Healing Course (Audio and Unedited Transcripts)

By Kyabje Lama Zopa Rinpoche
Melbourne, Australia, 1991 (Archive #874)

The first part of a series of teachings given by Lama Zopa Rinpoche at Tara Institute in Melbourne, Australia in August 1991. This series formed the basis for the book Ultimate Healing, published by Wisdom Publications.

The second part of the series can be accessed here.

Three Types of Sufferings; Using Problems and Death in the Path

So, in regards transforming the problems, the undesirable things into happiness, so that is [pause], the main thing, first of all, the problems, failure in, unsuccess in regards obtaining happiness for this life, unsuccess in business or job or education, so anything that is to do, work that is to do to obtain happiness for this life, then even the failure in spiritual progression, practice, even that, even failure in Dharma practice, meditation practice, then, disease, the degeneration of health, wealth, then criticism, bad reputation, then even the death, even the main one that which we always have been trying to keep away, since, after the birth, since the birth happened, then that which one has been trying to protect away the death, that which is used by many people, by practitioners or meditators, use the death, so many of them they use the death in the path, rather disturbing, rather no need, they use as need, rather rejecting, to accept, rather disturbing, it's used as benefit, to develop one's own mind, for quick enlightenment, for quick way achieving the peerless happiness, the full enlightenment for the sake of all sentient beings, for the benefit of every sentient being. So many people, practitioners of meditation especially, the tantric practitioners, which means the quick method, most skillful means to achieve the peerless happiness, the full enlightenment. Specially then these practitioners use the death as a path for quick development of the mind, to escape, use the death to completely purify the death, use the death to completely end the cycle of death and rebirth, old age, sicknesses, all the problems. So there are, as far as problems, so these things are called suffering of pain.

Then the second problem is suffering of changes, those samsaric, those pleasures of samsara, the circling, the aggregates, this association of body and mind, that which is created by impure cause, action and disturbing thoughts, and that which is contaminated seed of disturbing thoughts and that creates cause of again future life, future samsara or the circling aggregates, that which is, same one that which is not free from the suffering. So, the temporary pleasures which this cycle, these aggregates experiences, the temporary pleasures of these aggregates that which we label pleasure on a feeling which is, the base, which is the feeling that is the unnoticeable problem, the unnoticeable suffering. So, therefore, such these temporary pleasures of these aggregates, this samsara, because on which we label is not, the base on which we label pleasure is not, the base is not pure, the base is the unnoticeable discomfort or the problem or the suffering.

So, because it's unnoticeable, so we label it pleasure so then when it increases, when it becomes noticeable, then the pleasure is decreased, the pleasure...

[break in recording]

...does not continue and it decreased, become less and less, because the discomfort that is increased by the action eating or whatever action, walking, sitting, sleeping, whatever, so by doing longer that it compounds this discomfort more and more. So, then this pleasure afterwards, completely, it become less and less, less and then, so however, when this discomfort become noticeable, when this problem become noticeable, then that which we label pleasure so then one, because the discomfort, the problem become more and more noticeable, then that's what happened, less and less experiencing the comfort, which we labeled comfort. There's no comfort from its own side, but it's which we labeled pleasure.

So however, the feeling on which we label pleasure is not a pure one, it's not the feeling that is completely free from the problem, it's not that. So, this second one, this is the second, more subtle problem, then, because more subtle - why? Because more difficult to realize, to recognize this, only one can understand, realize this through analysis, by analyzing.

Then, there's third, the pervasive compounding problem, this is the fundamental, the major, the main problem. So, without this third one, then, second and the first, without this last one, pervasive compounding problem, without this, then the two others one do not experience, the suffering of pain and this changes, one doesn't experience. [pause]

The third one is the fundamental one, for example, without the body, then one do not experience, then the feeling the itching, when one has leprosy disease, so without the body then there's no itching, so without the itching, there's no itching and also there's no scratching and there's no spreading the disease, making worse and worse by scratching and spreading the infection. So, without the body, then the itching and scratching, then spreading the infection, the water, the pus, the water from the infection doesn't spread. However, so all these things doesn't happen.

So, like that, so what is this third problem? The most important one, the fundamental one, the most important one to recognize and then we have to attempt to be free from this, most important one to understand, to recognize and we have to make strong determination to be free from this. We have to attempt to be free from this. So that is these aggregates, that which is pervaded, that which is under the control of the action and disturbing thoughts and because this is contaminated seed of the disturbing thoughts, the ignorance not knowing the nature of the I, so forth, then anger, those other emotional minds, anger, attachment, so forth, so this is contaminated of seed of the disturbing thoughts. Because of the seed, then, because the seed is there, it's not removed, it's not purified, if it's purified, then this hallucinated mind, ignorance, those other wrong concepts, they do not rise, they cannot rise, because there's no cause to rise, so they cannot rise and as they cannot rise, there's nothing to produce the action which leaves imprint on the mind, on the consciousness and that imprint brings, like the sprout, it manifests, the imprint which manifests, which brings the, again aggregates, again the future life aggregates, which is not free from the problems.

So the action motivated by the disturbing thoughts leaves imprint on the consciousness, then the imprint brings, as it manifests, like from the seed sprout coming, then manifests the future aggregates, the same type, which is nature of the suffering, not free. So, then if the imprint, if the seed is not there, if it is purified in our mental continuum, then there's no reason to rise the disturbing thoughts, this emotional mind, this hallucinated mind, and then these disturbing thoughts, then, without that, there's no action, without the action, there's no causes creating future samsara or the aggregates, which is in the nature of suffering. So there's no production; there's no cause so there's no production, the result. So, then, this is the way how we can be, this is the evolution how we can be completely free, from one's own mind, by working within one's own mind, that which is meditation, transforming the mind in the path, so from one's own mind you make yourself completely free, so by purifying the mind, even the seed of these disturbing thoughts, then, there's no cause of suffering, there's no suffering, so completely free, one do not reincarnate any more.

So, there is no reincarnation, there is no death, there is no, all the problems between, old age, sicknesses, meeting the undesirable object and separating from desirable object, not finding satisfaction even one found the object, all these problems doesn't happen, one doesn't experience, completely free forever, forever, because you are free from the cause forever, because your mind is completely pure from the seed, there's no seed there. So as long as you don't plant the seed in the field, nothing grows. So as long as one doesn't plant poisonous seed then there's no poisonous plant that which is dangerous for health, nothing grows. So like that.

So, because, so this way, not only that one become completely free, by being completely free from this third problem, the fundamental problem, that which is the aggregates, the association of body and mind, this one, that which is caused by karma...

[tape change]

...so this way, not only that one become completely free, by being completely free from this third problem, the fundamental problem, that which is the aggregates, the association of body and mind, that which is caused by action, disturbing thoughts, which is pervaded by that and contaminated seed of that, the disturbing thoughts, then, because of the seed, then, because the seed is there, not being purified by the remedy of path, then also one didn't apply the meditations, when we meet objects, beautiful object, ugly object, indifferent object, we didn't apply meditation in our daily life, then we let the mind, we didn't protect ourself, we didn't protect our mind, we didn't guide ourself, so we let ourself to be controlled by these disturbing thoughts, these hallucinated minds, these emotional minds and we let our mind to be invaded, to be overtaken or to be invaded by these delusions, so, without applying the meditation, like taking medicine, the meditation, so when we meet the different objects in our daily life, then, so without like taking medicine, the meditation, then because the seed is there so all these emotional minds, the disturbing thoughts, rise, the delusions rise and then that motivates action and the action leaves imprint, creates the imprint, leaves imprint on the consciousness and from the imprint the future life, the same one, aggregates, like from the, you plant the corn seed, from the corn the stem comes, again another, again corn comes.

Not the previous corn coming back, not that one, but similar corn comes. Like that, then from the imprint similar one, similar means in the sense that it's not, the aggregates that which is not free from the problems, same one, same type, not the pure one, pure form, that which is liberated completely from the whole problems and causes, not that one. Similar one, it produces, the imprint. So that's why it's called compounding, so these aggregates creates future, another similar one, another cycle, another aggregates, another cycle, similar one, that which is in the nature of problems, that which experiences again the three types of problems. So, these aggregates which like this create another aggregates which are in the nature of suffering. So, this is compounding - compounding what? Compounding the future life aggregates, cycle, aggregates, similar one, nature of suffering, by compounding the cause, the imprint. So these aggregates is called pervasive compounding problem.

So when we become free from this, these aggregates which is such a nature, nature of problems, when we are free from this, then we are completely free from those two other problems, when we don't have any more experience such, again and again reincarnate, such these aggregates, nature of problems, so when we become, we don't reincarnate any more, we don't experience any more this, then that time we are completely free from all the two other problems, the problem of changes and the problem of pain, completely.

So however, so then this one is the ultimate liberation, this is the ultimate everlasting happiness. Because there's no cause so impossible to come back the problem again, forever. So, however, my subject, my topic went a little bit wandered , scattered away. So now, so this, so transforming problems in happiness, so just going over some examples of the different problems of life.

So, what I was trying to tell is, so even the death, that which many people that death is used for quick enlightenment, to achieve peerless happiness, and also to be able to enlighten, to be able to bring all sentient beings to the peerless happiness, full enlightenment, death is used as a path for that. So death is used as most beneficial, the death experience is made most beneficial for every living being. Then, however, death, by the way then death is used to benefit for other, to develop one's own mind, to generate the realizations of the path to enlightenment, death is used to be born in the pure land of different Buddhas, different fully enlightened beings. Pure means, in other words, for example, Utopia, where there's no water, drought, no rain - how do you say? Ethiopia! Alle, I've been saying all the time, Utopia.

[Discussion about Utopia]

Alle, only now my ignorance is dispelled. So far I have been believing the Utopia is where there's all the problems, the unceasing killing each other and all that torture.

Anyway, alle, Utopia means pure land. It's like [pause], the way I have been believing is like pure land as hell and hell as pure land.

So anyway, the Ethiopia, a lot of drought and a lot of disease and a lot of, many, many things, many millions are starving, and no food growing, no crops growing and so much disharmonious and filled with so much, there are many other places of course, even though there is much delusion but particularly many of those places there's even stronger, more violent, more rough, more uncontrolled. However, so they don't, no rain, scarcity of water, so even the water brought by airplane from other place, even the water is brought there, but it become bad by the time when it arrived in that place, even the water which was drinkable before, by the time when the water arrived in their place, it become bad water. So the appearance, how things appear to you, how things appear to them is like this, so even the water, by the time when it arrived there, it was drinkable before, but by the time when it arrived that place, it become, it appeared undrinkable, become bad, it appeared bad water. The water appeared bad water, even though it was good, it was drinkable before when it was another place.

So, like that, so it is impure appearances, what they are experiencing is impure appearances, so the impure appearances, without the mind there's no appearances, appearance is to do with the mind. So whether your appearance is pure or not pure, that dependent whether the mind is pure or not. So all these drought, all this no crops growing, nothing, so many undesirable things, life is filled with undesirable things, so much disaster, fighting, so forth, all these things, it's appearance, all this, place appeared, people appeared bad, place appeared bad, everything appeared bad, harm, so that is the production of a negative imprint left on the consciousness by the past the impure action, the mistaken action, done with the negative, wrong attitude. So, harming others, which is also harming oneself, so all the, left imprint on the mind and then these appearances are projections of this impure consciousness, or the imprint that is left there, this negative imprint, then it's a projection of that. However, creations of that.

So, that, here we have, here there's lots of rains, especially in Melbourne, there's unceasing rains , which is my visualization of Melbourne , that because this is how I saw Melbourne the first time when I came here, there's always some rain, some fogginess and always some little rain, coming unceasing. So this is first time when I came to Melbourne, so then always I have the picture of Melbourne that way, but of course there's a lot of sunshine, the last few days there was very good sunshine but there are many good days, but just because that impression, somehow I think the first time when I was here, maybe I brought bad weather with me.

Anyway, so however, for us that appearance of many beautiful things, beautiful, comfortable, beautiful place, outside, inside clean, then food, so much, unbelievable, so much the appearance what we have is desirable or beautiful, our appearance this life, now, is full of beautiful objects, clean, nice. If you compare, so many of those places, here is paradise, this is paradise, our appearances, sense objects what we are using is, the place is paradise, is real Utopia, now this is Utopia, our appearances is Utopia, comparing to those, comparing to Ethiopia.

So, this, so many beautiful and clean, nice things, all these appearances, seeing beautiful flowers and so forth, all this full of beautiful objects, all these things came from, it's projections of our positive mind, came from positive imprint, left by the past positive actions, done by positive attitude. So all this is an appearance, all the sense objects, all these are appearances of our mind, all these are creations of our own mind.

So however, so in the pure realm or the pure land of those different enlightened beings, so pure means where there's no suffering, where there's no problems at all. So, not by, one doesn't reincarnate there, not by impure action but by prayer. However, there's no the suffering of rebirth, old age, then disease and death, all these things, all the problems, relationship problems, so forth, all these things do not exist there, do not experience in those realms, so by that it's called pure.

However, so one uses death, many meditators use death as a path to be born in this pure land, and then to become enlightened there. It's a quick way to become enlightened. And many meditators, many people, so they make their death, many people, for them, they make the death, which means just simply changing to another body, just simply you leave one body and take another body, to practice, in order to develop your mind, in order to develop the rest of the path in order to benefit more for other sentient beings, it's just a change of body, leave that body, that which has no more potential, you leave that then take another young body and do practice. So, like changing a dress, you take off the old dress and then you wear a new dress and enjoy. So, enjoy that comfort, same, take another, so many meditators then they take, they make the death, they just change to another body, to take another new, fresh body and young body, and then enjoy the practice, developing the mind, enjoy benefiting other sentient beings.

So, [pause] then many others, also because not, because not practicing meditation, not studying and not practicing meditation, not knowing what death means and what you can do with death, however, how one can make things beneficial, however, then, make the death object of worried, be afraid of, so the mind, so then many people, with their mind make the death that way.

So however, so transforming even the death in happiness, even this problem in happiness, so however, [pause] so this one has two types, yeah, so the main thing is even not so much to stop the experience the problem, not so much to stop it, but the main thing is to not become disturbance, the most important thing is not so much to stop it, but the main thing to not become disturbing, to not become harmful to one's own mind, to oneself, to not become disturbance, the conditions, these what is called problems of life, these things to not become obstacle to develop the mind in the right path to the ultimate happiness, to the peerless happiness, full enlightenment, these things to not become obstacle to develop the mind, these things to not become disturbing, opposite to the path. So that is the main aim, that is the main thing.

Similar, for example, person who commit suicide oneself, one uses the body, uses the mind to kill oneself, uses the body to kill oneself, now here, when we practice Dharma, when we practice meditation, when we practice good heart, we are using our body, speech and mind to, rather harming to oneself, we are using, we are making it to not harm, we are using it to not harm oneself, to not disturb oneself, besides that to bring peace in the heart, to benefit specially using the body, speech and mind to, oneself to achieve the peerless happiness and using one's own body, speech and mind, highly beneficial for every living being. So that is the main point.

So same thing what we call problems, these things, so making most beneficial, supporting, beneficial to path that one practice, in other words these things using to bring happiness, rather obstacle for happiness, using these things to support happiness, so in this way. So, yeah, maybe I stop here. Break?