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1. The Brightly Shining Sun, transl. by Adam Pearcey

http://www.lotsawahouse.org/tibetan-masters/patrul-rinpoche/bodhicharyavatara-brightly-shining-sun

Meditation Instructions on Bodhicharyavatara Transcribed from a recorded teaching given by Ringu Tulku Rinpoche

in Vajradhara Ling, France, August, 2013,

on Patrul Rinpoche’s text¹

Video part 1

So I thought that at this time, in a few days, we would go through a text on based on the

Bodhicharyavatara. It is called The Meditation Instructions on Bodhicharyavatara and is written

by one great Tibetan Buddhist master called Patrul Rinpoche.

Patrul Rinpoche

Patrul Rinpoche is regarded as one of the most learned lamas of his time. He used to teach

Bodhicharyavatara all the time. He taught it over 50 times. It is said he used to go through the text

each day, and when he came to the end, the next day he went to the beginning and kept on

teaching. Then again, when he came to the end, he went to the beginning. So he taught to the

public only this text – nothing else.

Patrul Rinpoche was very learned and highly realized. And, I think, therefore, he was not very

traditional. He didn't want to stay in a monastery; he did not wear nice robes; he never stayed

sitting on a throne; and things like that. If people came and paid obeisance to him, he would

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throw stones at them. He went around in ordinary nomadic clothes so that nobody would

recognize him. And if people asked him to give teachings, he would never give. He was a very

strange yogi type of person.

Then one lama in Palpung Monastery in Kham said he would like to go and really receive the

teachings on Bodhicharyavatara from Patrul Rinpoche, because Patrul Rinpoche is a real

bodhisattva. Other lamas told him no, you will not get it. Patrul Rinpoche will not teach you.

This lama says, “Yes, he will teach me. I know how to get it.” And away he went. Patrul Rinpoche

was very far away, in a very remote place of Golok, in eastern Tibet, where was a big lama camp.

So this lama set up camped very near to the cave where Patrul Rinpoche was staying. And he

pretended not to know Patrul Rinpoche. He would sometimes send Patrul Rinpoche food and tea.

“Give this to the retreatant.”

After a few days, Patrul Rinpoche came out to see the monk. Patrul Rinpoche said, “I am very

happy, very grateful that you send me food and tea and things like that again and again. Thank

you very much. I came to thank you.”

Still the monk pretended not to recognize Patrul Rinpoche. Just replied, “That is okay. You are

doing some retreat there. It is very nice. But did you study some Buddhism?"

Patrul Rinpoche said, “Yes, I did some study, and I did some practice.” The monk said, “If you

want, I can give you some teachings. I have some teachings on Bodhicharyavatara. I can give that

teaching to you. Please come and receive this teaching."

Patrul Rinpoche said, “Oh yes, yes. Bodhicharyavatara is my favorite book. It is so wonderful. I

really want to receive this teaching. Please give it to me.”

And so the lama gave Rinpoche Patrul the teaching in a brief way. Then he said, “Now that I have

given you the teachings, you have to tell me what you understood from this book. It is your test.”

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Patrul Rinpoche said, “Yes, actually I have studied this text a lot of times. I really contemplated on

it, and I really practiced on it. This is my favorite book. Yes, I am very happy that I can tell you

everything that I understood from it.” So then Patrul Rinpoche gave the monk the complete

teachings on the Bodhicharyavatara.

The monk said, “Oh yes, that is good. You have really understood it. Now you have to give this

teaching to everybody.” And Patrul Rinpoche said okay, okay, and started teaching on it. And that

is how the monk got the teaching from Patrul Rinpoche on the Bodhicharyavatara.

Later, he wrote this short instruction on meditation.

Meditation Instructions on Bodhicharyavatara

First, there is the homage, the one stanza homage, which is actually the first four lines of the

Bodhicharyavatara.

With the devotion I pay homage to the buddhas gone to bliss

To their Dharma bodies, noble heirs and all worthy of respect.

In accordance with the scriptures, I shall now in brief describe

How to adopt proper conduct, the way of buddhas' heirs.

What it means to say is that we pay homage to Buddha, Dharma and Sangha. I pay homage to the

Buddhas, the Dharma, and the Sangha; and everybody, anybody who is worthy of my respect. So

this is the homage. I think I don't need to explain this too much. This is the usual three refuges in

Buddhism: Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha.

Buddha is the highest transformation. I think we have to say it like this. It is said that all of us – all

beings, not only human beings, but all beings – we have the potential, the capacity, to transform,

to become better. All our positive qualities – like our compassion, our wisdom, and our peace and

joy– all these things can develop, can increase to the utmost, limitlessly.

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From the Buddhist point of view, irrespective of how negative we are, how bad the situation we

are in, what kind of life or life form we have, everybody has this capacity to fully transform.

Somebody who has already transformed and actualized that ultimate quality (which is naturally

within us) is called a buddha.

So if we want to end our disturbed state of mind, if we want to bring an end to our own problems

and sufferings, we should also try to develop these qualities within us. From the Buddhist point of

view, countless people in the past have become buddhas, or enlightened. And all of us,

eventually, if we try, also can become that. The methods or the ways on how to work towards

that, the experience of the buddhas in the past, and their teachings or their road maps that they

give us on how to transform ourselves, is the Dharma.

Any beings, any persons, who has some understanding, some experience of that Dharma, who are

actually on the path of the Dharma, are called the Sangha.

So to these three, Shantideva wants to pay homage. He wants to (and so should we) try to learn

this method that is Dharma from the Sangha, who are on the path, and then try to transform

ourselves fully. That is Buddha.

Not only are there Buddha, Dharma and Sangha. There are other people also to whom I have to

be grateful: to those who have been very kind and compassionate to me, to those who are in need

of help from me, as well as to those who are my elders, who are experienced and learned. To all

of them also I must show respect. I must give my homage.

Then Shantideva says, “In accordance with the scriptures,” according to the teachings of the

Buddha, I will try to explain the ways of the bodhisattva and the bodhisattvas' path.

A bodhisattva is somebody who is on the way to become a buddha. In other words, it is a

compassionate warrior. Somebody who is brave, who has great heart to work towards ending the

suffering to himself and other people, and bring lasting peace and happiness to everyone. Who

has promised to work towards that end, to work until that happens. Anybody, a man, a woman,

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any other being who says I would like to bring lasting peace and happiness to all beings

throughout space, and towards that end I must work whether it is taking a long time, whether it is

hard work, whether I get help or not, I would like to do that. Somebody who makes that kind of

dedication, that kind of aspiration, and has that kind of motivation is called a bodhisattva.

All the teachings of the Buddha are actually on this. Like Patrul Rinpoche says in another place, “I

have read all the teachings of the Buddha, I have read all the commentaries by great Indian

masters, by many Tibetan masters, and I also received different kinds of very profound instructions,

and finally what I understand from them is that it is all about the path of the bodhisattva.”

Video part 2

The Four Sections of this Text

Within these 4 points, the whole practice is explained:

1. who is the practitioner, what kind of person can practice;

2. what kind of attitude is required for the practice;

3. what are the practices; and

4. what are the results of these practices.

1. The Practitioner

It is said here in Patrul Rinpoche’s text:

“The person who is the support of the practice is someone endowed with all the freedoms and

advantages, and who has faith and compassion.”

Generally speaking, it is said that anybody can be a bodhisattva. Anybody: man, woman, animal,

gods. Anybody can practice the bodhisattva's path. That is the general understanding.

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But if you are a human being, then you have more capacity, and more ability to do it. As a human

being, we have more advantages, more abilities. We can understand; we can talk; and we can

think. We have a lot of capacity also to do things, to help others. So a human being with all its

faculties and abilities intact is one of the most appropriate and most qualified body support for the

practice of bodhisattva's path.

Especially, those people who have faith and compassion.

Faith is depa in Tibetan. There are two kinds of depa, two kinds of faith. One is a kind of blind

faith, and one is faith with understanding. Blind faith is sometimes misguided, and sometimes

inspired. Inspiration or inspired faith is something like when you see somebody and you feel very

inspired by that person, by that person's way of being, and you feel you should be able to trust

this person. This comes intuitively. Or, sometimes it happens when you receive some instruction

or teachings, or read a book and you become inspired by it. Something touches your heart. That

is an inspired kind of devotion or faith.

Another faith, which from the Buddhist point of view is very important, is to understand. You

understand that when you go through the teachings of the Buddha; your understanding is that this

is correct. This is right. Because from whichever direction I look, I cannot see any contradiction,

or difference, or something that is not right. So I feel that I deeply understand that this is the way

it is and therefore it has to be like this. When you have a certain kind of clarity, when you have a

strong confidence or certainty about things, then it is called faith.

Blind faith is a little bit dangerous because it can be affected by a misguided way of seeing things.

From a Buddhist point of view, faith with understanding is regarded as most important, or more

important. In this case, faith is that we have some understanding and some faith that it is possible

for us to transform, to become better, that we can change, and change for the better.

If we have no understanding or no faith, or no belief in this, then there is no ground for practice.

So the whole point is that I would like to transform. I would like to become better. I would like to

end the sources of my negative emotions, negative habitual tendencies, and transform myself.

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And if I can transform, others can also transform. So therefore, I cannot just take away their

problems. But I can help them. So I would like to help all other people to transform. If I have

certain understanding, certain confidence, and certain faith in doing this that there is a possibility

to transform, then that is the right kind of faith.

[Compassion could be said to come from,] more or less, empathy – that you want to see yourself

transformed and become better, but to see others also become better. I would like my near and

dear ones also to be happier, to be transformed. And I would like their near and dear ones also to

be happier and transformed. And like this, extending further our empathy or wishing to help or

wishing well makes us more compassionate.

Of course, you cannot have complete compassion at the moment. But you have some kind of

compassion so that it can develop, it can increase because the basic motivation of this path is

compassion. So one should have some feeling of compassion. When we see so many problems

there are in the world, so many difficulties there are in the world, so many sufferings there are in

this world, then we feel that something needs to be done about them. I wish it. I wish it very

strongly that these sufferings, problems, conflicts, atrocities, all these negative things happening in

the world would come to an end. And that I also develop the wish that I could do something

about that. So this is the kind of compassion. I want to help. I want to bring great, immense

freedom and positive things for other people in the world.

This is a natural trait in human beings. Not only in human beings but sometimes we can see this

altruistic behavior in animals also. People who have done research on animals have found that

many animals have also this altruistic attitude. They sometimes even sacrifice their own life in

order to save other animals.

From the Buddhist point of view, we can all learn to become compassionate, we can all learn to be

confident, and to have clarity, and therefore faith. And we can also learn to experience more

positive experiences, learn to be happier, to be more joyful, to be more peaceful. It is all a

training. We can train to become better, to have more compassion, more wisdom, more peace of

mind. This is what the whole training is all about.

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Sometimes you talk as if you have to train yourself! You have to become better! That is not what

I want, I want to be free. If you don't want, then you can go on doing the same thing. If you like it,

that is very good. If you feel that there is something you need to change, something you want to

transform (the way you react, the emotions and reactions you have, and all this kind of way of

being), then there is a possibility. There is nobody saying you must do this. It is just showing a

possibility. I think this is very important.

I don't know why it is, but in the west there is always this kind of feeling of “Am I allowed? Am I

not allowed?” – some kind of question. “Am I not allowed to do? Am I allowed to do?” That

question is not there. There is no question of allowing or not allowing. It is just showing a way,

that if you want, if you like, you can also train in this.

Questions and Answers

Student: [Recording starts in the middle of sentence] …obligation. We said before it is a choice.

And when someone decides to do something, they say it is a choice. In this case it is not a sacrifice

to yourself, because it is your choice. I cannot say exactly, but with this word, there is something

not clear inside.

Rinpoche: Sacrifice?

Student: Yes.

Rinpoche: First I have to say this. In the Dharma teachings, it is not said that you have to sacrifice.

That is the first thing. You don't have to sacrifice. Generally speaking, sacrifice is that I want to do

something that has a very big positive consequence. To do that, I lose something, which to my

understanding is less than what I gain, or what is gained by other people. I don't want to lose that,

but in order to accomplish that bigger result, I am ready to lose that. That is sacrifice. In order to

do something, or get something, or accomplish something much more worthwhile, or more

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important, or more beneficial, I am ready to let go of something which I actually do not want to let

go. That is sacrifice.

Sometimes the word sacrifice is used in other circumstances, like you are making offerings (this is

never done in Buddhism) like you kill a goat and you say that is sacrifice. You call it sacrificial

offering. This is another kind of sacrifice, but that is not from the Buddhist point of view.

From the Buddhist point of view, one should understand, and try to do something which one

would have no regrets. Like giving, generosity – if I have no problem, if I have no regret, if I don't

feel it is a sacrifice, then I can give, say, a glass of water. There is no problem. I don't feel like I am

making a sacrifice. If I give this flower, I don't feel I am sacrificing something, so I give this flower.

Then, slowly, slowly, if I have a little bit of money, I give it and I don't feel bad, and I have no

feelings of regret. So I give it.

From the Buddhist point of view, the idea is to develop slowly, slowly. Train so that even if you do

something and give something quite big you don't have the feeling that I have to sacrifice. But you

feel joy in doing that. Then it is not a sacrifice. That is the general way of training. Not like I have

sacrificed so much! Not like that.

Student: [Recording starts in the middle of sentence] …self and you can become better?

Rinpoche: I think first thing is to somehow make those people understand that being full of

negative thoughts and negative emotions and negative actions is not good for them. To have lots

of negative thoughts and negative way of acting and reacting is a problem for the person himself.

It brings lots of pain and difficulties for oneself. It is not good. I think that is the first thing to

understand.

When it is understood that this way of reacting, which is negative, is not good, is not useful, is not

giving good results, is not giving happiness, or positive things for me, then I think there is a

possibility to have some intention, some wish to change that. Once there is the wish, that okay, I

have these negative feelings, negative reactions, and negative thoughts, and it is not good; I need

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to reduce it; I need to change it – then I think we can find methods and ways to work on it. Then, I

think, they will slowly start to work on it. So, unless you first realize that this negativity is

something negative, something not good for you, then of course there is no chance. You would

not want to change.

Video part 3

2. Attitude

We are going through Patrul Rinpoche's meditation instructions, or practice instructions, on the

Bodhicharyavatara.

It is presented in 4 sections. We have gone through the first one, what kind of person should

practice this. And now we come to the second point: the attitude with which one practices. This

is the attitude we need to adopt.

From Patrul Rinpoche’s text:

“Secondly, the intention of bodhichitta has two aspects: aspiration and action.

1. Aspiration

Regarding the first of these, it is said:

Arousing bodhichitta is: for the sake of others

Longing to attain complete enlightenment.

In other words it is the intention of wishing to attain complete enlightenment for the sake

of others.”

So this is what we call bodhichitta. The main teaching on this Bodhicharyavatara, or in the

bodhisattva's way of life, is bodhichitta.

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Bodhichitta is the heart of the bodhi, enlightenment. This bodhichitta is presented as two things:

aspiration bodhichitta and action bodhichitta.

Generally speaking, I think we have to say this here. Bodhichitta is sometimes also divided into

relative bodhichitta and ultimate bodhichitta. Relative bodhichitta is the usual aspiration. It is our

conventional way of doing things. Ultimate bodhichitta is the ultimate nature, the wisdom.

Relative bodhichitta is compassion. Ultimate bodhichitta is wisdom.

Relative bodhichitta can be divided into two parts: aspiration and action.

First, we will talk about aspiration. It is how we think, and our attitude, trying to find our goal, the

meaning of life. What is it that I really want? What is it that is the most important thing for me?

When we think what the most important thing for me is, most of the time we don't think about it

in a broader way.

When we were in school as a little child, people would ask what you want to be. As children we

answer, I want to be a doctor. I want to be a musician. I want to be an actor. I want to be this. I

want to be that. And sometimes we do not go beyond that. When we say I want to become a

doctor, or an engineer, or actor, what do we really mean by this? We think if I want to become a

doctor, or whatever, I think that is good. That is great. But does it really give the result of what I

really, really, want? If we look deeply, we find that what I really want in a deep way is that I want

to be free from all kinds of suffering and pain and problems. I don't want any problems. I don't

want any pain. I don't want any difficulties. And I want to be totally well and happy and joyful.

And that is not only for a short time but for all the time. So that is what we really want. We want

to be free from all kinds of suffering, and have a lasting kind of happiness and well-being.

And then, if I am told, "Okay, you will have no more problems. Now you have no problems

anymore. But this concerns only you," is that okay for me? We all have people whom we love.

People who have been very kind, very helpful and compassionate toward us. Do we want them to

suffer and still be in that situation? We don't want that. If our loved ones are suffering, then we

are not free from suffering either.

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So what we really wish is that I want to be free from pain and problems and suffering, and have

lasting peace and happiness. But I also want not my beloved ones, their beloved ones, and

eventually I don't want anybody to have suffering and any problems. That is really my wish.

This not something that is Buddhist. It is not just that I am Buddhist, so I feel like that. It is not like

that. It is that as a human being, as a conscious being, if we really look into the depths of our

hearts, that is what we want. So it is important that we realize, that we are able to understand

and articulate what it is that I ultimately wish.

Sometimes it is important to know what we really want. If we don't know what we really want,

sometimes we make mistakes. I have a story about this.

The Weaver’s Wish

There was a weaver who wanted to make some implements for his loom; for this he needed

wood. So he went into the forest with an axe to cut a tree for wood. He looked at one tree, and

said, "This is too big." He looked another tree, and said it was too small. A third was too nice. The

fourth was too good because it was so straight. He just couldn't cut any of the trees around him.

So he went to the other side of the forest, still he could not cut any trees. Because he did not cut

down any trees, the goddess of the forest was very pleased with him. She appeared before him

and said, "I am very pleased with you because you came to cut a tree but you cut none. So now,

whatever you want you may ask it of me and I will grant it to you."

So the weaver thought to himself, "What do I want? I have to be careful to say what I want

because if I make a mistake, it would be very bad." He thought and thought, but he could not

think of anything he really wanted. So he said, "May I come back tomorrow to ask you? I have a

good friend. He is very wise. I can ask his advice, then come back to tell you what I want."

The goddess said, "Okay, tomorrow, exactly at this time, you come to this spot, and I will appear.

Whatever you ask, I will grant."

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The weaver goes back home and then to his friend. "Tell me, tell me," he said to his friend. "If I

have to wish for something, and if I get my wish, what should I ask for?"

The friend said, "Well, you have a lot of work, but you don't have enough hands to get all the work

done. You need more hands, so you can do more weaving. The more hands you have, the better

will be for you."

"Oh yes, you are right," said the weaver.

The next morning, the weaver went back to the spot. Immediately the goddess reappeared.

"What do you wish for?" She asked.

"I want four hands," said the weaver.

"You want four hands?" she said in amazement.

"Yes, because I am a weaver, and the more hands I have, the better it is."

"So be it." And the goddess waved her hand, granting the weaver his wish.

The weaver went back home. Everybody took one look at him and ran away.

"Now I have four hands," he cried. "I can do much more work. Please give me your work."

But they was all so afraid because he had four hands, they ran away.

So, if we don't know what is the best thing to wish for, sometimes we do like that. That is not

good.

If we look deeply into our hearts, then I think more or less it is the same – that all of us wish to

have absolutely no suffering, problem, and pain for ourselves and for others. And that we would

be able to bring the kind of lasting peace, lasting happiness, lasting joy and well-being to all the

people. So that should be our intention, our aspiration – the highest, the best, the most ultimate

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aspiration. Because that is the true aspiration in ourselves, if we look deeply within ourselves. So

we should say that is what we want.

It is not easy. It is difficult. It might take a long time. But the idea is that if one person can do

that, if one person can be free from suffering and can have lasting peace and happiness, then

eventually everybody can. Because everyone is an individual. So one may take a longer time to

achieve that, the next maybe a little longer or a little shorter, but everybody can do that. So that

is what I really want. I can transform, there is the possibility for me to bring that lasting peace and

happiness, and there is the possibility for everyone to get there. So that is what I want.

In the short way, I want to have the lasting happiness, joy and well-being for myself and for all

other beings. Towards that end I would like to work. It may not happen today, it may not happen

tomorrow, it may not happen in this life, it may not happen in many life times, but towards that

end, I want to work. So if anybody really deeply wishes, and says that, then that is the aspiration

bodhichitta. That is bodhichitta.

This is the understanding. Once one generates that bodhichitta, that is the best kind of aspiration,

best attitude, best motivation. There can't be any better motivation that that. There can't be any

more positive motivation than that. There can't be any grander motivation than that, because

that is for all the beings. And there can't be anything more positive because there is nothing more

positive than that. So it is important to generate that motivation.

In our life, if we have some motivation of wanting to help others, that becomes much more

useful. A long time back, I was teaching in a university. Many young people would come and ask

what profession they should take. “I want to take a very interesting profession. Something very

interesting for me. What kind of a profession should I have?

So I was thinking what kind of profession is the most interesting. I thought maybe sports, because

sports is very interesting. I even suggested to one or two students to take up sports. They took it.

They didn't like it. Because once it becomes work, it is the same whether it is sports or anything

else. It becomes a job, it is a job. A job is a job.

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Then I was thinking, "What is the best thing? What is the best thing?" And I thought of it like this.

The best profession is something that I know is very good and useful, helpful to lots of people. So I

began to suggest that. Interest is something very changeable. I am interested in something now.

Then after a little bit (after a year or two), I lose that interest. Or it becomes a job and I lose

interest. Interest is something changeable. But if I am doing something that I know is useful, and

purposeful, and helpful, and beneficial to lots of people, then I never have this feeling of lack of

job satisfaction. I know that even if it is not so easy, even if it is a little bit difficult, I know that it is

useful. I know that it is helping people. The more I know it is helping people, the more

enthusiastic I become. The happier I become, because if I know that what I am doing is doing

some good to others, I feel good. I feel important. I feel happy. So it seems to be the most useful

way of thinking, that I should be doing something that is really good, helpful, and beneficial to lots

of people.

The more I feel that, the happier I am that I am doing something good for others. I become

happier with myself. This was also proved, in a way. There was a research in a big university in

America, the most prestigious law school in America, Harvard Law School. To their surprise, they

found that people got more enjoyment, more satisfaction, spending their money on others rather

than themselves. These people felt happier, got more benefit and good feeling spending their

money for others than on themselves.

At first, I thought that is ridiculous. It can't be true. How can I get satisfaction through spending

my money on others? I should get more satisfaction spending money on myself.

Thinking about it a little bit more, I think it is possible. I was thinking if I had 5 euros, and I went

out, what would I do? Get a chocolate. Ice cream. I spend it on myself. I have an ice cream, or a

chocolate, or a chocolate ice cream! (There are some nice ice creams.) Now, how would I feel? I

feel good, no? But after I have eaten the ice cream, then how would I feel? Then I say, oh, I had

an ice cream. I am already fat. Maybe it will make me fatter. It is not very good. Maybe I should

not have eaten it. But it is finished. I can't think about it anymore. It is finished. I don't enjoy it

after I come back. Tomorrow I don't enjoy it. Day after tomorrow I don't enjoy it. I don't enjoy it,

and I felt a little guilty.

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Now, suppose I don't use this 5 euros on the ice cream, but give it to some charity or some good

cause that I believe in. Then how would I feel? At that moment, maybe I don't feel that good.

This 5 euros, maybe I should have used it on myself. But once it is done, then how would I feel? I

would feel good. Oh, yes! Today I did something good. I spent my 5 euros on some charity. Then

I go back home. In the evening I go to sleep. Oh, today I spent 5 euros on a good cause. And

tomorrow, I would think, oh, yesterday I did something good. Next year I think, oh, last year I did

something good. Maybe all my life I can think that I did something good. I was a good guy. I

spent a little money to help somebody. So, that little thing I did for others, for a good cause,

makes me happier about myself. If that is the case, if I really want to spend my life, if I want to

dedicate the purpose of my whole life in a way that would be really working for the benefit of all

the beings, the how would I feel? How purposeful, useful, and important I would feel about

myself.

This kind of generating bodhichitta, this way of caring for others, and working for the benefit of

myself and others is something which is not only noble, not only something that has a result long

time after, but something that is really good for me even now, that can make me happier

now, that can bring confidence to me now, that can give me true purpose in my life now. So it is

essential and important. It is like His Holiness the Dalai Lama sometimes says, to work with

compassion, or to be compassionate, doing something for the purpose of others, is actually doing

more good to yourself. It is the wise way of actually working for your own benefit. Working for

the benefit of others is a wise way of working for yourself.

So when I deeply feel and generate this bodhichitta, and really want to work for the benefit of

others, it is not just others who are benefitting, it is myself who is benefitting more. So for my

own benefit, for the benefit of others, for the benefit of now, for the benefit of the long run, this is

the wisest and the best way. If I understand this deeply, and have this attitude, have this

aspiration and motivation, then I cannot go wrong. There is nothing that can go wrong. So it is an

extremely important thing to do, to learn, to see, and to be very clear about, to make this

motivation my guiding principle.

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Video part 4

Adopting the Bodhichitta Attitude

We talked about the aspiration bodhichitta and now come to the action bodhichitta. And action

bodhichitta means that now, in order to do that, to accomplish that intention, then how shall we

train ourselves? What actions should I take in order to make this intention come true? This is the

action bodhichitta – what I will actually do in order to fulfill this aspiration.

The first step is to train ourselves in the bodhisattva's way. And in order to do that we must first

take the Bodhisattva's vow to turn this intention into a commitment. So we will talk about how to

take the Bodhisattva's vow.

The Bodhisattva's vow can be taken from a teacher or in front of a teacher, or we can do it by

ourselves – to turn this aspiration into a decision by ourselves. Because when I make a decision to

do something, a one-pointed decision, then sooner or later, it will happen.

The taking of the Bodhisattva's vow has three preparations. The first part is generating

enthusiasm. I make myself feel enthusiastic about it. I inspire myself about that. That is the first

part. The second part is accumulating positive deeds. The understanding from the Buddhist point

of view is that if you want to do something grand, something really big, you need to accumulate

lots of positive deeds. The more positive actions there are, then the more conveniently and un-

obstructedly this big action or project will get accomplished. If you don't make any positive

actions to support it, then this project can have more obstacles. So in order to accomplish the

bodhisattva's training or bodhisattva's commitment, or bodhisattva's wishes I do the positive

actions. That is the seven branch practice. And third is the mind training, the actual training of

the mind on the bodhisattva's way. These are the three preparations.

Generating enthusiasm

There are some verses taken from the first chapter of the Bodhicharyavatara. I would like to read

them to you. This is the fourth verse from the Bodhicharyavatara.

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This free and well-favoured human form is difficult to obtain.

Now that we have the chance to realise the full human potential,

If we don’t make good use of this opportunity,

How could we possibly expect to have such a chance again?

This is about appreciating our human life. It is saying that we have now, this time, acquired this

human body, human life, which has so many positive qualities, have so much potential, it is such a

powerful life, from which we can do a lot of good, to others and ourselves, which has the capacity

to know, to learn, and to improve, and to do things in a big way. So we must now, when we have

this opportunity of having the human form, human life, we should do something. We should not

waste this life. I should not waste this life. I should do something very, very useful, do something

very, very beneficial in this life. Because we cannot say I will get this kind of opportunity again and

again.

It is said we are the highest form of creation. We are the most intelligent species on earth. We

are the most advanced species. Maybe we are. And maybe we are not. That is another question.

But we need to appreciate what we have. We need to learn to deeply appreciate the positive

things we have. We do not have the habitual tendency to appreciate them. We always look for

what we don't have. We always focus our attention or our mind on what is not good; what is not

there; what we don't have; what is wrong. We make ourselves unhappy, worried, afraid, pained,

and sad. We have that habitual tendency. We need to break that habitual tendency. We need to

learn. We need to train ourselves to focus more on the positive things we have, focus more on the

good things we have, focus more on the opportunities we have. Because if we do that, if we don't

do anything else but that, then I think we can transform ourselves. We can become much happier

and more positive human beings, just by doing that. So we need to do that; we need to learn how

to do that. We need to create that habit.

Every morning, when we get up, we should think, what a great opportunity I have. There are so

many positive things that is there in my life, so many opportunities I have in my life. All good

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things that I have I must appreciate. And I must rejoice in that. So this makes me happy; that

makes me more positive; that makes me more powerful.

Many people, especially the young ones, are becoming very negative, losing hope, feeling that

there is no meaning in life. That is an effect. We are always looking at the dark side. We are

always complaining about everything. That is becoming our habit: looking at what is not there,

what is not right, what is not good. I think this habit needs to be changed. We need to think

about and remind ourselves of all the positive things we have. And if we really look at those

positive things we have, we would be very grateful. We would be very happy. Even without

anything. Just having life itself is so precious, so good, so enjoyable. This we don't know until we

lose it.

Like the fact that we are healthy. There is no pain. We are healthy. But we don't appreciate

that. We say that is nothing. I am healthy, so what? When we become sick, then we know. Oh,

that time when I was healthy, it was so nice. It was so great. So we have this habit of only

appreciating something after we have lost it. This is a very bad habit. We need to learn how to

appreciate, how to celebrate, how to feel good about it when we have those good things. This is

the first one.

Questions and Answers

[These questions were not recorded, so here we only have Rinpoche’s answers with a header that

describes the topic in question.]

Which is more important, aspiration or action?

First, the aspiration is important. If our aspiration is genuine, if our aspiration is strong, then our

actions naturally follow. Because our body and speech act according to the orders of our minds.

The mind is like the boss. The boss gives the orders, the employees do the things. Maybe

sometimes they do better than other times, sometimes a little bit not so good, but they do it. So

aspiration is the best.

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When we have good aspiration, positive aspiration, it means we are thinking with compassion.

Then we have to act with wisdom. We have to act by thinking clearly and using our best wisdom

to see what is the best way to do things.

We cannot guarantee that what we do will always have the desired result because we are still

samsaric beings, we do not have the wisdom of the enlightened being. So we can make mistakes;

we can do the right things, the wrong things, the in-between things (in different levels). But as a

samsaric being, we cannot do more than our best. If I say, I want to do something good, but I

don't know what is exactly right thing to do, so I can't do it until I have that wisdom, then I think

we will not do anything for a long, long time. Therefore, we have to act to the best of the wisdom

we have.

Now, what is the effect, the result, of that action? Of course the action depends on how I act, but

it also depends on so many other elements. Will what I do actually happen the way I want? I

don't know, because there are so many other elements. Sometimes it turns out much better than

what I wanted. Sometimes it becomes much worse than what I intended. And sometimes it

becomes exactly what I intended. So we can never say how things will turn out because there are

so many elements.

The idea is that we just purify our motivations, use our best wisdom, and do it.

Until Enlightenment

The Bodhisattva's vow is taken until one becomes enlightened – for life after life after life. If my

aspiration is strong, if I train in my compassion well enough, then my next life will become more

positive, more compassionate, and I would have (more or less) the similar attitude I have now.

This is not to say that in the next life I will become a Buddhist. In the next life I may not even be a

human being. But my attitude of working for the benefit of others, with the intention of helping

more, that intention continues. This is kind of explained by the Jataka stories the Buddha told.

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Buddha talked about all the different lives he had before. Most of them were not as a Buddhist,

most of them did not involve taking the Bodhisattva's vow. There were times as animals (deer,

parrots, birds, fish). But there was one thing that was there, which is that intention of the

bodhisattva. So the intention continues. That is how it is understood.

What we are trying to train, or generate, is not just the theory of bodhisattva, but essence of the

bodhisattva, which is wisdom and compassion.

What will happen to us and our emotions when we become a buddha?

I think what you ask is that if we train in our compassion and wisdom and positive things, and we

become perfect, then what will happen to us?

Because we have trained in our compassion and the positive way of thinking, all our negative

emotions will be gone. We don't get angry at all. We don't become greedy. We have no envy and

jealousy. We have no pride. We become calm. We become considerate. We are very nice people

– very nice and kind. And because we have no negativity, we become very happy and peaceful

and joyful.

Then, because we have a lot of wisdom – wisdom means that we know what we are and what

everything is – our mind becomes unconfused. Not confused. So we know what to do in any

situation. And, as we know exactly what we are, we have no fears, no worries, no panics, no

aversions. We become very happy. That is the idea – to become compassionate and wise. That

is, if we become trained in this.

Some people made a brain mapping on some good lamas, like Mingyur Rinpoche, Rabjam

Rinpoche, Matthieu Ricard, Chogyal (?) Rinpoche, and many others. They found that some of

these lamas are 1,000 times happier than a normal being. One thousand times. Some of them

were 800 times happier. At first the researchers thought something was wrong with the machine.

This was not possible; something was wrong. Then they measured the lamas again on another

machine. But they found no difference in the results. They had to accept their findings. For a

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long time the results were kept secret. So it is possible to have different ways of experiencing

ourselves. That is the main thing.

Nothing changes outside. I don't know if these lamas can create miracles, like wave their hands

and something happens. Maybe they can. I don't know.

A friend of mine, from Switzerland, went to Tibet where she met an old nun who was blind and

crippled. The nun was living in a small, dirty, not very hygienic hut. But she was very, very happy.

She had no teeth, but she was always laughing; laughing with her toothless mouth wide open. My

friend asked the nun why she is so happy. The nun laughed and said, why not?

My friend was surprised. How can people be happy in such impoverished conditions? I was

thinking, and I said (as a joke), you are here. You are staying in a nice flat which you can make

warmer when it is cold, and cooler when it is hot. You can drive in a very nice car, which you can

also make cold or hot. Then you go into your office, which is also very nice, very beautiful, very

clean. You can sit at a very nice desk, on a very nice chair, have a very nice computer in front of

you, a very nice coffee, and still be very unhappy. Why? How can you be so unhappy?

It is surprising. It is shocking. It is not about the situation around us. It is about the mind.

Video part 5

We are discussing how to take the Bodhisattva’s vows. As we discussed, there are three sections:

a) preparation, b) the main part, and c) the conclusion. Within preparation there are three parts:

the first part is how to generate enthusiasm; the second part is the seven branch practice to

accumulate more positive deeds, and the third part is mind training.

In order to generate enthusiasm we remind ourselves of the importance of bodhichitta. The

previous stanza, which we went through yesterday, was to remind ourselves of the precious

human life and to appreciate it. And to remind ourselves that when we have such a great

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opportunity, we should not waste it, and should do something that is really beneficial for

ourselves and for others in a big way.

The fifth stanza in the 1st Chapter of Bodhicharyavatara says:

Like a flash of lightning on a dark and cloudy night,

Which, for just a single instant, sheds its brilliant light,

Rarely, through the buddhas’ power,

A mind of virtue arises, briefly, to people of the world.

This is to say that even for some positive thoughts to arise in our mind is not easy. If we have now

a positive thought (a little bit of compassion or good intention) we must appreciate that. This is

very important because we know how much negativity there is (negative thoughts, negative

intentions, and negative emotions) in the world. So when a good thought, or a positive intention,

arises in us, we have to see it as a flash of lightning in a dark and cloudy night.

It is night. Night is already dark. On top of that, it is a dark night which means there is no moon.

And on top of that, it is very cloudy. So on a night, which is a dark night, which is also cloudy, it is

very dark. Sometimes the situation in the world is a little bit like that. It is not easy or common to

have good thoughts or compassionate thoughts. And when we have that – a good thought, a

compassionate thought, or a positive intention like I want to do something for others – it is like a

flash of lightning in that dark night. So we really need to appreciate that. We have to say this is

really good. When I have this, I must use it. I must strengthen it. I must not let it go. We have to

appreciate that.

The sixth stanza:

All ordinary virtues therefore are forever feeble,

Whilst negativity is strong and difficult to bear––

But for the mind intent on perfect buddhahood,

What other virtue could ever overcome it?

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So, even to have a small positive thought or intention is not very easy. Even if positive, virtuous

thoughts were to arise in us, they are very feeble. They are not strong. Because the causes and

conditions of negativity are very strong. There are a lot of provocations to disturb our minds.

There are lots of anger, lots of greed, in the world. So our little feeble positive mind can be very

easily lost.

To have this kind of bodhichitta, to generate even a little bit of intention of bodhichitta (that is,

wishing the greatest benefit to all the sentient beings), this kind of intense positivity, really

benevolent feeling, or intention toward all sentient beings is something very, very precious, very

rare. This kind of bodhichitta, this kind of positive thought is so virtuous, so positive, that it cannot

be compared to any other positive intentions, thoughts, and emotions.

Stanza seven:

Contemplating wisely throughout the ages,

The mighty buddhas have seen its great benefit:

That it helps the boundless multitude of beings

Easily to gain the highest states of bliss.

This bodhichitta is something that makes a buddha a buddha. Those great masters, enlightened

beings, the buddhas, have seen the benefit of this. Because of this bodhichitta, the Buddha has

become a buddha. Because of this bodhichitta, one could help a multitude of beings, boundless

multitude of beings. Not only can they be little bit of helped, but with the help of bodhichitta,

they could also gain the highest state of bliss, which is the perfect enlightenment.

There is nothing more precious than the bodhichitta that arises in us. So if I feel a little bit of this

bodhichitta arising in me, I should really feel very happy, very joyful, very fortunate, very

purposeful, and meaningful. I should try to generate it more and more, try to increase it more and

more, and really be joyful and happy with that.

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Stanza number 8:

Those who long to triumph over life’s distress,

And who wish to put an end to others’ sorrows,

Those who seek to experience abundant joys––

Let them never turn their backs on bodhichitta.

If one really generates bodhichitta, this is the best for oneself. The best way to triumphing over or

getting rid of, or learning how to deal with our life's distresses is also bodhichitta. If my life is truly

dedicated towards working for the benefit of other beings, then my own problems, my own

purposes, are almost accomplished by the side. The more and more I am thinking and working,

and trying to work for learning how to help other beings, the more I feel joyful and happier, the

more I feel important and useful, and the mind becomes much more peaceful.

There is a modern story about the experience of someone in this last century. There was a lady in

the west who was crippled and on a wheelchair. Of course she was not very happy; she

sometimes felt distressed and depressed. She had a lot of pity for herself. One day she travelled

somewhere, to the east, where she saw a man who was not just crippled, but had no legs. Both

legs were cut off at the root. There was just the trunk which was covered by leather. He did not

even have a wheelchair. He crawled around on the ground using some wooden things to protect

his hands. But despite this, he was not unhappy. He was joyful, telling jokes, singing songs, calling

out to people, laughing and going about on his hands. When the woman saw this man, she

thought why should I be so unhappy and depressed? I am better off than this person. If this

person can be happy, I could be happy too. She decided it is not useful, not good, not right that I

should feel so deprived and unhappy. I should do something for others. I have so many

possibilities and facilities, that I could actually help others. She started to do something helpful to

someone each day. She said that since then, she never felt depressed, she never felt unhappy, she

never felt as distressed as before because she was too busy thinking what can I do next. What can

I do to help somebody? She started a big charitable trust, she was busy, she was working. Her life

became a very useful one to others. And it was one of enthusiasm, meaningfulness, and joy for

herself. She became quite famous and was rewarded for her efforts.

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This is just a small example of when our minds are turned away from how bad I am; what I don't

have; how unhappy I am; how unfortunate I am and toward what I can do to improve things; what

I can do to help; what I can do to make things better then the meaning of life totally changes. So

not only good for others, but also (this is very important and often not understood,) a good way to

learn how to triumph over the distresses in our life.

This is something I discovered by myself. As you know, we can feel bored. How do we feel

bored? Boredom occurs not because we don't have enough entertainment. It is not because of

that. Having no entertainment does not bore us. Boredom occurs when our attitude is one of I

really need to be entertained. I want to be entertained. I just look only for entertainment. Then

we get bored, whatever the entertainment is there. It doesn't matter.

I was never bored before. I didn't know boredom. Most of us don't know boredom in Tibet

because we have no entertainment. Even in our educational system, there is no entertainment.

When you read the alphabet, you say, “Ka! Ka! Ka! Ka! Ka!” and then you just read, day and night,

like this. And we didn't get bored. We didn't know what boredom was.

I came to experience boredom when I went to America. One year, I was invited to teach at

Naropa university as a visiting professor. So I went there. They gave me a very nice apartment.

They gave me a very nice car. And they gave me a very big television with maybe 200 channels. I

only had to teach 2 classes a week, and that was with an assistant. I did not have much to do, so I

though now I will enjoy myself. I took the remote control, sat down on the nice sofa, and then I

began to watch television. Up the channels, down the channels. After a few days, I began to feel

something not so nice, some dissatisfaction, some kind of unhappiness. There needed to be

something more, something exciting, something nice. Then I realized. This must be boredom. I

discovered boredom.

I think when the Buddha sat under the bodhi tree, maybe he discovered something like that!

Except, I didn't discover enlightenment. I discovered boredom.

Boredom is an unpleasant, dissatisfied feeling. That is because I had this attitude that I wanted to

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be entertained. If my attitude is just for me, me, me, me, I am bound to be bored. If you have

some kind of understanding of compassion and bodhichitta, your intention becomes (there is

nothing wrong with wanting some good things for myself, of course, but) I want to help myself, I

want to help all other beings, and I want to do something about that. If my focus is there I don't

think I would ever get bored. I would become happier and happier, because even if I do a little

thing, I feel really happy with that. I feel that I have done something that is useful, that is

beneficial, that is meaningful. That kind of attitude, way of thinking, way of caring for life, is very

good for myself first, and then very good for others. So it is something really valuable and useful

which most people cannot understand.

People cannot understand how valuable the compassionate way of feeling is for our own good. To

realize this is something really very precious and important. It is said here that if one can generate

bodhichitta, then one becomes a bodhisattva, an heir to buddhahood – a buddha-to-be. The

bodhisattva is regarded as a buddha-to-be. Once you are a bodhisattva, sooner or later, you are

bound to become a buddha. So you are actually on the path to buddhahood. You become, as is

said in stanzas 9 and 10:

For the very instant that bodhichitta is born

In the weary captives enslaved within samsara,

They are called heirs of the bliss gone buddhas,

Honourable to gods, humans, and the world.

Like the alchemists’ supreme elixir,

It takes this ordinary, impure human form,

And makes of it a buddha’s priceless body––

Such is bodhichitta: let us grasp it firmly!

It is like an alchemist. An alchemist is someone who puts chemical into something and it turns into

gold. Bodhichitta is something like that. Once you are touched by the bodhichitta, however lowly

you are, however unintelligent you are, however inefficient you are, you become a bodhisattva.

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Stanza 11:

With their boundless wisdom, beings’ only guides,

Have investigated thoroughly and seen its value.

Thus whoever longs for freedom from conditioned states

Should grasp this precious bodhichitta and guard it well.

This bodhichitta is so valuable, so precious, something like a wish-fulfilling gem, which is good for

me and good for others, good for now, and good for the long run. When I know that it is like this,

and especially, if I have a little bit of this feeling and I would like to generate it and take the vows,

then I must feel very enthusiastic and happy about it.

© Ringu Tulku Rinpoche

This is a transcript from a teaching given by Ringu Tulku Rinpoche in Vajradhara Ling, France, in August 2013.

The transcript has only been lightly edited and is meant to be used within the Online Shedra study context.