Shantideva's Guide to the Bodhisattva's Way of Life by Ringu Tulku Rinpoche - Lesson 2. Confession

Find the teaching here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2yiUOzBLs7g&t=74s

Introduction

Shakpa means to split, like doing it with a log.  In this context means to cut with the negative actions.  In chapter 1 Shantideva explained what is bodhicitta.  This chapter is about generating bodhicitta.

Aspiration bodhicitta

First, we must develop the wish that sentient beings, ideally all beings, that wants to get free of suffering, whatever the situation they are, they succeed.  Next, we want that all the beings reach the ultimate happiness, that the Buddhist call enlightenment.  This is the aspiration bodhicitta.

Action bodhicitta

It is not enough to wish, but then we must explore want we must do in order that wish happen.  First working on ourselves, and then also find how we can help others.

In some traditions we take vows on aspiration and action bodhicitta, but other traditions do not.  When taking the vows, we take at least one of the vinaya vows.  According the teachings, it is not necessary to take the vinaya vows with the bodhisattva vows.  Before taking the vow is recommended to do some purifications.  There are eight: 

• Making offerings to all the Buddhas (present, past and future):  When we give we can have some pride 'I do have, and I give' as being superior, but when offering we are acknowledging the superior qualities of the subjects of our offerings.  Traditionally, the monks doing this ceremony had nothing, being renunciants [to material wealth], so the offering can be just made in the mind. We can do it with whatever, which will reduce our attachment to anything: flowers, beautiful objects, food, clothes, incense, songs, anything that is pleasant; and also ourselves, our body, any virtue present, past, or future.
• Making prostrations: it is a form of paying respect with our body, speech, and mind.  This make us humble, reduce our arrogance and pride.  Pride and arrogance stop us from learning from others.  If we are humble, we can even learn from people with a lot of bad qualities.   Also, this will open our eyes to see all the qualities in others.  Often, we cannot see any quality.
• Taking refuge in the Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha.  The Buddha is a teacher, is the one that teach us how to get rid of suffering, that show us the highest teaching.  He is the one that know how to do it, so we want to become like him.  The buddha Sakyamuni explained that is not the only Buddha, that there were buddhas in the past and there will be in the future.  Not only that, but we all have the potential to become a Buddha. Because I do have the potential, I want to reach it, and when I get enlightened I will help others.  Second, we take refuge in the Dharma.  The Buddha only shows the way.  There are two kinds: the experience of the Buddha, and the teachings of the Buddha.  So we can study, practice and eventually experience the teachings.  This one is the most important object of refuge.  Third, we take refuge in the Sangha, those that engaged in the path, it refers to anybody that has experience in the Dharma.  We do that, because we need to learn from someone that have some experience in the Dharma.

Confession means recognizing what is an inadequate because negative actions are not beneficial for me nor for the others, either in the present or in the future.  There are four points:

• Recognize the wrong on the negative actions.
• Take a clear decision to reduce this actions
• Try to do the opposite to the negative actions
• Make a commitment to not repeat it again, and also tame the emotions that lead me to it 

Shantideva's Guide to the Bodhisattva's Way of Life by Ringu Tulku Rinpoche - Lesson 1. Bodhicitta

 Find the full talk here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5R_nDFuvHaU

Introduction

This is a very popular text.  It already was in India, as the many commentaries in Sanskrit prove.  Also in Tibet have been largely propagated, and there are commentaries in all the schools.  One of the foremost Tibetan teachers is Patrul Rinpoche (c. XIX), that almost taught it permanently, of which one of his students received from him more than 40 times.  There are also many translations to western languages, in particular to English.  Ringu Tulku is using for this teaching, the translation to English from Padmakara.  Rinpoche has taught also many times this text, and he has been broadcasting in bodhicharya a very detailed one, that is still ongoing.  This teaching is a summary of every chapter.

Structure of the book

• Chapters 1-3 How to generate bodhicitta
• Chapters 4-6 How to maintain bodhicitta
• Chapters 7-9 How to increase or develop bodhicitta
• Chapter 10 Dedication

What is bodhicitta?

Bodhicitta has to part: wisdom and compassion.  Wisdom means that there is a possibility to find a way to transform ourselves and free from the suffering of samsara.  Is the development of our inner qualities that will leads us to find the true happiness.  Most of us believe that we will find happiness in the outer things; but this is not correct.  So we develop understanding, meditation even faith to transform ourselves.

But we are not transforming ourselves only for our own sake, but to help all the other beings.  Because everyone wants to be happy and get free of suffering, I must try to find a way to bring that to everybody.  And due to that I will develop all this qualities.  This is the compassion aspect.  This is the motivation [of the bodhisattva]. And having wisdom and compassion is having generated bodhicitta.

From the Buddhist point of view, the reason we do things is very important.  The positive effect of our actions depends more on the reasons , than in the action itself.  Rinpoche quote from the book, "How to become richer quicker", the hint to succeed "give more to people what they want, and give less what people don't want".  Bodhicitta is similar, but if we do that to become richer, we can become successful in business, but not a bodhisattva.  But if we do it to make people get happy and free of suffering, then we are in the bodhisattva path.

Therefore, the first step is to set the right motivation.  Shantideva points out that we do a lot of positive actions and negative actions.  And we have very difficult to diminish our negative side, so the balance is near to zero. If we have the right attitude [bodhicitta] then our negative actions can be overpowered, even if it take us a lot of time and we encounter a lot of difficulties.  Because nothing becomes more important to us than help everybody to liberate from suffering.  So bodhicitta becomes the strongest antidote to our negative emotions.  Having this intention, our actions will be good for us and for others, there will be no negative, wrong side in them.

Those who developed this intention can be called a bodhisattva, is like being a knight of compassion, a heir of Buddha, a prince Buddha.  Once we have bodhicitta, we must become enlightened.  There is nothing better to wish.   

When Rinpoche was in the school, many authorities visited and some asked me "when you grow up, what you would like to be?".  And they expected that Rinpoche replied being a doctor, engineer, but wishing this can only solve some transitory problems.  We all want to be happy and get rid of all the suffering, and similar to us anybody else. That is the motivation of a bodhisattva.  Acquiring that, we clarify our purpose, although it can take time and it is not going to be easy, because there is nothing better than that. And this make this motivation precious.  Moreover, this motivation is very rare, because many people have never even thought about it. 

Maintaining bodhicitta will help us to overcome tall our negativities, even we have done some negatives actions, it is like an strong fire that can burn anything, it becomes the strongest antidote of all the negative emotions.  Anger, hatred, greed, attachment, jealousy, envy, arrogance, self-centeredness,... compassion is their opposite.

Aspiration bodhicitta is the wish to all beings get free of suffering, and action bodhicitta is putting it into practice.  When we want something first he have a thought, but then to make it real we must take some action.  When our aspiration becomes really strong, then we go into action, and we practice bodhicitta whatever we do, even sleeping.

If we thing way people suffer, it is not because they want, but because they do not how how get free of it.  That way, we work on ourselves to be able to help others.  The method of training is the six paramitas, that we will explain in the future chapters.

Beyond religion - 5. Compassion and the question of justice

The question of justice

• It is possible to introduce compassion in justice?  For some the idea of it means allow perpetrators of offenses go unpunished.  But compassion do not involve surrender to misdeeds of others.  It requires great fortitude and strength of character, as many of the great fighter against injustice of recent times showed (Mandela, Gandhi, Mother Teresa,...)
• So face to injustice, the compassionate attitude is standing up. but non-violently, which instead of a sign of weakness is a sign of courage.  In a quarrel, people that know the rightness of their position are more prone to stay calm.
• In some contexts, doing nothing makes you partially responsible of the continuation of the destructive behavior.  But the only way to change a person's mind is with concern, not with anger or hatred.

Broad and narrow concepts of justice

• The general principle of justice is the universal precept of fairness and remedy based on recognition of human equality.  The application of justice is the exercise of the law within any legal framework.  For example in a specific time a legal framework may allow the discrimination of people (based of ethnic origin).
• "When a country's legal system enshrines national unity and social order as its highest priorities, and deems any actions construed as undermining these values as criminal offenses, that legal system will not serve genuine justice."

The role of punishment

• Some people consider that certain offenses deserve provoke suffering to the offender, including death penalty.
• Major religions have idea of remedy or of restoring the balance.  Theistic approaches is that of divine judgement, and Buddhists that the law of karma assure we will experience the result of our previous actions.  What would be the function of punishment in a secular basis?  It is about revenge or preventing future wrongdoing?
• Indeed, punishment has an inevitable and important role to regulate human affairs, to discourage actions and generate security and confidence in law.  But discouragement must be proportional.  However, this needs limits.
• If we recognize the ability of humans to change, death penalty seems unacceptable.  Reacting aggressively to an assault is common to animals and humans, but revenge looks exclusively human.
• Indulging a craving for revenge creates an atmosphere of fear, further resentment, and hatred.  By contrast, where there is forgiveness there is a change for peace.

Distinguishing the action from the actor

• All human beings are able to change.  People being reckless when young may become responsible  and caring when maturing.  This applies even for those who have committed the most terrible deeds.
• Therefore rehabilitation education, including meditation training, can help in this process as it happens in some jails.

Altruistic punishment

• Altruistic punishment is theoretical concept of economic research.
• Punishment can be applied in a way which benefits everyone, including wrongdoers themselves.  It illustrates that revenge is not necessary, but the correction of the wrongdoing, in everyone's interest.

Forgiveness

• The past is beyond our control.  The way we respond to past wrongdoing is not, however.
• Sometimes we behave in a rude or harsh way out of anger and irritation, and later we feel remorse.  We naturally forgive ourselves, so we can extend this attitude to others.
• Forgiveness is very much liberating on oneself.  Entertaining resentment towards someone destroy our peace of mind.

The scope of ethics

• Ethics as a mechanism to maintain social order will only cover the outward human behavior.
• If it relates only to the impact of actions on others, feelings and intentions behind the actions will be ignored.
• But the very notion of ethics makes no sense without a consideration of motivation.  If our motivation is pure, genuinely directed toward the benefit of others, our actions will naturally tend to be ethically sound.