Eight Verses for Training the Mind: the Bodhisattva Ideal and the Bodhicitta – Talk 2

Eight Verses for Training the Mind

By Kadampa Geshe Langritangpa

Talk Two

Buddha’s compassion

• is more in relationship to spiritual potential• simile of the lotuses growing up in muddy

water• beings in various stages of development

Lotus Pool

The Lotus

extraordinary potential

•he sees extraordinary potential all around him•this causes him to feel compassion•anukampa – ‘to shake, tremble with’ •the removal of suffering is a kind of by-product

Verse 2

Whenever I am in the company of others,May I regard myself as inferior to all, And from the depths of my heartCherish others as supreme.

Atma-mana

• think we are special even when we believe we are bad or flawed

• we might notice this when we feel affronted• e.g. when others seem to think they are better

than us• so here we think ‘let them go first’• they provide us with an opportunity to practice

self-transcendence• provides opportunity to overcome our pride

A strong practice

accept our pride, but need to expand out i.e. not try to eradicate all our pride it is part of spiritual growth, the evolution of the

individual needs to be refined, developed and in the end seen through this is a practice to correct imbalance within

ourselves not easy to see ourselves as inferior

Another approach

• regard everyone we meet as worthy of being served by us

• everyone is equally worthy of our kindness and attention

• all beings are a field of care, ourselves included

Difficult for Indian Buddhists?

•particularly difficult for Indian buddhists

•caste system has them as the lowest of the low

•how do they understand this?

•they found they could relate in terms of the ‘honoured guest’ who is treated like a king

or god

•e.g. treated with extraordinary grace and courtesy

Issues of self-worth

•in West ‘inferior’ probably not very helpful word

•but can’t get away from pride and conceit

•in the West also have issues with poor self- view

•it can be a form of arrogance

“Everything that lives is holy”

Quote by William Blake

•for us this verse could be more a case of elevating others

•seeing others as superior is spiritual, religious

•seeing everyone as sacred, as holy

•feel reverence, even humility to others

•false humility is another form of ‘pride’

Counter-acting pride and conceit

•Buddha taught the Tathagatagarbha doctrine

•every living thing has Buddha nature

•so why are we so special, so unique?

•gratitude to others counteracts atma-mana

•we are not as independent as we think

We are so dependent on others

•might help to make list of all who have helped us

•Tibetan Buddhists believe all beings have been your mother and father

•without our parents, who gave us this life, this birth, we would not benefit now

•serving others and the dharma - without reward

•Shantideva ‘May I be a servant to beings’

Verse 3

In all my actions may I watch my mind,

And as soon as disturbing emotions arise,

May I forcefully stop them at once,

Since they hurt both me and others.

‘disturbing emotions’

•first two verses give a positive vision of cherishing others

•they undermine the deep atma-klesas atma-sneya and atma-mana

•but other klesas arise as you cherish others

•here secondary klesas called ‘disturbing emotions’

•these can be experienced in meditation

•sudden eruption of klesa

Klesas

• the root meaning of klesa: something that afflicts, disturbs, creates turbulence, pain, suffering in the mind

• recognised by their disturbing influence on the mind

• they stir things up; disintegrate, divide the mind

‘forces of disintegration’

• klesas are very unhelpful - damaging

• obstruct maturing, and ripening you and others

‘an internal rebellion’

•as we start to cherish others •we start to stir things up•klesas arise•often experience this in meditation -

clear, bright mind, •then suddenly there are the klesas! •it is like an internal rebellion

In all my actions may I watch my mind,And as soon as disturbing emotions arise

Just stop them!

•Langritangpa’s advice•simply stop them - just like that! •forceful stopping - use your power•or loving attention - strong enough to just

stop them or dissolves them•can we just stop the klesas? •NO!•try and understand what lies behind them•forceful stopping may lead to repression/

suppression

Some klesas worse than others

•some klesas more serious than others

•in the Mahayana the most serious is hatred

•M.Y. sutra ‘The Definitive Vinaya’ lists and classifies klesas.

•craving is subtle and difficult to remove

•but is not so serious - just leads to rebirth!

•hatred is easy to remove, but very, very serious

Why is hatred so serious?

•it cuts you off from the bodhicitta

•you disrupt your connection to others

•but you cannot ignore craving of course

•- it too can cause disruptions with others

e.g. taking someone’s lover

•ignorance is also serious - thinking we do good we often cause harm

•all klesas have to be dealt with

Refinement and difficulties

•As we practice we get more refined, more sensitive

•Danger then is we avoid any kind of difficulty

•Practice can become a refined hedonism

•Pseudo-spiritual-aestheticism (Bhante)

•In the sense you become too precious about your mental states - protective.

With difficulties we can really practise

•Hakuin very critical of some types of meditation

•what he called - ‘dead sitting’

•he said we should become like a lotus that blooms in the fire

•practice your meditation in your life not just on your cushion

•when confronted by difficulties we can really practice

Conclusion

Whenever I am in the company of others,May I regard myself as inferior to all, And from the depths of my heartCherish others as supreme.

In all my actions may I watch my mind,And as soon as disturbing emotions arise,May I forcefully stop them at once,Since they hurt both me and others.

Be a Lotus