Geshe la’s lesson today focuses on the 1st of the 4 Noble Truths, which is that to be born into this world entails suffering. Believe in this Truth is required before one can meaningfully understand (and practise) the other Noble Truths of the Causes of Suffering, the Possibility of Ending Suffering, and the Path towards Ending Suffering.
Geshe la thought it appropriate to illustrate the 1st Noble Truth of Suffering by reference to the upcoming 7th Lunar Month, popularly known as the Month of the Hungry Ghosts, which begins tomorrow, Sunday, 8 August 2021. Geshe la explained that whilst the festival has become very much a part of the culture in many countries and societies where Chinese people have called home, and is in fact practised in different ways, tailored to the cultural idiosyncrasies of those relevant societies, it actually has its origins in the Buddhist sutras. For that reason, Geshe la provided the class with an exposition of the Ullambana Sutra in which Lord Shakyamuni Buddha explained the nature of suffering of beings languishing in lower realms as a result of their negative karma accumulated through non virtuous acts, so as to help us to understand and develop an understanding of the Truth of Suffering, with the hope that genuine compassion can arise in our hearts for beings in those unfavourable states.
The Ullambana Sutra (click above to see trilingual word copy), has Mahamaudgalyayana, one of the Buddha’s Chief Disciples, as the protagonist. Mahamaudgalyayana had, at the material time, attained certain realisations and powers that come with enlightened activity, and was able to survey the worlds with his divine eye, with a view to finding his parents in order to provide salvation to them, to repay their kindness for bringing him into this world.
Mahamaudgalyayana saw that his deceased mother had been born in the realm of the hungry ghosts. Having neither food nor drink, she had been reduced to skin and bones in that realm of existence. Seeing her in such a state of suffering pained him immensely. He gathered some food in a bowl and offered it to his mother (as he was able to do so across world systems, given his attainments). She attempted to partake in the food but before it reached her mouth, the food turned into hot burning coals, and she was unable to ingest the food. Mahamaudgalyayana cried out in despair and sorrow and swiftly reported the phenomenon to the Buddha.
The Buddha explained that Mahamaudgalyayana’s mother had, when she was alive, been miserly, performed heavy negative karmic deeds, and had spent her entire life venerating worldly spirits without accumulating sufficient merit. It was for that reason that she had been born in the realm of the hungry ghosts. He further explained the sentient beings in the hungry ghosts realm are perpetually in a state of suffering. They are unable to gain access to food or water easily, and even if they found them, they can’t consume them. He further explained that whilst Mahamaudgalyayana’s filial piety could move the heavens, that in itself was insufficient to liberate his mother from the realms of suffering.
The Buddha then explained that there was, however, one way in which he could free his mother from such a state of suffering, and that would be to make offerings to the Triple Gem particularly on the merit multiplying day of the 15th day of the 7th Lunar Month. The Buddha explained that the veneration and making of offerings to the Triple Gem would enable the offeror to generate sufficient merit that can be transferred to the benefit of ones’ deceased loved ones through dedication of the merits so generated. This, as Geshe la explained, is because the Triple Gem (in particular the members of the Sangha many of whom are also living bodhisattvas) hold various vows and keep pure precepts, including that to protect the Dharma in this world. For this reason, veneration and offerings to them will generate immeasurable merit, particularly on merit multiplying days.
The Sutra then tells of the liberation of not just Mahamaudgalyayana’s mother from the realm of the hungry ghosts on the occasion of the 15th day of the 7th lunar month, but also the liberation of his parents from 7 previous life times. It is for that reason that the month of the hungry ghosts is significant and important in the Buddhist calendar, as it is also an occasion on which practitioners are able to create and transfer merits to, amongst others, their departed loved ones.
Geshe la mentioned that the 7th Lunar Month is also significant in that it is the end of the rain retreats, during which the members of the Sangha would emerge from their 3 month retreat – the preceding 3 months are significant as they are the months during which most flora and fauna flourish, and the Buddha laid down this time for retreat so as to, amongst other reasons, prevent members of the Sangha from inadvertently tramping on (and therefore taking the lives of) insects and other animals that would spawn during these months.
On the story of Mahamaudgalyayana’s mother having practised the veneration of worldly gods or spirits, Geshe la reminded the class that whatever godly spiritual beings that we encounter in this or other adjacent world systems, they are themselves beings still in samsara and accordingly cannot lead us to liberation from the endless cycle of death and rebirth under the influence of our karma. That is why, as explained in the previous lesson, these other worldly spirits, whilst able to assist from time to time with creating auspicious conditions in our daily temporal lives, cannot possibly liberate us from the cycle of uncontrolled rebirth, which is important to remember if one’s goal is to enter the path of the Mahayana.
Geshe la then explained that there are many ways to create (and thereafter transfer) merits, apart from the offerings as described above on the occasion of the 15th day of the 7th Lunar Month. Other ways include practice of the 8 Precepts (one of the methods of practices of Chenresig/Guanyin introduced by Gelongma Palmo, as mentioned in the previous lesson) which will include abstinence from meals or eating only 1 meal a day (with no food after noon time) – through one’s own sacrifice of experiencing hunger, one will help those with a karmic connection to oneself languishing in lesser states such as the hungry ghost realm, to gain merits so as to enable them to partake in food and drink offerings.
The 8 precepts practice also involves not speaking for the duration of the practice which prevents the creation of negative karma through harsh/ idle speech. Geshe la explained that it is only with this precious human birth that enables us to practise various methods of purification of negative karma, not just for ourselves, but also for others who are languishing in these negative states.
Geshe la then discussed with the class as to why the 7th Lunar Month is known as the Ghost Month in our part of the world. Geshe la surmised that it may be a consequence of the belief in other systems that once a human being expires, the consciousness becomes a “ghost” and goes to hell to receive judgment. Geshe la clarified however, that by Buddhist reckoning, the consciousness does not necessarily become reborn or transferred into the ghost realm, but will take rebirth within 49 days after death in one of the 6 realms depending on the deceased’s individual’s karmic imprint. It is for this reason that when we carry out Transference of Merits Rituals (超度), it is not for the purpose of having a deceased’s person’s consciousness gets transferred from Place A to Place B, but rather to imbue that consciousness with sufficient merit such that the laws of karma can work to enable him or her to take rebirth in better realms.
Geshe la further emphasised that in our Vajrayana tradition, it is not just the departed that can be on the receiving end of Transference of Merits. The living can too. This is by way of purifying a living individual’s negative karma through this ritual, by relying upon the blessings of a tantric yidam (meditational deity). The foremost tantric deities in our Gelugpa tradition are Chakrasamvara (胜乐金刚), Yamantaka （大威德金刚） and Guhyasamaja （密集金刚）. These meditational deities have a phenomenal effect on the purification of negative karma and are invoked during the tantric rituals that the Centre carries out during the 7th Lunar Month.
As the entire 7th Lunar Month is significant for merit generation and for saving the unfortunate from lesser realms of existence, the Centre and its members have also made various offerings in the form of COVID – 19 vaccines to the members of the Sangha in India where the pandemic has been most serious, and Geshe la rejoices in the opportunity to help the precious members of the Sangha, which will result also in creation of great merit for all.
Geshe la concluded that whilst the 7th Month is observed in different ways, having been assimilated into Chinese culture and being consistent with Confucian and Taoist concepts of filial piety, which is to be celebrated, it is important as Buddhists to understand its origins from the perspective of the sutras.
The Centre will be carrying out the Jungwa Tantric Rituals twice each day, and will be based variously on the Guhyasamaja, Yamantaka and Chakrasamvara tantras. A final Transference of Merits Ritual will take place on the last day of the 7th Lunar Month, 6th Sept, which will be broadcasted on Facebook live.
Geshe la’s final note was on the importance of meditating upon and understanding death – as all that come into being through conditions existence, will invariably die. Geshe la emphasised the importance of understanding that the consciousness does not depart the body immediately upon clinical death and it is therefore important for Buddhist families or practitioners to try as far as possible to prevent the body from being cremated and/or placed into the morgue before such consciousness has departed.
Geshe la also briefly explained the art of divination following the death of a loved one, which is relevant to a whole host of post-death related issues, such as the appropriate rituals and deities to invoke that would be most efficacious for the transference of the consciousness to higher states of rebirth, the type of burial the deceased should receive (cremation, burial in a cemetery etc), and the direction of travel of the hearse on the actual date of the funeral. Geshe la offered to provide further information to others who may find this information helpful.
We thank Geshe la for his informative, in-depth, and insightful teaching. May all sentient beings abide in wisdom and compassion, and may the Dharma flourish forevermore.