Shantideva’s
Bodhicharyāvatāra
བྱང་ཆུབ་སེམས་པའི་སྤྱོད་པ་ལ་འཇུག་པ།།
Group Study with Venerable Lama Gelong Sangyay Tendzin
Session 20b – Juin 5, 2021
Chapter Four: Developing Carefulness
In this chapter, Shantideva teaches us how to prevent Bodhicitta from weakening once it has been generated.
The Aspiration Bodhicitta having been established, the Bodhicitta of Application is the practice of the various aspects of Paramita. Of these, the practice of generosity has also been taught previously. We thus come now with the practice of ethics or discipline.
Instead of dealing with the explanation of the reception of the various vows, precepts or the methods of repairing transgressions, Shantideva teaches us carefulness, mindfulness, and vigilant introspection, which are the foundations on which rests the practice of discipline.
It is essential that we learn these through repeated meditation and training as taught by him. Why is it so? It is so because if carefulness is lacking, taking vows is like confining our body and speech; keeping the vows will be a burden of which the current experience of Covid 19 is a good example.
We may act as if observing them for a while; however, phenomenal appearances are deceptive and the mind is hopeless and weak, and it is very quickly distracted so that in the end, you will fail. It is therefore crucially important to develop carefulness and to strive enthusiastically in the practice of discipline.
Discipline is the ground of all the spiritual qualities that derive from ‘TÖD-SAM-GOM’ - Listen, Reflect, and Meditate.
Nagarjuna said:
«As earth is basis for the still world and its moving occupants,
So, discipline is said to be the ground of all good qualities.»
Patrul Rinpoche commented that although discipline is the root of all positive qualities, strangely enough, people boast of their observance even when they have no idea of what it is they should observe.
Therefore, in order to acquire good discipline, you must begin with a clear grasp of the precepts concerning ‘what is to be done and what is to be avoided’(*) (the eighteen root downfalls and so on).
One must come to understand that carefulness is the responsible implementation of the principle of adopting and rejecting. Cultivating it within you, strive to act or not to act, as appropriate.
(*) this is implicit in the words ‘Jang’ - ‘Chub’ and ‘Sang’ - ‘Gyay’.
Let us stop here. I wish everyone a pleasant weekend.
I invite you abide in mental peace before dedicating the merit of this session for the benefit of all.
