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CREATED BY

Kerry Prest for talks at FPMT groups; Saraswati Buddhist Group, Jamyang Bath & Jamyang Leeds,

January 2014.

Please email kerrynprest@gmail.com for more information.

Joyous Effort Saraswati Buddhist Group, January 2014 The Six Perfections from Shantideva chapter 5

2. QUALITIES DEPEND UPON THE MIND

A. GIVING RELIES UPON THE MIND

1. COMPLETING THE PERFECTION OF GIVING DOES NOT DEPEND

UPON ELIMINATING [ALL TYPES OF] POVERTY AMONGST ALL

MIGRATORS [5.9]

5.9 If the perfection of generosity

Were the alleviation of migrating beings’ poverty,

Then since there are still starving migrating beings,

In what manner did the previous Protectors perfect it?

2. IT IS BROUGHT TO COMPLETION BY FAMILIARIZING ONESELF

WITH THE ATTITUDE OF GENEROSITY [5.10]

5.10 The perfection of generosity is taught to be

The mind intending to give all things,

As well as its result, to all beings;

Hence it is simply the mind. {151}

B. ETHICS RELIES UPON THE MIND

1. IT IS INVALID [TO SAY] THAT COMPLETING THE PERFECTION OF

ETHICS DEPENDS UPON THE EXHAUSTION OF ALL SENTIENT BEINGS

WHO KILL [5.11AB]

5.11ab Where will the fish and so forth be driven

So that they will not be killed?

2. IT IS BROUGHT TO COMPLETION BY FAMILIARIZING ONESELF

WITH THE INTENTION TO ABANDON [KILLING] [5.11CD]

5.11cd Hence, the attainment of the intention of abandonment

Is explained to be the perfection of ethics.

C. PATIENCE RELIES UPON THE MIND

1. THE MEANING [5.12]

5.12 Unruly sentient beings are like space;

All of them cannot possibly be overcome.

But if I overcome the mind of anger alone,

This will be equivalent to vanquishing all those foes.

2. THE ANALOGY [5.13]

5.13 Where could I possibly find enough leather

With which to cover the surface of the earth?

Having leather on just the soles of my shoes

Is equivalent to covering the earth with it.

3. APPLYING THE ANALOGY TO THE MEANING [5.14]

5.14 Likewise it is not possible for me

To counteract things externally;

But should I counteract this mind of mine,

What is the need for counteracting others?

D. JOYOUS PERSEVERANCE RELIES UPON THE MIND [5.15]

5.15 Although the result of generating a clear mind

Is Brahma and so forth,

The results along with body and speech will be

Weak in conduct, therefore it is not like that.

E. CONCENTRATION RELIES UPON THE MIND [5.16]

5.16 The Knower of Reality taught

That even if recitation and hardships

Are practiced for long periods of time,

They will be meaningless if the mind is distracted elsewhere.

F. WISDOM RELIES UPON THE MIND [5.17]

5.17 Even those who wish to obtain happiness and overcome

suffering

Will wander with no aim

If they do not comprehend the secret of the mind –

The principal Dharma.

C. MAKING EFFORT IN GUARDING THE MIND

1. BRIEF PRESENTATION [5.18]

5.18 This being so,

I shall hold and guard my mind well.

Except for the mode of conduct of guarding the mind,

What use are many other modes of conduct?

Engaging in the Bodhisattva Deeds by Shantideva with the Outline from the Commentary to Shantideva’s ‘Engaging in the Bodhisattva Deeds’ by Gyaltsab Je

Shantideva’s root verses translated by Toh Sze Gee Outline translated into English by Venerable Losang Sopa (Bob Miller) Verse numbers included and

arranged in a new format by Glen Svensson Outline combined with the root verses by Venerable Lobsang Dorje for the BP at Nalanda Monastery, 2008

© Toh Sze Gee and FPMT, Inc., November 2008

Meditation on the benefits of guarding ethics

LRCM I, p. 342, Nature of the Three Trainings As the Great Final Nirvana Sutra states:

Ethical discipline is the ladder to all virtues. It is their foundation, just as the earth is the foundation for plants and the like. Just as a

master trader goes first among all traders, so ethical discipline goes first among all virtues. [270] Like the hoisted banner of Indra,

ethical discipline is the banner of all teachings. It cuts down all sins and eliminates the paths to the miserable realms. Since it cures

all the illnesses of the sins, it is like a medicinal plant. Ethical discipline is the stock of provisions for the terrible road of cyclic

existence. It is the weapon that destroys the afflictions, the enemies. It is the spell destroying the poisonous snakes of the afflictions.

It is the bridge to cross over the waters of sin.

Secondary Bodhisattva Vows Related to Joyous Effort Taken from two weekends‟ teachings given by Geshe Tashi in February and March 2001 at Jamyang Buddhist Centre, London

Downfalls Related to Joyous Effort

The next perfection, joyous effort, has three secondary downfalls connected with it.

(21) gathering circles of disciples out of desire for respect and material gain

The first downfall is about making effort but doing it with the wrong motivation. You are a teacher, but the work you do is not joyous

effort because your base motivation is to get a good reputation and to have many disciples or students. This kind of mind is very

active. The English translation is “gathering circles of disciples” because this commentary was written for monks. You wouldn‘t

expect Lama Tsong Khapa to say “work hard on a corporate merger!” The main point is the effort being put into the wrong things,

not searching for the right solution, not searching for the right circumstances to do the meditation. So much of what we do here in

the West involves a lot of energy going in the wrong direction. We are so active here, dozens of emails every day, always rushed

and apologising on the telephone, “Sorry, no time to talk” and booking friends in our Filofaxes. All that rush, rush, rush is very

energetic but not very productive spiritually. I‘m not saying don‘t work to pay your bills. I‘m not going to pay your bills for you! But

there must be some kind of limit on how much effort goes into the mechanics of staying alive. There must be a balance.

“Gathering circles of disciples out of desire for respect and material gain” is a traditional explanation. We may not do that but the

vow can equally be applied to the kind of life we lead in the West.

(22) wasting time and energy on trivial matters

In Buddhism, there are different kinds laziness. Just as working 60 hours a week to make lots of money and have a career is

considered lazy because it is avoiding doing what is meaningful, so this second mind, wasting time and effort on trivial matters, is

lazy. This is more what we would normally see as laziness though. This is the couch potato, where there is no energy, no action;

everything is completely flat.

(23) being addicted to frivolous talk

I think we all know this one! Do we put effort into gossip and idle chat? Does it waste our time? I don‘t think I need to discuss this.

The Eight Antidotes & Five Obstacles to Concentration