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Lecture 35: December 9th pm (Lama Zopa Rinpoche)

Before taking refuge, the refuge ordination, if one likes to take precepts—one precept, two precepts, five precepts—one should motivate like this, “In this samsara, wherever I go, it is a place of only suffering. In this samsara, whatever enjoyment I experience, whatever I have, it is an enjoyment of only suffering. In this samsara, whatever companion or friend accompanies me, it is only a friend of suffering. However much I try, however much I have, however much I follow desire, there is no end. I never get satisfaction, however much I follow desire, samsaric happiness and perfection, however much I work for that. Why? It never gives me satisfaction, the result is only dissatisfaction. So for this reason, all these things—praise, enjoyments, friends—all these perfections are perfections of suffering. This samsara, these contaminated aggregates of attachment, are only in the nature of suffering. As long as I am caught in this, there is no difference from living in the fireplace, living in the very center of the fire. Being caught in samsara is like oneness with the fire, only in the nature of suffering. So for the benefit of all mother sentient beings, I must achieve ever-release from samsara, the omniscient mind for the benefit of all kind mother sentient beings. The ultimate goal is omniscient mind; therefore, by taking refuge, completely relying on Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha, I am going to take refuge ordination.”

There is a refuge ordination, a certain ceremony, but actually, since there is a wish to meditate, to train the mind in the graduated path to enlightenment, since you want to practice bodhicitta, since you wish to practice patience, to realize shunyata, the absolute nature of the self, wanting to escape from ignorance, having that wish—that is the real refuge. You already have refuge in the mind. It is a matter of words; just being scared of the word “refuge,” some kind of being uptight with the word. But having this wish to meditate on lam-rim is the actual refuge in the Dharma; having the wish to train the mind in lam-rim, bodhicitta, shunyata, having the wish to realize this, to practice the remedy of the self-cherishing thought, of the ignorance of true existence, the root of samsara—that itself is taking refuge. Meditating on that, taking refuge to protect yourself from the self-cherishing thought, from the harms of the ignorance of true existence, the root of samsara, taking refuge to escape from that, meditating on shunyata to escape from that—that itself is taking refuge. Meditating itself, having the wish to realize the true nature is already taking refuge. Practicing these two bodhicitta is itself taking refuge. Actually, it is like this.

Then, meditating on impermanence and death to cut off the clinging to these aggregates and to this life is taking refuge in Dharma—refuge from that danger, those shortcomings, the suffering of attachment, of clinging too much to the happiness of this life and all the problems that come from that. Meditating on impermanence and death protects from that. The Dharma guides you from those dangers, from that attachment clinging to the happiness of this life, that confused mind. Meditating on bodhicitta, practicing against the self-cherishing thought—those Mahayana teachings, that Dharma, guides you from the problems of the self-cherishing thought. Also, meditating on shunyata, your understanding of shunyata guides you from the dangers of the root of samsara, the ignorance of true existence. That is taking refuge, even if you don’t take refuge through a ceremony. Like this, according to the pratimoksha, the ceremony, with repetition of the words—even if one doesn’t do that, with an uptight way of thinking, some kind of uptightness with the word “refuge,” somehow scared—the person already has the wish to meditate, already there is refuge in the mind. That is the most important thing. That is the real refuge.

The point of taking the refuge ceremony, the ordination—on the basis of that living in the vows, practicing the three advice of avoidance and three advice of practice. For example, by taking refuge in Dharma, what one should avoid as much as possible is harming others. That is what one should try to make a project for life; by taking refuge in Dharma, if you want to receive guidance from Dharma, avoid harming others. Even though it happens uncontrollably, with repentance take the decision to make it less in the future, to try to live in the vows, to make this the project for life, practice.

One creates extra merits by living in the vow. By not living in the vows one doesn’t receive this extra profit. If one does not take the commitment in front of a holy object, even if one doesn’t do the actions, without having taken the vow one doesn’t receive the merit of keeping the vow that a person gets who has taken the vow. Even if normally one doesn’t steal or doesn’t tell lies, by living in the vows there is continuous merit, day and night—all the time you accumulate merit. That is a great advantage. All the time you are accumulating merit—when you are eating, sleeping, even when you are unconscious, the merit of living in the vows, of not stealing, not taking others’ lives—you are accumulating merits all the time.

For the vows of taking refuge in Dharma, one should avoid harming others. Killing is the most harmful one. Not unconsciously killing—the heaviest karma is killing with the intention to kill. Willingly killing; the complete action of killing starts with the motive of killing. It doesn’t just happen by not seeing something you stepped on, or when you drive a car, killing insects. Heavy karma is with the intention, the motive to kill, with one of the poisonous minds to make it a complete action of killing; there are four limbs.

So I think it is very good, since one accumulates merit all the time, even in one’s sleep, it is very beneficial to take at least one precept, not to kill—even for those who are not planning to take any other of the precepts. I am sure, this morning Lama must have explained in a very effective way. I think it’s so important. Otherwise there is nothing to practice in life. There is nothing left to practice, if one cannot do this at least, then there is nothing left. To not harm others; at least one can do this.

Generally it is possible to take only refuge ordination, but I think it is very good if you take this one. So from your side, those who made plans to take only the refuge ordination, you just decide in your mind.

With the motive wanting to benefit all sentient beings by taking refuge in the Triple Gem, whatever you decide to take, take refuge in order to achieve omniscient mind, final release from samsara for the benefit of the sentient beings. Then by thinking of the founder of the teachings, Shakyamuni Buddha, please do three prostrations.

Lama Lundrup spoke already about taking refuge. Taking refuge in Buddha implies not following a wrong guide who misleads you: instead of leading you to omniscient mind, the cessation of suffering, leading you to the lower realms, samsara. So in that way, your wish does not get fulfilled. You want to go up, to escape from danger, but at the same time if you try to go down—both cannot be done. You reach nowhere. If one is going down, at the same time one cannot go up. If one goes on a path where there’s danger, one cannot go on the path that makes one free from danger. Like this example, it doesn’t benefit.

By taking refuge in Dharma, one should avoid harming other sentient beings. By taking refuge in Sangha, one should avoid the wrong guide. Taking refuge in Buddha, one should avoid the wrong founder. With Sangha what we should avoid is the wrong guide who misleads. There is no need for more explanation.

The three practices of avoiding and the three advice of practice—there is no need to mention this again since it was already mentioned.

Then the general ones—following the holy beings, listening to the holy Dharma, reflecting on Dharma—as much as possible following the holy Dharma. And as much as possible trying to get some control over the five senses. When we don’t control the senses it can even cause danger to life. So like this, as much as possible taking the precepts, as much as possible generating love and compassion for others; making offerings to the Triple Gem as much as one can. This is the general practice.

If one degenerates these four root vows—from taking another’s life up to not telling lies—one can take the ordination again. Then for killing creatures, one can confess in front of a monk or a holy object. One can confess. I think that’s all.

Then, please dedicate the merits of having taken the ordination to be able to complete the paramita of moral conduct, keeping it purely.

Then, please dedicate the merits to be able to do extensive works for all sentient beings and the teachings, as Buddha Shakyamuni did, and to be able to achieve enlightenment as quickly as possible and to be able to lead every sentient being to the state of omniscient mind, as quickly as possible.

[Discussion about Dharma names]

Here, generally, there are other purposes, signifying renunciation, renouncing even the lay name. The main thing is to remember the practice. Here the lama gives a name to remember to practice the development of the good heart. Normally in Pratimoksha ordination the name has to be given according to the abbot’s name, starting with the abbot’s name. Here the name is mainly to remember the dharma practice, remembering the good heart. If you already have one name and take another, it costs more—it’s more expensive. [Rinpoche laughs]

[End of refuge ceremony]

Lecture 36: December 9th pm

Please generate at least the effortful motivation of bodhicitta, thinking, At any rate I must achieve enlightenment for the benefit of all mother sentient beings; therefore I am going to listen to the holy teachings.

So there are four main schools, the four major Buddhist schools.

Regarding mind-only—there is just one more thing to clarify. There are a lot of misunderstandings in regards to this. It is not saying that all three realms are only mind, that all existence is only mind. It is not saying they are mind. There are a lot of misunderstandings like this. I think one of the reasons is not having received teachings from a qualified teacher, a teacher who studied under another qualified teacher, who has the perfect infallible understanding of the teachings and the commentaries on the root text. What it is saying is that it comes from mind. It is not saying it is the mind, but it comes from the mind. It came from only mind.

As I mentioned yesterday, it negates or cuts off saying your life, each sentient being’s happiness and suffering, is created by a separate being, a universal consciousness or Mahadeva; it cuts off that, which doesn’t fit with your experience, which is not the evolution, which you can see is contradictory to your own everyday life experience: that is not created by a separate being, it is dependent on your mind. One can understand it by watching, by examining.

It does not say that all three realms are mind—it means that it came from the mind, just that much. So there are words like that that you have to get the commentary to understand, that you have to study with a qualified teacher to understand without mistake. But for somebody who just reads a book without studying it with a qualified teacher who has complete infallible understanding of what it means, it is very easy to get wrong understanding.

However, the last school, the Middle Way school, Umapa, has two divisions. One is called Rang gyupa and the other one is called Tang gyuwa. For those who listen to teachings from Tibetan lamas, who have the wish to study, somehow they have interest in Tibetan language anyway. For people who don’t understand Sanskrit anyway, they wouldn’t use Sanskrit. But now calling it Coca-Cola would make more sense. So I think it is more useful to use Tibetan terms. If one cannot translate it, then it is better to use the Tibetan term. Anyway people need to learn—those who have great interest in extensive deep studies have to learn these words anyway. So I think it’s more useful to use the Tibetan word itself; then there are fewer mistakes in explaining the meaning. That is the most important thing, the correct meaning. Then, by the way, the students also collect the Dharma terms, and in that way it’s easier, in the future it is helpful when they expand their studies.

What the Rang gyupa accept is this: in any existence, there is inherent existence, there is existence from its own side but also it is dependent. These philosophers accept both. Any existence has inherent existence, existence from its own side but also it is dependent on appearing to the undeceptive mind, or the non-defective mind, and the undeceptive mind labeling that. So they accept both. There is inherent existence from its own side, but also it is dependent on the undeceptive mind labeling it. Both.

So these philosophers, the Rang gyupa, they cannot figure it out without accepting that there is some existence from the side of the object. Without accepting that, they cannot see how things can exist, even though they are dependent on an undeceptive mind labeling. There should be some existence from the side of the object. Without that things become completely non-existent.

For example, if we relate it to our experience, somebody who did not experience shunyata, who has not got the clear, right understanding, who cannot see the unification of emptiness and dependent arising, who hasn’t seen this, who doesn’t know this—even though one might imitate what Lama Tsongkhapa said in the teachings about the unification of emptiness and dependent arising, this and that—in that case when you meditate, when we practice tong-len, taking others’ suffering and dedicating our body and three times’ merits and perfections to others, when we are practicing this, with the awareness that what is dedicated and taken is actually empty, when we do this, even when we make material charity to others, meditating with awareness of emptiness, then for our mind, when we do this practice with awareness of emptiness, it looks like for our mind it becomes completely non-existent. Non-existent—there is nothing taken and nothing given; completely non-existent. There is no labeling base. So it becomes non-existent for our mind.

So what we are meditating on becomes kind of nonsense; what we are taking and giving becomes nonsense, something that does not exist. You feel like that. I think that comes from not actually having recognized the refuted object. Not having the understanding in the very inside of the mind: this is it; something clear inside the heart, that you can see it very clearly—the unification of emptiness and dependent arising, this is the way it is.

Something that you have discovered on one object, “I,” the unification, how the “I” is empty and dependent arising is unified on the aggregates. If you have the experience on one object, then you can do the same with everything. You can copy from that. You can do it with the things that you offer to others and take from others. Then it also becomes very clear that there is something you give others and there is something that you take from others. But at the same time you don’t cling to the fact that they are truly existent. Although there is the appearance of true existence, suffering, body, material possessions, three times merits, there is no thought of clinging. It is weaker. Like this.

So there is something that you offer and there is something that you take. When you don’t know exactly what it means, when you don’t have the experience, even though there is some intellectual understanding, if you don’t have the experience in the mind, clearly from the mind, seeing the unification of emptiness and dependent arising on the object, then it is difficult. Then, even though the words are okay, when you really practice confusion arises. When you look at it as empty, it becomes completely non-existent. You fall down the other way. When you try to think that it exists, you feel the exaggeration of self-existence, that it truly exists.

So when you try to do your practice with the awareness of emptiness, it is better not to look at emptiness, because then you get completely lost. Then there is nothing to give and nothing to receive, because you don’t know how to look at the unification of these things. So then it seems either completely non-existent or, when you don’t look at them that way, when you think they are existent, then truly existent. So like this, I am just trying to give some example of the Rang gyupa idea. This is what can happen you meditate and you don’t have the exact understanding of how to look at unification on the object, the unification of emptiness and dependent arising.

So Rang gyupa is like when we meditate and don’t have this exact understanding. When we can’t meditate exactly on the unified emptiness and dependent arising, with tong-len meditation, those things, it looks like there should be some existence from its own side, otherwise it doesn’t exist at all. Even intellectually for us, our mind, this kind of idea happens. Even though intellectually we do accept that it has to depend on the mind: “Without the mind how can it exist, how does the name come, the mind has to label?” So you do say this, you do believe in this, you can’t reject this, it is true. But then there is the belief: “Then there should be some existence from its own side, otherwise how can it exist?” This comes.

So Uma Rang gyupa posits that there should be some existence from its own side, and also that it is dependent on an undeceptive mind labeling that, a mind that is not hallucinating with drugs, like datura, or disease. A mind that is hallucinating is not a normal mind. A mind affected by elements, by disease, or drugs is a deceptive mind. Like a hallucinating mind, seeing a white snow-mountain as yellow or a rope as a snake, or affected by the power of mantras, by the magician. In this way the mind can become defective. Those objects do not exist because another valid mind can see that it does not exist and can identify it as a mistake. They find mistakes in the snake or the yellow snow mountain.

An undeceptive mind is a mind that is unaffected, not hallucinating by diseases or by the power of mantras or drugs that produce hallucinations, which worldly people or ordinary beings can recognize as a hallucination. Not necessarily meditators, just ordinary beings can discover it is a hallucination.

So Uma Rang gyupa’s refuted object is that things exist by themselves alone, things exist only from the side of the object, without depending on an undeceptive mind labeling it. So they accept both: things exist inherently, from their own side, and they also depend on the undeceptive mind labeling them. So the refuted object is the object that exists only from its own side—any existence, such as the “I,”—existing only from its own side without depending on the undeceptive mind labeling it. That is the refuted object. This point of view is the subtle refuted object according to this Uma Rang gyupa philosophy.

So now according to Prasangika, even if you realize that “I” is empty of existing only from its own side without depending on an undeceptive mind labeling it on the aggregates, realize that the “I” is empty of that, this does not mean that one has realized the absolute nature of the “I.” According to Prasangika it still doesn’t mean that one has realized the absolute nature of the “I.” So now you can understand the Tang gyuwa, the Prasangika philosophers. For this school there is no slightest existence from its own side, not the slightest atom of existing from its own side, from the object’s side—completely empty, completely. Not even an atom existing from its own side. On any object, on the “I” and any object there’s not the slightest, even an atom existing from its own side, completely empty. So therefore: merely labeled, on the labeling base.

The aggregates itself are merely labeled—not the slightest atom exists from its own side. The aggregates are merely labeled by thought, valid thought, the all-obscuring ignorance of true existence. So on the merely labeled aggregates, the “I” that exists on that, there is also not the slightest atom that exists from its own side. Even though for us, now, on these aggregates it appears as if it exists from its own side, in fact it’s completely empty—there is not the slightest atom of true existence on that. It is completely empty of existence from its own side, completely empty.

The “I” itself is merely labeled on the merely labeled aggregates by valid thought, ignorance, all-obscuring thought, the ignorance of true existence. Like I mentioned, each time the aggregates are doing some action, it is labeled, “I am going to do this, I am going to do that.”

So “merely labeled”: what “merely” means is that besides that being labeled, merely labeled, there’s not the slightest existence from the side of the “I,” from the side of the object. It is completely empty of that. So, how does it exist? On the merely labeled aggregates the thought, the name, the sound is left there by merely labeling; left on the aggregates by merely labeling. That is the way the “I” exists.

So what Uma Rang gyupa, the previous philosophers, accept is that the “I” exists from its own side, but also by the undeceptive mind labeling that. That is how it exists. According to the Prasangika school, the last school, Tang gyuwa, that is the refuted object. This previous one becomes the refuted object for the philosophers of the Tang gyuwa. Otherwise there is the problem of existence from its own side. That is why the previous philosopher, Uma Rang gyupa, is blocked from really finding the right view according to the Prasangika. This prevents them from seeing the emptiness of existence from its own side. The “I” being empty of existing from its own side—this is the right view. So what blocks the Uma Rang gyupa from realizing is that they believe that it does exist from its own side. That is the problem. What is left now is dependent on the mind labeling, and that is okay. But the extra thing, what is left as hindrance to realizing the infallible right view of the Prasangika is believing that there is existence from the side of the object. So what Uma Rang gyupa accepts is itself the refuted object of the Uma Tang gyuwa, the Prasangika. That itself becomes the refuted object.

The meaning of merely labeled, not just labeled but merely labeled, is that the way that things exist, the way that things are completely empty, such as the “I” and aggregates, are completely empty of existing from their own side. Why is the “I” empty of existing from its own side? It exists on the aggregates, the labeling base—the thought and sound merely label on that.

So now, just to clarify, I mentioned the other day some different advice about the refuted object, what His Holiness Ling Rinpoche and His Holiness the Dalai Lama said before. Until you recognize the refuted object—the appearance of true existence, how things appear as existing from their own side—on one object, you cannot discriminate, it is complete oneness. If you check, you cannot discriminate between what is the table and what is truly existent. It is oneness; you cannot separate the table and the truly existent table, or the labeling base and the label. “Table” is kind of oneness, unable to discriminate. It is completely oneness. We cannot discriminate between the true existence and the object; the thing that exists under the control of name, and true existence. There is a pillar that exists, but between the mind and that object there is some hallucination. Like between the perception by the hallucinating mind and the rope, there is a hallucination of a snake.

Like that, at the moment, when we do not recognize the refuted object on one object, it completely becomes oneness. The merely labeled “I” and the appearance of true existence are kind of completely oneness—one cannot distinguish them. So when we do the four-point analysis meditation, searching for the refuted object, the “I,” in order to realize that it is empty, since we cannot discriminate and recognize the refuted object, the truly existent “I,” it is better to use the meditator, yourself, as the object. It is better to use that as the object, to seek for yourself on your aggregates. The refuted object, the “I” is the subject himself. “I” searching the “I”—this is the best. In this way, even though you don’t recognize the truly existent “I,” it is okay. It becomes correct meditation; there is a great result from doing analytical meditation with the four analyses like this.

Another way of saying it is this—the example is not exact but you may get an idea. If there is supposed to be some gold in this garbage can, if you cannot find it now, you take the whole basket home, the whole garbage can, because there is not enough time to check it there at the other people’s place. Then you take your time; spend hours to find the gold. However, the gold exists, and this true existence does not exist. What I am saying is not exact, but because you don’t know where it is exactly, it is easier to take the whole thing to your house.

Like that, since you do not know the truly existent “I,” since you cannot recognize it, discriminate, then it is better to use them together—the “I,” yourself—use it to seek it on the aggregates. This helps you to recognize the refuted object; it helps you to realize the emptiness of the “I.” That is the best thing that can be done until you recognize the refuted object. Rather than searching for just the merely labeled “I,” where it is. Searching for the merely labeled “I”—where is it—might help somebody who has never done the meditation, somebody who has a very closed mind. It might give some understanding, searching for the merely labeled “I.” But it does not hit straight on the truly existent “I,” that to which the ignorance of true existence clings.

However, according to Prasangika, how the “I” appears as truly existent, it is the same as the name. The baby called Vajra was born and then parents called him “Vajra.” The parents thought for a long time and then they decided on the name “Vajra.” At the first second when the name Vajra is given, there’s no conception clinging to that as truly existent. Then, after the name is labeled, in the second second it gradually gets stronger and stronger and stronger—there’s no longer the awareness that it’s merely labeled on the aggregates. That awareness is forgotten. Then gradually, as the seconds, minutes go, there’s a labeling base and there’s this thought of Vajra, they meet together, and the person is labeled “Vajra.” Then it’s forgotten, and as the seconds and minutes go, the appearance of Vajra existing from its own side gets stronger and stronger; even though it’s merely labeled it appears to exist from its own side. This appearance of true existence becomes stronger and stronger and stronger like this. It is the same thing with the “I.”

This is the Prasangika’s refuted object. Another way of saying—when we walk, “I’m going to Katmandu, I’m going to Boudha, I’m going to the shops to buy coffee,” when we think of this, when we walk, it looks like the “I” is on the body. But when we think of past and future lives or rebirth in the lower or upper realms, our past lives as human beings or devas, it looks like the “I” is on the consciousness, not on the body. When we travel, “I go to the West, I go to India, to Bodhgaya,” it looks like the “I” is on the body. Also while you are walking it looks like the “I” is on the body. And it looks like there is a real “I” on the consciousness, which travels from one life to another life. That is the object to be refuted, that’s the object that doesn’t exist. The real “I” that looks sometimes like it is on the body and sometimes on the consciousness doesn’t exist—that real “I” is the refuted object.

When you fall down from the precipice, when you are in danger of falling down, at that time you don’t think, “My body is falling down,” or “My mind is falling down.” At that time there is a real “I.” At the time of great fear there is a real “I” that is neither body nor mind—just “I,” completely “I.” There is a real one, with great fear of falling down, fear that it is going to be hurt. There is something, neither mind nor body, but a real “I.” It is not merely labeled, but purely existing from its own side.

That “I” is what is called the refuted object, that emotional “I”. This “I” is like blowing a balloon: when there is no air inside it is flat, you don’t feel very much—normally you don’t feel so much, for those who don’t have much experience of shunyata, the refuted object, the recognition, you feel it only at certain times—in great fear or when there are conditions that make you so happy. Then like blowing up a balloon, at those times it becomes very vivid. Even though the appearance of the truly existing “I” is always there, it is invisible. You haven’t recognized the refuted object yet, so it is kind of invisible. But at those times it becomes very strong.

That’s why there is a practice in tantra called Slaying the Ego. This is a particular practice to quickly realize shunyata, to quickly recognize the refuted object. They go in the forest, alone, very far from the monastery, many miles away in the forest where there are spirits, noises, strange things happening. They go to particular places with water where there is only one tree, places where spirits gather, or graveyards. The person has to be alone, without friends. Then you have to practice, meditate on shunyata and also mainly exchanging oneself for others, making charity of the body to others, to the spirits. Then if there is great fear you are able to recognize the refuted object, the “I” that doesn’t exist. So like this you are quickly able to realize the absolute nature of the “I.” That is a particular tantric practice, Slaying the Ego.

This kind of emotional “I” is like this. The ignorance of truly existent “I” does not hold the body or the mind—only the “I,” the pure “I,” which is neither mind nor body but an “I” that purely exists from its own side; this “I” that falls down and is going to be hurt, which is completely empty, which doesn’t exist at all. It is completely empty and this is what we should recognize. It is like this now; if you recognize the refuted object, it is like this now, the same as those times when the emotional “I” arises, in great fear, or if one is so excited—it is similar. But the thing is that we haven’t recognized the refuted object, so it becomes kind of oneness, invisible. However, this is it what we should realize as empty on these aggregates.

After we realize this is empty, when it becomes empty for your mind, completely lost, for the lower intelligent ones and even for the bodhisattvas, fear arises because that “I,” the self, the meditator itself, is completely lost. This happens, and then fear starts to arise from the very depth of the heart, even for the lower intelligent bodhisattvas. It is like an untrained child riding on a horse.

The higher intelligent bodhisattvas, when they realize shunyata, are extremely happy, like having found a wish-granting jewel, extremely happy. Tears come out, maybe hairs rise up. For them it is like having found a wish-granting jewel and they are extremely happy. This is the case for a higher bodhisattva with much logic, with much extensive, deep understanding of shunyata.

When you realize the truly existent “I” is empty, the reason that you feel you, the meditator, is lost, don’t exist, is because that experience shows that “I,” the meditator, doesn’t exist from the side of the object. It shows that. It is a sign that it doesn’t exist from its own side—the self, the meditator, is completely lost. Not only the truly existent “I” but also the meditator, the self. The “I” is lost. It shows that the “I” doesn’t exist from the side of the object. After this, what you see is the “I” after it is a merely labeled “I” on the aggregates. That is the way you see it. Then you have recognized the unification of emptiness and dependent arising—that is exactly what you have recognized. Even though the “I” appears as truly existent, without clinging you recognize that it is empty of true existence. Appearance and emptiness, dependent arising and emptiness, like this.

At that time you have finished examining shunyata as Lama Tsongkhapa explained it. After you have this experience you should not leave it like this, because it might degenerate. Once you have this experience you should practice shamatha, one-pointed meditation and, even if you cannot perfectly practice shamatha, you should make sessions, meditate on this emptiness and again search, analyzing; then again when you reach emptiness, practice one-pointed meditation. Practice the remedies such as awareness and remembrance against the scattering thought caused by attachment and scattering thoughts that are not caused by attachment, and the sinking thought. Try to meditate single pointedly on the emptiness of the “I” by practicing remembrance and awareness, not letting yourself be disturbed by sinking or scattering thoughts. Then you should read the teachings about shamatha, one-pointed meditation, and the methods and remedies, such as the eight remedies. In this way, doing meditation on the right view, you can accomplish the highest insight.

When one has this specific experience, according to Lama Tsongkhapa one has then entered the path that pleases all the Buddhas. One is able to enter the path that pleases all the Buddhas with this body, this human body that one has found just one time. Then, also train the mind in bodhicitta and practicing the tantric path, take initiations, try to take the greatest essence, to reach the unified state of Vajradhara, to be able to do extensive works as quickly as possible for all sentient beings.

I stop here.

I didn’t get the four-point analysis done. I did plan to do what Thubten Pemo did the other night—that was it but she didn’t finish completely. But if somebody wants to meditate it can be copied. Not everything; only that part. It was put together because I did the Mahamudra course in Vajrapani but then the shunyata subject didn’t get done. I was supposed to teach the shunyata subject there but spent most of the time on guru meditation; only on the last day, a few minutes on shunyata. I was supposed to send the copy to them for the retreat but it didn’t reach there on time. Also in France, I did a little bit, but mostly on guru practice. I didn’t get done much on shunyata. Not like this course.

Actually, what I planned at the beginning of the course was to talk on patience, the chapter on patience, then practicing awareness, concentration and perseverance. Then what else? There were a few chapters that came out beneficial. I didn’t plan to give it the normal way, according to the lam-rim outline, as I did in previous courses. I thought to let the geshes speak mostly on that. I did speak some lam-rim, without going straight into the chapter on patience. In the beginning we talked about exchanging oneself with others, which is very, very important mind-training in bodhicitta, one of the two ways—one way is exchanging oneself with others—then shunyata, then patience. So actually the most important thing to fulfill one’s ultimate and temporal wishes, to solve everyday life problems, is shunyata and bodhicitta. In other courses I hardly spoke about that, I think. There were words on shunyata, a little bit but hardly, not as it happened in this course. Usually only half of the subject—then the course finishes halfway through the subject.

I spoke about the two most important subjects from the beginning so even the people who didn’t stay, who left, I am satisfied, I have rejoicefulness—they didn’t leave with a completely empty mind. These very important two subjects planted seeds in the mind—they left with something. Even though they didn’t hear much on the chapter of patience or other precious things, I am satisfied. If you think how many people on this earth, even though they have taken human bodies, haven’t heard even the word bodhicitta, compared to that, we are happy. Also, experiencing everyday life’s problems, how to deal with it—this is also mentioned. Somebody might think I didn’t mention any practical things; unless you were not here, or didn’t pay attention—I did speak on everyday life, many things, how to think of it, how to deal with problems.

Also shunyata meditation, the walking meditation—if I ask: please do this from morning until night, then it is difficult to do, the mind gets too distracted. But if you do it in a group, walking like this, everybody pays attention, like a session. Like parents sending a child in a group of other children to study by giving candies, food, money. Anyway.

Before there was only the thought of this life, and now there is more care for future lives, to make preparation for the happiness of future lives. Before there was not so much thought to cherish others, not so much thought of loving kindness for others. When you saw creatures they were like rocks, pieces of wood or leaves—not so much feeling. Now there is much taking care of their life. So if some changes happened like this, that is the benefit of the course. Before there was no wish to be free from samsara; now there is a wish to be free from samsara, the wish to achieve omniscient mind for the sake of all sentient beings. Before there was not even a dream of that, not even a thought like that. Now there is a wish generated in the mind. However, there is this benefit from having taken the Kopan November meditation course on this Kopan hill, cold in the morning, shaking.

So the conclusion is that.

If you can do meditation, a little bit every day, in the morning, ten minutes, fifteen minutes, one hour, two hours, whatever you have time for, it’s very excellent. You can follow The Essence of Nectar, it is like a pocket lam.rim, very good, straight. So today you do this, guru devotion or perfect human rebirth, you start and what is left over you do tomorrow morning, 15 or 20 minutes, whatever, you read. You do Guru Buddha Shakyamuni’s visualization, and if you know you do mandala offering, the seven limb practice and requests, then you read this book, you think about it, put yourself in the subject—anyway, I am not going to talk about these things. Again it gets long.

So like bodhicitta—there is you and there are sentient beings to think about; the kindness of sentient beings, and you, how they are kind to you; two things. Again two things—guru and you; you are one and the guru is one, two things. Also at nighttime, if you have time to meditate, if you like to do it. And when you have finished up to shunyata, then you go back, you start again, until you have clear understanding of the whole thing.

Then if you have a sort of experience of the lower capable being—that death is uncertain in this month, this week, it can happen—if you have that much uncertainty from the heart, and if you feel the waste, just one or two hours you feel that it is a great waste, if you have some experience like this of the perfect human rebirth, feeling this life is not so important, but the future life is very important, then you train your mind more in the graduated path of the middle capable being, the shortcomings of samsara, the twelve links. At the same time you develop bodhicitta so that renunciation helps you to quickly generate compassion, and that helps you to quickly generate bodhicitta. You see, even if you don’t meditate on the lower realms, the most important thing is that you feel the suffering of human beings on this earth is unbearable. If you feel that is like the naraks, then that is enough—you don’t have to meditate on the lower realms. This is the most important thing. If you have renunciation for this, then compassion is very easy, then bodhicitta is very easy. If you don’t have renunciation, knowing how the human realm is in the nature of suffering, if you don’t feel this strongly, then it is difficult to generate compassion.

Then in the evening time do a little bit of shunyata meditation to plant the seed, shunyata and bodhicitta. If you think, “Oh, it is so difficult, I cannot understand, so difficult, this and that,” yes, it is difficult, but I would say it depends on a skillful teacher, skillful advice, skillful explanation, and on the disciple accumulating merit. If the disciple has accumulated much merit, and has the perseverance to meditate from past times, having accumulated many causes and impressions of shunyata from past times, then with a teacher, with a skillful explanation from a teacher who is experienced, together I think it is very easy, so easy, to realize shunyata. But if by thinking, “Oh, this is so difficult, too difficult for me, I’ll never realize shunyata, I don’t understand,” if you leave it as difficult, then nothing happens, then you won’t make it, then you won’t have realization. “I am hopeless,” sort of. I don’t think that is right.

The most important thing is that when you have problems in daily life, use your meditation, the teachings you have received, the notes you have done. Remember that this is the real time to practice, the real time to defeat the delusions. That is the most important thing. Even if you don’t do meditation sessions at all, when there is a problem if you can deal with it, that is the most important one.

Then tomorrow morning in puja, please dedicate the merits. Each teaching of Buddha that we heard here in the course, that we were able to plant impressions in the mind to achieve omniscient mind. Each merit that we accumulated by motivation, by hearing teachings, by making offerings, by prostrations, by meditation, everything that happened by understanding Dharma is by the kindness of His Holiness the Dalai Lama. If His Holiness wasn’t living now, if he didn’t come to India, then we would be like before—completely ignorant mind, no different from a pig. Nothing else, only this life—nothing to think about but only this life, nothing beyond this life, completely ignorant, just like a pig, just thinking of one day’s food, one day’s comfort. So ignorant, so dark, suffering and confused continuously, not knowing, not having any understanding of what causes happiness and what causes suffering. Not having met Dharma so no freedom to practice Dharma. So, having so much freedom to practice Dharma comes because we have met the teaching, and that is due to the kindness of His Holiness the Dalai Lama. Otherwise, without him the lamas wouldn’t have gone to the West and couldn’t give the teachings.

So when we dedicate to fulfill all the wishes of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, if all His Holiness Dalai Lama’s wishes are fulfilled then all our wishes are fulfilled, because his wishes are only for sentient beings to achieve omniscient mind and for whatever happiness they wish to be fulfilled. So even if you don’t know how to pray, if you just pray that His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s wishes may be fulfilled, that’s enough. That contains everything, that contains all sentient beings, that contains yourself—the fulfillment of all your own temporal and ultimate wishes. So dedicate for his long life and to fulfill all his wishes.

Then also Lama Yeshe—without his kindness there wouldn’t be this course anyway, this place, everything. Then also the Dalai Lama’s tutors, to fulfill all their wishes and to have long life, then His Holiness Karmapa and His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s junior tutor to reincarnate soon and to be able to work even wider, even more than in past lives for sentient beings.

Then also that we have the freedom to accumulate much merit, to be able to plant many seeds during this course, the graduated path to omniscient mind, is also dependent on the kindness of the cooks and the people who worked very hard, the people who did the shopping and all the rest of the sentient beings, even the shopkeepers from whom we get food, who make the food available and easy to buy down there. All the rest of the sentient beings, all the creatures—to all of them we should dedicate our merits—to all those who gave us the opportunity to follow the graduated path to enlightenment. Remembering their kindness from the heart—the kindness of those hard workers, and of all the rest of the sentient beings from whom we received the food. Please dedicate the merit for all the rest of the sentient beings, the parents, to have happiness, whatever they wish—to only have happiness, ultimate happiness, and for the lower realms to completely become empty. Wherever there are bodhisattvas, that their wishes may be fulfilled. Also including those who helped in the course—each other, the Dharma friends—also pray, dedicate merits to them.

The dedication from the Bodhicaryavatara might be done tomorrow, so you might dedicate according to that. This is an excellent, very wide dedication.

I would like to say from the heart that although this course is not like previous courses and the discipline is maybe not like previous courses, not tight, I am very happy, because the most important subject has been heard by the people who came here. So I am satisfied and very happy with the impression that was planted. That is the most important thing. The new people who came for the first time don’t know—but the people who have come other times, to other courses, they know, the more subjects they have received. The old students know. Even though the new people who came for the first time don’t understand what they have received, it doesn’t matter—the seeds of what is worthwhile in life are planted in the mind. It doesn’t matter whether the person understands or not, feeling what the person feels is right, most significant; even if the person doesn’t recognize it, it doesn’t matter. It’s like the patient who gets the best medicine. Even though he doesn’t recognize what he gets, that medicine heals the disease. Although he doesn’t recognize that was done by the medicine, the most important thing is that it is the right medicine and that he recovers soon. That is the most important thing.

Also to those who have taken the Mahayana ordination, with much hardship, cold and hunger, I would like to say thanks. Also to those who attended sessions, who put much effort, who tried, with much patience with my talk, with my mumbling, to listen with much patience. If you found mistakes you can leave it; if you found correct things, practical things, you can take it, practice it, apply it. So from the heart, I would like to say many thanks. Also I will pray for you from life to life to be guided by Lama Tsongkhapa. So anyway, please dedicate tomorrow morning, during puja time.

[Dedication prayers]

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