Practical Ethics and Profound Emptiness

by Jampa Tegchok

  Geshe Chekawa then asked Geshe Sharawa if he had the lineage for the “Eight Verses of Thought Training.” Geshe Sharawa responded that he would give him teachings on this, but Geshe Chekawa would need to stay there for some months to receive the explanation and meditate on it. Agreeing to this, Geshe Chekawa asked what the source of the teaching was, and Geshe Sharawa told him that it was Nagarjuna’s Precious Garland. All thought-training teachings, and in particular the taking-and-giving meditation, have this verse as their source.

  The previous verse asked us to selflessly give our body, speech, and mind so that we may be useful for sentient beings, becoming whatever they need. This teaches the importance of cherishing others even more than ourselves. In the present verse, we consider our own happiness insignificant and practice exchanging self and others by taking all sentient beings’ duhkha and its causes and giving our happiness and virtue to them in return.

  May I bear the results of their negativity expresses the practice of taking in the taking-and-giving meditation. To meditate on this, recite this line three times. The first time, think of all the various forms of suffering included in the truth of duhkha, such as the three types of duhkha, the eight kinds of suffering, and the six disadvantages of cyclic existence. Imagine these leaving sentient beings through their right nostrils and inhale them through your left nostril. Their suffering then dissolves into the lump of self-centeredness at your heart, causing it to vanish.

  The second time, imagine taking all the causes that give rise to this duhkha — the root afflictions, auxiliary afflictions, and actions motivated by these disturbing states of mind — the ten paths of nonvirtuous karma, the five heinous crimes, and so forth. Inhaling the source of all others’ duhkha, imagine this dissolving into the lump of self-centeredness at your heart and dismantling it. In this way, take all others’ afflictive obscurations and use them to annihilate your own self-centeredness.

  The third time, imagine taking the cognitive obscurations — the imprints of true-grasping ignorance and the appearance of true existence that prevent the simultaneous cognition of all phenomena. These, too, dissolve into and destroy the lump of self-centeredness at your heart. Focus on the feeling of being completely free from self-preoccupation. How wonderful that would be!

  May they have the results of all my virtue is the practice of giving. This line is also recited three times. The first time, imagine that your body becomes like a wish-fulfilling jewel that is able to accomplish all the wishes of sentient beings. This wish-fulfilling jewel radiates white light, which leaves your right nostril and enters sentient beings’ left nostrils. The light gives others whatever they need to pacify the pain of burning in the hot hells, freezing in the cold hells, the misery of thirst and hunger of the hungry ghosts, animals’ suffering of being hunted and eaten, as well as the respective sufferings of the humans and gods. In short, imagine your body becomes whatever any being needs in order to dispel the suffering others experience.

  The second time, imagine that your possessions become like a wish-fulfilling jewel that radiates out whatever is necessary to dispel the various gross and subtle duhkha that sentient beings experience and to bring them peace, comfort, and security. Imagine that sentient beings become completely tranquil.

  The third time, imagine that your three roots of virtue become a wish-fulfilling jewel. Again imagine giving to various sentient beings whatever they need for temporal and ultimate happiness. Think that their misery is pacified and all their needs are fulfilled. Imagine that they are interested in the Dharma, have faith in the Three Jewels, listen to and practice teachings, and ascend the bodhisattva grounds to become buddhas.

  Alternatively, when you give your body, imagine sentient beings receive an excellent body — a precious human rebirth with all eighteen qualities, which is a very special basis for practicing the path. When you give your possessions, imagine they receive all the various things they need to practice the Dharma. When you give your virtue, imagine they cultivate all the roots of virtue and gain all the realizations from relying on a spiritual mentor up through the bodhisattva grounds and paths, culminating in their attaining full awakening.40

  We may wonder how we can take on others’ destructive karma and give them our virtue when everyone has to experience the results of his or her own karma. While we cannot actually experience their misery and give them our happiness, the point of this meditation is to train our mind in the attitude that wants to be able to do this. This meditation increases our love and compassion and accumulates a tremendous amount of merit. It familiarizes our mind with the experience of cherishing others more than ourselves and being delighted to alleviate their pain and give them joy. When we eventually become a high-level bodhisattva, we will be able to give our body away without any hesitation or sense of regret — for example, giving our flesh to those in need of fresh meat like the Buddha did when he gave his body to a starving tigress so she could feed her cubs. Needless to say, at that stage we will be able to give away our possessions easily and will have an astonishing ability to act for the welfare of others without experiencing any hardship.

  At present our taking-and-giving meditation is done in our imagination — we do not actually give happiness to sentient beings or take their suffering. If we do not engage in this powerful method to train our minds, later on we will not be able to actually practice exchanging self and others or engage in the vast deeds of bodhisattvas.

  485.As long as there is even one sentient being

  somewhere who is not yet free,

  may I remain [in the world] for that being’s sake,

  even if I have attained peerless awakening.

  May I stay in the world and work for the welfare of others not just for a day, a week, or a month, but for as long as there are sentient beings who have not yet been liberated from cyclic existence. May I stay in cyclic existence performing the vast actions of bodhisattvas for the sake of others, even if there is only one sentient being left in cyclic existence.

  This powerful dedication concludes the twenty verses that Nagarjuna recommended the king recite and contemplate daily. In short, the excellent qualities of awakening are immeasurable, and thus the merit needed to produce these is also immeasurable. One way to do this is to recite these twenty stanzas and contemplate their meaning often, three times a day if possible, if not twice or at least once.

  486.If the merit of making such statements

  were to be material,

  it would not fit into worlds

  as numerous as the grains of sand of the Ganges.

  487.This is what the Blessed One said,

  and the reason is here to be seen —

  the worlds of beings are immeasurable,

  and the intention to aid them is likewise.

  Immeasurability of the Merit of Those Excellent Qualities

  Reciting and contemplating the meaning of these twenty verses produces merit and virtue so enormous that if it could be transformed into matter, it would not be able to fit into the number of worlds equal to the number of grains of sand in the River Ganges. Grains of sand refers to the particles of sand under and along the banks of the Ganges as well as the particles of water flowing in the river.

  Just as the objects for whom we accumulate this merit — sentient beings — are innumerable, so too the merit that is accumulated is immeasurable. If you help one sentient being you create one excellent virtue, so if you help innumerable sentient beings, you accumulate virtue that is also innumerable. If you generate a mind that wishes to benefit the immeasurable number of sentient beings, the result will also be immeasurable. This merit is certain to result in the incalculable qualities of awakening. The source of this explanation is found in the King of Concentration Sutra (Samadhiraja Sutra) and the Akshayamati Sutra, where the Buddha stated that the result is limitless because the cause is limitless.

  Similarly, if our intention is immeasurable love, compassion, and bodhichitta, the result will also be immeasurable. We must exp
and our way of thinking when we contemplate the causes to become bodhisattvas and buddhas and to actualize their magnificent deeds and qualities. The narrow mind of ordinary beings won’t do.

  _______________

  40.A more detailed explanation of the taking-and-giving practice can be found in chapter 11 of Geshe Jampa Tegchok’s Transforming Adversity into Joy and Courage.

  15. Closing Words of Advice

  To conclude this vast and profound teaching contained in the Precious Garland, Nagarjuna encourages us to take joy in the practice and gives us final advice to observe four practices, rely on a qualified spiritual mentor, and be mindful in order to conduct ourselves in the best way in all situations. He makes clear that this teaching is not just for the king but for all of us, and he encourages us to contemplate its meaning and to train in and integrate excellent qualities in our mind and life.

  JOYFULLY PRACTICE THE DHARMA

  488.Thus concludes my brief explanation

  of the Dharma to you.

  Always consider this Dharma to be beloved to you,

  just as you are beloved to yourself.

  489.Those who consider the Dharma to be beloved

  are truly holding themselves as beloved.

  For if one wants to benefit those whom one loves,

  one can do so by means of the Dharma.

  Nagarjuna says here that he has explained these jewel-like practices to the king. They contain in summarized form all the essential points that are like jewels extracted from the ocean of sutras. Cherish these teachings dearly just like you cherish your life.

  Some people think that it is reasonable to hold their life dear because its destruction is a great loss, but they do not think that the destruction of Dharma practice is such a great loss. Nagarjuna disagrees, saying that if we hold our body and life dear, then we should cherish these practices all the more. If we consider the loss of our body devastating, we should consider the loss of these practices as even worse. In other words, if we cherish our life and want to have a series of fortunate rebirths, we must cherish their causes. The value of such a life is to be able to practice the Dharma and create these causes. If we don’t cherish and practice the Buddha’s teachings, having a fortunate birth and a long life are useless.

  490.Therefore, be devoted to the Dharma, just as you are devoted to yourself.

  Be devoted to correct practice, just as you are devoted to Dharma.

  Be devoted to wisdom, just as you are devoted to correct practice.

  Be devoted to the wise, just as you are devoted to wisdom.

  Observing the Four Practices

  This verse explains four important practices or attitudes to cultivate. Therefore indicates that for the reason explained in the previous verse, first we must cherish the practice of the Dharma like our body or life. If we cherish ourselves, we should be devoted to the Dharma, because the Dharma will bring us the happiness we seek.

  Second, to be devoted to the Dharma requires practicing it correctly, so we should put energy into doing that and gaining realizations. To practice it correctly and attain realizations, developing wisdom is crucial, since correct practice depends on knowing the difference between what to practice and what to abandon. To gain wisdom, we must rely on a wise spiritual mentor to teach and guide us.

  In short, if we cherish ourselves, we cherish the Dharma, practice it correctly to attain realizations, cultivate wisdom, and correctly rely on a spiritual mentor.

  RELY ON A SPIRITUAL MENTOR

  491.One who, due to his own failings, has doubts about a pure, loving, and intelligent teacher

  who speaks with restraint about what is helpful ruins his chances of attaining his aims.

  Thinking, “I am under the care of one who is pure, loving, and wise,

  and who states with restraint what is helpful,” vow to spiritually discipline yourself, King.

  The Disadvantages of Not Relying on a Spiritual Mentor

  To progress on the path, it is essential to rely on a spiritual mentor who teaches us the Dharma and guides us on the path. Before forming a mentor-disciple relationship, we must examine potential mentors to see if they have the qualities necessary to lead us on the path. Once we have formed this relationship with someone, it is important to rely on him or her correctly so that we can benefit from the teachings and advice. Relying on him incorrectly — for example, getting angry at him — not only impedes us from progressing on the path but also has many deleterious effects. The time to look for a potential teacher’s faults is before we take him as our spiritual mentor. After forming the relationship, we need to focus on his good qualities.

  These mentors are pure in that they are not concerned with receiving respect and offerings; they also restrain themselves from engaging in destructive actions with their body, speech, and mind. Loving, they are fond of their students. Intelligent, they accurately distinguish what to practice and what to abandon. They speak appropriately and are able to give many types of teachings, instructions, and explanations. They are not restricted to knowing just a few Dharma points or a few texts, but rather they can teach in an expansive way with a beneficial motivation that sincerely cares for the temporal and ultimate welfare of the disciples. They speak about what is beneficial and teach what is helpful to earnest disciples seeking correction and guidance.

  Disciples whose minds are clouded and do not appreciate the qualities of their spiritual mentors or the important role their spiritual mentors play in their lives put roadblocks in their own spiritual progress. Their minds become critical and increasingly disturbed, which creates many doubts and immobilizes them in their studies and practices. To avoid this, we should appreciate being under the care of a wise and compassionate teacher and take advantage of this opportunity by taking the instructions we receive to heart and disciplining ourselves spiritually. If not, we waste an amazing opportunity that is difficult to come by.

  Both students and teachers in a spiritual mentor-disciple relationship must be careful. If the students do not rely on their teachers properly, they create destructive karma that leads them to rebirth in the lower realms. Disciples should think, “I must rely on my spiritual mentors by making offerings, assisting them with their projects and needs, and offering my practice — I need to practice according to the instructions and guidance I receive. If I don’t do that, I harm myself by ruining my opportunity to achieve my spiritual aims and creating dreadful karma that will result in my own misery.” Understanding that if such a thing occurred it would destroy the chance of attaining liberation and awakening, disciples must decide to be very careful so as not to diminish their own virtue.

  Spiritual mentors who do not teach the Dharma correctly or take advantage of their disciples’ trust create the causes for rebirth in the lower realms. When both spiritual mentor and disciple appreciate the importance of their relationship and mindfully guard against negative motivation and poor conduct, the disciple will blossom.

  492.Know, in brief, the qualifications of spiritual friends.

  You should receive teachings from

  those who are content, compassionate, and ethical,

  and possess the wisdom that dispels negative mental states.

  493.Having understood [what they teach],

  you should respectfully put it into practice.

  Through this excellent system,

  you will attain the supreme achievement.

  The Qualifications of a Spiritual Mentor

  To give a brief description of the qualifications of suitable spiritual mentors: they should be content, free of desire to receive veneration and offerings. They should abide with good ethical conduct and have a compassionate motivation toward their disciples, not seeking fame, respect, and offerings. They must be wise regarding the methods to eliminate the disciples’ afflictions and be skilled in explaining what to practice and abandon. These four qualities — contentment, compassion, ethical conduct, and wisdom — subsume many other qualities. Thus disciples should seek s
piritual mentors with these qualities, and spiritual mentors must do their best to cultivate and embody these qualities.

  If you receive instructions from a spiritual mentor who possesses these four qualities, listen with great reverence and respect. When such a spiritual mentor gives you advice, take it to heart with an understanding of the goodness of such a mentor. While sometimes spiritual mentors may need to speak strongly to disciples, the disciples should recognize the compassion behind this and appreciate their teachers’ care. If we understand these excellent instructions and follow them with respect and appreciation, we will attain buddhahood.

  CONDUCT YOURSELF IN THE BEST WAY IN ALL SITUATIONS

  494.Speak the truth, and speak gently to beings.

  Be pleasant, unassailable, and skilled in public policy;

  do not wish to humiliate others;

  be independent, and always speak well.

  495.With enmity well subdued,

  be generous, dignified, and mentally peaceful.

  Do not procrastinate, and do not be rash;

  do not be dishonest, and be courteous.

  Speak the truth, but speak it gently to all to help them feel at ease — never speak harshly with the intention to harm. We should speak in such a way that just hearing our voice is a cause for others to collect merit. You may have noticed that Nagarjuna has commented on the importance of truthful speech repeatedly in the Precious Garland. This is the basis of trust; without it, the good deeds we do will always be suspect.

  Be pleasant, not demanding and intrusive; say things that cause people to feel happy when they hear you. Be unassailable by explaining the Dharma that is difficult to find — the Dharma that is profound, vast, and magnificent — to the circle of people around you who live with good ethical conduct. If people in your circle have poor ethical conduct, teach them according to their level and their faculties. Don’t simply throw up your hands and say, “There’s no point in explaining the Dharma to you. You will never understand, and even if you did, you won’t practice. So just forget it!” Don’t seek to make others feel bad about themselves by humiliating them.