protect others from fear, 3 give Dharma, 4 give love. I’m not sure
about other religions but I perceive they mainly refer to #1. In Buddhism, we also have
the generosity of love. This means pleasant expression, speak pleasantly to them. The
other one – you can protect animals from the fear of being killed for example. There are
many methods you may practice without much hardship.
Let’s turn to Buddha’s teaching of 4 Noble Truths. Look at Outline attached. We’ve
covered the 1st three truths. The 3rd is True Cessation: state of liberation. How do we
attain this? The method’s explained in True Path. If you actualize True Path [recorder
missed this part]. True Path is what induces cessation of suffering as well as origin of
suffering.
We look at True Path today. First, let’s introduce what’s Path? Path leads you to
destination. Were in a state of suffering and want to get to the state of no suffering. By
traversing a Path, we’ll have no suffering. How do we proceed along the Path? Cultivate
mind / meditate? Of course, we’re not talking about a physical path we can go on via a
car/vehicle . There’s an object we meditate on. Meditator, meditating mind, object.
Most likely people think meditation is someone cultivating single minded meditation.
This understanding isn’t really accurate. Meditation can belong to 3 broad categories. 1
type trains the mind to be single-pointed. Shamata/calm abiding. Abide on an object
without movement. Unwavering. The 2nd type is vipassana: special insight. Within the
state of calm abiding, we engage in analysis. We use wisdom to gain insight into the
nature of the object.
In fact, these two types involve 2 techniques: 1st is single pointedness. 2nd is vipassana.
How is it possible that 2 different minds can operate together? Say you carry water. You
want to take it somewhere. On one hand, you can check it’s not spilled. At the same
time, you ensure you’re going the right way. So 1 mind checks it’s not spilled, and the
2nd mind is you’re on the right road.
How about the 3rd type of meditation? Cultivate 1st 4 of 6 perfections: generosity, ethics,
patience, and joyous effort. In order to practice these 6 perfections, you need to meditate
on them or cultivate them.
We should engage in all sorts of practice. E.g. all 4 kinds of generosity. But depending
on the context / occasion, we may do certain practices. So you need to check the
circumstances are convenient, conditions are okay etc.
Let’s take the 4 types of generosity as an e.g. 1st, material generosity. We can’t practice
this all the time. If circumstances allow, we can do this. Now, generosity of Dharma
involves explaining Dharma to someone with a positive mind. Generosity of fearlessness
depends on the situation. You can’t practice this always. Easiest is generosity of love.
You can practice this anywhere, any time.
These are many details I can go into but we can save generosity for later. Let’s turn to
True Path. 1 way to identify True Path is 5 [recorder missed this word] vision Paths of 1
accumulation, 2 preparation, 3 seeing, 4 meditation, and 5 no more learning.
If we want to specify True Paths, leave out the 1st two. The 1st True Path is the 3rd path:
the path of seeing.
In order for something to be True Path, it needs 4 attributes:
1st attribute: “path, because it abides in a class of paths that proceeds to liberation”. It
culminates in the cessation of suffering.
2nd attribute: “suitability, because it acts as the direct antidote to afflictions”. We have
ignorance, attachment, anger. We can be free temporarily. If we want to uproot them, we
need to rely on True Path. True Path is suitability, because it acts as the direct antidote to
afflictions.
3rd attribute: “achievement, because it establishes unmistakably the mode of abidance of
the mind”. It establishes the nature of the mind.
4th attribute: “deliverance, because it’s a path that completely exhausts suffering”. It
causes suffering to be exhausted. Although it’s gradual but eventually suffering is
extinguished.
Let’s look at the 4 wrong conceptions these counteract.
1st wrong conception: “conception of the path of liberation as utterly non-existent”. If
one thinks there’s no path, that misconception is counteracted by attribute of the path b/c
it indicates a path to liberation does exist.
2nd wrong conception: “conception of the exalted wisdom realizing selflessness as
unsuitable to be a path to liberation”. We need to attain emptiness to attain liberation. If
someone thinks one needn’t attain emptiness to attain liberation, this is a misconception.
3rd wrong conception: “conception of some attribute of concentration as a path to
liberation”. Some people hold the view that by cultivating concentration, one can attain a
good rebirth as a God in upper realms. They think they’d get liberation. This is a wrong
conception.
4th wrong conception: “conception of a path to liberation that completely exhausts
suffering as non-existent”. Someone claims … something eliminates … someone may
think there’s no path. This is a misconception counteracted by the attribute of
deliverance.
We’ve covered a brief explanation of the Four Noble Truths. Didn’t feel necessary to
give detailed explanation and in related subjects. This way of correlating 16 wrong
conceptions to 16 attributes is a unique presentation.
Q/A
Q: Attachment. In stories of Buddha seeking enlightenment, he says no more, then he’s
enlightened. There’s a dilemma. How do we unattach from the desire of enlightenment?
How do we not turn it into attachment?
In other words, to generate enlightenment, we need to give up attachment. Yet we
generate it. Is there contradiction?
A: It’s important for us to distinguish between the wish for something and attachment.
Wish for something isn’t necessary attachment. We have to understand what attachment
is. If someone generates attachment to an object, it’s exaggerated. Type of attachment
need to rid is one that exaggerates. Here, we don’t deny things are attractive. But
attachment is exaggeration: grasp to it. E.g. sound, you think it’s fantastic. Grasp. It
does not accord with reality. In contrast the wish for enlightenment doesn’t need to
exaggerate enlightenment.
Another feature of attachment we need to abandon for enlightenment is it has
discrimination. It exaggerates the attractiveness of objects and discriminates against
other objects. So on top of exaggeration, it discriminates against other objects. E.g.
they’re just junk.
Dalai Lama gave an e.g. Go into the store, all merchandise is displayed. You go closer to
it and examine. So attention can be improper mental attention where due to
preoccupation to object, you have special exaggeration / preoccupation. You can
examine how relate to the object before examine it. Then after, buy it, may become
involved with the object (emotionally). If you break it, there’s emotional disturbance.
You see how your mind develops.
Followup Q: so is attachment to the object as source of happiness the incorrect way?
When we are seekers to enlightenment, is it a state of being rather than object?
A: The difference really between generating desire (attachment) is presence/absence of
improper mental attention. If there’s improper mental attention that exaggerates qualities
of the object, that’s attachment. If examine, wishing enlightenment doesn’t mean
attachment.
Q: How relate Noble 8fold path with True Path?
A: When we talk about Noble 8fold path, there’s more, such as an explanation of
uninterrupted path, liberated path. I was thinking we could combine that with future
discussions because no time to go into different types of True Path today.
Q: Antidotes to afflictions?
A: There are specific antidotes. E.g. for attachment, meditate on the ugliness,
unattractiveness of the object. If you meditate on selflessness, that’ll counteract all
afflictions. Again, I’ll explain antidotes in great detail. Next text is Nagarjuna’s Letter to
a Friend.
Q: How do we generate Bodhicitta?
A: 2 ways. 1: Shantideva: equalizing self and others. 2nd: Maitreya: 7fold cause and
effect method. This involves first recognizing sentient beings as your mom and thinking
of their kindness.
Q: What is bodhicitta?
A: the mind has 2 aspirations. 1: aspiration for enlightenment. 2: for others’ welfare.
May I attain enlightenment for the sake of all living beings.
Q: True Path: would you please distinguish between the 1st wrong conception and the 4th?
They seem similar.
A: Yes, they differ. First, these are wrong conceptions that existed in India. The 1st
wrong conception is that someone who thinks there’s no path to liberation. The 4th
emphasizes “completely exhaust suffering”. There’s a path, but not in a way that
suffering’s totally extinguished.
2 examples illustrates this difference. 1st: the path utterly does not exist. In India there
were some people who denied past or future lives. There’s no liberation they thought.
It’s this life, that’s it. For the 4th wrong conception, some people think if they cultivate
concentration, then that state is liberation. They think meditative bliss is liberation.
Reborn into god realm. But it doesn’t last forever. Concentration will degenerate.
Liberation is something unstable/unreliable. So their conception belongs to this type.