Affiliated with the FPMT

• Day One Part One : Introduction and Continuity of Consciousness
• Day One Part Two : Continuity of Consciousness and Compassion
• Day One Part Three : Oral Transmission Begins
• Day Two Part One : The Merely Labeled 'I'
• Day Two Part Two: The Object to be Refuted
• Day Two Part Three : Golden Light Sutra Transmission
• Day Three Part One : Karma and Meditation on Emptiness
• Day Three Part Two : Meditation on Emptiness and Refuge

Day Two Part One : The Merely Labeled 'I'

So we are going to recite the meditation prayer, the heart of the whole entire Buddhadharma, the Perfection of Wisdom, the Gone-Beyond Wisdom, you see, and the very heart of that, the Heart Wisdom. The heart, the very heart of all the teachings of Buddha, the Perfection of Wisdom, the very heart of that is the Heart Wisdom. So even you don’t, even you do not know the prayer by heart but the very essence is meditation on emptiness. Looking at the I, what it is in reality, what it is, what is I, what is the aggregates, what is mind? You analyse, you see. You analyse what it is.

The way to meditate is that, whether you recite billions of words, billions of word on the Perfection of Wisdom, you know, billions of words or few words on the emptiness, however the very essence is to differentiate your false view and truth, you see, the daily life view that we have which is nothing new, which nothing new from begin… not only from birth, not only from this morning, not only from this life birth, from beginningless rebirth, the views that we have, you see, including the self, how you see the self, how does the I appear to you. How does I, self, that we talk about 24 hours, like chanting mantra, you know, I, I, I, day and night, all the time we talk about the I, like chanting mantra 24 hours we think constantly I, I, I, I this, I am happy, you know, now I am happy or now I am unhappy, today I am unhappy or, today I got up this morning unhappy. I got up this morning, I am unhappy or my friend doesn’t love me, I am unhappy or you see, my friend loves me, I am happy, you see, 24 hours we talk about I. 24 hours we talk about the I.

So what really that, what is really that I is? So this is meditation on that.

To really know what is the I, you know, or what is the very nature of the I, the ultimate nature of the I, to know that, first you have to know, you have to recognise … in order to recognise the truth, you have to recognise the false, the false view that we have regarding ‘I.’. Look at I, there is a false I and there is … there is I, there is a false I which doesn’t exist but appears everyday, appears all the time, every second and we believe that’s true, without any doubt, without any question, 100% it’s true. So every second, from beginningless rebirth, it has been like that. It is a hallucination, false I hallucination, projected by your own mind. Not projected by god or by somebody you know. It’s one’s own mind; one’s own mind, the hallucinatory mind. Mind, the hallucinated mind which carries the negative imprint left on the mental continuum, which carries negative imprint left by the past ignorance, unknowing mind.

While the I is empty of existing from its own side or while the I is empty of the real I, what we, what we, believe, what we say, what us common people, everyday life, the word we use ‘real I’ which is the explanation of the philosophical term that I, inherently existent I or the I existing by its nature, existing from its own side, all those, according to the Pras… from the four philosophies of the Buddhist school, the fourth one Madhyamika school, the second one, the Prasangika school. So those different descriptions of the false I, inherently … there is a truly existent I, or I existing from its own side or existing by its nature, not merely labelled by the mind - so all those same.

Perhaps those who are not familiar with those terms, maybe it doesn’t become natural, we are not familiar, cannot recognise, cannot identify with your view, with your daily life view, view of self, you know, self and the phenomena, your view of the self, you see. Those who are not familiar then cannot identify. The way the I appears to you now, the way you believe now is that. If put into words, you see, those, you know, truly existent I, I existing from its own side, existing by nature, all that, you know, merely labelled by mind, so all that, you see.

However, but however we, but however we do talk about object to be refuted, gak cha. We don’t recognise we are talking about it but we do talk about it 24 hours, you know, real I. People they talk about that real I, you know … I am really happy today or I am really unhappy today or when somebody calls your name, she calls me, real me, you see, call me, the real me, the real I, or when somebody you see, accuses you, somebody in a meeting or in the public or somebody accuses you, accuse, somebody talking bad about you, so then… bad about you, some mistakes, whether you have done or not. But anyway, then, oh, “you are telling me, you are telling me this,” you know, say, “are you telling me, to me, that I did this?” So however, you see, it is an expression of, you see, when you are talking, however, that’s the … you are expressing what in the philosophical teaching talks about object to be refuted, gak cha. So you don’t recognise you are talking gak cha but we are talking, but this is what we are talking. We are not talking about the I which exists, that which is merely imputed by mind, you are not talking about that. We are completely 100% completely focused on the I which, the false … I mean, I, the real I not merely labelled by I, truly existent, existing from its own side, existing by nature, you see, according to western psychology terms, emotional I and ordinary language, real I. So when people talk, some people talk about real I, they are talking about gak cha, object to be refuted, false I, false I.

So if you are meditating, while you are having conversation, while you are, while somebody arguing with you or provoking you, provoking you especially in meetings, you see, in the public, anyway, not private. Anyway it’s same, private or public. Anyway, if you are meditating, if you are meditating, at the same time you are watching, you practice mindfulness, you know, you are watching your mind, you are watching your I, yourself, continuously, you see. Then you notice, then you notice while you are talking … “I know, I can see, I am trying to prove to that person, you see, I am okay, I am perfect,” you know. “I am perfect, I didn’t do anything wrong.” Or even you did wrong but trying to tell perfect. Anyway … (Rinpoche laughts) even you did some mistakes but still ----- perfect, pure (Rinpoche laughts) anyway, as much as you can, anyway … as much as you can, one can, prove to the other person.

Anyway, so the lamas, lineage lamas of lam rim, Stage of Path to Enlightenment, they explained that the way of introducing the false I, you know, that which is called gak cha object to be refuted… when you are falling down, or when you are about to fall down from cliffs, suddenly, suddenly it becomes, say, it can become, it can be said, it can become very gross that time, the object to be refuted, the false I, the way it appeared and one believe, one’s own ignorance believe, this is always there. But sometimes, in this situations, you see, when it’s danger to fall down, about to fall down, so suddenly there is strong I this, what one’s own psychology, you see, the term they use, emotional I. Suddenly… it was there but for those who are not familiar, it becomes unnoticeable but in those situations becomes visible, suddenly becomes very visible, very gross, somehow. That or just about, so anyway, so this I, something truly existing from its own side, you see, true existent, the real I, in the sense, real I, a real I appearing from its own side that, not particular body or mind, not particular either on the body or on the mind, nothing like that. On the general aggregates there is, not clear this and that, on this then, real I in the sense, truly existing, truly existent one, that which one’s own ignorance, the unknowing mind, hallucinatory mind, hold to it, true, 100% true, you see like that. Something very strong, real I, like that.

Basically, because aggregate the body, you see, in the danger to fall down, falling down, so I, you see, because of the existence of the base, these aggregates, which is danger to fall down or falling down, then the mind, then the mind merely imputed I, and merely imputed action falling down, you see, mind, because of that, mind just made up the label I and made up the label ‘falling down’, you see, merely imputed the action, falling down. So just that it, there is nothing more than that existing. There is no other I, there is no, there is no, not slightest, there is no slightest I, then what is merely imputed by mind, there is no slightest additional than that, it exist. There is no I at all, something additional, extra, additional than what is merely imputed by the mind. Slightest more than that, appear or belief, that I exist slightest more than what is merely imputed by the mind, all false I, object to be refuted of that. Anyway, starting from that, just a little extra, little beyond that, extra that is merely imputed by mind, all that is false. Hallucination.

So thinking, thinking that, how it’s possible the I, even though the reality the way the I exists, what is I? The way it exists, what is merely, what is merely imputed by the mind, that’s relating, or because, because there is the valid base, the aggregates.

Sometimes we are the formless realm, like that, when there is only consciousness, so only that aggregates. Other times there is association of body and mind, aggregates, association of body and mind. So however, however, there is a valid base which can receive the name I, labelled I, which can receive the label I. As long as there is a base, as long as there is a base, a valid base, either it’s only consciousness like formless realm, only the consciousness or there is association of body and mind. However there is always, there is always continuity of aggregates existing, whether association and mind or there is only the mind, you know. But there is always continuity of aggregates, you see.

Of course, the Vaibashika School or the Che-tra-mra-wa believe there is cessation of the continuity of the aggregates. But however even the different schools, Buddhist schools of the different, Buddhist schools, such as Vaibashika school have that kind of philosophy, but however in reality, in reality there is … so I am saying that there is this, this philosophy you know, believe, like that, however in reality there is continuity of consciousness, even the continuity of the body is not there but continuity of the consciousness, the aggregates, the mind, continuity is always there. Always there, even you become enlightened, even you become fully enlightened, achieve great liberation, non abiding sorrowless state there is continuity of consciousness, the mind. So the base is always there, the base never stops. The continuity of consciousness never stops.

By practicing tantra, highest tantra which has greatest skill that to stop the gross mind. Gross mind doesn’t go to enlightenment, doesn’t go to Dharmakaya. Gross mind doesn’t go to, even the wisdom directly perceiving, even the wisdom, even the arhats, tenth bhumi bodhisattva’s wisdom directly perceiving emptiness, the gross mind, doesn’t go to enlightenment. What goes, is this – the mind is gross, subtle, extremely subtle, only subtle one. Gross, subtle, extremely subtle, only the extremely subtle one goes to enlightenment. So even though there are these details but there is always consciousness, there is always continuity of consciousness, even it’s not gross one but the extremely subtle one, so you actualise, you see, lower tantra doesn’t have that skill to cease the gross mind and actualise extremely subtle mind but the highest tantra has. So that’s what goes to enlightenment.

So anyway, but however, there is continuity of mind, towards enlightenment. So there is continuity of the mind all the time, even after you achieve enlightenment, that totally pure mind, that fully enlightened mind, there is always continuity of that, which is the base, say...

... Of course that’s not, of course there is, you see, the unification of the holy body and the holy mind. However ,that is extremely secret point, explanation of that. However that … so there is always base, you know, there is always continuity of aggregates, you see, base. So therefore label ‘I’ is, therefore, once there is a base, the label ‘I’ exists. Once there is valid base, even up to you become enlightened, even up to you become enlightened, the label ‘I’, it exists while, it exist when the aggregates, the samsara aggregates, you know, the label, I, exist. One is totally purified aggregates, enlightened aggregates, totally purified aggregates, that time enlightened being or enlightened I exist. So it receives a name, the label exists. So because of the aggregates, the valid aggregates, the label exists. That is the main point.

So what I was going to say … so here I would like to bring up this issue. Since there is always continuity of aggregates, even some times just the consciousness, but there is aggregates, the consciousness, that never ceases, in reality, as I mentioned before. So therefore, there is no way that I gets stopped, the self gets stopped. Become nothing, there is no way. That’s totally useless worry. That’s totally useless worry, that I am going to become nothing, stop, cease. Like the body ceases, you know. Like the light, when the wax finishes the light stops. So this I, you see, continuity of the I stops - there is no such thing, there is no such thing. If the continuity of the mind ceases, then the label I which is received on that base, will be stopped. But there is continuity of consciousness all the time, forever.

When we become enlightened, we become one with all the buddhas. Like the water, river, stream flow from many different countries and goes in the ocean and become one. Whether it is rainfall or whatever it is.

It seems there are two ways the wise ones, two ways of saying. One says you have the same quality but you don’t become one with all the buddhas, but the same quality. There is one way of saying. One, you become one with all the buddhas. Learned ones have two ways of explaining. However I think it’s much easier, I think, I prefer much easy to, less danger, much easy to think that you become one with all the buddhas, I like that very much, that idea. You mix with all the buddhas, when you become Yamantaka, when you achieve Yamantaka you achieve Tara, you achieve all the buddhas, when you achieve one Buddha, you achieve all the buddhas.

So if you don’t become one, if you not become one with all the buddha, then I am sure when you become enlightened you will manifest in Tara, you will manifest in Tara, for sure, you know, you will be manifesting into Tara, for sure, when you become enlightened. Then there will be other Taras, you see. There will be numberless other Taras, you know. Other beings become enlightened and Tara … so they separate consciousness. So there are numberless Tara who are separate beings, you see.

So I think it is very crowded (laughter) it will be so … because all the buddhas, because there will be numberless Chenrezig, there will be numberless Tara, there will be numberless Guru Shakyamuni Buddha, numberless Maitreya Buddha, all that, Kalachakra deities, numberless. Of course, when each sentient being become buddha, will manifest all those, each sentient being is different character, different characteristics, you see, different karma, so you have to manifest different form of deity, you know. Different aspects of Buddha, also numberless different ordinary forms, different form, various forms of animals, various forms of ordinary human being, you know, even substantial phenomena, like bridge… it is often said, even the tenth bhumi bodhisattva, it is said in the Madhyamika commentary by Lama Tsong Khapa, even before you become enlightened, they manifest as water and river and so forth. The very high yogi who achieved the path of unification, you know, can manifest, even that one can manifest in various forms, those substantial forms, you see, to benefit for sentient beings. So of course there is no question left Buddha manifesting all those, even substantial forms like that. So that is no question left. [Pause]

I think it will be so crowded, you know, so many different forms to guide this one sentient being, you know, whole sky will be filled, all these numberless Chenrezig, numberless Tara, numberless, you know, but every sentient beings become enlightenment, manifest all these, there won’t be any space left … that’s not quite true but, anyway, so you see…

Then, it’s not possible at all, all the buddhas, the numberless buddhas, take one form to guide the sentient beings - that’s not possible. You see, numberless enlightened beings take one form, in one form guide the sentient beings. That won’t be possible.

You see now, there is, there is Chenrezig manifestation, a person, or the ordinary female aspect, you see, Tara, female aspect Tara or Vajrayogini, something like that, guiding, you know, guiding that person, manifesting into that form, guiding that person, subduing that person’s, being’s attachment, you see, manifesting as Vajrayogini, the female deity, you see, so crazed with attachment, you know, so doing that, taming that person’s mind. So Tara, manifest in female aspect Tara, ordinary person, female aspect, Tara.

So then you see, this is one, this Tara is guiding one, this person, this person, you know, then there are numberless other Taras, they are not working for this person. There are numberless other Taras, because … I think, while this Tara is, while this, there is one manifestation, ordinary form, the Tara manifestation working for this person guiding - talking on the basis of separate mind, you see, when you get enlightened. Then numberless other Taras, they are not, then they are not guiding you, they are not doing anything to you, you see. So there are numberless other buddhas, untouched to you, no connection to you. No connection. So there will be different time (Rinpoche laughts) so of course benefit, purpose to be enlightened, to benefit sentient beings, to bring them in enlightenment, so those different buddhas, who will be guiding you, then those numberless different buddhas, numberless separate buddhas, you know, buddhas who are separate from each other, because of consciousness, you see, then they will be guiding you in the different times. While this Buddha is guiding you, the others wait, they wait, in the waiting list (Rinpoche laughts) like the airport, the waiting list to guide that person. Like the seat is taken by other people, so other Buddha, so then it is occupied. So anyway … this is my thoughts, just thinking about.

So anyway I am not going to blah, blah, blah - now come back.

Sorry … I got distracted. The reason I was talking (Rinpoche laughts) the reason why one thing that I brought this, which was … I was emphasising why you don’t need to worry about that the I become, that I become non existent, continuity of the I cease. The reason why I brought that issue is that when you meditate on emptiness, suddenly fear rises. I am talking in that situation. Suddenly very deep fear arises, extremely deep fear, fear from very bottom of your heart or something, very deep fear rises. Of course that happens for many people, except that person, somebody who has so much merit, an intelligent being, as it’s mentioned, like bodhisattvas, the lower intelligent beings when they realise emptiness, ultimate nature of the I, aggregates, get lot of fear but the highly intelligent bodhisattva who has so much merit, when they realise emptiness, unbelievable joy and tears come from the, not tears come from the nose, tears come from the eyes (Rinpoche laughts) sometimes, you know, anyway … so tears come and then the pores from the hairs stood up, stood up or stand up. So, incredible joy.

Also I met students, I met some students, among the sangha, who had that experience, realise emptiness and incredible joy, instead of fear. Instead of fear, incredible joy. So even among the sangha there are some … there are quite a number of people who had experiences emptiness, quite a number of people, but doesn’t mean… if you are unable to continue, you need lot of merit, if you are unable to continue, you know, then that experience, you know, you don’t… it stops again. You have to continue. What’s called dakonpa gompa sowas(?), in Tibetan, “from the right view you seek meditation.” So you need to work on shamata, calm abiding, you see, the perfect meditation, free from the attachment, scattering thought and sinking thought, you need to establish that after you have that experience realising I is empty.

So it’s true that many people, I think, many, quite a few people have those experiences but the difficulty is continuity to develop the wisdom, to develop. So that is kind of difficult, it’s difficult to continue that experience. Come back again to the point, you need to meditation sessions, everyday session to continue otherwise back to the same thing. Back to the same home. Back to the same thing, same hallucination. Hallucination is always there, but holding things as true, holding things true existent. Creating the ignorance all the time, you know, is there.

Of course hallucination, appearing as truly existent of course is, things existing from its own side, of course this is there until you become enlightened, except when we are, when we become exalted beings, you know, exalted beings. When you become exalted being, the arya beings and in equipoise meditation, except in that time...

...so that one doesn’t have, when we are exalted beings, directly perceiving emptiness in equipoise meditation then that wisdom, it is said, does not have the hallucination, appearance of truly existence. Otherwise, until we achieve enlightenment our mind has… even realised mind has this hallucination of truly existent appearance. But of course all this mind has this, even realised mind, bodhicitta and so forth, all those, compassionate mind, all these have this true existent appearance but of course is not pervaded mind, lok.shey, not pervaded mind, wrong concept.

So anyway, what I was going to say is, the point is that, in the situation, in the situation… receiving blessing of the guru in your heart, due to strong devotion to the guru, by looking as Buddha and then with that obtaining the advice, and then doing intensive practice of purification, reciting the 35 Buddha’s names, doing the practice. Confessing the bodhisattva downfalls, doing very strong purification, doing prostration on all those names, doing very intensive, as well as Vajrasattva, or doing service to the guru, obtaining the advice, whether you are far or whether you are near. With that, with that heart, with that devotional mind, which makes your practice, which makes your service become guru yoga, which is the most powerful purification, most extensive way to collect the merit.

So anyway, with these conditions, where you do intensive practice of purification and collect merit, not just only mandala offering but main thing is doing the practice, offering service to sentient beings, to the guru, however, something that pleases, something that pleases the guru, like that, not necessarily collecting merit is only just mandala offering, not just that. Mandala offering is just one example, one method. Way to, means to collect extensive merit, but there are so many other ways you can collect extensive merit.

So anyway that, and because of, because our mind is causative phenomena, depending on causes and conditions, therefore at the beginning one think, one think how it is possible, at the beginning one thinks it is not possible at all. That I can see this person as Buddha, its not possible, you just, you can’t figure out that, you can’t figure out that. Can’t believe in that, can’t figure out that. You think no way one can do that, that realisation, experience.

But then, with these conditions, collecting extensive merit and making strong … practicing this powerful method of purifying the mind, when you do that then a few, then just a few words of the, few words of the guru yoga prayer, meditation prayer, few words, two or three words or one stanza of guru yoga prayer, talking about the guru, about embodiment of all the buddhas, like that, it just clicks, it just clicks, (finger snap) you know. So with all the purification or collecting merit, all these conditions, powerful, gathered, then little meditation, just some words, it clicks your mind. You know. You realise, you see totally, you see, this teacher is this deity. Total, from deep down in your heart, no question, no doubts. When we clean our mind, when we collect extensive merit, when we cau…, when we clean our mind, the more we clean our mind, realisation comes. The experience comes, because there is all the Buddha nature, there is Buddha nature within the sentient being’s mental continuum. So realisation comes from within, you see. Like the sprout comes from the seed.

Even though in the beginning you don’t believe at all but through practice, now, you see, now you see different world. Like that. When you do practice mind, when you practice correctly, correctly … correctly is very important word. When you practice correctly, not just practice but practice correctly, then you see, mind cannot stay as it is, cannot stay as that stubborn mind, that ordinary mind, that very, like rock, like a rock, anyway, the very disturbing, the very kind of, can not stay, or similar, you know, same. However so now here the … then when you have, so when you have that experience then devotion is there, seeing, seeing that virtuous friend, who has no mistakes at all, only quality. You realise 100% is that, is the deity or this is all the buddhas, this is all the buddhas. I guess those who have realisations, what they discover, they see one buddha is all the gurus, one guru is all the buddhas, I think those who have realisation of guru devotion, it is like that. So when you have that then that’s the definition you have guru devotion realisation, the root of path to enlightenment.

And similar, so what I was … it happened talking this way but what I was going to say … so similar with this situation like this continual practice purification, collecting merit and such as pure mind, devotional mind, looking at Buddha. By looking at Buddha, seeing Buddha, that which causes the blessing of the Guru in one’s own heart, so these three conditions, purify the obstacles, the defilement, and collecting the necessary condition, the merit and then actual body meditating on the path, you see.

So now, so when all this, you know, all these causes and conditions are there then you, then you have past imprint, have heard teachings on emptiness, you have heard teachings on emptiness in past life or this life, and the past time, in this life, so left the imprint, you see. So like that, you know. Then again, so one day, every cause and condition comes together, this mind cannot stay with this stubborn, say, bold mind … how to say … this very rigid, this very rigid, tough, rigid, the [pause] bald head (Rinpoche laughts) so that, sorry … (Rinpoche laughts) I didn’t mean to beat the microphone.

Anyway, before it didn’t make any sense, [pause] so suddenly it clicks, just a few words, with two or three words of emptiness. You know, just one day two or three words, clicks your mind. Recognise suddenly, some verse or teachings on emptiness, or even two words, expressing the gak cha object to be refuted. Words, the I is non-truly-existent because it is dependent arising. (Rinpoche laughts)

Continue to Day Two Part Two