Linda: Motivational Lecture: Thursday AM, April 30

Motivational Lecture: Thursday AM, April 30

Yesterday’s exposition was on Verse 4, Line 1: “So hard to find such ease and wealth”, and refers to the fact that we have been born with the 8 Freedoms and 10 Good Fortunes. We do have the means and the ability to accomplish what we wish to accomplish for either our temporary well-being or our ultimate well-being. This thought should fill you with immense joy!!

“Whereby to render meaningful this human birth!” To render meaningful this human birth means to practice the means that will first of all create a positive rebirth. A positive rebirth is one in which you are born with an excellent body and an excellent mind, having the prosperity to practice a spiritual means, and having good companions to support and help you. SO, we have a good body and a good mind. We have the means to pursue ethical discipline, and it is precisely ethical discipline that will guarantee a positive rebirth. Practicing the virtue of generosity leads to a rebirth with an excellent body. Practicing patience will lead to a rebirth with the prosperity and companions needed. Practicing enthusiastic effort will enable us to do what we set out to do. Practicing concentration will assure us that we will not be overwhelmed by the negative virtues. And finally, practicing good understanding will give us the knowledge required. We do not want to be stupid! These ethical disciplines are something we can do now! They are the groundwork for any kind of vow we may, in future, wish to take. In Buddhism, the 4 kinds of vows are the lay persons vow, the ordained persons vow, the bodhisattva vow, and the tantric vow. Which vow one takes is determined by their interest and enthusiasm. After taking a vow, then one wants to safeguard that vow by refraining from transgressions.

We are born of the womb, and are thus endowed with the 6 Faculties. Our karma is one that is subtle and very powerful. It can bear fruit in this life, and that fruit can be positive or negative!!!!!! Think of all the higher beings we know (the sages and revealers). Their body and mind are no different from ours! Their access to the scriptures is no different than ours. There is no difference. Everything depends on interest and enthusiasm. You can do this and you can do it in the fullest possible way! When you read this verse, you should read it as if it is addressed to you personally.

Take a good look at yourself. You need the virtues, and the virtues must be excellent. Look at yourself. How good are your chances for a positive rebirth? If you do not cultivate the chance to create really excellent virtues you will be born in a state where you are not free. You will not get a good rebirth, never mind the possibility of liberation and enlightenment. So you really want to do what is of benefit to yourself and to others.

The following line of this verse should also fill you with the fear of wasting such a possibility. “If now I fail to turn it to my profit, How could such a chance be mine again?” If one does not do something of true benefit for one’s self and for others, in both the short term and the long term, to create the good virtues that will result in a good rebirth, if you are wasting this time, it will be very, very hard to get this chance again.

The next 10 chapters describe the benefit of wanting to pursue this path, on not letting that desire lessen, of making that desire stronger, and of dedicating that merit to all sentient beings. If you take this path 100%, all will be well with us, no matter what age you are. It is true that it is best to start it when you are young. If you are middle aged, it’s OK. If you are old, well, it’s a bit late but you can still do something!

Does this make you think??????? To practice you need a special kind of body and a special kind of mind.

Side conversation: According to Buddhist cosmological symbolism, there is a mountain in the center of the universe, Mount Meru. Surrounding that mountain are 4 continents, north, south, east, west. (There was some debate as to whether these continents were of this world or of a greater cosmology.) We are located in the southern continent, which is the best place to be to develop bodhicitta (the spirit of enlightenment). The conversation between the teacher and translator went to how difficult it was for westerners to belief this. The teacher emphatically said, “You don’t believe what you don’t see! Do you see your mind?” He went on to say that, if you develop the path of insight in this life, and even if you are reborn in the god realm of desire where it is difficult to want to pursue bodhichitta, you would still be able to continue to develop the path of seeing, even then. Otherwise, it is difficult to achieve an exalted state in the god realms. Conclusion: the human realm is best! It is true that bodhicitta can be developed the first time in animals, hungry ghosts, or gods, but it is not the best working basis. The human state is best, and many scriptures support this.

Verse 4 is a very important verse, for it establishes the physical basis for pursuing the spirit of enlightenment. (We have the mind and the body, and this is the best state possible for pursuing it, and if we don’t, the chances of getting another opportunity are far removed.)

Verse 5 begins to describe the Mental Basis for developing bodhicitta

As when a flash of lightening rends the night,
And in its glare shows all that the dark black clouds had hid,
Likewise rarely, through the buiddhas’ power,
Virtuous thoughts rise, brief and transient in the world.

First, one must have the faith and belief in the teachings in general. Then, one must have the aspiration to practice it. Is this easy?? Be honest! Do we easily want to be virtuous (without self interest) and are we really enthusiastic for a spiritual practice, to have a willingness to put aside our own personal interest and dedicate ourselves completely to protect others from suffering? Once you have found this willingness, then you must strengthen it, then make it grow. (Again, this is the background of the entire book.)

Virtuous thoughts and moments of excellent virtue are like flashes of lightening in a night with no moon and where the stars are covered by thick rain clouds. There are moments of virtue, but they are sporadic and brief. Occasionally, thoughts will arise that come as a blessing and protection from the Buddha.

It is like we are in a dungeon of cyclic existence where even the light of the exalted beings is absent. Even a glimmer of hearing the teachings is rare. All is shrouded in the darkness of wrongdoing and suffering. Who is in that dungeon? Us ordinary beings. But, there are a few who have imprints in their soul from before. They are open to the Buddha’s blessings and occasionally have the thought, just the thought, to want to do something of benefit. This thought will lead to happiness, but it will be rare and brief. Is this not true? Isn’t it mostly true?

Everyone has the Buddha nature! We have that nature and disposition, but it is not active. The imprint is there, so we would like to do something. It is difficult because we are not familiar with the thoughts and ideas associated with the teachings. We are very familiar with harmful things and disturbing emotions.

What is necessary is an interest and a belief in the teachings.
Second, to have an openness to the blessing of Enlightenment.
Third, if we are open to receive the teachings, that we then develop the wish to
attain bodhisattva.
Fourth, that if we make the effort to develop the spirit of enlightenment, that we make
that spirit grow.

Is this not good advice?

Once you have a belief and interest, you are creating merit that accords with the virtue compatible with the initial level of capacity. This will then lead to the basis for creating the virtue that accords with the practice of the intermediate level of personal liberation. This will in turn lead to the virtue of the Mahayana, which is the Great Capacity, which is to do it for others. A strong interest and belief is fundamental.

There are 3 kinds of faith. 1. The clarifying faith of appreciation. 2. The clarifying faith of conviction. 3. The clarifying faith of aspiration. We can have the clarifying faith of appreciation from contact with the 3 Jewels (Buddha/teacher, Dharma/law or method, Sangha/spiritual companionship). Learning this will give the faith of conviction. Conviction will lead to aspiration. And once one does this, one’s faith becomes a firm and unshakeable belief.

The mind. This mind or mental basis is the main cause of the spirit of enlightenment. (Develop the mind through the teacher/method/virtue with the help of spiritual companions.) The body is the cooperative cause, and is very hard to come by.

Compassion is the root of the spirit of enlightenment.

And in this verse, Shantideva is telling us something big.