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NOTE: In response to COVID-19 we will be holding Virtual Classroom teachings until further notice.
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Geshe Tenley continues his teachings on the lam-rim with Pabongka Rinpoche's Liberation in the Palm of Your Hand. This text is considered the seminal lam-rim text of the 20th century and is a transcription of a twenty-four day lam-rim teaching given in 1921. Offered as a "practical teaching," it is less scholarly than Je Tsongkhapa's Jangchub Lam-rim Chen-mo or The Great Treatise on the Stages of the Path to Enlightenment and as such it is the text from which most modern lamas teach lam-rim.
As our teachers repeatedly stress, we will not make progress if we only ingest the teachings intellectually. It is only by engaging in the three wisdoms (listening, reflecting, and meditating) that we will actually make changes in our minds. In the first part of each class, Geshe-la has been focusing on having the class practice a short meditation on the breath and on calm-abiding (shamatha) meditation.
Summary of Sunday, May 16 Class
Geshe Tenley began class with guidance about our meditation practice of calm abiding. After a brief reminder to focus on the same object as during previous sessions, he emphasized that if we practice every day, we will slowly see the results. Sitting in a comfortable position helps us stay focused on the object. In preparing to meditate for a long period of time, there are specific ways to sit and hold our hands, which can influence our energy channels, but for short sessions it is most important to be comfortable. To ensure our meditation is powerful, when the mind slips away from our object, we must bring it back, similar to when trying to make a hole in a wall, it’s important to keep hitting the nail in the same place.
Following this, Geshe-la asked about our interest in meditation. Class members expressed a variety of opinions. Some prefer study, others meditation and some a combination of both, including contemplating what we read and study. Geshe-la emphasized the importance of meditation but also including study as both play essential roles in benefiting us. Trying to meditate without studying first is like trying to climb a mountain without fingers on our hands to grip the rocks. We need knowledge about how to meditate and what to meditate on to reach our goals. It’s like the delicious tea available in even the poorest regions of India which is made in teapots that are often covered in soot. When the tea boils up, it doesn’t look at all appealing, but through the combination of tea leaves, spices, milk, and sugar boiled in water, we get a delicious drink. Similarly, we must first hear different teachings from different teachers, then combine them together in a unified way. Then we must practice day and night and dedicate the result for enlightenment for all beings.
As Lama Atisha said, we need a guru to gain realizations and ultimately achieve enlightenment. For certain things, a teacher is not necessary since we can rely on the internet or other sources. This does not work if our goal is dharma realizations. We need an unbroken lineage of teachings from our teachers, who themselves carry the lineage. Just knowing Dharma is not enough – we have to put it into practice, like taking medicine to recover from a disease.
Also, Lama Atisha advised that if you encounter anything that is harmful to your mind, it’s better to stay away from it. This advice suits the present time very well. We should stay away from anything that is harmful to our mind, such as arguing with those who have different opinions, listening to the news, or discussing subjects like politics. At first when we meet a friend, we don’t have any problems with them. Then when we talk about something we don’t agree on, we get into arguments and disagreements, and then it grows into a fight. If there is anything you don’t agree on with a friend, keep that subject far away from your conversation. Ordinary people tend to think, “What I think is right, and what others think is wrong.” Since we are all dharma friends, we should stick to discussions about dharma. If someone asks you about something, you can talk about it if you know something, but we must be very skillful. If something is going to disturb someone’s mind, don’t bring up that subject.
Also, until one finds mental stability one should avoid crowds and stay in a solitary location whenever possible. Ordinary people find it hard to maintain stability or equanimity when around large groups of people. We need solitude to practice. If certain friends cause delusions to arise, it is best to avoid them, and rely instead on friends that cause us to abandon our delusions. We must always “spy” on our minds to make sure it follows virtuous actions all the time. Why do we do this? Because if we practice in this way with strong effort, we will receive results. These are short but important lessons.
Why do we have to study mind training? There are two reasons: 1) for peace and happiness in this life and 2) for peace and happiness in future lives. How do we know this is true? We have two problems in this life – physical and mental. Physical problems can be solved by exercise or seeing the doctor and taking medicine, but mental or emotional problems can only be fixed from the inside. Even in the United States, which is considered to have the best external conditions, for some of us we never have enough and lack mental happiness. The problem is of dissatisfaction - not being content with what we have and wanting more and more. Even the top tier of the famous and wealthy are not happy and may take drugs or commit suicide. It’s very obvious that external conditions are not able to provide happiness to our internal minds. So how can we find internal happiness? By transforming the internal mind.
Consider how we view those around us. If they share our views and ideas and praise us, we consider that person to be our friend. But if they disagree with us, immediately our mind turns from seeing the person as a friend to seeing them as an enemy. The way we think causes us to feel different emotions. When you find what is causing the problem (the thought), you then change that thought. Changing that thought is mind training.
First we study mind training, then we put it into practice. If we do both, we get results. If we can make our minds peaceful, we won’t engage in wrong actions in this life. If our mind does not follow delusions like anger, pride and jealousy, our minds are more peaceful in this life. Since you have trained your mind to not follow these delusions, you won’t create negative karma, and you won’t suffer in the future. Without a cause, there is not a result. If there is a cause, and it meets with a condition, it will ripen into the result. That is the reality, not just Buddhism. It is like New England in the winter. When the leaves fall from the trees leaving only bare branches, it is hard to imagine green leaves will come, but with the conditions of spring, leaves sprout again.
If we do not tame our minds and follow non-virtuous actions, we create the cause for suffering in the future. Although we do not intend for delusions to arise, they do in certain situations. Then we might engage in the ten non-virtuous actions. We may think that the ten non-virtues are very simple to understand, so we develop an arrogant attitude that we don’t need to pay much attention to them. However, non-virtues of the mind, especially succumbing to the wrong view that the karmic law of cause and effect and past and future lives don’t exist is important to avoid, from the Buddhist point of view.
From the ordinary perspective, we think our views are correct and those of others are not if they don’t agree with us. This is dangerous and leads to quarrels among friends, family, neighbors, even countries. In daily life, if we believe that whatever we think is correct, that is a wrong view. If you think about this, wrong view is one of the most dangerous things. As long as we have this, it is the motivator for all other negative things. On the other hand, attachment appears as our friend – we need this, we need that. If we listen to this kind of friend, we are motivated to do negative actions. So even if we don’t understand other teachings, do not engage in the ten non-virtues. If we don’t engage in them, we will be engaging in the ten virtues.
Consider the situation of animals. Even though they may have special abilities that we do not, we can control the most powerful animals with the intelligence and skillful means we have, which they lack. Comparing our lives with those of animals, we understand the difficult life of an animal. So, we must not waste our perfect human rebirth, but use our intelligence to bring happiness to ourselves. “Being content” means recognizing and appreciating what we have.
Q: How do we apply this advice in our daily life? Delusions have some purpose as motivators to do things we need to accomplish. If we completely abandon the delusions, will we lose our motivation? My delusions help me to achieve goals in life.
A: Good question. What is the purpose of doing things for this life? Being content and not having delusions does not mean you should not work. Nor are delusions necessary to benefit ourselves and others in this life. If we purchase a car out of attachment, eventually we will tire of it so there is not lasting satisfaction. We can accomplish our goals without the delusion of pride. Confidence is necessary, but not pride, which is an exaggeration of who we are. Maybe we can achieve temporary goals with delusions, but we can’t achieve the long-term goal of enlightenment. First thing we need to do is to learn to recognize our delusions in order to overcome them. It is not that easy. We must study well, analyze, debate, and meditate. It’s not like turning a light off with a switch. Not being bound by delusions requires dedicated study and analysis.
Q: Lama Tsongkhapa said that after doing study, all teachings should appear as personal instructions. Is there some danger in trying to apply a teaching if one is not at the correct level? Couldn’t one apply the wrong teaching?
A: We should know our minds well enough to decide which level is appropriate for us. Using the example of three bags of different weights, we must choose to carry the one of the appropriate weight for us, not the heaviest nor the lightest. Similarly, when practicing Buddhism, it is important to know what we are able to practice.
Conclusion
We didn’t discuss the actual text today but discussed practical teachings. The main thing to learn is that knowing the words of the teachings is not good enough - we must put them into practice, and also stay away from anything that disturbs one mind, even if it is just watching the news. Buddhism is similar to trying to cure a health problem. We must listen to the advice from the doctor and then follow it.
Try to find just one point heard during class that would be beneficial. It is not necessary to remember everything. Rather, every Sunday, take away one piece of advice. If you do this, after one month you have four points. If we remember and reflect on one point each week, then slowly, slowly our knowledge and understanding will increase.
Suggested Readings
Seven Steps to Train Your Mind by Gomo Tulku
Advice from a Spiritual Friend by Geshe Rabten & Geshe Dhargyey
The Seven Point Mind Training by Alan Wallace
A Guide to the Bodhisattva Way of Life by Shantideva, translated by Vesna & Alan Wallace
The Way of the Bodhisattva by Shantideva, translated by Padmakara Translation Group
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Geshe Tenley is the Resident Teacher at Kurukulla Center for Tibetan Buddhist Studies in Boston. He was ordained by the late Gyume Khensur Geshe Urgyen Tseten Rinpoche in 1990 and began the program of studies to become a geshe at Sera Jey Monastic University. During the course of his studies, he has received many teachings from His Holiness the Dalai Lama as well as many other highly qualified masters. In 1998, he received his full ordination (gelong) vows from His Holiness and received his geshe degree in 2008. He began teaching at Kurukulla Center in 2005 and was appointed the Resident Teacher by Lama Zopa Rinpoche in 2010. Geshe Tenley is well-known for his approachability and kindheartedness. His extensive activities in the US and around the world bring great joy and benefit to everyone he meets.
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