Buddhist Wisdom for Modern Times
This are my notes from a talk given by Khenchen Konchog at the Nepali Hindu-Buddhist Center on June 21, 2025. This is not a transcript and there are gaps in them, but I hope they are clear enough to give some idea of the talk.
Different religions pray to their gods in order to have peace and happiness. When feel good you feel blessed and when not you don't know what to do. I see people here today that I have known for many years. They have already heard what I am saying, so I am saying it to refresh their memory.
We need to make an effort to be free from unhappiness and suffering. Politicians and scientists are working hard on this problem, as well as the farmers, butchers, fishers, and other laborers. And we look to religion as well. So we wonder where to find a solution to suffering and find peace and happiness. Everyone has some sense of love and compassion, even animals, who care for their offspring. Without love and compassion, a child cannot survive. Everyone appreciates love and compassion.
Buddha was born a prince. He was an only child, so his father gave everything to him. He lived in a palace and had a beautiful wife and child. But Buddha did not indulge in that, his mind was more open. He observed the people around him and saw the aged and sick. He wondered how he would handle these problems. He was searching empirically. Then he looked inside the mind, since we all share mental afflictions. When we are young and have a good mind and body, is the time to search for a solution to our problems. Riches and success are not enough to solve them. So he went in search of spiritual teachers and renounced his kingdom. He lived outdoors, without food, clothing, and shelter. He practiced and achieved a very high meditative state. Finally, he realized the mind which is so complex. So he practiced morality, meditation and wisdom, which is special insight, to realize the cause of all confusion,
He sat under the Bodhi tree and searched in his mind for the solution to our problems after having accomplished these three trainings. As a result he achieved the total solution in one night. He saw attachment and aversion were artificial, temporary contaminations of the mind. Do you agree? He said I have found the unafflicted ambrosia, the nature of phenomena. Nothing is hidden from my mind and I have no fear to proclaim this. In Sanskrit Buddha means fully awakened. Buddha does not exist outside the awakened mind. So everyone has the potential of the Buddha. Buddha explained suffering and how to destroy the cause of suffering. No matter much life has changed through the years the cause of suffering and happiness are still the same., just as fire is still hot. As we say the prayer "may all mother sentient beings have the cause of happiness," no one is excluded. When you generate love for everyone your mind becomes as vast as space. You can do this meditation wherever you are. Then you can focus your mind on phenomena and the cause of happiness and wish that "may everyone free from the cause of unhappiness". Then cultivate the enlightened mind, the cause of peace and happiness. Everything arises from causes and conditions. Everything is interdependent. Then when you see people who are troubled, you will have greater love. Meditate on this as you fall asleep and as you wake up. Just recollect this wisdom. Think as you fall asleep think may everyone have peace and happiness. The you will sleep peacefully. It's very simple, isn't it?
Also there is non-objectified loving kindness. Do you hear the sound of this bell? Where does the sound come from. There are billions of particles involved. And where is the sound? Is it inside or outside your mind? It is an interdependent arising. Everything is like a magic show. This is not just a Buddhist idea, it is the reality of all phenomena. When we take objects as real, then comes attachment. And from attachment comes all the emotional defilements. They are called the three companions, because they work together so well. We are their victims. Because we entangled in attachment, we suffer so much. Everything is insubstantial, like a vapor, and if you see this your mind is free of attachment. This is called non-referential love. When you understand this, you will have such a strong devotion to Buddha. You will develop such a great wisdom. This is the way to be free of confusion and suffering. So this is a brief explanation of loving kindness.
It's not enough to think you are happy today. You must think about the future and cultivate its causes. For your happiness not to disappear you need to repeat this exercise. Then the people who you know will be surprised. They will think, "I used to think he hated me, but now he loves me." Then when people trouble you, you will feel so happy that through that you have repaid your karma. You will have a more flexible and spacious mind. Compassion for others will arise easily and you will wish they are free of suffering. This practice doesn't contradict your culture, it is universal. When you have more love and compassion you will have less fear and doubt. There will be no judgment and prejudice. You will appreciate all your circumstances and the opportunity you have to become a better human being. Deliberately engage in this meditation of love to other beings and gradually expand it to everyone. Start with your family, your neighbors, your country, then expand it to all the four directions and finally to the universe. Even if the whole world goes wrong, your mind will be at peace.
When Buddha was sitting under the Bodhi tree, his mind had no fear, even when he was attacked by Mara. Psychic powers cannot bring you peace and happiness, cultivating love and eliminating the three defilements will. The mental afflictions can only be eliminated by this practice. Only these defilements can throw you into the hell realms. Buddha has such a great compassion, without prejudice to every being and their sufferings because of the defilements. It is like a mother caring for her child, desperate to find a solution. We make Buddhas happy by developing love and caring for yourself. Since there is no end of space, there is no end of beings. Brain is the office of the mind and the heart is the home of the mind. Consciousness and matter are two different things. Mind creates matter and not the reverse.
There are three types of suffering. The suffering of suffering, which is ordinary suffering, such as sickness and aging. Even this body that we cherish so much, has to be left behind. Look at your pet as they age. But these sufferings are fabricated, contrived. One day a mother and daughter tried to cross a great river and they both got caught in the current. The mother only thought of the daughter's safety and the daughter of her mother. They both died, but because of their last thoughts they were reborn in a very high state.
Your mind will only be totally free from suffering when you are enlightened and for that reason we cultivate bodhicitta. Milarepa said, "To be free from the undesirable conditions of impermanence. I have contemplated impermanence at every moment and as a result I have attained the imperishable citadel and for that reason I no longer fear death." Bodhicitta is the ground, path, and fruition of buddhahood. Once you understand this, you will practice and purify all of your shortcomings. Those beings that are helpless and confused, but desire to be freed from suffering, become the object of your aspirations.. This is called aspiration bodhicitta.
Action bodhicitta starts with the perfection of generosity. Although Milarepa had nothing to give, his absence of attachment was his practice of generosity. Practice is done without expectation of reward. Just do what you can. By giving this talk, I don't expect anything. Bodhicitta is the indispensible path to enlightenment. So practice generosity.
Next is the practice of moral ethics. It includes sexual morality, not stealing or killing and not causing disharmony between people, not making idle talk, and not holding wrong views. If we look at society and its grossness it all comes from immoral activity. All disputes come from non-virtuous actions. Malicious thoughts and wrong views should be eliminated to make the world a more peaceful place. First refrain from harming others and then practice helping others. The third perfection is patience. Patience is avoiding anger. When there is fear, anger follows. The fourth perfection is diligence, which is effort made joyfully. When you experience this heat you look for a cool spot and run there joyfully. That is an example of joyful effort. Even fishermen work with effort, so we should make an equal effort in our practice. Not only for ourself but for the millions of beings. The great masters of the past traveled long distances to receive the teachings. The fifth perfection is samadhi, which is not scattering the mind in every direction. It comes through stability and clarity of the mind. The sixth perfection is wisdom awareness which uproots the cause of suffering. So how can we cut through the false concepts about self and phenomena? Phenomena are just the play of illusion, like clouds in the sky. It is not enough to pray to free of samsara. One must practice the three trainings. To build a fire you need dried wood and not green wood. Then you need the knowledge of how to build a fire. Praying to God or Buddha won't do it. You must gather all the causes and conditions. Nagarjuna said, "Within the treasury of Buddha's words there is none so precious and profound as this: those that see how things dependently arise is to see the Buddha." Dependent arising lies between the extremes of eternalism and nihilism. The understanding of this is called ultimate bodhicitta. If we cannot release our arrogance we cannot comprehend this. That is why Marpa treated Milarepa so badly, to eliminate his arrogance. When Milarepa became enlightened everyone appreciated Marpa's conduct. But Marpa warned Milarepa not to treat his students as he did.
Finally we have dedication of the practice. Fame will not give you peace of mind or health and wealth. We are not free from samsara because we have not known how to dedicate merit. Say, "May all beings be free of suffering and achieve enlightenment." Dedicate all your roots of virtue to the attainment of buddhahood.
All the Buddha's teachings are in the six perfections. Then there is a Vajrayana. All of you have received so many empowerments. Are you enlightened yet? Owls have long round eyes and a flat head and claws. One monk asked another monk, "Why is your head so flat?" He answered that it was flattened by all the empowerment vases. The he aske, "Why are your ears filled with hair?" From hearing so many teachings. And also, "Why are your eyes so red?" From eating so much greasy foods.
So supposedly enlightenment comes fast from receiving tantric empowerments and practicing tantra. But how much have achieved? If we haven't achieved much, it is from not practicing the six perfections. When Gampopa was practicing as a Kadampa monk, his samadhi was so powerful that he only took one breath a day. Some people think shamatha is a kindergarten teaching. But it is so subtle. Everything has a cause.. And we should appreciate the Buddha's teaching. Milarepa could fit into the yak horn because he had mastered the three trainings.
This is wisdom you can use anywhere you go.
Q: I don't understand this concept of a vast mind. How can I understand it? Or would I just go insane? If your mind is the world, when you die does the world die?
A: It seems a paradox. Just practice by breathing in all the loving kindness of the Buddha. When you do that, at that time there is just peace. When you get angry that peace disappears. So just practice like that.
Q: Are the three times, past present and future just like an illusion?
A: Yes everything is like an illusion.
Q: What to do about the problems of the world like pollution?
A; There is both individual karma and group karma. We need to purify our own actions and explain the benefit of this to others. Right now I have the ability to straighten out myself, so we should do it. And then try to help others. If they do not accept, just practice patience.