In this three and a half minute video excerpt, Rinpoche explains that we live our whole life with the hallucination that the I exists from its own side. Rinpoche teaches that we live our entire life with this wrong concept and that basic Buddhism is about discovering the self. Rinpoche shares with us that Buddhism is not just about chanting rituals, it is for learning about our life.

This short excerpt is from video teachings that Lama Zopa Rinpoche has been giving while staying at Kopan Monastery during the COVID-19 lockdown. You can find more video extracts from the Essential Extracts series here.

Read the video transcript below.

Of course, basically, it is dagdzin marigpa, the ignorance grasping the I. That which exists in mere name, but then it appeared and you believed with a wrong view as a real I, truly existing, existing from its own side, a real I. You live the whole… You do everything, every single [action] of your body, speech, and mind, every activity, you lead the whole entire life with this wrong concept and with this wrong view, this hallucination. You live the life, you do every single thing with this hallucination believing it is real, believing everything is real. Real! You do everything, believing it is real, [believing] the hallucination is real, with the concept that it is real. You do everything. Wow, wow, wow. Amazing.

That, that is the basic, the very basic Buddhism—discovering your self! Discovering your self! You see? What is false in your life, what is truth in your life—oh, that is discovering your self. From beginningless rebirths up to now, how you have been believing your self, how things appear to your mind, is totally opposite. This is a hallucination. You have to realize this. That is the most important thing. It is basic Buddhism! 

Now you really understand what Buddhism is! What Buddhism offers to your life, to learning about your life! You see? You have to recognize that. It is not just chanting blah, blah, blah. No, it is not like that. Not at all. It shows the truth! It is not just chanting blah, blah, blah. Many religions do chanting, making sounds. It is not just that. It is not just that. Now the more you learn now, now you can see what Buddhism is. How it is most important in your life. Like that. 

Click here to watch the video. To browse more video extracts from the series, visit Lama Zopa Rinpoche Essential Extracts webpage.