Affiliated with the FPMT

Lecture by Lama Yeshe During Fourth Meditation Course

There are some people here who want to take Upasika ordination. Taking ordination is beneficial for oneself and for sentient beings. The lamas’ experience is that before taking and giving there should be some understanding. It is not just a custom of samsara.

We all want perfect peace, happiness and liberation, and everlasting satisfaction. So we should act in that direction since we look that way. Otherwise we become hypocritical, saying we want, we want, but acting completely the opposite to our desire. A simple example—in the West if people have psychological problems they are put into mental hospitals, which is radical treatment instead of soft, peaceful treatment. This is wrathful treatment, putting someone in jail, not soft or peaceful. Lama’s rule is that mental hospitals are okay, but be peaceful, understanding—slowly, slowly the person should understand himself, not by force.

By putting ourselves in ordination we can slowly develop the mind. We are not ready for immediate development, being forced to meditate and so on. We create peaceful conditions so that the mind develops in a certain way, becomes stable, not up and down. From there it can be liberated without coming down to the samsaric world.

So ordination is method. Lord Buddha never said to take that rule without knowing how. He said if you keep this kind of precept it gives this kind of mental feeling, safe from certain problems. For example the five precepts—not killing, meaning taking other’s life, not lying, not stealing, not becoming intoxicated, and not engaging in sexual misconduct. Lord Buddha never said, “Don’t do these five things,” but what kind of mind, what kind of confused mental attitude is killing, selfish motivation, wishing to change others’ wills and acting so?

Before taking the five precepts the mind is dissatisfied with others’ actions, the mind is berserk. Lord Buddha said this confused mental attitude brings conflict in action. If you are controlled in actions such as killing, lying, and so forth, they never bring conflict in mind, the reaction. He never said, “You stop that forever,” just that it is useful for your mind. When we reach enlightenment there is no need for ordination rules. For example, small children are told not to touch electricity, and mother makes the rule, but older children don’t need the rule, they already know. It’s the same thing for the higher consciousness, liberated, stable consciousness—it doesn’t need that rule, it is already free from that condition. If there is an uncontrolled, deluded motivation, do not do such an action. That is all Lord Buddha said.

One experience of how ordination is helpful—it is not just lama’s giving, it is us taking it ourselves. If we have great determination and understanding of samsaric mind and the wrong conceptual mind’s reaction, and when taking the ordination we have great psychic mental determination, not just saying ignorantly “I want this,” but having perfect determination through understanding, then that mental power can lead one for a long time in that direction. Samsara is power of mind and the result of liberation is also the power of mind—the whole thing is mental attitude; the whole thing is really simple.

Lord Buddha also said, “What do we need to be qualified to take ordination? Renunciation of samsara.” This is nothing outside, such as robes etc. We all have a different idea of renunciation. Lama means on the mental level, not giving on the physical levels with mental attachment, thinking, “I wish I hadn’t given,” and giving the object with the mind still in it. This mental reaction only gives trouble. We can renounce lunch today but still eat it—it’s only mental attitude. This is difficult but possible, it varies between people—some have very high consciousness, control over negativity and problems, and at the same time act in unity with phenomena, but some when they touch electricity they get burnt. Similarly, some experience suffering when they contact the negative mind—we can call it karma, mental reaction; karmic result of action, causation, mental attitude, or movement of the mind. How to build consciousness? If we always put the mind in unconscious situations, we cannot build higher consciousness. We should make it possible by putting the mind into a peaceful atmosphere. Then we realise, “I thought I am something like that, but when I put my mind into such a situation how my mind tricks me.”

Ordination is just like a test. For example, maybe someone has no idea, thinking, “I am perfect, pure, and don’t tell lies.” Since we are put into a situation when we are always aware, we realise that there is much negative mind involved in what we are doing—trying to change others’ mental attitude is telling lies. Although we don’t say the words, “I am always right,” the mental attitude is so. Until we can trust ourselves there is no truth at all. For example, we can have one experience in meditation, a flash, but that doesn’t mean the truth is found.

Also, taking ordination is basic, fundamental to samadhi meditation, because when we take ordination, the body, speech, and mind are already in a positive, relaxed atmosphere. Through this basic atmosphere we can develop the mind into the peaceful path of liberation. Otherwise, if someone is making us agitated all the time, it is an impossible situation, we are not ready for such control. Therefore we cut the situation, and make our own atmosphere as we want.

This is not pushing that people should take ordination, and it is nothing to do with Buddhist attitude, they don’t care. But those who want to should understand. If you don’t want to, then better not take it. But no action—ordination is part of everlasting peaceful liberation, nothing outside.

Look at some people—some have problems with others all the time. Check those suffering people—they cannot wake up to the fact that there is the possibility of a free life, the depression is too strong. It is the same thing with the confused mental attitude; it stops the mind from opening up. When the atmosphere is calm and relaxed we can open the mind. That doesn’t mean cutting it open, it means understanding wisdom so we can see things better. It’s the same thing taking refuge in Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha.

Buddha (Sanskrit) means complete understanding wisdom, not narrow like ours. It means he who can see all things with all-embracing, understanding wisdom, the being who knows all phenomena. “Being” means nothing on the physical level, this is only our concept from the realm in which we were born. Consciousness is being. Why take refuge in Buddha? He can liberate by giving us his knowledge. Why Dharma? We take refuge in his absolute knowledge and wisdom, and this can guide us to discovering it in our own consciousness, and becoming enlightened beings. Dharma is not just a book; the real Dharma is the understanding and the knowledge of the absolute nature of mind. That knowledge, which every living being has, can be used for liberation, it is insurance for reaching liberation. How? That knowledge, understanding the nature of one’s own mind, is insurance for liberation. Why Sangha? One who has the understanding of his own mind never has an ignorant attitude, confused. He only gives a peaceful atmosphere, good vibration, perfect. By seeing this we can develop our own mind. If a close friend is always smoking a chillum and for a month I don’t take it, after some time he may not take it either. In the mind we may have a Western attitude, such as the way we see war and so forth in the mind. So if we visualize it, we wish to change it to the opposite. But even then the West comes into the mind—this is not necessarily negative, but it is just a way of transforming our way of looking; then we see the West in a different way. So we take Refuge in Sangha.

How does the Enlightened Being help all sentient beings compared to the ignorant person? If we are together and if I understand his mentality while I am in contact with him, I act with his wishes. If I don’t understand, it brings conflict. It is the same thing—if one who is enlightened has absolute wisdom understanding the psychic nature, there is no problem at all, that being can give the solution to any psychological problem—if one understands. If one doesn’t, then there is no solution. If I’m sick and one doctor completely understands the disease, he gives me the correct medicine. If another doctor doesn’t understand the elements of my disease he can’t give me the right medicine. One doctor may have much medicine but doesn’t understand, and then the medicine is useless. Compare this to the doctor who does understand. It is the same thing—the Enlightened Being, who has absolute wisdom and the understanding of all the psychic functions of all living beings, can give the solution according to individual psychic problems, and gives better help than one who knows only how to cure fevers. This person cannot cure all problems.

Bodhisattva Ordination

What we give is when we really actualize bodhicitta in the mind and realise that the selfish ego is the root of samsaric problems, and are willing to change attachment to the “I” by understanding that all sentient beings are the same—they do not desire suffering and they do want happiness. One who really has this understanding gets the bodhisattva ordination. It is not certain if one who is not really actualizing or understanding how bodhicitta is useful and powerful to the mind gets the bodhisattva ordination.

For example, the bodhisattva’s power is to press ourselves unbiased on education, nationality, personality, and so forth. First Lord Buddha says the power of bodhicitta stops that. For example, we say, “My friend comes to see me,” “What are you doing?” and “I am this—” I, I, I, I. Automatically I mentally put some people down—this is so good, this no good—even a flower is good, and even if we don’t say it this implies that another flower is bad. One who takes bodhicitta should not praise oneself or put down other living beings—is this easy to do or not? Honestly check your own life spent with friends and so on.

This also means that we cannot praise ourselves. Lord Buddha wants us free and happy, but if I think “I am best, I am good,” obsessed with my own goodness, that itself is a problem in the mind, makes it go down, unfree. Its nature is samsara, uncontrolled, conflicted mind. But not emotional sitting relaxed with no physical problem—but check mind, it has problems.

That’s why Lord Buddha says we are dangerous. You cannot put down any religion, can’t think, “I take the bodhisattva ordination, I have the highest mind, all sentient beings need me,” and so forth—”I do things perfectly but other religions are no good.” The bodhisattva mind cannot complain about any other doctrine, nor can one say, “My country is nothing, no good,” and put it down thinking only Lama’s teaching is right. Old people think okay, but young people want to go “bang.” Check Lord Buddha’s rule; he never says, “Only I am right, others are wrong.” If you think that way then you have dual mind, conflict. It’s difficult to think, “I do meditation and only that’s right,” and “Other religions use sacrifice therefore they’re no good,” and so forth. One who takes ordination cannot say (or think) that.

Also Lord Buddha says that the bodhisattva can’t show perfect samadhi, can’t stay in it, enjoying it, but must help all sentient beings. Samadhi meditation is bliss greater than all physical enjoyments, but Lord Buddha knows it’s dangerous. A bodhisattva can’t run around telling all about it. However, we can’t doubt it since we don’t have the experience. One who becomes a bodhisattva cannot enjoy bliss all the time, the power of samadhi, staying there.

Questions

1. Bodhisattva ordination?

Having the understanding and knowledge of our own attachment, the selfish ego, as the root of all problems, and acting like this for countless lives. Now we are willing to change that object of that attachment from “I” to living beings—that this is the perfect solution to this mental disease. From now until enlightenment I’ll never act with such a selfish attitude—I give my body, speech, and mind for all sentient beings.

2. How does my enlightenment help other sentient beings’ enlightenment if it depends on my own efforts?

If I have control of mind and experience, through this control and experience I can give this to others. When we understand other’s psychological problems we can reach beyond, so we have the method to stop them.

Western psychologists, when they treat patients, don’t try to get them to understand their own problems—they try to get them to forget them or sublimate. Lord Buddha says one’s own understanding is part of one’s own liberation. Scientific experiments are external, but Lord Buddha’s method is internal, having to do with how the mind gives information. Does the mind control me or do I control the mind? When Lama shows the way to meditate then can check our own wisdom.

3. Learning charity?

Practice giving from one hand to the other.

4. Sense perception?

Sense perception deceives us, our own mind gives an interpretation. It is not best to say that all the world is an illusion—it is better to check one’s own mental conception to see if the reality is the same as our concept of it’s reality. Some can see the absolute reality.

5. “Inner Voice”?

Listen to it with awareness.

6. Pride is destroyed by prostrations, less ego?

When prostrating first check up the action of the uncontrolled mind—what actions are done in an impure way. When we realise the experiences of actions done in impure way, we think, if I don’t purify this mind, there will definitely come a reaction giving complicated mind, as well as another such action—such a circle, samsara. Now I have the chance to purify so I must. But not only me—all mother sentient beings are not purified, in the circle of samsara. This will raise great compassion. Visualize parents, enemies, all sentient beings all around you. Then prostrate with body, speech, and mind—go down, say the mantra, visualize. This puts much energy into the nervous system, so it becomes very powerful. Mind, speech, and body energy has the greatest power together, compared to saying “mind has power.” This is like learning a language by writing as well as reading. It is the same for learning Dharma—the greatest impression comes from the three doors. Always stay aware of vibrations. For example, before the sun comes we see light, the vibration of the sun, and similarly before negative mind comes there are signs coming, something unclear comes—we should be aware of this.

7. How to be sure that we have the correct method to purify the self-I conception?

By the experience of first purifying small wrong conception attitudes, we can increase purification. Through meditation we see things better—calm, relaxed, and better. Then think, “I can do better than that,” and so build up slowly.