Affiliated with the FPMT

[Rinpoche recites praise to Shakyamuni Buddha]

So, I thought tonight before the discourse to give an oral transmission of a few mantras. The kind, compassionate Buddha, Shakyamuni Buddha’s mantra and Tara mantra and the Compassion Buddha’s mantra, and the Manjushri, Buddha of Wisdom, that and then Vajrapani. Then the lamrim prayer, the meditation, the prayer of the meditation on the whole graduated path to enlightenment.

So to do that, to give this oral transmission, those who would like to receive.

So in the time when I do this then I mention the benefits of each, the purpose of reciting each of these mantras, or the prayer of the graduated path to enlightenment.

So before the discourse, to do that.

[Rinpoche recites Lion-Face Dakini prayer, short mandala, refuge and bodhichitta.] [pause]

So first the oral transmission of the words of, the teaching of the graduated path to the state of mind that which has ceased all the mistakes of the mind, all the obscurations, all the defilements, and which is perfected in all the qualities, all the realizations of the path. [pause while microphone is adjusted]

What is called full enlightenment, buddhahood, that which we can experience on this mental continuum, on the continuation of our present consciousness. The state, this peerless happiness, the state of peerless, state of peace, the perfect peace. We can experience this, we can establish this on the continuation of this present consciousness by training the mind in the path. In other words, with the skillful means, the method and wisdom.

So by generating this path what is contained in this teaching, that we can, any happiness that one is looking for, that one can gain, one can achieve. Happiness of this life, happiness of future lives, and more important than that, the ultimate happiness, the cessation of the whole, entire suffering and causes, the end of the whole problems and causes. And even more important than this, the state of mind that which is completely pure, having ceased all the, even the subtle defilements or mistakes, the obscuration which interferes the consciousness to fully see, to directly perceive all the existence, past, present, and future, everything, which obscuration of the fully knowing mind, the obscuration which interferes the continuation of this our consciousness to become the omniscient mind. So even this imprint, the subtle obscuration, the subtle mistakes of the mind which is left by the ignorance, the concept of true existence, the concept of inherent existence, that which doesn’t exist, inherent existence which doesn’t exist in the reality, which is empty. [pause]

And this state of mind that which is perfected in all the, because having ceased all the gross, subtle obscurations, even that subtle imprint left by the disturbing thought, the ignorance of the, the ignorance apprehending the true existence, and which produces the truly existent appearance, which produces the dual appearance and the dual view. So even this subtle obscuration gets purified, gets ceased. So when this gets ceased, so our consciousness, fully developed in the understanding, in the realization, it becomes omniscient. Like for example, the mirror that which can reflect, small mirror which can reflect the whole city or how many objects in the supermarket, how many objects there in the market can, in the shop, that small mirror can reflect everything. You can see everything in there very clearly. It can show, it can give a very clear reflection of the whole city or how many objects, thousands, billions of objects in that shop, the small mirror can reflect, as it is clear, as it doesn’t have obscurations, dirt, other materials obscuring. As it doesn’t have other obstacles covering that.

So like that, when all mistakes, our obscurations are purified, ceased by generating the remedy, path, then at that time our consciousness becomes omniscient. So that state is the enlightenment, the full enlightenment of buddhahood state. [pause]

So the omniscient mind itself, that completely pure mind, enlightenment or the ultimate nature of that omniscient mind, ultimate nature, the shunyata, or the ultimate nature of that omniscient mind, [pause] it’s enlightenment, buddhahood state or the full enlightenment or the non-abiding sorrowless state.

So however, so by achieving this, what’s the purpose of oneself achieving this? So that one can perfectly guide the sentient beings. So since one has achieved omniscient mind, one can see every, one can see every sentient being’s mind, their different characteristics and level of mind, karma, and every single different method what fits to each sentient beings. To guide them in happiness to happiness to the full enlightenment, the peerless, the perfect state of peace. Also as one has perfect, the omniscient mind to see every single sentient being’s characteristics, level of mind, the various methods to guide them in happiness, to free them from the sufferings, the different levels sufferings, from the obscurations. Also one has perfect power to reveal the methods to them. So by manifesting, whatever, by manifesting, even for one sentient being, by manifesting various forms, whatever is necessary, various forms, hundreds, thousands of various forms, and then by revealing different methods and guide the sentient beings in the path of the happiness. So like this, gradually, to the full enlightenment.

So also, this time, one has completed the mind training in the compassion. So therefore, the mind is completed training in the compassion towards every sentient being. So, by achieving full enlightenment, what makes to guide to every sentient being, what makes to work for every sentient being, to bring them happiness, from happiness to happiness to the full enlightenment, so it’s mainly by the compassion. Because there’s compassion to every sentient being, great compassion to every sentient being, to everyone without depending on whether they like, whether they make offering to the buddha, to the enlightened one, whether they make offering or do not make offering, whether they criticize or whether they praise, without depending on what the sentient beings do, without discrimination, so even, for the buddha, the fully enlightened being, even somebody cuts one side of the body, even somebody cuts piece by piece, even somebody cuts with the knife, with the axe, then another sentient being makes offering, puts perfume on one side of the holy body, puts ointment, the perfume, makes offerings like this, from the side of the, even though from the side of the sentient beings, even they do different, one harms, one helps and one harms, but from the side of the enlightened being, there’s no discrimination. There’s compassion, equal compassion to the sentient being who harms and to the sentient being who makes offering, who puts ointment, puts perfume to the holy body. There’s no discriminating thought. There’s no discriminating thought, to have more compassion do this person who helps and less compassion or to not have compassion, and not doing work for this, not helping for this other sentient being who harms, who cuts the body piece by piece. So there’s equal compassion to both, exactly the same compassion to both sentient beings, so because of that, from Buddha’s side, guide, Buddha does the work for both sentient beings without discrimination.

So like this, Buddha has equal, great compassion to every sentient being, so therefore, every sentient being receives guidance according to the level of their mind. By manifesting various forms, those who have pure mind, pure form, those who have impure mind, then according to that, impure form, mistaken form, ordinary form, as ordinary person, however, whatever is needed. The king, minister, judge, as a monk, as a man, woman, whatever is necessary, whatever is beneficial, even a prostitute, even butcher, whatever, even a hungry ghost, whatever is necessary for that particular, to guide that particular sentient being. So as the sentient beings have various karma, various levels of mind, various characteristics of mind, so therefore, one method cannot fit, one teaching, one method cannot fit to everyone. So you need to reveal, manifest various forms that which communicate, to guide. And even teachings, have to reveal various teachings according to the level of their mind. So however, like this, after one becomes a fully enlightened being, then one guides with the body, speech, and mind, by revealing various means to the sentient beings. So like this, one perfectly guides all sentient beings without any slightest mistake, without any effort, naturally.

So when the, even though the sun that rises, even though it’s one sun, but the, how many water, the oceans, or water dew, even water dew, how many water, even smallest water dew on the plant, how many water there is on the earth, this one sun that rises it reflects in every water, as long as the water doesn’t have obscuration, cover, it reflects in every water, even the smallest water dew, big, oceans. So the sun does not have motivation to reflect, doesn’t have to put effort to reflect. So like that, naturally, the reflection is there as it rises. So like this, after one achieves full enlightenment, then this is how, in a similar way, how one guides the sentient beings naturally, perfectly guides the sentient beings by revealing various means with the holy body, holy speech, and holy mind.

So the ultimate aim that is to bring, the ultimate aim is the happiness of the sentient beings, to obtain happiness for the sentient beings. The ultimate goal to meditate, the ultimate goal to practice Dharma, is to obtain happiness for each sentient being, to bring everyone to the, [pause] not just give happiness, physical comfort, physical and mental comfort, happiness of this life, not only that, not only the happiness of this life but more important than that the long-run happiness, happiness all the coming future lives. In other words, the happiness until one cuts the continuation of the cycle of death and rebirth. Until one breaks this suffering, continuation of this suffering, one has to take birth and die, birth and die, again one takes rebirth and again one experiences the suffering of death, so has to circle continuously.

So that, how long that takes time? How long takes time to be free, to be completely free from the cycle of death and rebirth? So that depends on whether we meet the right path or not, and how skillfully we practice. Whether we meet the right path or not, whether we understand, whether we practice or not. So even that, how skillfully we practice. So how quickly we achieve liberation from the cycle of the continuation of the suffering, cycle of death and rebirth, so this depends on how skillfully, even we practice, how skillfully we practice.

So to lead the sentient beings, in the long-run happiness, the future life happiness, to obtain happiness in the long run, the future lives of the sentient beings. Then, even more important, much more important than that, to cause them ultimate happiness, to bring them to the complete end of the whole suffering, whole problem and the causes, karma and disturbing thoughts. Where they do not experience any more the suffering of rebirth, old age, sicknesses, and death, and so forth, all these problems, where they never have to experience at all. So the ultimate happiness. So to cause them to bring in this ultimate happiness, this ultimate liberation, is much more important.

Then, now even more important than this, however, the most important, among all this happiness, happiness of this life, happiness of future lives, which are still temporary, and ultimate happiness, just liberation from the whole, entire, the true suffering and true cause of the suffering, so among all this happiness that we cause to other sentient beings, the most important one is to bring the sentient beings in the peerless happiness, the full enlightenment, the state of mind that which has ceased all the mistakes of the mind, and perfect in all the realizations. So this state is the, the full enlightenment is the completed peace, the peace of mind. Until one achieves this full enlightenment, one hasn’t completed the peace of mind, the mind is not fully developed. It is not fully developed in the understanding.

So, as I mentioned last night, so the different levels to benefit, to cause happiness for other sentient beings. Yesterday I mentioned, yesterday the main topic, the emphasis is that how we’re responsible to pacify all the sentient beings’ sufferings and to obtain happiness for all the sentient beings. How we are responsible. So here, the question is, what can I do? What should, how can I benefit for them? So benefit is not to give suffering to them, giving harm to them is not the benefit. This is not what they want. As oneself wants happiness and does not want suffering, even the slightest suffering, discomfort, even in the dream, even during the sleep, even in the dream, so same thing, every other sentient being also wants happiness and does not want even the slightest discomfort, even in the sleep, even in a dream.

So what they want is happiness, so therefore, the benefit, the service, what we should do for other sentient beings is we should do what they want, not what they do not want, which is the suffering, the harm. So, this life comfort, the happiness, and even more important than that, more important benefit, greater happiness, greater benefit is the long run happiness, happiness of future lives. Now even more important benefit than that, we should cause others, is the ultimate happiness, to end, to completely end the whole, entire true suffering, all the problems and causes.

Now the greatest benefit, among all these, the greatest benefit is what we should offer sentient beings, for the sentient beings, what they’re missing, what they really need is the peerless happiness, the full enlightenment, the state of the mind that has ceased all the mistakes and complete in all the realizations, all the qualities, so this peerless state of perfect peace. So this is the greatest benefit, this is the complete peace of mind, completed peace of mind. So this is the greatest benefit. Yeah...

[End of Tape ]

...so even the sentient beings don’t know what means, so even they don’t know what means the full enlightenment, buddhahood or full enlightenment, the ultimate happiness, even they don’t know about it, even they don’t know what it means, even they don’t talk about it, even they don’t think about it, but you can see in everyday life how they live the life. From that, one can understand and this is what they are looking for, what they need it. Even they don’t talk about it.

So for example, when they do business, they look for, according to their capacity, how much they can afford, how much funds they have, how much they can afford, they make the business which has the greatest profit. They are looking for the greatest profit according to how much money they can spend. Actually, the desire is to have the greatest profit that exists in the world. The desire is that. The wish is that. So even one go for shopping, one buy the best quality material, that which can last longer, best quality, last longer, so even one goes to buy food, that which is better quality. So according to their own capacity, whatever the best thing they can get, so they try to get that.

So from this you can understand, even they don’t talk about happiness of future lives, even they don’t talk about the long run happiness, the happiness of future lives, ultimate happiness, even they don’t talk about the highest, full enlightenment, but by examining in everyday life how they, what their wish is, which they know, which they can discriminates, according to their wishes, they choose the best, the highest quality.

So it’s due to ignorance, only due to ignorance, they don’t know these things, but this is what they need to achieve, so especially, the full enlightenment, this is what they need to achieve. This is what they need to achieve.

And [pause] oneself has the responsibility to bring them in this peerless happiness, the full enlightenment.

Why? How? How oneself is responsible? Because oneself has received a perfect human rebirth. First of all, we have the mind that which has buddha-nature, which has the nature of the fully enlightened one. The clear light. The nature of the mind is clear light. So this is the buddha-nature, the nature of the fully enlightened being.

It is, can be said that because it is not oneness with the obscurations, like the sky is not oneness with the clouds, the sky is not oneness with the clouds, fogginess. The fogginess, the cloud, is temporary. Temporary. It comes and goes away. And depending on cause and conditions it comes; due to, by depending on another cause and conditions, it goes away and sky becomes clear. Same thing. By depending on, same thing, due to depending cause and conditions, the mirror gets obscured by dirt, by depending on another cause and conditions, the dirt can be, the dirt which is on the mirror, can be cleaned away. So it’s temporarily obscured.

Same thing. The nature of our mind, that which is clear light, the obscurations, the ignorance, anger, attachment, these disturbing thoughts, these obscurations are temporarily there. These obscurations are temporary, they’re not permanent. So due to cause and conditions, the mind is obscured, but due to another cause and conditions, they can be cleared away. So one can be free from the guilt, from the fear, from the fear, from the guilt, from all these things, from all these undesirable things.

So depending how we live the life, depending on what we do with the mind, so one way it obscures the mind, one way the mind becomes free, free from these obscurations. Becomes awakened. Fully awakened from these obscurations, the defilements, so depending, even each day depending on what action we do. One action obscures the mind, one action, it frees the mind, it makes thinner the obscurations, the defilements. Makes thinner. Makes the mind free.

So depending, with the body, speech, and mind, what act, how we live the life, how we act, so there are different effects to the mind. These actions have different effects. With what kind of attitude we do these actions. With negative attitude we do actions, it affects the mind, it obscures the mind, when we do actions with ignorance, anger, attachment, with these disturbing thoughts, with this obscured mind, when we do actions, then it affects the mind, it obscures the mind. But when we do the actions, when we live the life with wisdom, the path, method and wisdom, however, non-hatred, non-attachment, non-ignorance, with this mind, with this attitude when we live the life, when we do the work, the effect is positive. It diminishes the obscurations, the defilements. It purifies. It makes less, thinner.

So when we practice, depending on how skillful, how perfect practice we do, it makes right immediately that time, it purifies the mind. That much the mind gets purified, thinner obscurations. And, some, out of these negative attitudes, ignorance, anger, attachment, these attitudes, we do the actions with the body, speech, and mind, the heavier it is, it obscures more the mind. It defiles more. So it produces more confusion in day-to-day life, in the long run and the future lives. So it’s a dependent arising, like the weather, the mirror and the weather that I mentioned.

So similar, in that way, we experience suffering, we experience happiness, we have various experiences due to different, negative attitude and positive attitude of the way of living the life. Due to that, there’s happiness and there’s suffering.

So we have this nature of the mind, that which is clear light, that which is empty existing from its own side. ?Due to mind, however, mind, phenomena that which one possesses, which the self possesses, phenomena which the self possesses and which is non-substantial, colorless, shapeless, which nature is clear and perceiving objects. So that is the definition of the mind. Which nature is clear and perceiving objects. That which is colorless, shapeless, non-substantial. Which is not object of the five senses. And that, so such this phenomena, such this characteristic of phenomena, depending on this, depending on such this characteristic of phenomena, then one has labeled mind. Depending on such this phenomena, base, then mind is merely imputed on this. So therefore, there is no such a mind existing from its own side. There’s no real mind from its own side, except what is merely imputed on that phenomena, depending on that phenomena, yeah, what is merely imputed, the mind, except what is merely imputed, the mind what is merely imputed by the mind, depending on that base.

So therefore, there’s no such thing as a real mind from its own side. There’s no mind from its own side. So therefore, the mind is empty of existing from its own side. So that is the clear light. That is the one definition of clear light. Clear light nature, which refers to the ultimate nature of the mind. The main meaning of the clear light nature.

So this ultimate nature of the mind, the clear light nature, that which is not oneness with the obscurations, the disturbing thoughts. So because of that, by depending on the cause and conditions, defilements can be eliminated.

So just like the example mind, there’s no such a real mind from its own side. There’s no mind, there’s no unlabeled mind. So the way the mind exists is being merely imputed by the mind, depending on that particular characteristic of phenomena, so, yeah, so therefore, mind is labeled. The way the mind exists is being imputed by the mind on that particular base. So the mind exists by depending on that particular phenomena, the base that which is clear, the phenomena, this non-substantial, colorless, shapeless, that which nature is clear, perceiving objects, depending on that base and then depending on the thought which labels, by depending on those two, then the mind exists. In other words, mind exists in mere name. So what is called mind is a name, so name has to come from the mind. Name has to be given, name has to be imputed by the mind. So there is no mind from its own side. So mind came from the mind. There is no mind from its own side, there’s no mind existing from its own side.

So, [pause] the mind which exists is the labeled mind, not unlabeled. So what, which appears unlabeled, mind which appears to us as unlabeled is a hallucination. It is a hallucination. It doesn’t exist, that mind. That which appears real from its own side doesn’t exist.

So same thing, that independent mind, unlabeled mind, all this is not true. It is false. There’s no such thing exist in the reality. In reality it is empty. The mind, mind is empty of existing from its own side.

So the person, the audience, the people who see what the magician person transformed, the golden palace or beautiful man or woman, the magician person transformed, with a mantra and substances, power of substances and power of mantra, hallucinated the audience, the people who watch, their senses. So then, the audience, the people who are watching, so, as things, as the rope or piece of wood or stone or whatever the magician person transformed that into a beautiful man or woman, when the audience, as they see a beautiful man or woman, when they start to believe that is true, as they appear, when they start to believe that is true, that this concept is a wrong concept.

Why is it a wrong concept? Because object what their mind or the concept, the way it apprehends, what it believes doesn’t exist. Object what it believes, object what it believes, that beautiful man, woman, golden palace, it doesn’t exist. [pause]

It appears but it doesn’t exist. The piece of wood or stone or whatever the magician person is using to transform, even there’s appearance of beautiful man or woman, but, as it appears to the audience, those whose senses are defected by the power of mantra or the power of the substances, as things appear to them, it doesn’t exist.

So even they, that their thought which believes that is true, there’s a real beautiful man or woman and a golden palace, how this thought is wrong, is understood, that is understood wrong even by the magician person and also the person whose sense of eyes are not defected by the power of mantra and power of the substances, whose sense of eye is not defected by this, and they can prove, they can see that person’s concept, the mind which believes that there is a real man or woman, that is wrong. And also, even the people themselves, later they can realize, even they don’t realize in the meantime, their concept, that their mind is false, but later they can see. When they discover that this magician person transformed by power of mantra and substances, this is just transformation, when they find out that, they can see, they discover by themselves their own, even by themselves, the previous concept is wrong concept. Why? Because the object what is believed, doesn’t exist. So like this.

So, same thing like the mind, it’s empty of existing from its own side. So same thing the I, the self, the I. [pause]

So maybe like this, so to get an idea, a clear idea about this. So like this. As I often use the example, table, that which may be simpler. So this gives you some idea of how the table exists in reality. This gives some idea. This way of analyzing is not the correct way of meditating on emptiness but it gives you an idea of the correct way, meditating on emptiness, but this so, as a beginner especially, it gives you an idea how the table exists in the reality. What is the table? It gives some idea. [pause]

So, first of all, like this. When a person enters in the room, [pause] what makes, a person sees there’s a table in this hall, there’s a table, but what makes the person to label this, what makes the person to decide the name “table,” to this one, not this one, the step. What makes the person to decide the name, giving table to this but not that one? Not this one and not this one. Not the throne. So anyway, particularly this, not that one. However, what is it? What makes the person to decide the name, to give the label, table? What is it? What makes the person to decide the name, table? [pause]

It has to depend on the reason. There has to be a reason before deciding the label table. So, the reason is that a person sees, first of all there’s a material there, which can be used to lift things, to put, which does function to lift things, to put things on the top. So the person see that first. That one first. So that one becomes the reason to label, table. To label table. That one makes the person to decide this particular, among many labels, there are many labels, there are numberless labels, numberless existents, but this makes the person to decide this particular label, table.

So therefore, this thing that which lifts up things, this thing which does function of lifting up things, to put things on the top of, so, that which is the reason in the mind of the person, that is the basis, before the label there is a reason. Reason comes before. The reason which comes in the mind is the basis for the label.

So therefore, the person, so therefore, we see the base first. We see the base first, then we put the label, It’s a table. [pause]

So therefore, this thing that we see first, this material that we see first which can function to lift things, to put things on top, so that is not table. That is the basis. That is not table. That is not table, that’s the basis.

So because the, the reason the basis comes first, you see the basis first, which is the reason, so therefore, then this one called step, this one called table, this one called throne. So one puts different labels.

Otherwise, if you, the first time, if you don’t see the basis first, if the reason, which is the basis, seeing the base, if that’s not preliminary, if it’s not the first, then there hasn’t got any reason why you label table. There’s no reason to label table, label step, there’s no reason in the mind to label this throne. There’s no reason which makes to decide this, to give this particular label. [pause]

If the person sees the table, before putting the label table, if the person sees the table, by seeing the table, if the person labels table....

First thing what the person sees, if the person what sees, a person sees is the table, then there’s no reason to label table. There’s no reason, it’s already table. So why you label table on the table? There’s no reason.

There’s no reason to, there’s no reason. For example, when the parent label, name called Jeff, some name, when the parents label, they label on something which is not Jeff. On something which is not Jeff. So that has meaning. That has meaning to label Jeff on something which is not Jeff. That has meaning, but if the basis, the aggregates, the basis, is already Jeff, if that’s already Jeff, then there’s no purpose to label Jeff on the Jeff. Then becoming numberless. Then again you have to label Jeff on the Jeff, then again you have to label Jeff on the Jeff [RL]. So it’s uncountable, it’s uncountable number.

So this is one logic that is used in the four-point analysis. The first...

[End of Tape]

...it should be, in that case, in the four-point analysis, the analysis of the four points, it says, if the I is truly existent then it should be covered by the reason.

The second thing is the point of, the pervasive, that if anything exists it should be either with aggregates or it should exist separately. So in case, so if the I is truly existent, then it has to be one of these, either exists oneness with aggregates or separately from the aggregates. So if it’s oneness with the aggregates, then these mistakes rises.

The I, who is receiver, and the aggregates what is received. Aggregates, this body and mind, what is received, and the I, the receiver. So the receiver and what is received become one. In other words, the I, the owner, and the possession, the aggregates, body and mind, become one. So possessor and possession become one. So it’s not possible. The possessor, the owner, and the possession, there’s no way it can be one. So they have to be different. However, as it is mentioned there, like this.

So if the person sees the table first, then what is the reason to label table? There’s no reason to label table on the table, that which is already table. So there’s no meaning, no purpose.

Then again same thing. The person sees the table first, to, when you see the base, normally when we say, I see the table, that means by seeing the base, then we say, I see the table. In order to see the table, you have to see the base first. Basis of the table first. Otherwise, there’s no reason, you haven’t got any reason to say, I see table. You haven’t got any reason, explanation. You haven’t got any reason. So by seeing the basis, then it is believed, by seeing the basis, which can, which is used to put things on top of, to function that way, by seeing that then it is believed, one labels, I see table. I see table. [pause]

So, by seeing the basis of this, I see steps, by seeing the basis of this, function what it does, then I see throne. So by seeing that particular object, what particular function it does, by seeing that then one labels, I see throne, I see step, table, like this.

So seeing the base has to come first. So that is not the table. So this thing that which does function of lifting things or this thing that to sit on, this thing that which walks on top, this thing, which we use as a reason to label step and throne, that is not throne and that is not step and this is not table. This is the basis to be labeled table. That is one thing. This is one meditation to find out what is the table. So it’s not this, this thing which we use as a reason to label table, so it’s not table. So this is not throne, this is not step.

So the other thing, so even from this analysis, it becomes different, table and basis to be labeled table, throne and basis to be labeled throne, step and basis to be labeled step are different. It’s different. It’s not what we normally think. That concrete thing itself is the table and that is the step, this is throne, which we use the reason.

So the other thing, so we call parts of the table. So when we say “parts of the table,” it means parts of the table is not table. This is not table. That is not table. This is not table. This is not table. So parts of the table means it’s not table. Even from the language, when we say parts of the table, it means it’s not table.

So even the whole group, even the whole these parts gathered is not table. Even the group of the parts is not table. What is that? That is the basis to be labeled table. It is the basis to be labeled table.

So there is no, nothing of this is table, even the whole group is not table. The whole group is the basis to be labeled table. So it’s clear.

Now the other thing, nowhere is a table. There’s no table here. There’s no table there. There’s no table there. There’s no table on this, there’s no table. Nowhere there is table. Nowhere there’s table on this. Second thing.

First thing is when a person who comes in the room how, when we come in the room, when we judge, when we put labels, what’s the evolution of the label? How we put the label? So from, by that evolution you can see the reasons what we use before we put the label is not that thing. The basis what we see, the reason, which is the basis what we see, this thing that to lift, to put things on top, that is not table. So you put the label table afterwards. So it’s clear. It is different.

Then second thing, yeah, the third thing, the second thing is, nothing of these parts is table. Parts of the table is not table. So even the whole group is not table. It is basis to be labeled table. So now it becomes more clear the table is different from the basis, from this.

Third, you cannot find table on this, anywhere. Nowhere you can find table on this. But that doesn’t mean there’s no table in this room. That doesn’t mean table doesn’t exist. Table exists in this room. There’s no table on this, but there is a table in this room. In this hall, there are many tables. I think these must be table, I think. [GL] Anyway, so you see there are many tables here. In this room there is a table but there’s no table here on this. This makes clear what the table is.

It is not the correct way of meditating on emptiness, this is not the correct way. This, where is the table? To search this, that’s not the, this way of searching table is the merely imputed table, searching, that’s not correct way. Because you left out, yeah, you left out the truly existent, the refuting object, you haven’t touched the refuting object. Refuting object, the truly existent table is left there. So, what you’re supposed to realize empty is left there. You haven’t touched it, so therefore, according to Lama Tsongkhapa and many of those great pandits, this is not the correct way of analyzing, but this way of analyzing, it’s searching the table, after searching all these parts, even the whole group is basis to be labeled table. So it doesn’t mean table doesn’t exist. Table exists. Table exists.

So what is that? That is nothing else other than, by seeing this [Rinpoche taps table] which does this function to put things on top, by seeing this, it is merely imputed table. It is merely believed it is table. By seeing this, the reason is by seeing this, table, being called table. By seeing this, called table, being merely imputed by the mind. By seeing this, it is believed. By having, it is believed, by having this thing there in this room, by having this thing that which you can put things on top, we can function this, by having this it is believed that there is a table in this house. By having this, it is believed that there is the table in this house. By seeing this, it is believed, I see a table. It is a concept. So, the table that which, by seeing this, by having this thing in this house, in this hall, then there is a table, being merely imputed. Satisfied by that. Just left, left to that. Satisfied just by that.

There’s no table on this, nowhere, but there is a table in this house, in this hall. You see now, now how the, what the table is, how the table exists, is extremely subtle. Extremely subtle. So subtle. When you really analyze what the table is, extremely subtle. So it is not nonexistent, but it is like nonexistent. It is not nonexistent because you can break the table, you can make table, you can use table. But that is, by breaking this, it is believed the table is broken. I broke the table. By making up this base, it is believed that I made the table. Just believed, I made the table. So by using this, it is believed, I’m using table. Just believed, I’m using table. So, the table is not nonexistent, but not this thing [Rinpoche taps table]. Not this thing, that, this thing that what we normally think, something concrete, something concrete that is oneness with the base. Undifferentiable with the base, undifferentiable with the base. Something you can’t split, the base and the label, table. You can’t split, undifferentiable. Something, yeah, concrete there, so that is not table.

There’s no table on this. So, but there’s a table in this hall. Now you can see how the table is completely empty. It has no existence, it has no real, it has no existence from its own side. No real concrete, there’s no real table from its own side. Concrete, real table, from its own side.

So however, from this you can get the idea, how the table, what the table is, how the table exists, extremely subtle. [pause]

So now like this. So now with this analysis, still you feel, still you feel that, you know the table, nothing of this is table, even the whole group is not table. There’s no table anywhere here, on this. But there’s a table in this hall. You see that the table, what the table is, is extremely subtle. The way the table exists.

But you get this idea, but there’s something left there, something concrete, an appearance. There is a concrete table, in appearance there’s something left there. There’s something left there. There is a concrete or the real table, something left, in appearance there. Even though, in your mind, by analyzing like this, the table is extremely, what is the table is extremely fine, so subtle. When you analyze, when you look at your appearance, there is a real, kind of concrete table left here. Kind of oneness or undifferentiable with the base.

So now this is what is called the refuting object, something that is left here, a real table appearing from its own side, so this is the refuting object, the truly existent table, independent table. So, there’s something left there in appearance. So this is what is hallucination. This is refuting object and this is hallucination. So this is empty. This is completely empty in the reality. Completely empty in the reality.

So this, the correct way to meditate on emptiness of the table, so then this, this real, what you see, by analyzing, by recognizing your appearance, this table which appears unlabeled, independent, something real, from its own side, so this, by holding, by recognizing this, by recognizing this, then you search whether it exists or not. Where it is. So when you do not find this, and when you see this is empty, then at that time you’re seeing the emptiness, ultimate nature of the table. Ultimate nature of the table and so by seeing the, as a cause, by seeing the ultimate nature of the table, that the table is completely empty from its own side, then as a result, then one, by seeing the ultimate truth of the table, then you realize the conventional truth table. How the table, that the table exists being merely imputed by the mind. That the table exists in mere name. So the subtle dependent arising. This subtle dependent arising.

According to the four schools, the Madhyamika school which has two, the Svatantrika, Prasangika, so the last one, Prasangika’s view, the subtle, the extremely subtle dependent arising of the table. The conventional truth. The conventional truth of the Prasangika school. Conventional truth of the table, then one realizes how the table exists in mere name being merely imputed by the mind.

So now same thing. So like this, so the main thing is, to understand with the I. So same thing, this body is not Lama Zopa, the mind is not Zopa. This body is not Zopa, mind is not Zopa. [pause] Body is not Zopa, mind is not Zopa. The five, there are five, [pause] the aggregates of form, feeling, recognition, compounding aggregates, consciousness, nothing of this is Zopa. Even the whole group is not Zopa; it’s the basis to be labeled Zopa. But that does not mean there’s no Zopa. Zopa exists in this hall. There’s no other reason that all that there’s Zopa in this hall, there’s no other reason at all except only the aggregates, the aggregates, the body and mind, is here. These aggregates is here in this hall. Only by this reason, it is believed there is Zopa in this hall.

So again, Zopa, is again, what it is, is extremely subtle, become extremely subtle, so fine. It’s extremely subtle. And, nowhere on these aggregates, nowhere on this body and mind, association of those two, the whole, association of the group of the whole aggregates, nowhere one can find Zopa. Nowhere there’s Zopa.

Same thing, the I. The body is not the I. The mind is not the I. The association of that is the basis to be labeled I. My body, my mind, my aggregates, so therefore, I is the possessor, and they are possession. So therefore, my aggregates, my body and mind, so there’s no way that they can be, it’s clear even from this that they’re not I. That they’re not I. I is possessor, they are possession. So mind is not I. Nothing of this is I, even the whole group is not the I.

But that does not mean that there’s no I. There is I in this hall. There’s no other reason to say, to believe this, except only the reason is the aggregates, this base, aggregates, is here, now in this hall, this base. That which you are using as a reason that I’m, somebody asked, where are you? I am in the United States, in New York, in Columbia, in the hall, in the university hall. There’s no other reason at all, except only the aggregates is here now in America, New York, in the Columbia hall now. So by that, it is believed, I am here. [pause]

There’s no other I, the I what exists is nothing else other than what is merely imputed by the mind depending on the aggregates, depending on these aggregates. So that’s all.

So you see now, the I that we often, from birth time, from morning until night, the I that we think of, the I that we, I that we think of, that which we believe, which appears to us, which we believe, it’s completely contradictory from the reality. The I, the I which exists is completely something else. The I which exists is completely something else than what appears to us and what we apprehend. Completely contradictory, completely opposite. It is not the I which we normally we believe, we apprehend, the way it appears to us. [pause]

Same thing, table, those other things, the reality is something else, not what normally appears to us, what we believe.

So therefore, the I is completely empty, I is completely empty existing from its own side. Completely empty existing from its own side. So therefore, there’s no reason at all, there’s no real I, independent, unlabeled, there’s no real I, real in the sense of existing from its own side, so there’s no, so therefore, we think normally, when somebody criticizes, really hurting, we think really hurting this real I, the real I, the self, this person’s really harming me. Me which is real one from its own side, something existing from its own side. This person is praising to me is something real from its own side. Real I. This person is praising, and being excited. And this person, and attached to this. And this person is hurting me, something real one existing from its own side then get angry to that person, and harm that person. Helping this person but not helping that person.

So actually, so in reality, this real I is like a dream. It doesn’t exist. Which we always concerned and worried somebody might hurt. This friend might leave me. This friend might leave me, might give up me, might leave me. All this, this person might hurt me. So all this is object that which we believe, what appears to us which we believe, it doesn’t exist. That real I, I from its own side, existing from its own side, that is completely hallucination, empty. It’s completely empty.

So therefore, there’s no, when you think of the reality, how the I exists, the subtle dependent arising or emptiness of the I, which is same meaning, when you think of the emptiness of I, gives understanding that the I is dependent arising and when you think that the I is dependent arising, that it exists, that the I exist depending on this aggregates, being merely imputed by the mind, you see that the I is empty.

However, so when you think, when you meditate, when you practice awareness that the I is dependent arising, or empty, so doesn’t find any reason, doesn’t find, it’s like somebody criticizing you in the dream. There’s no object to harm. There’s no subject, somebody giving harm. Even though there’s such an appearance, but it doesn’t exist. So there’s no point to get angry, no point to have dissatisfied mind, desire. So much clinging and anger, also ignorance, no point to have the concept, this concept of true existence, this false conception believing that the I, that there’s an unlabeled I, independent I, truly existent I. So like that.

So however, the point, like this. So the conclusion is, so now you can see very clear, how the table is came from the mind, table that, before mentioning that....

Yeah, so the point where I stopped, where I started to speak on this is, so you see, now the nature of the, what is the I? I is dependent arising, that it exists by depending on the base and the mind which, base, aggregates, and mind which labels, so therefore, that the I is empty of existing from its own side. So this is how the I is. So therefore, this is the reality.

So by realizing this ultimate nature of the I, by developing this, you eliminate the thought, the wrong conception which, as the I that which is imputed appears that it has an existence from its own side and then clings on that, that it’s true. So this thought is the wrong conception because object what it believes that do not exist. Do not exist.

So, when the person in the audience, the people, when they discovered what they see, what appears to them and what they believe, it’s not true, it’s a transformation of the magician person. When they discover this, then they discover their belief, their concept, was wrong. So they see that, then also their concept, believing that there’s real, there’s a real beautiful man or woman, that gets stopped. That concept gets stopped.

So similar, by realizing the ultimate nature of the I, and by developing this wisdom, you eliminate the ignorance of the truly existence. So by eliminating the concept of true existence, then you, by eliminating this, then one eliminates, by eliminating the ignorance and seed of the ignorance, by eliminating this, then one eliminates all the delusions, all other delusion which arises from this, base of this ignorance, attachment, anger, all those other, other from the six root delusions, those other delusions, then the twenty secondary delusions, all those other disturbing thoughts get ceased and karma gets ceased. So all the true suffering, so this way all the true cause of suffering is ceased, then all the true suffering, the sufferings in the narak, hell sufferings, the pretas’, hungry ghosts’ sufferings of hot and cold, then the animal suffering, being extremely fool and being eaten by another one, and so forth. Then the human beings’ suffering, rebirth, old age, sickness, death, and devas’ suffering. Those other beings who are in the higher planets, devas, the worldly gods, so their sufferings, signs of death, and so forth, and from, even the higher realm, the form and formless realms, those worldly gods who live in a higher realm, worldly form and formless, even their suffering, even those sufferings being under the control of karma and delusion, the pervasive compounding suffering. All these sufferings. All these whole entire true suffering get ceased.

So as there’s no seed, no cause within one’s own consciousness left, no ignorance, not even a seed of ignorance, nothing left, so impossible to rise suffering again. So like this, one achieves the ultimate happiness, the ultimate liberation, yeah.

So by, so then, with this wisdom one practices bodhicitta, method, the skillful means of the, the skillful method of the Great Vehicle. First the bodhicitta, so by developing this wisdom and developing, by developing wisdom with this method, however, practicing together method and wisdom, and then conduct, the six paramitas. Then on the top, one achieves enlightenment, and then, even quicker than that, then by practicing tantra, skillful means of tantra, by developing the wisdom, then skillful means of tantra, when one achieves enlightenment in one lifetime, and then by practicing special wisdom of the Highest Tantra, and greatest skillful means of Highest Tantra, practice together, unified, here in this case, in the tantra, method and wisdom unified, practicing together, then one achieves enlightenment, not only in one life, but especially Highest Tantra, practicing the...

[End of Tape]

[Rinpoche recites in Tibetan]

So this is to leave imprint, in order to develop the whole path to enlightenment.

So now, in order to develop the path, graduated path to enlightenment within one’s own mind, then need to do, to rely upon the special deities, need to rely upon the special deities’ blessings. Depends upon their help, their guidance, to receive blessings in the mind, so that allows to receive the realization. So therefore, there’s need the meditation, recitation of the special deities.

So now first, Compassion Buddha. In order to develop compassion, especially the realization of bodhichitta, compassion and loving kindness.

[Rinpoche gives oral transmission of OM MANI PADME HUNG.]

Now, in order to develop wisdom, so the Manjushri who is the embodiment of all the buddhas’ wisdom. So reciting this mantra.

[Rinpoche gives oral transmission of OM AH RA PA TSA NA DHIH.]

Now in order to develop, in order to pacify the obstacles for the success of practice, generally to pacify all the obstacles to achieve happiness, success of this life, success of future lives’ happiness, ultimate happiness, enlightenment, for everything. To pacify obstacles, then the Vajrapani. Like disease, spirit harm, to purify negative karma, so particularly, there have been people whose cancers, by doing the recitation of this deity’s mantra, Vajrapani, whose cancers were recovered, that by giving this advice to recite, to do meditation and recite this mantra. So very powerful, very effective for healing. So the Vajrapani, who’s the embodiment of all the buddhas’ power.

[Rinpoche gives oral transmission of OM VAJRAPANI HAYAGRIVA GARUDA HUNG PHAT.]

So now, the kind, compassionate Buddha, Shakyamuni Buddha’s mantra. So by reciting this, it purifies 84,000 eons of negative karma, by reciting this one time. So please repeat this prayer, mantra.

La ma tön pa chom dän dä
De zhin sheg pa dra chom pa
Yang dag par dzog päi sang gyä
Päl gyäl wa shakya thub pa la
Chhag tshäl lo chhö do kyab su chhi wo
Jin gyi lab tu söl

[Rinpoche then gives oral transmission of TAYATA OM MUNI MUNI MAHA MUNIYE SOHA.]

[long pause]

So please dedicate and think, I must free all the sentient beings from all the suffering and causes and lead to full enlightenment. For that, I’m going to achieve enlightenment.

I will dedicate all my merits to achieve enlightenment for the sake of all sentient beings. [pause]

[Rinpoche recites dedications in Tibetan.]

So thank you very much. So I didn’t get to explain about the parts of, the other, related with AIDS and other things to, the different, practices about thought transformation, but anyway, there are many thought transformation books and also one book that, Transforming Problems into Happiness, there are many books, Seven-Point Thought Transformation, basically, it is the same, what is there. So anyway, so somebody want to practice then can read those books and can apply, use the problem, transform the problem into happiness, how to achieve enlightenment, beneficial for all sentient beings, to free them from all the sufferings and lead to enlightenment, however, to cause happiness for all sentient beings.

So I think I stop here.

So however, the conclusion is, as I mentioned, how everything came from the mind, for example, the I, table, and so forth, so like this, everything came from one’s own mind. Even the problems came from one’s own mind. So like this. So also from this you can understand the root of samsara, root of the whole, entire samsara, all the problems, this concept of true existence, concept of truly existent I, that this I having existence from its own side, so that’s the very root of the whole entire problems, whole samsara, whole entire problems, sufferings.

So in order to escape from the suffering, we need to eliminate the root, and for that reason we need to understand emptiness, the ultimate nature of the I. So that’s the essence of this talking.

So thank you very much. So everybody, so I will pray. Thank you.