How to Understand the Mind. Geshe Kelsang Gyatso

cause us much anxiety and possibly even endanger our life, but if instead of money we possessed wisdom realizing emptiness we would have no worries or problems. We would be able to use our wisdom all the time, and it would be a constant source of guidance and comfort to us. Therefore, wisdom realizing emptiness is the supreme friend and the supreme wealth.

      DIVISIONS OF NON-IGNORANCE

      There are four types of non-ignorance:

      1 Non-ignorance arisen from listening or reading

      2 Non-ignorance arisen from contemplation

      3 Non-ignorance arisen from meditation

      4 Non-ignorance arisen from imprints

      The first three types of non-ignorance can be understood from the three wisdoms – wisdom arisen from listening or reading, wisdom arisen from contemplation, and wisdom arisen from meditation – explained previously in the section on wisdom. However, whereas the three wisdoms as presented in the previous explanation are not necessarily wisdom realizing emptiness, here, because non-ignorance is the direct opponent of ignorance, they are. The fourth type of non-ignorance is a wisdom realizing emptiness that arises naturally from imprints from past lives without the need to study emptiness in this life. It is also known as the ‘wisdom attained just through the power of birth’. Some people who have meditated deeply and for a long time on emptiness in a previous life are able to carry this understanding into this present life, and as a result they are able to understand empti­ness very easily without having to study or contemplate for a long time. When we eventually attain the concentration of the Dharma continuum on the path of accumulation we will not forget any Dharma that we study but will carry all our knowledge with us into the next life.

      In Training the Mind in Seven Points Geshe Chekhawa says:

      The three objects, three poisons, and three virtuous roots

      Are the brief instruction for the subsequent attainment.

      The three objects are attractive objects, unattractive objects and neutral objects; the three poisons are attachment, hatred and ignorance; and the three virtuous roots are non-attachment, non-hatred and non-ignorance. When ordinary beings encounter the three objects they automatically develop the three poisons. The essential aim of Dharma practice is to reverse this so that we automatically develop the three virtuous roots instead. When someone who has thoroughly trained their mind in Dharma meets an attractive object they develop not attachment but non-attachment; when they meet an unattractive object they develop not hatred but non-hatred; and when they meet a neutral object they develop not ignorance but non-ignorance. Since all objects are included within the three objects, those who have mastered the three virtuous roots are able to transform all their experiences into the path to enlightenment. This is why the three virtuous roots are called the ‘essence of Buddhadharma’.

      EFFORT

      DEFINITION OF EFFORT

      The definition of effort is a mental factor that makes its primary mind delight in virtue.

      Effort functions to make our mind happy to engage in virtue – delighting in actions such as giving, helping others, making prostrations, making offerings, reciting prayers, reading Dharma books and listening to Dharma teachings. Effort is necessarily virtuous. Minds that strive for ordinary goals, such as business achievements, and minds that delight in non-virtue, are not effort.

      The opposite of effort is laziness. There are three types of laziness: laziness arising from attachment to worldly pleasures, laziness arising from attachment to distracting activities and laziness arising from discouragement. In general, fondness for sleep is a type of laziness, but if we are able to practise the yoga of sleeping and transform sleep into a virtuous action, then the mind that enjoys sleep is effort. Similarly, if we transform other neutral actions such as eating, cooking and playing into virtuous actions by performing them with a good motivation, our enjoyment of them is also the mental factor effort.

      FUNCTION OF EFFORT

      The function of effort is to instigate virtue, protect virtue from degenerating, facilitate the increase of virtuous qualities and bring virtuous practices to completion. In Ornament for Mahayana Sutras Maitreya lists many benefits of effort:

      Among virtuous collections, effort is supreme.

      With effort we can accomplish all virtuous qualities,

      With effort we can accomplish a peaceful body and mind,

      With effort we can accomplish mundane and supramundane attainments,

      With effort we can obtain the pleasures of samsara,

      With effort we can take rebirth in a Pure Land,

      With effort we can be freed from delusions such as the view of the transitory collection, and attain liberation,

      With effort we can attain great enlightenment.

      Effort is the supreme virtue because all virtuous qualities are attained through the power of effort. Effort makes both body and mind peaceful, comfortable and healthy by inducing physical and mental suppleness. When we have attained physical suppleness we do not need physical exercise to keep our body flexible and healthy. By relying upon effort we can attain both mundane and supramundane attainments, such as the Highest Yoga Tantra realizations of Deities like Heruka and Vajrayogini. Even the happiness of humans or gods depends solely upon our own effort because if we do not make an effort to practise virtuous actions we will not be able to take such rebirths in the future. Similarly, as Dharma practitioners we have the opportunity to attain rebirth in a Pure Land, but whether we succeed in doing so depends upon our own effort. If we joyfully and continually engage in the methods for attaining rebirth in a Pure Land our wishes will definitely be fulfilled.

      We may be aware of the faults of delusions such as the view of the transitory collection, and we may have heard teachings on how to eliminate them and attain liberation, but we will succeed in this only if we apply strenuous effort. If we do not apply ourself to our Dharma practice no one can grant us liberation from suffering – not our spiritual friends, our Spiritual Guide, nor even all the Buddhas. We all have the seed of Buddhahood within our mental continuum, and we have the opportunity to practise the methods for ripening this seed, but our attainment of Buddhahood depends upon our own efforts. An intellectual understanding of Dharma is not sufficient to carry us to Buddhahood – we must also overcome our laziness and put our knowledge into practice. All those who have already become Buddhas have attained enlightenment through their own effort, and all those who will become Buddhas in the future will do so through their effort. In the Sutras, Buddha says:

      If you have only effort you have all Dharmas,

      But if you have only laziness you have nothing.

      A person who has no great knowledge of Dharma but who nevertheless applies effort consistently will gradually attain all virtuous qualities; but a person who knows a great deal and has only one fault – laziness – will not be able to increase his or her good qualities and gain experience of Dharma. Many other benefits of effort are mentioned in Shantideva’s Guide to the Bodhisattva’s Way of Life and Chandrakirti’s Guide to the Middle Way.

      DIVISIONS OF EFFORT

      In Guide to the Bodhisattva’s Way of Life Shantideva presents four types of effort:

      1 Armour-like effort

      2 Effort of non-discouragement

      3 Effort of application

      4 Effort of non-satisfaction

      All four types of effort are very important for Dharma practitioners. The first two overcome conditions unfavourable to the practice of Dharma, the third actually engages in Dharma practice, and the fourth enables us to complete our practice.

      Armour-like effort is a courageous mind that helps us to persevere in our Dharma practice no matter what hardships are involved. We can generate this effort by thinking:

      I will continue to practise Dharma even if it takes me many aeons to attain great enlightenment. I will never give up my Dharma practice, no matter what difficulties