Non-virtuous thoughts, that is, karmically affected negative states of mind, are plentiful. If we watch our minds, we can see just how uncharitable our thoughts usually are, how filled with aversion, ill-will, greed, lust, delusion, indifference and the like, that these unwholesome states of mind are plentiful, and yet it is these unwholesome states of mind that are going to cause us great pain in the future, and it is we who are responsible for these causes of our own future pain. Therefore, we should assume responsibility for our states of mind, just as the Indian meditator, the Indian meditator who became curious about this

[01:20]

teaching on karmic responsibility, and he decided during his sessions of meditation that he would just watch his mind to see how virtuous or non-virtuous his thoughts were. He was just curious to learn how good his mind really was. had a simple plan. Every time a virtuous thought would arise, he would place a white pebble on the table in front of him. And every time an unwholesome thought of desire, anger, delusion would arise, he would place a black pebble on the table. And at the end of the first day of this practice, he had only very few pebbles, very few white pebbles, and a great mound of black pebbles.

[02:34]

And he had to recognize that this was, by his own reckoning, that his mind was not very virtuous after all, though he was a yogi, a meditator. So he applied himself with diligence to be mindful of the states of mind and whenever negative thoughts and attitudes and impulses would arise, he tried to turn them into virtue. And so that finally, day by day, the number of white pebbles began to increase, and the number of black pebbles decreased, until finally he even attained liberation just by this simple practice of being mindful and responsible for his own states of mind. So, this is the case with each of us also. We are responsible for our actions and the states of mind out of which our actions proceed.

[03:36]

Recognizing this, we should be mindful also in consideration of what is wholesome, what actions are wholesome and therefore to be cultivated, what actions are unwholesome and therefore to be forsaken. In this way we learn to accept the responsibility for our own future and unless we accept this this truth of causality, this truth of a relationship between our moral actions and their results, we will have no foundation for our practice of the path. In the morning we discussed the first of the four stages of the teaching known as the Shambhashidel, which was taught by the Bodhisattva of Western Manjushri to Sachin Kundalini.

[05:02]

We discussed the problem of attachment to the things of this world, to things which involve us further in worldly delusions and efforts which, we said, were pointless, were futile and a cause of suffering, because they led nowhere. Through further involvement in the aims and objectives of this world, we remain unable to achieve happiness even in this world, let alone the happiness of liberation.

[06:09]

Therefore, it was said that one must first learn to relinquish attachment to the things of this world, to the aims of this present life, and learn to reorient our mind towards a spiritual goal. Now, once one has learned to do this, There still remains before one the possibility of mistaking the path of dharma, of failing to find the right path to liberation. That is because our minds are still governed by other more subtle forms of attachment. Though we learn to give up attachment to external objects or to obviously short-sighted aims, still it is easy to substitute other forms of attachment.

[07:22]

One can, one may seek to practice Dharma in order to improve one's lot, in order to improve one's situation, one wants mental peace, happiness, prosperity and other advantages to be derived from controlling one's mind and directing it into wholesome ways as we have described. But this too constitutes a grave mistake on the path of spiritual development. Because all of these efforts that one might make on this so-called path of practice can only lead one into other states of existence.

[08:28]

not to liberation, so long as they are not guided by right motivation and right insight, the Mahayanist path to enlightenment. consist of two factors, that is, a right perspective, that is, a right understanding or discerning insight into the true nature of things as they are, and secondly, a right attitude towards one's fellow beings. If one misses this quintessential heart of the path, this spirit of the path, then all of one's efforts will not lead to liberation, but only into other states of deluded existence, deluded worldly existence. And no matter where one may wind up, one will not have achieved happiness, which is the goal of all beings.

[09:35]

For no matter where one is born on the round of existence, no matter where one happens to exist, so long as it is within the ambits, the parameters of worldly deluded existence, there is no possibility of obtaining true happiness. For worldly existence itself is is based on delusion, on ignorance of one's own true nature, of ignorance of the mind's true nature. So that all that one experiences in ignorance of one's true nature will, by the very nature of, by its very nature, be an experience of pain in one form or another, gross or subtle. So it is that from a Buddhist perspective, all of the realms of existence, all of the modes of existence are attended by pain and limitation.

[10:56]

They are by their very nature, by the very nature of deluded existence, involved in limitation and pain. There are generally three types of pain to which beings are subject. These are the pain of pain itself, the experience of sheer pain, mental and physical discomfort. The pain that is due to change or impermanence, which is also a natural process of deluded existence.

[12:02]

And finally, the pain of conditioned existence. It isn't necessary for us to think of pain in the abstract. We have only to regard it in the particulars. In the particulars, first of all, of our own existence. From what we know of our own experience of life, we know already that pain is easily met with, that happiness is difficult to secure and difficult to retain, whereas pain is easily encountered, and unlike happiness, it is often long-lasting. Even in our own experience, we know that we are subject to, or have already experienced the pains of birth, of illness, of disease, of old age and death.

[13:07]

And even beyond these four great standard sufferings, there are all of the countless forms of mental and physical pain to which we ourselves are subject. There is the mental, there is mental anguish through losing what we love, through being forced to live with what we dislike, of constantly encountering that which we dislike and of being unable to avoid it. The pain of frustration, of being frustrated in obtaining

[14:17]

our aims and objects of desire. There is the pain of grief, of despair and of hopelessness. All of these mental pains can afflict us. on top of the gross forms of physical pain to which we are also subject. This we recognize in our own situation, that we are quite subject to mental and physical pain. We have experienced it. And from what we can observe and infer about other beings also, we see that they are very much like ourselves in this regard. They too are subject to experience all of the manifold forms of suffering, mental and physical.

[15:21]

We have seen them suffer. We know that beings do suffer and are liable to more suffering, to experience more suffering. And this is, as we have said, by the very nature of of our existence we are subject to experience all of these and other forms of pain because our experience is deluded worldly experience. We are ourselves also subject to the experience of pain due to our impermanence. By our very nature, we said earlier, that human existence is limiting, it is short in duration, it is difficult to obtain human existence, but it is quite easily lost.

[16:25]

Though this is a part of our very nature, though by very nature we are we are destined to experience decay and death, still subjectively experienced as we do experience What happens to us, this is a very painful process. We find it difficult or impossible to accept our own impermanence, our own nature of impermanence. We seek to avoid it and we find it painful. When we realize that it cannot be avoided, dissolution of our own life forces and the experience of old age and death is a very painful process, particularly when experienced subjectively.

[17:32]

Therefore, by our very nature, by our own personal situation, we can recognize the truth of this fact that that existence does entail mental and physical pains of various kinds. And this is due to the very nature of our conditioned existence. That is, our experience is determined by the components of our beings. Our interpretation of our experience is based upon our faculties, our human faculties, our senses and the sense fields and the way that our minds operate to interpret the interaction of our senses and their objects, so that there are built-in limitations to our human existence and the way that we interpret it, so that by its very limitations we are

[18:35]

programmed, as it were, to the experience of pain while in the pursuit of pleasure. This is the nature, the very nature of our deluded worldly existence. And this is not true just for ourselves alone. as individuals, but on a much wider scale also. It includes all forms of existence. One who is familiar with the Buddhist doctrine will know that the Buddhist tradition speaks of six realms of worldly existence. And these are described as being the hell realms, the realms of the ghosts, the animal realms, the human realms, the realms of the titans or demigods, and finally the realm of the celestials or gods.

[19:55]

When one ceases to be a human and yet is not free from the round of birth and death, that is this deluded process of becoming and ceasing, then one will willy-nilly be reborn in one or another of these realms of existence. It doesn't matter which one, one will still not have obtained liberation from the prospect of pain and more pain. This is the purpose of this second stage of reflection then, to help one to face up to this fact that pain is prevalent in all the forms of existence, that so long as one is attached to becoming, to the process of deluded becoming, it will necessarily involve one in one or another state of pain.

[21:19]

Next, Rinpoche described in some detail all of the, each of these six realms of existence. I'll try to summarize what he said about each one. A being whose mind has been dominated by anger, ill-will, and whose actions have been characterized by cruelty, and a willingness to hurt one's fellow beings faces the possibility of being reborn in the hell realms. In Buddhist literature they are described in great detail. There are supposed to be some eight cold hells and eight hot hells. And then various neighboring or occasional hells, some of which are to be found here in our midst.

[22:30]

These states of existence that are called hellish are characterized by great fear and paranoia and the simultaneous experience of mental and physical pain. Essentially, it is a state in which one has no control whatsoever over one's environment or one's response to one's environment. One is helpless. in helplessly forced to undergo various mental and physical torments in these hells which are of very lengthy duration and throughout there is no respite from fear, paranoia and anguish.

[23:33]

It is a place or a state of mind where one has no occasion for rest, for peace of mind, for happiness, or even for making efforts to help oneself. This is the fully ripened result of evil actions. enacted through great anger, cruelty to one's fellow beings. In the ghost realms there are various kinds of ghost states, ghost-like states, which come about as the ripening result of avarice and stinginess, an indifference, a cruel indifference to the welfare of one's fellow beings, that out of greed for one's own gain and prosperity, well-being, that one denies the same to other beings.

[24:47]

And through attachment to material goods rather than to moral, considerations or principles, one's actions are motivated basically by stinginess, selfishness. These karmic patterns ripen in ghost realms. where the overriding experience is one of great need, of great yearning, endless quest for objects of desire, which are unattainable. It is torment, mental and physical torment, that is caused by those very objects of one's desire, that they are either impossible to attain, or even if one obtains them, they are transformed into

[25:57]

sources of great mental and physical pain. So it is a state of total frustration and is the ripening result, long-lasting ripened result of karma that is inspired by avarice. Thirdly, in the animal realms we can see for ourselves what the plight of these beings is. It is a state which is governed by ignorance and fear. as a result, as a fully ripening result of a failure to apply one's intelligence, to develop intelligence and a sense of moral responsibility, it is possible to be reborn in this

[27:16]

fallen state among the animals, where no matter where they are born, their lifespan is attended always by many enemies, by many causes of fear, and a general inability to cope intelligently with their problems. So, it is that whether the animals are born as fishes in the ocean or on dry land, wherever they are, they have many enemies, their lifespan is uncertain, they are subject to being caught, devoured or afflicted at all times, so their life is attended always by fear. And since they haven't the mental capacity developed to cope intelligently with their situation, there is no way out of it for them.

[28:28]

They have helplessly to undergo whatever their environment and circumstances presents them with. They have many enemies, we said. The larger are constantly devouring the smaller. It is a realm in which beings are devoured for food. Or even if they are not devoured by food, they are enslaved by humans. They are humans who use them as slaves. forcing them into routines of work, and then slaying them for their hide, their bone, their meat, and exploiting them without any consideration.

[29:34]

This is the lot, even of the more fortunate animals. we can easily see through our own observation what the... our fellow beings, the animals, are subject to. What suffering our fellow beings, the animals, are subject to. In the human realm, we have already described the various kinds of suffering which we, by our nature of impermanence, of delusion about the true nature of our mind, and of the limitations that attend our conditioned mode of existence, how all of these factors of our existence preclude any possibility of obtaining any real or lasting happiness in the human state.

[30:58]

In the titan realms, or the realms of the demigods, life is conditioned by an environment of constant strife, of constant dissension, quarrels and warfare. Life is a constant struggle. It is a result of... as a result of... living a human life filled with power, mad, ambition, and a sense of competitiveness, a sense of struggle against one's competitors and adversaries, and a sense of envy, an attitude of envy and jealousy towards one's fellow beings.

[32:07]

cultivates the causes for rebirth among these asuras or titans, where life is simply a lifelong struggle. Though one has great intelligence, still one's mind is so poisoned by envy, jealousy, and exigencies of life, there is no opportunity to obtain peace of mind or to gain access to the saving insight of the Dharma. Life is spent in struggle with one's fellow titans or in hopeless struggles against the gods. In the god realms also, life seems quite pleasant for long periods of time. It is a realm of maximum aesthetic experience. There are none of the gross forms of pain and limitations that prevail in the lower realms of existence which we have described.

[33:19]

It is still a state that is dominated by ignorance. Ignorance of the true nature of mind and ignorance of the Dharma. Because there are no challenges in this God-like realm, there seems to be no reason for for pursuing the Dharma, for seeking to develop insight, wisdom, compassion or the other spiritual qualities that lead to enlightenment. So, life is spent in aesthetic pursuits. But when the force of good karma that enabled one to obtain miraculously rebirth in the God realms has been exhausted, then the signs of death appear even for the gods.

[34:45]

Though they will not experience physical death as do we, nonetheless the signs of their coming downfall from that God realm are unmistakable to themselves and to their fellow deities. They are ostracized from the society of the other celestials who can do nothing to help them other than to pray that they will not fall into the hells but will be reborn in a human realm and once again return to the God realm. There is nothing they can do to avoid their coming downfall. when death impends, because they have throughout their long God-like existence never applied themselves for an instant to the accumulation of virtue, to training in the cultivation of wisdom and compassion or the other saving qualities.

[35:57]

So they have merely been coasting for a long time on their on good karma that was achieved elsewhere. When the gods are endowed with a certain amount of foresight, of prescience, so even while in the God realm, they can foresee the place of their next rebirth. And since they have exhausted all of their good karma in the God realms and have in the meantime not accumulated any further good karma, all that remains to them is rebirth in the lower realms. They foresee how they will fall into the terrible sufferings of the of the hells, the ghost realms or among the animals are in very unhappy situations in the human realm.

[37:03]

So that even though they do not experience a physical death, the grief, the fear and the anxiety which attends this knowledge of their coming downfall is unbearable for those gods. And so that in the long run even the God realm is not a source of happiness but a place of fear. And those who are born there are not to be envied but to be pitied. This is true of all beings in all the realms of existence, not just in these six realms of existence which make up the which make up what is known as the realm of sensual pleasures. These six realms are made up of beings, of embodied beings endowed with senses who are, so to speak, programmed to seek sense pleasures and to avoid pain.

[38:16]

We have just shown that the prospects of happiness in any of these states of existence is not real. There are, according to Buddhist doctrine, two other states of existence, two other so-called realms of existence. which we'll briefly describe now. According to Buddhist tradition, there are the so-called three realms of existence. The realm of the sense desires, which is where we are presently located, the realm of form, and the realm of formlessness. The realm of sensual pleasures extends from the lowest hells right up to the god realms of the, what do you call it, the 33... gods of the 33 classes.

[39:41]

In other words, they are... different degrees of celestial existence, extending up to the very peak of the realm of sense pleasures. Beyond that realm, however, there are even higher states of existence called the form realm, which is attained only as a result of meditation. These are states of meditative absorption, where a person, which results when a yogi or a human who meditates on certain topics such as concentration, the development of mental concentration, becomes attached to those mental states such as, for example, concentration.

[40:42]

There are yogis who just meditate to develop mental concentration and the tranquility, the mental stability, the peacefulness, the serenity and the joy of mental concentration without accompanying this concentration with the other factors of spiritual development which will lead to enlightenment. So as a result of their attachment, their development of these states of mental stability and their attachment to that state of serenity and mental stability, upon death they get reborn in these realms of form where for long periods of time they exist endowed with a kind of mental body. a mental body and their substance or their sustenance is derived from meditation, from the by-products of the meditative state.

[42:00]

So for very long periods of time they are able to remain in that state of meditative absorption. Even for eons of time they are able to remain in that state. Beyond them are even other states of formlessness which are attained by other yogins or meditators who focus upon formless meditations. For example, one who meditates for a long period of time upon the concept that nothing exists. There are no objects, there are no meditators, there is nothing. Everything is nothingness. they will obtain as a result of their having developed this particular concept to its extreme without having attended it by any of the other saving graces of wisdom, compassion and the other factors which lead to liberation from the realm of birth and death.

[43:17]

Instead, they attain only rebirth in the realm of formlessness. And there they remain without a body, without even discursive thought processes, simply in a state of what you might call mental abeyance. There is consciousness, but it is not consciousness of anything. It is simply a static, quiescent state of consciousness. And these states of meditative absorption also last for extremely long periods of time, even aeons of time. Yet there comes a point when that meditative state must come to an end, when the force of that meditation which they had developed as a yogin has become exhausted, when the powers of meditation which propelled them into these states of meditative absorption have become exhausted, then they return to the realm of sense consciousness.

[44:35]

Though they spent this time, these long periods of time, believing that they had attained liberation, that they were no longer subject to the round of birth and death, thinking that they had obtained a kind of freedom, when their meditative absorption begins to wane and they are again confronted with sense sensations, sense objects, and all of the travails of samsaric or worldly existence, it is a great shock to them. They react with great fear and horror and usually they renounce the whole possibility of liberation.

[45:39]

They feel that they have, after all of their great efforts, that it led them, it did not lead them to liberation, that there is in fact no possibility, no prospect of liberation. So they fall into despair and wrong views and plummet into the lowest hells. This is the final result of this kind of of faulty meditation. Now the third one is thinking upon the sufferings of the hells, the nebulous and inferior hells.

[46:48]

even in these most subtle forms of existence, then we see that no matter how beings seek for happiness, what they obtain is unhappiness. And this is because of the very nature of deluded existence, where mental energy is guided not by insight into the true nature of things, but by a failure to recognize their true nature. It is based on ignorance. And therefore, no matter where one goes, no matter what form one takes, one is never beyond the pale of suffering. This liberation then from delusion, delusion about one's own nature, is the only way, the only way to gain liberation from this whole sorry process of birth and death, and thereby attain real happiness.

[48:17]

Therefore, In this second stage of meditation of the Shambhasiddha, we are encouraged to reflect upon this fact and to relinquish attachment to the process of becoming, seeing its faults, recognizing them for what they are, understanding that It is taking place on a vast scale in which all beings are caught up in delusion and are subject to suffering no matter where they may be reborn. Then one should develop an attitude of renunciation, a refusal to become any further involved in this whole sorry process. But with a firm resolve one should undertake to direct one's mental energies away from delusion and towards enlightenment and the prospect of obtaining real happiness.

[49:25]

Let me see if I... I think that's generally what Rinpoche taught. if this teaching on the development of renunciation is compared to the other systems of instruction which we mentioned before, like that of Sir Lingpa, the great teacher Sir Lingpa, and his doctrine of the Four Namas, the Four Turnings of the Mind. This corresponds to the fourth, the fourth of those Four Turnings of the Mind, that is, the reflection of only the unsatisfactoriness of worldly existence. if one is comparing it to the Bandedhatisha system of the three levels of spiritual capacity, or the three types of practitioner, then we have

[50:33]

completed our description of the first two types, that is the path of those who are seeking simply to obtain the benefits in one's next life, or those who practice dharma in order to obtain freedom from the round of birth and death. a glass of fruit juice and has awakened within one's mind an attitude of renunciation. That is, one has overcome the gross attachment to the things of this world and is no longer attached also to the whole process of becoming. One's mind has truly become reoriented toward a spiritual goal. If one were to then apply one's energies in seeking liberation from the round of birth and death, it is possible within

[51:55]

seven lifetimes, within seven subsequent lifetimes, to attain the stage of liberation or the nirvana sought by arahants or other Buddhist practitioners who think individual salvation in a matter of few lifetimes it is possible through relying upon the training of the Hinayanist or Arhat's path or the path of the Pratyekabuddhas to develop the saving insight of selflessness which leads to liberation. However, this sort of goal, this spiritual goal, is not admired by those thoughtful persons who

[53:14]

reflect upon their relationship to their fellow beings. The path consists not just of the saving insight or the attainment of wisdom into the nature of things, but also salvation lies in one's attitude towards one's fellow beings. This attitude is as essential to salvation as is one's perspective or right view. Though it is possible to, through meditation and right efforts, to remove the causes of the delusions and the karmic propensities that cause one to be reborn in the round of worldly existence, still this is not a worthy goal for

[54:35]

to be admired because it still constitutes a form of selfishness, of materialism about one's spiritual life, that it is something that one seeks the goal of liberation for oneself out of fear of the suffering that one might experience in samsara, a worldly existence, one seeks simply to gain liberation from it and freedom from the possibility of pain. This might suffice for those whose spiritual capacities are immature. It might seem reasonable to some to seek individual salvation, but anyone who reflects upon the interrelatedness of all living beings, it would seem to be very inferior and even cruel. attitude to take concerning one's fellow beings.

[55:45]

Therefore, the qualities, the social qualities of social attitudes of great friendliness and great compassion are always extolled on the path of Mahayana Buddhism. It is this quality of great compassion which gives Mahayana Buddhism its its identity as the great way, simply because it consists of an attitude towards one's fellow beings that refuses to exclude them from one's spiritual life, from one's spiritual career, and in fact has as its essence the the reversal of one's objectives rather than seeking for any prospect of personal salvation or liberation from suffering.

[57:00]

One develops a universal attitude, a universal a universal attitude in that one seeks to free others from the prospect of pain and to establish them in true happiness. So it is this resolve or this attitude which constitutes the hallmark of the great way of Mahayana Buddhism. It is based upon a an awareness of the essential sameness of all living beings, and a willingness, and consists of a willingness to share in their experience of pain and happiness. No matter how limited one's spiritual capacities may be, there is still within every consciousness, within the heart of every being, the prospects for developing these Mahayanist qualities of great love and great compassion.

[58:14]

Within each heart there is there is fondness, there is the possibility of fondness for at least one other living being. Even the cruelest of beings have a fondness or a love for their offspring. So this is the basic building block for the Buddhist meditations of developing great friendliness and great compassion. If one is able to love even one other being, it is possible to build upon this love an attitude of love extended towards all beings. So one starts with the particular object of one's friendliness or affection or love. Usually most beings find it easiest to

[59:16]

to build upon thoughts of love for their own mother. It is easy for us to, because of our long association with our mother, but through reflection to see that she has been very beneficial to us. She has, after all, given us life, has in countless ways benefited us, taught us. It was she who taught us to talk, to walk. It is she who nourished us in our infancy when we were helpless and unable to care for ourselves. In many ways she has repeatedly sacrificed her own welfare, her own happiness, her own prospects for advantage in order to help us gain prospects of advantage or benefit or happiness. So in many ways she has acted unselfishly to promote our happiness, even at the sacrifice of her own. through reflecting in this wise, one should not find it difficult to find reasons to recognize the great kindness of one's own mother.

[60:27]

Once one has come to this recognition of her kindness, one has found also good reasons for love, for appreciation, for developing a reciprocal attitude of goodwill. One should, recognizing her kindness and the very closeness with which one is bound to one's own mother, one should not find it difficult to develop an attitude of love and a desire for her to experience happiness and further to resolve to become a cause of her happiness. So, one meditates first of all upon one's mother. and directs one's mind towards her in meditation that is accompanied by factors of intent, that it is one's intent to benefit one's mother, to repay her kindness if possible, when it is also accompanied by the factor of...

[61:38]

of benevolence, that one wishes, one prays, wishes that she might achieve, she might at last have happiness and the cause of happiness. And then finally, it is accompanied by the factor of resolution, that one resolves actually to do something to make her happy, to bring about this happiness that one wishes for her. It is not enough merely to wish that one's mother were happiness, one should be willing to work for her happiness. And so through repeated practice and meditating upon one's mother, whether living or dead, one develops this wholehearted concern for her happiness, wishing only that she might experience true happiness, that that might always be her only experience and never otherwise. And one repeats this meditation again and again until one feels a

[62:50]

one has constantly an attitude of great love, friendliness directed towards one's mother. Then one extends the same meditation, the same meditation towards other beings, one's father, one's circle of friends and relatives, and so on, until finally one is able to direct the same thought, the same attitude of love and friendliness towards even one's worst enemy. And after that, one learns to direct the same attitude, the same meditation towards all living beings without exception. Wherever beings are, in all directions throughout space, wherever they are, whomever they may be, one directs towards them all, without any exception. The same infinite goodwill thoughts of friendliness and a resolve to act in order to promote their true well-being, to bring about the happiness of all these beings.

[64:01]

This constitutes the meditation of great friendliness, which is the foundation for the meditation of great compassion. For one can only harbor true, genuine compassion for beings if one's mind really is benevolent towards one's fellow beings. There is no way to fake love and compassion for one's fellow beings. It has to be genuine. Therefore, when one has a truly benevolent attitude towards one's fellow beings and wishes only for their happiness, then it becomes impossible to harbor at the same time thoughts of ill will or a complacency or an indifference to their suffering. One becomes thoroughly sensitized to the pains of other beings. Wishing them to be happy, one sees that instead they are suffering.

[65:03]

How can one remain at ease when seeing that they suffer no matter how one wishes for their happiness? Compassion also is based upon this basic sense of identity with one's fellow beings. It consists of a... unwillingness to bear the sufferings of other beings, that through one's sense of willingness to identify with their sufferings, one takes it upon oneself to remove those sufferings to the utmost of one's abilities. So again, one develops this meditation of infinite compassion by starting with the particulars, when meditates again upon one's mother, realizing that though one wishes her to experience only happiness, that still she suffers. She has right now the causes of present and future prospects of pain, mental and physical unhappiness, and that through ignorance of her own nature she still accumulates the cause of future suffering.

[66:12]

This, with a... heartfelt wish that she might be free from all that suffering and the prospects of suffering. One should meditate again, great compassion for one's mother expressed in the prayer, a wish that I would give anything if this mother, this kind mother were only free from suffering and the prospect of suffering. And again one develops this attitude of compassion. towards other beings, again towards one's circle of family and friends, towards one's enemies, towards strangers, towards all beings in all directions throughout space, wherever they might be. Beings are all alike in being subject to suffering, even though they wish to avoid it. pain. So identifying with their pain, knowing that they have the causes, they're even now accumulating the causes of future suffering.

[67:13]

One seeks to remove their suffering to the utmost of their ability. So in this way one meditates repeatedly again and again until one, whenever one thinks of beings, whenever one is confronted with being, with any being, no matter what the circumstances, one's spontaneous response is of heartfelt compassion and a resolve to do one's utmost to free them from their sufferings. constitutes the meditation of great compassion, which is, as we said, the essential factor, the second essential factor in the attainment of perfect enlightenment. Based on this attitude of great friendliness and compassion towards all one's fellow beings, it is, one then can no longer remain content simply to to feel friendliness and compassion towards beings, one feels impelled, compelled to act through friendliness and compassion.

[68:28]

One must express these attitudes and to express it in action. Therefore, one is impelled to perform all actions so that one can fulfill one's wishes, that is, to bring about the happiness of beings, to bring about the removal of their sufferings and so forth. Therefore, all of one's spiritual training and practices at last become meaningful. because now one sees what must be done. One must seek liberation, not as an end in itself. One must seek Buddhahood, not because Buddhahood is the goal in itself, but because only through the attainment of Buddhahood will one at last become able to accomplish one's aims for these beings.

[69:29]

One will at last have the ability to help these beings attain happiness and become free from suffering. So when this becomes clear, when this becomes one's goal, then at last the spiritual path of the Mahayana begins to unfold. It is this component of great compassion and of great friendliness which constitutes the door of dharma of Mahayana. dharma. It is then that one enters into the Mahayana path. Without this attitude of great compassion for one's fellow beings, there will be no entrance into the door of the great way. There will be for you no unfolding of the experiences of the path. And finally, there will never be the attainment of perfect Buddhahood, because Buddhahood

[70:30]

is the result of the development of just this attitude of great compassion, coupled with this right perspective, this insight into the true nature of things. It is the non-duality of these two which constitutes Mahayanist liberation or enlightenment. So, it is impossible to overstress the importance of this factor of attitude or great compassion for one's fellow beings. Now, when one has develop these meditations of friendliness and compassion as we briefly described them here, one feels impelled into the arena of action, of putting one's compassion and one's resolve to help these beings into action. This constitutes the second stage of what is known technically as bodhicitta. The first stage which we've described is the bodhicitta or the resolve, the stage of resolution where one merely mentally develops this attitude of resolution that

[71:48]

Someone must help all of these beings attain happiness and become free from suffering. It is I who will do it. I myself will attain Buddhahood to accomplish these aims. This constitutes one's bodhicitta or enlightened resolve. But since merely thinking about it isn't sufficient, one must act also. It becomes necessary to put into action one's resolve. Thus one enters into the stage of application or the aspect of bodhicitta in action. Here one applies one's whole being to training in the Bodhisattva's career, that is, one undertakes to train for the sake of other beings in the development of these spiritual qualities of the Bodhisattva, in giving, morality, meditation, wisdom and so forth.

[72:58]

also in one's meditation also one develops this willingness to put into action one's resolution by meditating upon the identity of oneself with other beings in order to remove all of the artificial barriers between oneself and one's fellow beings that are thrown up by this sense of self or of egotism or egocentricity. One develops first the meditation upon the sameness of oneself and others. trying to perceive in that all beings are essentially the same as oneself. As oneself wishes happiness and to avoid pain, so others also wish happiness, seek happiness and seek to avoid pain. We are really all quite alike. In their nature, all beings and oneself are identical.

[74:03]

based upon the recognition of this truth, one can then seek to counter the normal attitude, the normal perspective that one adopts in relationship to one's fellow beings. Usually, one has a sense of division, a sense of alienation between oneself and others, One has developed habits of making one's own interests paramount. One acts selfishly. seeking one's own gain and the accomplishment of one's own happiness, one's own interest, to the exclusion of and often to the detriment of the interest and happiness of other beings. Here one trains in reversing this normal pattern of interaction with one's fellow beings. Now one meditates to learn to make their interest, their happiness, their well-being paramount, even

[75:10]

to be even more important than one's own interest. So one enters next into training the mind in the exchange of self and others until one finally develops an attitude where unable to bear the sight of others' suffering, one would rather bear it oneself if this were only possible. So one meditates in this wise when seeing one's fellow beings in suffering. May the suffering of all these beings ripen only to me, and may my happiness ripen to them. Even though it is unfortunately not possible that their suffering might actually befall you, since it is in the nature of karma, the operation of karma, that each being has to suffer or experience the unripening of good and bad. actions, still one develops this attitude of a willingness to exchange one's happiness for their suffering.

[76:15]

So this meditation, these two meditations of only sameness of oneself and others, and the willingness to exchange one's happiness for their sufferings, are an outgrowth and expression of one's resolution to to act through friendliness and compassion for the enlightenment of all these living beings. These are the practical ways in meditation where one can develop this right attitude of great friendliness, compassion, orientation of one's mind towards the universal salvation. One learns to avoid the pitfalls of selfishness even on the spiritual path.

[77:17]

One learns to avoid the pitfalls of seeking liberation for the sake of oneself. by developing these expansive and all-inclusive attitudes of friendliness, of infinite friendliness, infinite compassion and a resolve to bring about the enlightenment of all beings as well as one's own. After one has overcome these first three kinds of attachment, that is, attachment to the things of this world, attachment to the realms of existence, or attachment to selfish spiritual aims, one must overcome the final and most subtle form of attachment, that is, attachment to

[78:24]

to views, attachment to philosophical views about the nature of one's experience, the nature of reality which one is experiencing, whether the level of conventional reality of the path or of ultimate reality. It is this final, it is this tendency of the mind to apprehend sense data from a standpoint and to conceptualize about the nature of one's experience, the nature of its experience that creates a constant obscuration. of reality. It is this observation which makes it difficult for one to recognize the true nature of one's own mind, let alone the true nature of all phenomena.

[79:35]

So, it is for this purpose, then, that the Buddhist tradition urges one to undertake the three stages of meditative practice. The first stage is that of concentration. When one strives for mental stability, that is a state of serenity, of mental tranquility, which is disturbed by mental processes, that is, discursive thoughts, one is able to achieve and retain at will a state of mental stability. Only then, when the mind has become stable, is one able to apply one's mind to

[80:38]

the second stage of meditation which is called insight. Here one focuses upon mind itself or upon any object in order to ascertain its true nature. This is approached both analytically and intuitively. In the first stages one learns through a process of discursive analysis to recognize the inherent nature of phenomena. That is, to recognize that actually all things are devoid of any inherent nature of their own. because they exist through a concatenation of causes and conditions, are devoid of any inherent existence as an independent entity.

[81:41]

This state is called the emptiness of phenomena. This insight, when directed Internally, towards one's own... the components of one's own being leads to... also to the perception that there is within no object which corresponds to our belief in an ego, in a self principle. It is when directed externally towards other objects, it recognizes this emptiness through interdependent origination of all phenomena. When these two stages of concentration and of insight are combined, non-dually, in a meditation upon the ultimate nature of all phenomena, internal and external, personal and phenomenal.

[82:47]

And when that insight is accompanied by an unwavering attitude of great objectless compassion for all living beings, one that state of consciousness is enlightenment. It is the enlightenment of the Buddhas. That is, there are three stages of insight meditation which are recommended for developing this insight into the nature of ultimate reality. The first one focuses upon the mind and strives to attain the recognition that all phenomena, all appearances, have their origin in mind itself, that mind is central to our experience.

[83:53]

Then, in the second stage, one seeks to attain the realization, the understanding or insight that, like all other phenomena, mind itself has no inherent independent identity of its own and is therefore, like them, empty. No, that's not... that's not true. Second stage is one learns that... to recognize that this mind, out of which all the phenomena originate is illusory-like, is illusion-like, it has no real existence of its own.

[84:58]

And then in the third stage one realizes that it is like all other phenomena, devoid of any inherent nature of its own. If one meditates in this way, again and again, one will experience the arising of insight into the true nature of one's own being, of one's own mind, and of all phenomena with that exception. This perspective, this right perspective, which is the second principle factor in the process of becoming enlightened, should be developed and nourished at all times, no matter what one is doing, whether engaged in a formal session of meditation or going about one's daily activities. One should try to develop this wisdom of insight.

[86:02]

If you meditate in this way, one's mind will gradually become freed of attachment to views, to conceptualizations about the nature of one's experience. One will overcome the tendency to seize a bone. sees upon things as real, one will no longer take things at face value and will overcome this propensity to label and conceptualize about the nature of things. So, in this way one becomes increasingly free from this attachment to philosophical views But even as one practices and even as one succeeds in this meditation, one should avoid the temptation of viewing things from the standpoint of subjectivity.

[87:14]

If you practice a dharma, no matter how good the practice may be, from the standpoint of oneself as the doer, I am the meditator, this is my meditation, these are the results or the virtues that I have attained through practice, then again one is reifying. This is the fault of reification, simply transposed into the to the level of spiritual practice. And so one should avoid thinking in this way and try to perform all actions in accord with this right perspective which you will achieve through this right meditation. And in this way, as we have said, if that right perspective is combined with the right attitude of great compassion for one's fellow beings, then one will quickly attain the stage of enlightenment.

[88:23]

One will, as a result of one's development of great compassion, attain the formal body of Buddhahood, that is, the communicative aspect of enlightenment which enables you to work among the unenlightened, and as a result of one's insider wisdom, one will attain the Dharmakaya or the noetic aspect of enlightenment, which is formless omniscience. So, to summarize then, this teaching posits four stages of the path to enlightenment. On the first stage, One accomplishes acts for the benefit of one's future lives. One learns to be diligent in the practice of virtue and in discarding non-virtue. If one accomplishes just this much, one will have ensured a happy rebirth.

[89:29]

One will not fall into the lower realms or experience the extremes of pain. On the second stage, one meditates to overcome attachment to the whole process of becoming. One learns to extricate one's mind from further involvement in this process of becoming, of birth and death, and to direct one's mind towards the goal of liberation from that process. In the third stage, one overcomes the temptation to seek the happiness of liberation, the benefits of liberation for oneself alone, and undertakes to strive instead for universal salvation.

[90:32]

In this way, all of the errors of self-centeredness, of wrong views that have their root in selfishness, in spiritual selfishness, are overcome and one experiences the opening of the door of Mahayana Buddhism. All right, on the fourth stage, one overcomes all the obscurations caused by conceptualizations about the nature of ultimate reality. One learns that one learns not to grasp at ultimate reality as being one thing or another thing, realizing that all conceptualizations are simply products of the human mind, they are all inadequate to describe adequately the true nature of ultimate reality. That is, a state which is away from all of these extremes.

[91:36]

It cannot be said to be existent or nonexistent, etc. Realizing this, one becomes free from all the obscurations of mind. Then, so, in this way, one has a One should understand the principle points of this teaching, this fourfold path of practice. So during the course of one's practice and reflection upon these stages of meditation, one should try to make use of all of one's energy, no matter what one is doing, whether in meditation or going about one's daily life. One should try to keep in mind all of these essential teachings and apply one or another of these aspects of the training.

[92:39]

at all times, you should try at all times to engage your... the whole of your being, body, voice and mind in the accomplishment of virtuous actions, in the... in making progress and developing these positive attitudes of friendliness, compassion, in these right...

[93:01]

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