Buddhism from A-Z, 3rd Semester - Bodhisattva Conduct (25 May 2010)

· · · silence, 1 minute

0:41 Finally with the same item, think that this item is going to break or it's going to be ruined anyway. Report an error in the passage at 0:41 Highlight the passage at 0:41

0:52 Maybe today, maybe tomorrow, maybe Report an error in the passage at 0:52 Highlight the passage at 0:52

0:59 next year. Then Report an error in the passage at 0:59 Highlight the passage at 0:59

· · · silence, 1 minute

1:38 how does that affect our ability to give it away? Report an error in the passage at 1:38 Highlight the passage at 1:38

· · · silence, 1 minute

2:19 Okay, then finally think of the item as being a composite of ever-changing atoms. Report an error in the passage at 2:19 Highlight the passage at 2:19

2:31 Not a solid thing at all. So Report an error in the passage at 2:31 Highlight the passage at 2:31

· · · silence, 1 minute

3:16 how does that affect our attachment? the item and our ability to give it away. Report an error in the passage at 3:16 Highlight the passage at 3:16

· · · silence, 1 minute

3:58 Any observations about that? Was there anything that made it easier to give away, Peter? Report an error in the passage at 3:58 Highlight the passage at 3:58

4:16 So that was an exercise to help us see some different approaches that we can take to help reduce our attachment and increase our ability to give things away so we can use whatever works for us. Report an error in the passage at 4:16 Highlight the passage at 4:16

4:32 It was interesting. The most pleasurable giving was when it was a stranger who just really liked it, really wanted it. And then the story that I had was the piece that I was giving them was something that was by their grandmother and it was lost and she'd lost everything in a fire and she saw this bowl that I have. Report an error in the passage at 4:32 Highlight the passage at 4:32

4:50 She was overjoyed. And I mean, I would have paid her to take it at that point with the story that I had had because it just it was so pleasurable to give it to her. Report an error in the passage at 4:50 Highlight the passage at 4:50

5:02 And also to a parent, I imagine giving this bowl to my mother, but that was slightly less pleasurable because my mom's a Buddha, so she's not very attached to stuff. So she would have been pleased with it. But it was interesting. It was incredibly fulfilling to give the thing away. And then at the end to see it just dissolved into molecules, that was just a wow moment because we're all like that. Report an error in the passage at 5:02 Highlight the passage at 5:02

5:27 Our bodies, everything we own, it's all just, there's nothing there. You know, that's such a good thing to keep in mind. And Report an error in the passage at 5:27 Highlight the passage at 5:27

5:40 we remember to do it. Yeah, Carla. The first one was something you're not attached to. I noticed that even this old pair of socks, how I felt given it, you said, you know, how do you feel after you gave this away? Report an error in the passage at 5:40 Highlight the passage at 5:40

6:07 It really had It had to do with the outcome. I imagine two situations. One was the person thanking me for it and the other was like, he would just throw it on the ground and say, how dare you give this to me and then I would be so sad. So it was interesting how it actually really depended on what the other person was feeling in regards to my giving. Report an error in the passage at 6:07 Highlight the passage at 6:07

6:38 That was interesting. And then when you said on the second turn, imagine that this person really needs it. And there was no question, you know, just like, oh yeah, that's... And again, yeah, like Peter, this stranger. It was much easier. This stranger that really needs it. That was like much easier somehow. Report an error in the passage at 6:38 Highlight the passage at 6:38

7:00 Then my friend coming around and saying, can I have this? Report an error in the passage at 7:00 Highlight the passage at 7:00

7:09 It's interesting. Okay, yeah. Report an error in the passage at 7:09 Highlight the passage at 7:09

7:15 What was really interesting for me, like the first couple, when it was something I wasn't attached to, I didn't have any problem, but I'm very attached to my car, I'll admit it. And when you said someone close to you, I was thinking, okay, well, I'm not giving it to her, because, you know, and I kept coming up with conditions of this one, yes, that one, no, and I had just, why am I? Report an error in the passage at 7:15 Highlight the passage at 7:15

7:42 Okay, well, are they closer, aren't they? But it really did help when you said to think of it as dissolving or dissolving into molecules, and then there was less conditions. I won't say they went away completely, but when I thought of the people that I'm really close with and I can really trust that they weren't taking advantage of me, then I had not an issue to let it go to them. Report an error in the passage at 7:42 Highlight the passage at 7:42

8:13 Anyways, it was an interesting observation. Yeah. Very interesting. It's very interesting. I mean, we get to know our own minds a little bit more, right, in this kind of exercise. Report an error in the passage at 8:13 Highlight the passage at 8:13

8:24 What are our obstacles to giving? You know, I was reading, today I was reading this book about, it's one of the Gnostic Gospels, like the Gospels of St. Thomas or something like that. And it made a reference to one of these passages about giving and it said, It was this thing I hadn't ever heard before. I said, let the money sweat in your hand until you know the receiver, until you know the person that you're giving it to. And that kind of resonated with me a little bit. Report an error in the passage at 8:24 Highlight the passage at 8:24

8:51 And I found myself during these exercises thinking about, like you said, how the person that's receiving it, what their circumstances were. Did it mean something to them? Would it help them? Would it not help them? Do you know what I mean? I think that's an aspect of it, to do it intelligently, to do it in the best. Report an error in the passage at 8:51 Highlight the passage at 8:51

9:11 or in a meaningful way instead of just throwing it on the ground you know sort of like so it will make a difference for whatever it may be empty molecules but for whatever good it is like you want to do it with some consciousness right And that's what Lama Tsongkhapa says too, right? Give wisely, right? Report an error in the passage at 9:11 Highlight the passage at 9:11

9:32 Don't just give because I feel like giving so I'm going to give it to, you know. Whoever happens to be around, it's maybe not useful. Because sometimes we get like that, right? We're inspired to give, so we don't necessarily give wisely, right? So to give, I mean, it's the most satisfying, right, to give when someone really needs it. So then we can think about, well, who really needs this? Report an error in the passage at 9:32 Highlight the passage at 9:32

10:04 I found that the easiest, you know, the most joyful also was giving to someone who really needs it. And surprisingly, I thought, well, giving it to someone I'm really close to would be easier, but it wasn't, you know. There's a lot of, you know, baggage around people that we're close to, right, and expectations and all of that. Report an error in the passage at 10:04 Highlight the passage at 10:04

10:25 So how about the thinking that it's going to break anyway or it's going to be ruined anyway? Did that help? Yeah. Okay. All right. So now you have some tools to help with your giving, some antidotes. Report an error in the passage at 10:25 Highlight the passage at 10:25

10:45 So then we'll start with ethical discipline. Ethical discipline. So, I mean, we've actually covered ethical discipline before. So we'll, Report an error in the passage at 10:45 Highlight the passage at 10:45

11:00 in the nature of cyclic existence in a class. So we won't go in a lot of detail here. So ethical discipline is the mind of abandonment. That is a mind turning away from harming others together with its base. Okay, so the mind of abandonment. So abandoning. Harming others in any way, right? Verbally, physically. And then even together with its base means even mentally, even the motivations behind harming others, right? Report an error in the passage at 11:00 Highlight the passage at 11:00

11:36 Like the anger that's behind harming others or the attachment that's behind harming others. So ethical discipline is abandoning harming others, right? And it's the mind that's abandoning harming others. Report an error in the passage at 11:36 Highlight the passage at 11:36

11:56 And this is mainly from the point of view of the ethical discipline of restraint. So we'll see in a few slides that there are three types of ethical discipline. And the first one is the ethical discipline of restraint. So this abandonment of harming others is the ethical discipline of restraint. So it's learning to control the mind, to tame the mind, so we don't harm others. Report an error in the passage at 11:56 Highlight the passage at 11:56

12:23 Because when we have no control over our minds, then we just automatically... When somebody criticizes us, we just criticize back. If a mosquito lands on my arm and starts biting me, just automatically kill it. If we don't have this ethical discipline of restraint, of taming the mind and being able to bear what happens, even being able to bear harm in order to not harm others. Report an error in the passage at 12:23 Highlight the passage at 12:23

13:01 So Tsongkhapa stresses that ethical discipline is primarily mental, right? And, you know, and this is, you know, maybe this is obvious, but for me, for many years, it wasn't obvious. I thought, okay, well, not harming others, I'll try to bite my tongue, right? I won't say anything mean to anyone. I'll still think mean things about them. Report an error in the passage at 13:01 Highlight the passage at 13:01

13:25 I won't say anything, right? Or I won't hit anyone. And so for many years, I think I focused my ethical discipline on not saying anything and not doing anything physically, but I didn't try to work on my mind. So then there's this disconnect, right, between what you're doing and what you're feeling, right? So it's really hard to practice ethical discipline correctly unless we're working with the mind. Report an error in the passage at 13:25 Highlight the passage at 13:25

13:57 We're trying to overcome our mental afflictions. Instead of thinking, oh, that guy's a jerk and he deserves it, but I'm not going to say anything but he's a jerk. He's totally a jerk and nobody can tell me any different. And we don't even try to counteract the thought that this guy's a jerk in our minds. Report an error in the passage at 13:57 Highlight the passage at 13:57

14:19 We just won't say anything because we don't want to create the negative karma. Report an error in the passage at 14:19 Highlight the passage at 14:19

14:25 the real practice is counteracting the thought that he's It's a jerk, which is the hard practice. But with ethical discipline, we start with the easiest by taming our actions of the body and then the actions of speech. Report an error in the passage at 14:25 Highlight the passage at 14:25

14:46 So Lama Tsongkhapa continues, physical and verbal activities are part of religious conduct, but they are not the most important factor. Ethical discipline focuses on control of the motivations leading to harmful actions. So controlling the anger that will lead to saying something harsh to somebody or hitting somebody. Report an error in the passage at 14:46 Highlight the passage at 14:46

15:12 Or if it's attachment or if it's wrong view. So we're trying to control the motivations. If mental ethical discipline is not present, then a physical action does not have much meaning. Okay, so first... First of all, if we control our minds and we don't have the anger and we don't have the attachment, then naturally we're not going to follow through with the harmful actions of body and speech. Report an error in the passage at 15:12 Highlight the passage at 15:12

15:41 If I'm not annoyed at somebody, I'm not going to insult them. So that's why training the mind is primary. But then here, if mental ethical discipline is not present, then a physical action does not have much meaning. So here is an example of... Let's say not killing. If I happen to go through the day and not kill anybody, or including any insects or anything, then is that ethical discipline? Report an error in the passage at 15:41 Highlight the passage at 15:41

16:14 If I just happen to not kill anyone? I don't have any intention to not kill, but I just haven't had the opportunity. Report an error in the passage at 16:14 Highlight the passage at 16:14

16:26 So the physical action of not killing isn't the point. It doesn't have much meaning. The mind that's refraining from killing. Which is why taking a vow is very significant. If I take a vow to not kill, then all day long when I'm not killing, I'm creating the positive actions. I'm creating merit. Because I've decided in my mind that I'm not going to kill anyone. And I'm vigilant, right? Report an error in the passage at 16:26 Highlight the passage at 16:26

17:02 Throughout the day to make sure that I'm not killing any insects. Report an error in the passage at 17:02 Highlight the passage at 17:02

17:11 But if I haven't taken a vow to not kill, but I try to not kill, I'm only creating merit or positive karma when I have the opportunity to kill and I don't. When that mosquito lands on my arm and I don't kill. So during those few minutes, then I'm creating merit. But without... But the rest of the day I'm not creating merit if I haven't taken it. Report an error in the passage at 17:11 Highlight the passage at 17:11

17:42 So that's why it's encouraged, right, to take vows, because it's creating a strong imprint in the mind, and then we create merit all the time, if we don't break the vow, of course, Report an error in the passage at 17:42 Highlight the passage at 17:42

17:59 kind of restraint. Then, what is the perfection of ethical discipline, or what makes it a perfection? So Lama Tsongkhapa says, through thoroughly completing the familiarity with this mind more and more. It becomes the perfection of ethical discipline, right? So this mind of not harming. Report an error in the passage at 17:59 Highlight the passage at 17:59

18:23 You know, to the point where you don't even think about harming anyone. You don't even think about criticizing someone. You don't even think about killing an insect. Report an error in the passage at 18:23 Highlight the passage at 18:23

18:33 Even the termites that are, right, eating out your roof. It is not that you externally establish all sentient beings in freedom from all harm without exception. So once again, the theme is... The perfection, what makes it a perfection is when you've perfected your mind, right? You've perfected your mind of not wanting to harm others. And it's not a perfection only when you've removed all the harm that's in the world. Report an error in the passage at 18:33 Highlight the passage at 18:33

19:07 Shantideva says, achieving the mind of abandonment is taught as a perfection of ethical discipline. So the perfection of ethical discipline is similar to the perfection of generosity. It is a mindset. In this case, it is a consistent loving attitude that completely overcomes the wish to hurt others. So even if somebody is in my face, even if the homeless person is yelling at me, you don't even think about saying anything or hurting them. Report an error in the passage at 19:07 Highlight the passage at 19:07

19:42 Only compassion arises. I think I've told you this before, but in the Madhyamaka Avatara, there's an example of the bodhisattva on the third. Report an error in the passage at 19:42 Highlight the passage at 19:42

19:59 There's this very explicit description of someone cutting up your body, limb by limb, and it says that this bodhisattva on the third ground doesn't get angry, but rather their compassion increases more and more. Report an error in the passage at 19:59 Highlight the passage at 19:59

20:23 So you don't even have the mind of wanting to harm someone like your compassion. Compassion, right? When somebody's harming you or anybody, your compassion grows more and more rather than your anger. Report an error in the passage at 20:23 Highlight the passage at 20:23

20:42 Of course, if we could save all beings, so the point is whether one truly wants to avoid harming others. Of course, if we could save all beings or even just some of them from harm, we should do it. Report an error in the passage at 20:42 Highlight the passage at 20:42

20:55 But it's primarily mental is because by purifying the mind, our verbal and physical activity will follow suit. Report an error in the passage at 20:55 Highlight the passage at 20:55

21:09 And then Chandrakirti's Madhyamaka Avatara. I don't know how to pronounce that. His supplement to the middle way says it's called ethical discipline because it does not acquiesce in the afflictions. So it's ethical discipline. So we don't indulge the afflictions. We don't justify our anger and irritation and attachment. Report an error in the passage at 21:09 Highlight the passage at 21:09

21:36 But we fight against those afflictions with ethical discipline. Because it's the afflictions that motivate us to harm others. Without exception, right? Is there an exception to that? You never harm others out of anything, any motivation other than mental afflictions. Do you believe that? Report an error in the passage at 21:36 Highlight the passage at 21:36

22:10 I mean, I'm not talking about a Buddha who speaks harshly to somebody in order to help them along the path, but actually harming. My only question would be, like, what if you saw, say, somebody attacking a pregnant woman and you immediately go over there without thinking and you hit the guy to get him to stop hurting this woman? Report an error in the passage at 22:10 Highlight the passage at 22:10

22:34 Is that necessarily coming from affliction? I wouldn't really think so. Right, well, hitting them, if you're hitting them out of compassion for them, not just for the woman, but also for them, to help them, then... I would define that as not actually harming them, it's helping them. They may see it as harming them. I don't know if I would think that fast, though. I would think if I saw a pregnant woman being beaten up by somebody, I wouldn't even be thinking in terms of compassion for him. Report an error in the passage at 22:34 Highlight the passage at 22:34

23:04 I'd be wanting to get him to stop hurting her. I mean, that's where I am. Well, yeah, I mean, realistically, right, I actually have compassion for hurting someone. Report an error in the passage at 23:04 Highlight the passage at 23:04

23:21 Right. Report an error in the passage at 23:21 Highlight the passage at 23:21

23:29 Okay. Report an error in the passage at 23:29 Highlight the passage at 23:29

23:36 It's a good thing to think about. Is that harming that person if we hit them? Report an error in the passage at 23:36 Highlight the passage at 23:36

24:02 I just think traditionally in the monasteries there was discipline and if you're, you know, correcting a behavior, yeah, it's not seen as a big deal to hurt somebody physically if you're preventing them from hurting themselves or creating bad karma. Yeah, I mean, it's the motivation that determines primarily. Report an error in the passage at 24:02 Highlight the passage at 24:02

24:28 Yeah, I mean, I would say it's not harm. It would Report an error in the passage at 24:28 Highlight the passage at 24:28

24:50 seem to me that if you are committing an action that is based on an afflicted state of mind, then that would be by definition harmful. But you could commit an action that to others appears To be harmful, but because if you're committing that action that appears to be harmful to others, but you're committing it with a mind that's not rooted in an affliction at that precise moment, if you're doing it out of compassion or love for them or for all others, then it wouldn't necessarily be harmful per se. Report an error in the passage at 24:50 Highlight the passage at 24:50

25:43 say, I think, does that, if that is. Is a valid way of seeing things? I don't know. Report an error in the passage at 25:43 Highlight the passage at 25:43

25:54 Well, I think it's something worth thinking about. Report an error in the passage at 25:54 Highlight the passage at 25:54

26:02 Anyway, the point of ethical discipline is turning away from the mind that wants to harm others. So it's really a matter of the mind, motivation. And whether you call it harmful if the motivation isn't there probably really depends on the person. Yeah, your perspective. Can I share something? Sure. One day I woke up my home, I walked to my front yard and saw the spider web. And the first thing I did was to get rid of the spider web because, you know, an insect might be trapped in there, you know, it could kill the life. Report an error in the passage at 26:02 Highlight the passage at 26:02

26:49 But the moment I got rid of the spider web, I felt regretful because maybe I just, I might have killed the spider because lack of food. Report an error in the passage at 26:49 Highlight the passage at 26:49

27:05 You know, it's like, yeah, and then I asked someone about it, and the person said it really depends on your motivation. If it's based on compassion, then it should be pretty cool. There's no win-win answer to that. Yeah, yeah, it's a tricky one. I have to wait, what's the greater benefit? But yeah, it does depend on your motivation because we can... Report an error in the passage at 27:05 Highlight the passage at 27:05

27:33 We can look at it either way, right? I'm destroying the spider or I'm saving the insects that would get caught in the spider web. Report an error in the passage at 27:33 Highlight the passage at 27:33

27:45 That's a tricky one for me personally. Sometimes I destroy the spider web and sometimes I don't and I feel guilty either way. Okay. Report an error in the passage at 27:45 Highlight the passage at 27:45

27:56 So it's called ethical discipline also because it allows no sins to arise, but no negativities, negative karma to arise. Report an error in the passage at 27:56 Highlight the passage at 27:56

28:10 Anyway, protect our ethical discipline. It allows no peace to arise. It's a coolness since it quells the fire of regret. So ethical discipline in Sanskrit is shila, which means coolness. So it's coolness since it quells the fire of regret. So I think this one's really interesting. So when we harm others, then we feel bad. Report an error in the passage at 28:10 Highlight the passage at 28:10

28:45 Because we usually harm others in the midst of a mental affliction. And then when that mental affliction has subsided, then we feel bad. We feel regret. And the feeling associated with regret is unhappiness. So if we want to keep a happy mind, it's easier to keep a happy mind if we have ethical discipline. Report an error in the passage at 28:45 Highlight the passage at 28:45

29:13 We don't regret having yelled at this person or having harmed somebody. And then finally... Ethical discipline is called ethical discipline because it is that upon which the excellent rely, since it is cause of happiness. So ethical discipline really is the cause of happiness. The cause of happiness is practicing virtue. The cause of suffering is practicing non-virtue. So the more we practice virtue and avoid non-virtue, the more happiness and stable happiness we'll have. Report an error in the passage at 29:13 Highlight the passage at 29:13

29:51 So the three types of ethical discipline. The ethical discipline of restraint. The ethical discipline of accumulating virtuous qualities and the ethical discipline of working for the welfare of being. So the ethical discipline in this context is primarily the ethical discipline of restraint. Report an error in the passage at 29:51 Highlight the passage at 29:51

30:13 Are you guys ready for a break or do you want to go a little longer? Are you ready for a break? We'll take a break. And Jeannie brought some wonderful brownies. Did you also bring the cookies? And Marcella brought the cookies? Wow. Report an error in the passage at 30:13 Highlight the passage at 30:13

30:34 What are these called? Report an error in the passage at 30:34 Highlight the passage at 30:34

30:40 Oh, that Report an error in the passage at 30:40 Highlight the passage at 30:40

30:54 movie, or the documentary. Report an error in the passage at 30:54 Highlight the passage at 30:54

31:17 Isn't two hours long? It's really great. Report an error in the passage at 31:17 Highlight the passage at 31:17

31:31 I was just about this. Report an error in the passage at 31:31 Highlight the passage at 31:31

31:40 We had when we spoke about the pregnant woman, you know, protect the woman from the man who abused. Report an error in the passage at 31:40 Highlight the passage at 31:40

31:55 Last time, generosity, we had this sentence, you know, it said the generosity of fearlessness. So I never exactly understood this generosity of fearlessness. Would it be, for example, if I protect this woman, would this be generosity of fearlessness? Yeah. Okay. Yeah. That would be a good example of it. Because we're trying to protect others from fear. Yeah. Right? Okay. Or protect others from danger. Report an error in the passage at 31:55 Highlight the passage at 31:55

32:31 And this is generosity. Yeah. Yeah. Okay. Exactly. Yeah. Connecting the dots. Okay. Thanks. Report an error in the passage at 32:31 Highlight the passage at 32:31

32:42 Oh yeah, I did brownies. I just played no language. I'm not eating too much. There you go. Report an error in the passage at 32:42 Highlight the passage at 32:42

32:58 You know, Krishna said one time, when Buddha was bodhicitta, he was on a boat on a treasure hunt with other people. And then there was one guy, real bad, right, after he got the treasure, he wanted to kill everybody. Report an error in the passage at 32:58 Highlight the passage at 32:58

33:15 And Buddha had no choice but to kill the person, even by doing that story. And he knew that he would probably accumulate negative comments for doing that, but in order to save the others. Right. That's a pretty high level bodhisattva practice. Report an error in the passage at 33:15 Highlight the passage at 33:15

33:36 The whole bodhisattva practice, that's a whole other level from normal beings. But yeah. Report an error in the passage at 33:36 Highlight the passage at 33:36

33:45 Yeah, so you can say, was he harming that guy? Yeah, probably. I mean, from one perspective, he wasn't. He was doing it to protect the guy as well as the 500 people he was going to kill. So protect him from creating that negative karma. Report an error in the passage at 33:45 Highlight the passage at 33:45

34:14 Yeah, because the Buddha didn't do it with any self-concern at all, right? It was purely for the benefit of... bless you. Report an error in the passage at 34:14 Highlight the passage at 34:14

34:21 Others, and that's what we're training to do, right? But not easy. Yeah. We have so many conditions, expectations when we do. So slowly, slowly we practice and try to let go of ours. Report an error in the passage at 34:21 Highlight the passage at 34:21

· · · silence, 2 minutes

36:33 you. Report an error in the passage at 36:33 Highlight the passage at 36:33

36:59 Oh, the output won't go there. Oh, the output won't go there. Thank you. Report an error in the passage at 36:59 Highlight the passage at 36:59

37:23 I like to drink five, even six. Thank you. She said, you Americans don't like the doctor's second porch. Report an error in the passage at 37:23 Highlight the passage at 37:23

37:48 This was exactly like Michael. Report an error in the passage at 37:48 Highlight the passage at 37:48

38:04 You would not bless even one day. Thank you. the only one on the day. Report an error in the passage at 38:04 Highlight the passage at 38:04

38:19 out of here. I'm going to put that stuff out I'm going to put that stuff out of here. Have you done? You want to do it? Oh, they are. Oh, they got the job where they are. Yeah, they are. Yeah, they got the prices. Yeah, I think you can't afford them to do that. If I send them like a suggestion, I'm going to put it down here. Oh, my God. Report an error in the passage at 38:19 Highlight the passage at 38:19

38:37 I just saw her face, and when I turned down, I saw her periphery that she was leaving. One of the things was giving a little to her. Report an error in the passage at 38:37 Highlight the passage at 38:37

38:49 Oh Report an error in the passage at 38:49 Highlight the passage at 38:49

39:01 yeah, she sold that. Report an error in the passage at 39:01 Highlight the passage at 39:01

39:27 Thank you. Oh, this is the single step on this. I get a little scared because they could be made with nuclear waste. No, no, those are actually fine. The color is a little frightening. Report an error in the passage at 39:27 Highlight the passage at 39:27

39:50 Oh my God, it tastes like an eraser. is for me. Report an error in the passage at 39:50 Highlight the passage at 39:50

39:52 No, it doesn't taste like a gum or something. Report an error in the passage at 39:52 Highlight the passage at 39:52

40:16 Be careful about like wasting your taste. Report an error in the passage at 40:16 Highlight the passage at 40:16

40:21 That's going to be in my mouth for the best. Report an error in the passage at 40:21 Highlight the passage at 40:21

40:27 That works. Report an error in the passage at 40:27 Highlight the passage at 40:27

40:33 literally tastes like one of those down where it starts with sugar. It was the worst thing I've ever tasted. Yes, it was, the taste of the gum raiser and sugar on that, but do you want some juice or something? She brought a wine. She brought the Bedford candy from Montilio. That was not her candy. It was just cake, sugar, with the taste of the gum. Report an error in the passage at 40:33 Highlight the passage at 40:33

41:12 Thank you. you're going to eat sometimes, but it doesn't be a quart, so for me, it's okay. She said, you do a medic, he doesn't like so much, but that's the first or second quart. Report an error in the passage at 41:12 Highlight the passage at 41:12

41:28 Sure. You're just going to make it for me. He's very good with candy. That's sour milk. Report an error in the passage at 41:28 Highlight the passage at 41:28

41:46 you. Molecules. Are you still, like, suffering from the... Oh. That was the first thing. Report an error in the passage at 41:46 Highlight the passage at 41:46

41:54 They have one with a pterodactyl I'm not even going to tear it back. I think I know what the taste is. Tastes like dinosaur, tastes like, that is far worse than we're going to do with it. I think a cookie would get the intolerable taste of it. Report an error in the passage at 41:54 Highlight the passage at 41:54

42:18 And we have a tiny micro-crucure. was wonderful. Report an error in the passage at 42:18 Highlight the passage at 42:18

42:29 Emily, when you said that ethical discipline makes us happy, or something like that, I thought it was something that you could say, we're less unhappy. Yeah. As opposed to... Yeah. Yeah. See, I disagree with him on that one. You know, because it's... The definition of positive karma is that which will bring about happiness in the future. It's not just a lack of unhappiness. Because a lack of unhappiness can be numbness as well and not feeling. Report an error in the passage at 42:29 Highlight the passage at 42:29

43:08 But that's not what we're looking for, right? We're looking for actual happiness. Report an error in the passage at 43:08 Highlight the passage at 43:08

43:32 also be considered, you know, not necessarily happiness. Yeah, it could very well be. Report an error in the passage at 43:32 Highlight the passage at 43:32

43:45 I've only ever heard one talk by him, so I'm not exactly sure where he's coming. Is everybody okay out there? that's just a little spin. Good. Report an error in the passage at 43:45 Highlight the passage at 43:45

44:05 As long as nobody's hurt. Report an error in the passage at 44:05 Highlight the passage at 44:05

44:11 All right, so we'll continue. Report an error in the passage at 44:11 Highlight the passage at 44:11

44:17 So we can see, you know, with the first perfection, the perfection of generosity, we need to let go of our attachment to our things, right, our possessions. Report an error in the passage at 44:17 Highlight the passage at 44:17

44:29 But then with ethical discipline, we need to let go of our mental afflictions even further, right, because we're not just attached to our things. We're attached to the eight worldly dharmas, so attached to our reputation, attached to praise and not wanting blame, attached to loss and not wanting pain, attached to gain and not wanting loss. Report an error in the passage at 44:29 Highlight the passage at 44:29

44:56 I'm jumping ahead of myself. So attached to pleasure and not wanting pain, attached to gain and not wanting loss, attached to... Praise and not wanting blame. And attached here, I'm never sure quite how to talk about this last one. Good reputation and not wanting a bad reputation. Report an error in the passage at 44:56 Highlight the passage at 44:56

45:22 So in order to practice perfect ethical discipline, we can't have strong mental afflictions. Is that true? We have strong mental afflictions and that propels us to do negative actions. Report an error in the passage at 45:22 Highlight the passage at 45:22

45:43 Body and speech. So we need to work on our mental afflictions even further than with the perfection of generosity. Report an error in the passage at 45:43 Highlight the passage at 45:43

45:54 It's a plan of restraint. It's a plan of restraint from the point of view of being together with the motivations is the ten abandonments that abandon the ten non-virtues. From the point of view of its essence, it's the seven abandonments of body and speech that abandon the seven non-virtues. So the... Report an error in the passage at 45:54 Highlight the passage at 45:54

46:18 The ethical discipline of restraint. So the essence of the ethical discipline of restraint is basically abandoning the seven non-virtues of body and speech. So abandoning killing, stealing, sexual misconduct, lying, divisive speech, harsh speech, idle gossip. So you've all heard this list many times. Report an error in the passage at 46:18 Highlight the passage at 46:18

46:41 So why is the essence of ethical discipline just abandoning these seven and not abandoning all? Ten of the non-virtues. Report an error in the passage at 46:41 Highlight the passage at 46:41

46:53 Yeah, so these are actions, right? So the three of the mind aren't actually actions, they're paths of action. But also, we can't, like with ethical discipline, we can vow, right? Not, I'm not going to kill, right? I'm not going to steal. I'm not going to lie anymore, right? We can control our body and speech. But we can't vow, I'm never going to covet anything again. Report an error in the passage at 46:53 Highlight the passage at 46:53

47:24 I'm never going to feel harmful intent toward anyone again. We can control our actions of body and speech, but until we get some realizations, we can't completely eliminate the mental three non-virtues. We can just practice them. We can just try to reduce them more and more. But I can't vow, okay, I'm not going to covet anything. Report an error in the passage at 47:24 Highlight the passage at 47:24

47:53 You know, for the next week, right? We can notice when we have covetousness and apply the antidote, right? But we can't just prevent covetousness by vowing. Report an error in the passage at 47:53 Highlight the passage at 47:53

48:16 Probably by the first ground you don't covet. Maybe even before that. Report an error in the passage at 48:16 Highlight the passage at 48:16

48:24 But you don't abandon the seeds of attachment. Report an error in the passage at 48:24 Highlight the passage at 48:24

48:32 But when it stops being manifest, I'm not sure. I think that the first bodhisattva ground, because you can have the seeds right without it arising. Report an error in the passage at 48:32 Highlight the passage at 48:32

48:43 I don't know, has anyone heard Geshele mention when you don't have the seeds anymore? I mean when you don't have the manifest anymore. I don't think I've ever heard. Yeah, because in the studies the real emphasis is when you get rid of the seeds. They don't talk a lot about when the manifest version doesn't arise anymore. Report an error in the passage at 48:43 Highlight the passage at 48:43

49:10 So the three motivations for the seven non-virtues are covetousness, malice and wrongness. Which are really kind of more extreme versions of the three poisons, right? Attachment, ignorance. So through abandoning these three, then we can abandon these seven. So when we talk about the ethical discipline of restraint, the essence of that is the seven non-virtues. But he says, from the point of view of being together with the motivations, it's abandoning the ten non-virtues. Report an error in the passage at 49:10 Highlight the passage at 49:10

49:52 So it would be all of these ten when we include, Report an error in the passage at 49:52 Highlight the passage at 49:52

49:58 make sense? Report an error in the passage at 49:58 Highlight the passage at 49:58

50:08 No, not perfecting, but this is the essence. The essence of what does ethical discipline of restraint mean? It means, well, at least, well, it means abandoning these, right? To perfect ethical discipline, then we need to not even have the thought of doing any of these things. Right. Yeah. Report an error in the passage at 50:08 Highlight the passage at 50:08

50:35 But, yeah, so the practice of ethical discipline is abandoning the seven primarily. And then we train in trying to abandon the three motivations. Report an error in the passage at 50:35 Highlight the passage at 50:35

50:48 Does that make sense? Report an error in the passage at 50:48 Highlight the passage at 50:48

51:02 This has been in my mind for a couple of slides. Whenever I see killing, I think about eating meat. Does that come up in your mind when you read this stuff? You know, I think about killing, I think about killing people, but then I think about killing... Other sentient beings like animals, then I think about not doing it directly but partaking in a system, creating a demand or asking someone else to do it for you. Report an error in the passage at 51:02 Highlight the passage at 51:02

51:29 Does that come under this heading? Well, Report an error in the passage at 51:29 Highlight the passage at 51:29

51:38 pure ethical discipline would involve not eating meat out of attachment. If you're eating meat because your body needs it and because you need to keep your body strong in order to help sentient beings, then it's different. But like His Holiness the Dalai Lama says, you know, it's better to not eat meat and definitely not to eat meat out of attachment. Report an error in the passage at 51:38 Highlight the passage at 51:38

52:06 But if you need it, if it's more beneficial to eat it, then, yeah. So abandoning killing literally is intentionally, like intentionally killing someone or having someone, yeah, someone, or having somebody else do it for you is literally what killing is. If you're buying it from the store and you're not the direct cause of it being killed, then technically it's not killing, but you can still say that there's harm there, especially if you're doing it out of attack. Report an error in the passage at 52:06 Highlight the passage at 52:06

53:00 It's not being committed into an entire system of killing. First of all, you have the karma to be here. And in this world, things happen. So you can extend it to the point where the argument proves too much, that you're in this system, therefore you're a killer. And you step out of the system, therefore you're not a killer. But you can never step out of the system. So that directly ordering somebody to kill something or killing something yourself is a state of mind that you have to have in order to have the killing karma. Report an error in the passage at 53:00 Highlight the passage at 53:00

53:34 But to directly participate in a world that has meat on the table, I think it's too remote. And I think Geshe-la talked about how remote, or other people have talked about how remote the act is from eating something on your plate. Report an error in the passage at 53:34 Highlight the passage at 53:34

53:55 So let's distinguish between negative karma and the negative karma of killing. The negative karma of killing is when we intentionally kill or we ask... Report an error in the passage at 53:55 Highlight the passage at 53:55

54:08 technically a wooden If we eat meat out of attachment, it's not technically killing, but it's still negative karma. Report an error in the passage at 54:08 Highlight the passage at 54:08

54:22 So it's not like splitting Report an error in the passage at 54:22 Highlight the passage at 54:22

54:30 hairs kind of thing. It's still negative karma to eat meat out of attachment. It's negative karma to do anything, Report an error in the passage at 54:30 Highlight the passage at 54:30

54:41 but eating meat. Out of attachment, particularly because some directly or indirectly something's losing its life as a result of your attachment. But if like the Dalai Lama and many of the Tibetan lamas, they eat meat because of health reasons or in some cases practitioners are asked by Tibetan doctors to eat meat because of lung, it's one of the treatments actually for lung. Report an error in the passage at 54:41 Highlight the passage at 54:41

55:07 I don't consider that non-virtue in that instance. Well, the key is, is it attachment or is it more beneficial? If the doctor tells you you need to eat a little bit of meat for medical purposes, to do what the doctor tells you? It depends on if it is attachment. For me, I have lung, and the automatic thing that Tibetan doctors always say is eat meat. Report an error in the passage at 55:07 Highlight the passage at 55:07

55:35 It's not the only remedy for lung. There are many remedies for lung. So I chose to not eat meat. I chose to eat meat. Report an error in the passage at 55:35 Highlight the passage at 55:35

55:45 You know, pursue other methods. But that was my choice, right? We can follow the doctrine of advice with attachment, thinking, well, that's what I wanted to do anyway. So that's the first thing I'm going to do without even trying it. So it all depends on the mind, right? So if there's attachment there, then there's negative karma. Report an error in the passage at 55:45 Highlight the passage at 55:45

56:04 If there's no attachment there and it's genuinely, honestly for the benefit of others, then there's... So that's where we have to be honest with ourselves. What is my real motivation? Is it attachment because I like the taste? Or is it because I genuinely need it and my body is strong in order to help others? Report an error in the passage at 56:04 Highlight the passage at 56:04

56:34 Because His Holiness the Dalai Lama was a vegetarian for a while and then he started eating meat because his doctors told him he needed to eat. That's my understanding of the story at least. So that's the greatest benefit. Report an error in the passage at 56:34 Highlight the passage at 56:34

56:51 I think it's very difficult if you start having... You have this habit to eat meat, to not have a pleasure and to not be attached. So I think this goes almost together, at least for me. I couldn't distinguish because I like meat. I know I used to eat a lot of meat. And now if I would go back and eat meat for my health, I think it... Report an error in the passage at 56:51 Highlight the passage at 56:51

57:26 It would not last long, then I got attached. Or I couldn't distinguish. Is it now? Do I do it for my health or do it because I like it? It's very subtle. It is subtle, but we can tell the difference. If we're craving it mentally, there's probably attachment there, right? If it's like, okay, we'll have to eat it. Report an error in the passage at 57:26 Highlight the passage at 57:26

57:52 know, because, you You know, I enjoy it. And you say prayers for the sentient being before you eat it. And, you know, you recognize that it's a sentient being, right, and not a vegetable, right? But you recognize that this is a being that lost its life so that you can eat. And then, you know, you can tell the difference, right? So I also wanted to comment on, distinguish something that you said. Report an error in the passage at 57:52 Highlight the passage at 57:52

58:19 Having pleasure isn't, I mean, we can... We don't have to eliminate having pleasure. We need to eliminate the attachment, but we can enjoy it and not be attached to it. In theory. Difficult. Report an error in the passage at 58:19 Highlight the passage at 58:19

58:42 See, that's a very good example. Eating meat out of attachment is a very good example of how our attachment blinds us to caring about another sentient being. Report an error in the passage at 58:42 Highlight the passage at 58:42

59:01 You know, it's maybe one of the most powerful examples, right? Because when we stop looking at the meat as a sentient being, right, we look at it as meat, right, not as a being, right, who has feelings, who has a mother, children and all of that, right? Report an error in the passage at 59:01 Highlight the passage at 59:01

59:20 So, yeah, ethical discipline can be very subtle, right? We don't even realize that we're harming another being through our choices, through, you know, driving our cars. Report an error in the passage at 59:20 Highlight the passage at 59:20

59:34 Using harsh detergents. You know, you can go on and on and on and on, right? Report an error in the passage at 59:34 Highlight the passage at 59:34

59:46 All right. Then, okay, so in general, the ethical discipline of restraint is abandoning the seven non-virtues. Specifically, Lama Tsongkhapa says, the intention of a saṅgha's bodhisattva levels in stating that the ethical discipline of restraint in the mental continuum of bodhisattva is the seven types of vows of individual liberation is as follows. Report an error in the passage at 59:46 Highlight the passage at 59:46

1:00:09 When those possessing the vows of individual liberation possess the bodhisattva vows, the ethical discipline of restraint is the actual vows of individual liberation of the class of the laity, or they're ordained in the abandonments and vows that are common to them in their continuum. Report an error in the passage at 1:00:09 Highlight the passage at 1:00:09

1:00:25 So it's the actual vows, individual liberation vows, or the prati moksha vows, that are specifically the ethical discipline of restraint. So the vows... That we take to abandon killing, stealing, lying, sexual misconduct and intoxicants for lay people. So the seven types of vows are those five lay vows for men and women. Report an error in the passage at 1:00:25 Highlight the passage at 1:00:25

1:00:52 And then also the monks, novice vows for monks and nuns, probational vows for nuns, full ordination vows for monks and nuns. Report an error in the passage at 1:00:52 Highlight the passage at 1:00:52

1:01:04 So it's the actual vows of abandoning. Those five for we lay people or the monks and nuns vows. Report an error in the passage at 1:01:04 Highlight the passage at 1:01:04

1:01:18 The ethical discipline of restraint is our individual liberation vows, abandoning, harming others, right? It's killing, stealing, sexual misconduct, right? They're all harming others. So we're abandoning those. Report an error in the passage at 1:01:18 Highlight the passage at 1:01:18

1:01:41 And then there's a technicality. I don't want to spend much time on it. So when those who are unsuitable as a support for vows of individual liberation possess bodhisattva vows, the ethical discipline of restraint is the abandonments and restraints of abandoning either the natural misdeeds or formulated misdeeds that are common to individual liberation. Report an error in the passage at 1:01:41 Highlight the passage at 1:01:41

1:02:03 So there are certain beings who are considered unsuitable bases for individual liberation vows, but they can have bodhisattva vows, which I don't quite understand. Say that again? But these are beings, Report an error in the passage at 1:02:03 Highlight the passage at 1:02:03

1:02:24 beings of... Report an error in the passage at 1:02:24 Highlight the passage at 1:02:24

1:02:29 There's... The Buddhist cosmology talks about human beings of the north, south, east, western continents. There's beings of, I think, the northern continent called unpleasant sound that have a fixed lifespan and they don't have much suffering. So they are said to be unsuitable bases of individual liberation vows because they don't have enough suffering to have renunciation. Report an error in the passage at 1:02:29 Highlight the passage at 1:02:29

1:03:00 So for those beings, they don't take individual liberation vows, but they do take bodhisattva vows. So for them, their ethical discipline of restraint is abandoning the natural misdeeds or the formulated misdeeds that are common to individual liberation. So still abandoning killing, abandoning stealing. So that's kind of a technicality. Report an error in the passage at 1:03:00 Highlight the passage at 1:03:00

1:03:32 But notice the ethical discipline of restraint. constraint the vows of individual liberation. not for bodhisattvas. It's not the bodhisattva vows. the vows of an Report an error in the passage at 1:03:32 Highlight the passage at 1:03:32

1:03:53 Ethical Report an error in the passage at 1:03:53 Highlight the passage at 1:03:53

1:04:02 discipline of accumulating virtuous qualities is observing virtues such as the six perfections and generating that which has not been generated in one's own continuum, not to degenerate, that which has been arisen, has been arisen, has arisen. And to increase it more and more. So this would be practicing virtue, practicing assistance, practicing generosity, etc. Report an error in the passage at 1:04:02 Highlight the passage at 1:04:02

1:04:31 Generating bodhicitta and to Report an error in the passage at 1:04:31 Highlight the passage at 1:04:31

1:04:38 not degenerate that which has been generated. So there are times when our practice is stronger than others. When we feel like we have more love and compassion and bodhicitta than others. Especially when we really focus on it. Like if we have a class on bodhicitta. Maybe our bodhicitta increases, or if we go see His Holiness the Dalai Lama, our bodhicitta increases. So our practice is not only to generate the bodhicitta, but then not allow it to degenerate. Report an error in the passage at 1:04:38 Highlight the passage at 1:04:38

1:05:10 And Report an error in the passage at 1:05:10 Highlight the passage at 1:05:10

1:05:17 then the third division is the ethical discipline of working for the welfare of beings. So this is bringing about the welfare of sentient beings. It's to accomplish the welfare of sentient beings in this and future lives through ethical discipline without any misdeeds as appropriate. Report an error in the passage at 1:05:17 Highlight the passage at 1:05:17

1:05:34 So we're working for others and not committing none. Report an error in the passage at 1:05:34 Highlight the passage at 1:05:34

1:05:46 And then how to generate ethical discipline in our mental continuum. So pure ethical discipline depends on putting into practice what should be engaged in and what should be avoided according to the formulated rules of the Buddha. Report an error in the passage at 1:05:46 Highlight the passage at 1:05:46

1:06:02 So practicing, you know, practicing virtue, you know, Report an error in the passage at 1:06:02 Highlight the passage at 1:06:02

1:06:11 as well as furthermore, it follows the strong and firm wish to guard ethical. So we make this decision in our minds, right, to guard our ethical discipline. Report an error in the passage at 1:06:11 Highlight the passage at 1:06:11

1:06:28 And in order to make that decision, you must meditate for a long time, meditating on the disadvantages of not guarding it and the advantages of guarding it. Report an error in the passage at 1:06:28 Highlight the passage at 1:06:28

1:06:41 For most of us, we probably don't commit really strong non-virtues, but we probably all have some habits of maybe saying something sarcastic to somebody or doing certain things that we don't even counteract. We still justify it in our minds. So in order to overcome that justification in our minds, then we need to meditate on the disadvantages of saying sarcastic things to others and the advantages of abandoning it. Report an error in the passage at 1:06:41 Highlight the passage at 1:06:41

1:07:26 So we already talked about this in the context of the intermediate scope. And then Gishisopa says, pure ethical discipline. Or religious conduct means that a person has made a decision not to harm others. So I already said this. This mental promise motivates one to avoid directly or indirectly hurting others. Report an error in the passage at 1:07:26 Highlight the passage at 1:07:26

1:07:52 So the advantages and disadvantages. The summary of perfections says, if you cannot achieve your own welfare with faulty discipline, where will you get power for the welfare of others? Report an error in the passage at 1:07:52 Highlight the passage at 1:07:52

1:08:08 So we may think, okay, I'm working for the benefit of sentient beings. But if I'm not able to uphold my own ethical discipline, you know, I still kill the insects that come into my house and I still speak harshly to others, then realistically, how can we work for the welfare of others, right? When we're still insensitive to the welfare of those insects, we're still insensitive to the welfare of that being who ticked me off. Report an error in the passage at 1:08:08 Highlight the passage at 1:08:08

1:08:42 we need to... So this ethical discipline of restraint is really the basis for being able to practice the ethical discipline of virtue, helping others. Report an error in the passage at 1:08:42 Highlight the passage at 1:08:42

1:08:56 We can't just bypass that. Report an error in the passage at 1:08:56 Highlight the passage at 1:08:56

1:09:02 That is the basis for all abandoning karma. And then if we harm others, we're creating negative karma, which brings about suffering. So if we can't even bring about happiness for ourselves, how can we bring about happiness? If we fall into an animal rebirth or a lower rebirth, how can we help others avoid falling into lower rebirth? Report an error in the passage at 1:09:02 Highlight the passage at 1:09:02

1:09:37 So we need to practice our own ethical discipline of restraint before we can really truly practice helping others. Therefore, those who strive for others' welfare do not relax their devotion to this. This Report an error in the passage at 1:09:37 Highlight the passage at 1:09:37

1:10:06 ethical discipline, special path of attainment. Accomplish it like the naturally compassionate. It is of the excellent nature of pure wisdom, free from flaws. It's called the best of ornaments. Report an error in the passage at 1:10:06 Highlight the passage at 1:10:06

1:10:20 Pleasant fragrance guarded in all three realms. It is a balm not at odds with ordination. Those who get ethically disciplined through conforming outwardly will become nobles among men. Report an error in the passage at 1:10:20 Highlight the passage at 1:10:20

1:10:33 So Lama Tsongkhapa explains this by saying, this says that independence on ethical discipline One's mental continuum improves more and more, so our mind becomes more and more trained and more and more happy. One becomes similar in training to the great beings filled, the great beings who are naturally compassionate. Report an error in the passage at 1:10:33 Highlight the passage at 1:10:33

1:10:58 One attains the pure wisdom that has abandoned all the seeds of faulty conduct. And then he talks about this ornaments, so how ethical discipline is the best ornament. He says, although other ornaments do not beautify the very young or very old, the ornament of ethical discipline is the supreme ornament for whoever possesses it, whether young, old, or in between, since it pleases everyone. Report an error in the passage at 1:10:58 Highlight the passage at 1:10:58

1:11:27 So other ornaments, like let's say a nose ring, might look really good on a 22-year-old, but on a 90-year-old is a little inappropriate, or not so beautiful, or like a... A tattoo of a skull and crossbones might look really cool on the 19-year-old, but on a 75-year-old woman might look kind of silly. Report an error in the passage at 1:11:27 Highlight the passage at 1:11:27

1:11:52 More scary. Right, exactly. Report an error in the passage at 1:11:52 Highlight the passage at 1:11:52

1:11:59 So this is what Lama Tsongkhapa is saying, but the ornament of ethical discipline looks good on anyone, regardless of your age. Perfect taste. Right. Also. Although other fine fragrances only spread in the direction of the wind, which carries them and do not spread in other directions, whereby they are one-sided, the scent of ethical discipline's fame spreads in all directions. Report an error in the passage at 1:11:59 Highlight the passage at 1:11:59

1:12:36 Perfume, if you spray it, it will only be carried in the direction of the wind, but the scent of ethical discipline Report an error in the passage at 1:12:36 Highlight the passage at 1:12:36

1:12:48 spreads in all directions. Report an error in the passage at 1:12:48 Highlight the passage at 1:12:48

1:12:52 So my understanding of this one is, you know, someone who has very pure ethical discipline like His Holiness, the Dalai Lama, Report an error in the passage at 1:12:52 Highlight the passage at 1:12:52

1:13:08 the Mandela, right? Their fame and good reputation spreads everywhere, not just in the direction of the wind. They say they emit a fragrance, too. Report an error in the passage at 1:13:08 Highlight the passage at 1:13:08

1:13:21 Yeah, exactly. It says people who keep pure ethical discipline have a naturally nice fragrance, right? They don't need perfume. Report an error in the passage at 1:13:21 Highlight the passage at 1:13:21

1:13:37 So if someone's really smelly, then I guess. guess. We won't say. Report an error in the passage at 1:13:37 Highlight the passage at 1:13:37

1:13:55 Chodin Rinpoche is very well known for his ethical discipline. And you can just see, you know, automatically, yeah, he's just beautiful. Report an error in the passage at 1:13:55 Highlight the passage at 1:13:55

1:14:05 You know, you just automatically respect him without even knowing his qualities, right? You can just feel how pure he is. Report an error in the passage at 1:14:05 Highlight the passage at 1:14:05

1:14:21 And then although ointments such as sandalwood, which cool the torment of heat. Contradict ordination. The ointment or lotion that protects from the torment of the heat of the afflictions is not at odds with ordination, but rather accords with it. So here the point is, you know, like monks and nuns aren't supposed to put perfume and like scented lotions on their bodies, but the ointment or the lotion of ethical discipline is good for even ordained people. Report an error in the passage at 1:14:21 Highlight the passage at 1:14:21

1:14:55 Right. And it's the ointment of ethical discipline protects us from the torment of the heat of the afflictions. Report an error in the passage at 1:14:55 Highlight the passage at 1:14:55

1:15:10 So anyway, so these are the examples that Lama Tsongkhapa cites. Report an error in the passage at 1:15:10 Highlight the passage at 1:15:10

1:15:19 And then also, even though you only seem to have signs of ordination, to be endowed with the jewel of ethical discipline is more excellent than anything else. So I'm not exactly sure about this translation, but the point here is, Is it someone who, well here he's talking about ordination, so someone who's ordained may outwardly look, you know, dressed like everybody else, right? Report an error in the passage at 1:15:19 Highlight the passage at 1:15:19

1:15:46 With the ornament of ethical discipline, pure ethical discipline, they stand out, right? They're more noble. Report an error in the passage at 1:15:46 Highlight the passage at 1:15:46

1:15:59 Again from the same text, without expressing a word, without much effort, resources and services needed for practice gather. So here it's that, you know, if you have pure ethical discipline, then automatically you're going to get what you need. You're not going to starve. You'll get what you need. And you can see that in, you know, Gishidakpa or Chodron Rinpoche, His Holiness the Dalai Lama, you know, things just appear for them. Report an error in the passage at 1:15:59 Highlight the passage at 1:15:59

1:16:30 I remember when Chodron Rinpoche first came to the area, you know, someone offered him a house. With most of us, nobody's going to offer a house. sorry. Maybe a someone. Report an error in the passage at 1:16:30 Highlight the passage at 1:16:30

1:16:46 With pure ethical discipline, we don't have to worry. Things that we need for our practice automatically appear. And then the world bows low without intimidation. So we automatically respect those with ethical discipline and we don't feel intimidated. We don't feel afraid of someone who has pure ethical discipline. Well, not afraid that they're going to harm us when we're afraid. Report an error in the passage at 1:16:46 Highlight the passage at 1:16:46

1:17:14 They can read our minds or something. More like they're clairvoyant. But someone who's angry or someone who's afraid is going to cheat you, you're kind of afraid to be around them, kind of wary. But someone like Gishadapa, you know, Report an error in the passage at 1:17:14 Highlight the passage at 1:17:14

1:17:36 power and wealth are gained without effort. Report an error in the passage at 1:17:36 Highlight the passage at 1:17:36

1:17:43 Although his lineage may be unworthy of mention, although he did not help or benefit them, all beings, including the ones he never knew, Bow to a being possessed of ethical discipline. So as we were saying, even the Report an error in the passage at 1:17:43 Highlight the passage at 1:17:43

1:18:03 Geshe Dagpa was born into a nomadic family, not a royal family or anything. And even people who weren't helped by Geshe Dagpa still feel respect for him. Report an error in the passage at 1:18:03 Highlight the passage at 1:18:03

1:18:21 And even the dust made auspicious by his feet is raised to the head for its sanctity. Gods and humans prostrate so it touches their head. Take and carry it everywhere. Report an error in the passage at 1:18:21 Highlight the passage at 1:18:21

1:18:35 Thus one should think about the advantages of upholding ethical discipline. Report an error in the passage at 1:18:35 Highlight the passage at 1:18:35

1:18:48 I'm seeing if I can finish ethical discipline today. So although there are three kinds of ethical discipline, the ethical discipline of restraint, practicing the engagements and avoidances for the formulated rules of an individual liberation or what is common to them, is itself important for the bodhisattvas in the beginning. Report an error in the passage at 1:18:48 Highlight the passage at 1:18:48

1:19:10 So this is what we were saying before. So in the beginning, we need to practice ethical discipline of restraint as its basis. Then if that's guarded, the others will also be guarded. Whereas if they're not guarded, the others will not be guarded either. Report an error in the passage at 1:19:10 Highlight the passage at 1:19:10

1:19:30 So if we guard our ethical discipline of restraint, then it's easier to keep our bodhisattva vows and the ethical discipline of... Gathering virtuous qualities and helping others. But if our ethical discipline of restraint degenerates, if we're not able to avoid harming others, then how can we automatically our bodhisattva vows degenerate? Report an error in the passage at 1:19:30 Highlight the passage at 1:19:30

1:20:00 Therefore the compendium says that if ethical discipline of vows degenerates, then all the vows are degenerated. Report an error in the passage at 1:20:00 Highlight the passage at 1:20:00

1:20:13 So whoever thinks... that the vows of individual liberation are for hearers, Hinayana practitioners, and rejects their formulated rules of engagement and avoidance, saying, I must chain in the other bodhisattva. I don't know, I think... Sometimes people believe, right, that I'm a bodhisattva, I don't have to watch those lowly prati moksha vows, right, and hear Lama Tsongkhapa saying, you know, those people, they don't understand, right, that the essential point of training in ethical discipline of bodhisattvas is the ethical discipline of restraint as the basis. Report an error in the passage at 1:20:13 Highlight the passage at 1:20:13

1:21:20 The main ethical discipline of restraint is to abandon the natural misdeeds. So there are natural misdeeds and formulated misdeeds. The natural misdeeds are naturally non-virtuous regardless if you've taken vows or not. So lying, stealing, killing, etc. So that's the main ethical discipline of restraint. There are also formulated misdeeds like not eating after noon or not taking intoxicants. Report an error in the passage at 1:21:20 Highlight the passage at 1:21:20

1:21:56 Aren't by nature non-virtuous. But you take a vow. You may take a vow to abandon those for specific reasons. Report an error in the passage at 1:21:56 Highlight the passage at 1:21:56

1:22:16 The synthesized essential points of the great disadvantages of the natural misdeeds is to abandon the ten non-virtues. Therefore, the mind of restraint that does not even move toward their motivations should be generated again and again. Report an error in the passage at 1:22:16 Highlight the passage at 1:22:16

1:22:32 So we're trying to not even... Develop the motivation, the mind of killing, the mind of malice, the mind of covetousness, trying. Report an error in the passage at 1:22:32 Highlight the passage at 1:22:32

1:22:59 So in summary, to take this as the basis, the ethical discipline of restraint, and train again and again in the mind of restraint that trains in the trainings of whatever ethical discipline one has promised is the practice of ethical discipline. Sorry Report an error in the passage at 1:22:59 Highlight the passage at 1:22:59

1:23:22 for rushing through that. So that's the ethical discipline. Perfection of ethical discipline. Report an error in the passage at 1:23:22 Highlight the passage at 1:23:22

1:23:34 And then finally, practicing ethical discipline with the other five perfections. So once again, it's most powerful to practice any of the six perfections associated with all of the other perfections. So here Lama Tsongkhapa says, abiding in ethical discipline oneself and establishing others in it is generosity. Report an error in the passage at 1:23:34 Highlight the passage at 1:23:34

1:23:59 So the generosity of ethical discipline, Is practicing ethical discipline yourself and also helping others to practice ethical discipline? Report an error in the passage at 1:23:59 Highlight the passage at 1:23:59

1:24:14 The remaining perfections are as before. So then there's the patience of ethical discipline, Report an error in the passage at 1:24:14 Highlight the passage at 1:24:14

1:24:25 to bear any hardships in the practice of ethical discipline. So maybe we take a vow to not drink alcohol and maybe people make fun of us or something. Not drinking alcohol or something, you know, bearing the hardships. You know, taking monks and nuns vows, they forego certain temporary pleasures in order to take their vows. Report an error in the passage at 1:24:25 Highlight the passage at 1:24:25

1:24:57 Then there's the joyous effort of ethical discipline, right? Being joyful, being happy in practicing ethical discipline. The concentration of ethical discipline is to... Report an error in the passage at 1:24:57 Highlight the passage at 1:24:57

1:25:16 Kishisopa says it's to be aware of your actions. Being aware of... Your actions, ethical discipline. And then the wisdom of ethical discipline, right, is once again understanding that the ethical discipline itself is empty from its own side and the, you know, you're empty from its own side, your recipient is empty from its own side, dependent arising. Report an error in the passage at 1:25:16 Highlight the passage at 1:25:16

1:25:52 So hopefully I didn't go too quickly there. I think it's all pretty straightforward. Report an error in the passage at 1:25:52 Highlight the passage at 1:25:52

1:26:02 Our practice homework for this week is to continue to try to generate love, compassion and bodhicitta every day and then with this motivation practice not harming sentient beings even in the smallest way. Report an error in the passage at 1:26:02 Highlight the passage at 1:26:02

1:26:18 So maybe we can think about which area of ethical discipline or which of the ten non-virtues we have a particularly hard time with and work on that. If it's when we're tired we get irritable and we say... Insensitive things to others, you know, to protect, to try to be vigilant, particularly in that area. Report an error in the passage at 1:26:18 Highlight the passage at 1:26:18

1:26:45 And then just to work with where we are. So if we have a hard time with physically not harming others, then to focus on that. If we have a particularly hard time with our speech, our negative speech, then to work on that. But if we're really good at those, then we can work on our minds, focus on working on our minds. Report an error in the passage at 1:26:45 Highlight the passage at 1:26:45

1:27:09 Okay, Report an error in the passage at 1:27:09 Highlight the passage at 1:27:09

1:27:15 so we've run out of time, so I don't have time to go through the homework from last week, but next week we can go through it. Report an error in the passage at 1:27:15 Highlight the passage at 1:27:15

1:27:26 And then I also emailed you the homework for next week, so we'll cover two homeworks next week. All right, and then we'll start on the practice of perfection of patience, which is always a good one. Let's dedicate. Page 246. Report an error in the passage at 1:27:26 Highlight the passage at 1:27:26

1:28:10 May all beings everywhere, plagued by sufferings of body and mind, obtain an ocean of happiness and joy by virtue of my merits. May no living creature suffer, commit evil, or ever fall ill. May no one be afraid or belittled with a mind weighed down by depression. May the blind see forms and the deaf hear sounds. May those whose bodies are worn with toil be restored on finding repose. Report an error in the passage at 1:28:10 Highlight the passage at 1:28:10

1:28:38 May the naked find clothing, the hungry find food. May the thirsty find water and delicious drinks. May the poor find wealth, those weak with sorrow find joy. May the forlorn find hope, constant happiness and prosperity. May there be timely rains and bountiful harvests. May all medicines be effective and wholesome prayers bear fruit. Report an error in the passage at 1:28:38 Highlight the passage at 1:28:38

1:29:02 May all who are sick and ill quickly be freed from their ailments. Whatever diseases there are in the world, may they never occur again. May the frightened cease to be afraid and those bound be freed. May the powerless find power and may people think of benefiting each other. For as long as space remains, for as long as sentient beings remain, until then may I too remain to dispel the miseries of the world. Report an error in the passage at 1:29:02 Highlight the passage at 1:29:02

1:29:47 Have a good week. Report an error in the passage at 1:29:47 Highlight the passage at 1:29:47

1:30:09 like in Report an error in the passage at 1:30:09 Highlight the passage at 1:30:09

1:30:15 Thank you. Report an error in the passage at 1:30:15 Highlight the passage at 1:30:15