Basic Philosophy of Buddhism (Audio and Unedited Transcripts)

By Kyabje Lama Zopa Rinpoche
Kopan Monastery, Nepal 2008 (Archive #1746)

This teaching is excerpted from Lecture 10 of the 41st Kopan Course held at Kopan Monastery, Nepal, in December 2008. In Part One, Lama Zopa Rinpoche outlines the fundamental Buddhist path. In Part Two, Rinpoche discusses the great meaning of the precious human rebirth, with reference to a verse from Calling the Guru From Afar, and the story of Milarepa, who achieved enlightenment in one brief lifetime.

Click on the audio links to download or listen online to the teaching, and read along with the unedited transcript. Read the lightly edited version of this teaching here.

Lama Zopa Rinpoche teaching in Singapore, 2010. Photo: Ven. Thubten Kunsang (Henri Lopez).
Basic Philosophy of Buddhism: Part One

...And then you can read fast, for some pujas or something, you have to read many times, like many hundreds or thousands, can read fast, you see.

But, of course, if one can think of the meaning, then it’s more, even as a puja, it’s more effective if you can think meaning.

So, here it’s just can think of the meaning, then it’s more, even as a puja, it’s more effective, if you can think meaning.

So, here it’s just, it’s good to read slowly because for meditation, to have opportunity for meditation to read one word, then space, then read one word, a little space, so that, because the subject is very profound, very powerful to, antidote to the delusions that our minds have been habituated or accustomed with that from, not only from birth, but from beginningless rebirth, our mind has been habituated with that, so unbelievable, habituated with that, from beginningless rebirth.

So that’s why you can know very well the teaching, intellectually, it doesn’t mean you are able to practice all the time, it doesn’t mean you are able to practice the antidote, able to use that all the time, it doesn’t mean that. So, even difficult to remember, when the delusions arises, even difficult to remember the teachings, the meditation techniques, so, medicine for the mind, the teachings of Buddha, especially the Lam-rim teachings, even to remember in daily life, it’s for practice so mind, habituated, how it’s almost like you don’t exist without the delusions, can’t do like that, you don’t exist without the delusions, can’t do like that, so almost like your mind doesn’t exist without the delusions, can’t do like that.

So, unbelievable habituated, being under the control of delusion, lives been lived under the control of the delusions, from beginningless rebirth. One has been disciple of delusion, one has been disciple, you know? Delusion is guru, one has been disciple of delusion, from beginningless rebirth you have been student of delusion, very obedient student of delusion, very obedient student of delusion, very obedient student of the guru, delusion.

So that’s why, not easy, so it needs training, it needs continual training. For example, the armies, if they have more training, more watching, remembrance, awareness, and using the weapons as much as they have more training, then they are much more prepared when the actual, when the enemy comes. So they are much more prepared to fight and to know how to exactly fight, and, all the different techniques and how the enemy functions, how they fight, and then exactly you can, fight back according to that, whether it’s in the sky, under the water, on the ground, many different ways, so you know exactly how to overcome, so that.

So similar, here, so the teaching, so the more, more we meditate, the more we use, apply, then so the beginning, you miss many times, even you know the meditation techniques well, intellectually, but, you miss many times, your mind is overtaken by delusion, you’re controlled by delusion, like that. So as time goes, you always try, everyday try, so then, you’re able to overcome one time, two times, more and more. So like that the Kadampa Geshe Ben Gungyel I mentioned the story. So, then, beginning only black stones, and then later, more and more white, less and less black, so as continued/so, as continuity [?] see, more virtue, in the daytime, more virtue, less nonvirtues, so like that, then after some time, only virtue, no non-virtue, like that.

So definitely, so need a lot of, need a long time, lot of effort, long time training, mind which has been habituated, under the control of delusion from beginningless rebirth. Can you imagine that? Can you imagine that, you try to overcome that, something which has been trained, habituated from beginningless rebirth. Now here, you are trying to overcome that, can you imagine, so of course it’s not easy, so it takes time.

So therefore, what I was saying, going back, it’s good, reading fast, especially the one I explained the other day, looking at the nature of causative phenomena, but particularly related to your life, body and mind, the material possessions, see the surrounding people, friend, enemy, strangers, all the things, so particularly related to this, this object of delusion, this strong object of delusion, attachment and anger, and so forth.

So, say one word, a little space, say one word, a little space, so it gives time everybody to meditate, then the prayer becomes so meaningful, like atomic bomb over the delusions, see, over the self-cherishing thought, over the ignorance, over the attachment, over the anger, so this is what we need to pacify them, then from there you achieve cessation of the suffering and the cause, karma and delusion. So this is what you achieve the, what you get by doing this meditation, is that, so it’s amazing, unimaginable.

Then with this realization, impermanence, renunciation, then the wisdom realizing emptiness, with the bodhicitta, so then complete the Mahayana path, cease the subtle defilements, and achieve full enlightenment, then able to liberate numberless sentient beings from the oceans of samsaric suffering and bring them in full enlightenment, by you, the one person, so that’s another, so the benefit, what you’re able to offer to sentient beings, limitless, unimaginable, like that, like limitless sky, unimaginable even to one sentient being, benefit what you offer to one sentient being, up to enlightenment, first liberation from samsara, then enlightenment, what you offer to one sentient being, gradually revealing them the different levels, methods to bring from happiness to happiness, then to cessation of the suffering, then even to the great liberation, enlightenment, the non-abiding sorrowless state, so, so that.

So it’s really amazing, unimaginable what you can benefit others, so with this, with this mind, with this mind that which has all the potential, and especially having this precious human body, having this precious human body where, you know the whatever wish the mind has, can actualize.

By having this precious human body, then, gives unbelievable opportunity, so, whatever the mind wishes, which has all the opportunity, all the potential, then able to actualize, so then the top, the highest even enlightenment, so that, okay.

So, if we can make this habituation, to meditate, so each time we are planting positive imprint, to have realizations of the path and to achieve liberation, enlightenment, each time, that if you meditate in this particular subject, in the prayers if you meditate, see, so that, because much more powerful, even just by hearing the prayer, of course you have that.

As far as Buddhism, Buddha’s teachings, you have this special benefit. As far as it is the Buddha’s teaching, first thing, by listening, even if you don’t understand at all, even one word you don’t understand, but the special benefit, what it has, your negative karma gets purified, and you get higher rebirth the next lives. Even if you don’t understand the meaning of the, even if you don’t understand the teaching, just hearing, it purifies your negative karma, you get higher rebirth.

Buddha, Shakyamuni Buddha, how to recited, gave teachings, to five hundred swans who were on the field. So, next life, those five hundred swans, next life, they all become human beings, next life, they all become human beings and they all become Sangha, I don’t know if anybody become a nun but I think, anyway, become so they all not only become human being next life, but they all become Sangha.

So, anyway, then, they all become Sangha, so not only become just Sangha, but actualized the path in the next life, the even the path of, preparatory path, right-seeing path, the path of meditation, no more learning, so they actualized the exalted path, right-seeing path, the path of meditation, the next life, not only become Sangha, living in the very number of the vows, so many, 250 or, however, so many number of vows, okay, collect, every second collect inconceivable, inconceivable merits, creating good karma, like that, basic cause of liberation, okay, and then that’s done with bodhicitta, _ enlightenment, okay.

So, and then on that basis, then they actualize the path, these five paths to liberation, okay, the so, path of merit, preparatory path, right-seeing path, the path of meditation, no-more learning, so the next life they achieve arya path, path of, right-seeing path, path of meditation, where they have wisdom directly perceiving emptiness, which it does, can cease the defilements, which can directly cease the delusions, okay, the right-seeing path, the path of meditation, you see.

So this is what happens next life, they were swans, birds, animals, but then, but just hearing the words from Buddha, okay, so then next life, so, you can see the unbelievable difference, I mean, what happens/happened next life is just unimaginable, the benefit, the achievement, incredible, just hearing the Buddhadharma, you see.

So, I think maybe I mentioned, three monks, maybe this is in Tibet, I’m not sure, also there was one dog, with them there was one dog, so then they were reciting many prayers, so the dog hears from them, the next life, when the dog died, the dog, consciousness, how to the dog, consciousness transferred, then, the dog, born in the deva realm, Thirty-three Deva Realm, okay, so like that, higher realm.

So heard, because, even doesn’t understand the meaning of the words, what the monks were reciting, but, just able to hear, it purified the mind, and you get higher rebirth next life, okay.

So, total change from the lower realms, so it’s amazing, you know.

So just analyze, we just analyze, of course, in the scientific knowledge, of course, great needed, great needed, the discovery, discovery of the, the external factors, I mean how they function, what they, I mean, but, I think, as long as you don’t understand the mind, I don’t think you can understand the, really, the external phenomena, because they all came from mind, they all came from mind.

So, therefore, I don’t think you can understand completely without, if you don’t understand the mind, I don’t think, the object, what is perceived by the mind, I don’t think you can understand completely, all the details, only certain limit, but I don’t think completely, without understanding the mind, not fully, so I think.

So, anyway, so yes, scientific knowledge is a great need, but I think, yes, but I think we just analyze, with all that knowledge, I mean Western scientists, with all that knowledge, is there something that purifies the mind? Is there something that purifies the mind, defilements, negative karma? Is there something that purifies the mind, okay, cause of the problems, cause of the problems, okay, the wrong concept, the defilements, obscurations, you see. Is there something which can purify that? Is there something that which makes to get higher rebirth, higher rebirth, after the death you get higher rebirth. Is there something there that can do that?

So it’s interesting to check like that. Even though the scientific knowledge is needed, you see the, so, I think especially, especially also studying Dharma, analyzing Dharma, you also check Dharma, analyze Dharma, that is very, because you get deeper understanding there, about the mind, also external phenomena, so then, so I think, so the more you understand the mind, then you understand better the outside phenomena.

So, that’s [just?] to analyze, then think that can purify the mind, then it can cause good higher rebirth after your death, that makes, bring happiness to your life, life after this, that’s good to check.

So, anyway, I said the same thing, just OM MANI PADME HUM, all the scientific knowledge and OM MANI PADME HUM, compare, OM MANI PADME HUM, just word, OM MANI PADME HUM.

I’m not talking about actualizing the extensive meaning of OM MANI PADME HUM, that which is the whole entire Dharma, understanding or actualizing… [voice fades] …just able to know, OM MANI PADME HUM, then you can chant that, benefit what it has, unbelievable, unbelievable purification what it does, and benefit, so much merit, skies of merit you collect, what it does, what it does to your mind, to your mental continuum, is just unimaginable, unimaginable, so easy to recite, especially Tibetans who are here, even children, I mean, after you’re born, after some time, you’re able to chant, OM MANI PADME HUM, it’s unbelievable.

So, anyway, I’m just comparing the, this is without talking the understanding the whole meaning, the extensive meaning, which is the whole entire Buddhadharma, Buddha explained the 84,000 teachings, okay, OM MANI PADME HUM, it’s all that, but, and the which comes in three, the dividing the teachings into three levels, the Lesser Vehicle teaching, the Great Vehicle teaching, then the, the, Great Vehicle teaching, sutra, and the Great Vehicle teaching, Tantra, so, without talking about understanding that, which is meaning of OM MANI PADME HUM, contained all that, condensed into that.

But here I’m just talking about just, able to recite OM MANI PADME HUM, that benefit, then the, then you have all the Western [psychology/technology?] so, compare, benefit to the mind.

So anyway, so, difference like atom and earth, the atoms and the rest of the earth. Anyway, so, just analyzing, see, like that, even though, yes it is useful to have some knowledge but, by comparing OM MANI PADME HUM, even OM AH HUM, short, so the, even OM AH HUM, so, anyway, even the, even one syllable, AH, without OM, OM AH HUM, just even AH, the AH, AH, it, even that, no comparison, AH, so, AH means, in Sanskrit it means, negative, you see.

In the Heart Sutra it says, no nose, no tongue, no nose and no tongue, what? No eye, what else, no tongue, no nose, no body, no mind, no ice cream, no chocolate, anyway, no, how to anyway, so, the Ah negates, all the false view, all the hallucination, the true existence, true existence, projected from the mind, from the ignorance, by leaving the negative imprint on the mind, and project.

Like, for example, you made a movie, so you record by camera, you record, figure of the mountains, people, sad, happy, virtue, non-virtue, so many things, by [taking?] imprinted or the record the figures on the negative roll, so, I mean the whole story, so much, you see.

Then by putting the machine, then you can project, by putting the machine, with the electricity, it can project, it can project on the wall, on the screen, on the movie screen or on the T.V. screen, so from that.

So, exactly the same, like that, so, the here I’m talking about the true existence, okay.

So this has two meanings, so far I didn’t get to speak. It has two meanings, one is, one is, in our daily life, in our daily life, what we do with the speech, what we do with the mind, with the body, so, action, it always leaves imprint, always it, the object of the six senses, and, there’s action, what we do with the body, speech, and mind, so, however, always leave imprint back on the mind, always imprint, plant seed, leave imprint on the mind, on the mental continuum, constantly, okay.

So, so wrong concept, delusion, wrong concept, delusion, superstitious mind, delusion, wrong concept, superstitious mind, so it means it’s not true, what we believe, it’s not true, superstitious mind, so attachment is superstitious mind, we have to understand, anger is superstitious mind, okay, ignorance is superstitious mind. The king of the superstitious mind, king of delusion, king of superstitious mind is the ignorance, the ignorance, the root of samsara, ignorance, concept of true existence, concept holding is true existence, okay, so, true existence.

While the I, while the I, while the, what is the I, self, is what is merely imputed by the mind, that way, how the I is existing, is that way, in mere name, merely imputed by the mind.

But, so, same, then, aggregates, anyway, before I mention that, so, the I which exists, which exists in mere name, merely imputed by mind, but then, so the ignorance, by leaving  a negative imprint on the mind, what I’m saying, before, my mind became messy, the, so before I mention that part, okay, so, okay, so the whatever action we do with the body, speech, and mind, then seeing forms, sounds, smells, all this, senses, then, anyway, so it leaves an imprint on the mind, okay, leave imprint on the mental continuum, okay, like taking picture, you see the, taking picture, and then leaves print on the negative roll, okay.

So then, then, when the causes and conditions come together, so like you put in a machine, like a slide, and then all these things, to be able to project there, you see.

So, similar, so there’s a cause and condition for those, what is imprinted on the mental continuum, there’s a cause and condition, needed, so then when they all come together, then that, what is imprinted there, by your karma, all that, [sounds like horns or something in the background] so including that, that’s also which came from our mind, from the imprint, even that noise, okay.

Otherwise, no reason to hear that, even that sound, no reason to hear, if it didn’t come from our mind, if it didn’t come from the imprint left on the mind, if it didn’t come from there, there’s no reason to hear that sound, there’s no reason to happen that sound, okay.

So then, when the causes and conditions come together, then those imprints, so much left on the mental continuum, then manifest out, manifest out, that, manifest out.

So there’s the base, and then your mind labels, imputes name, so the label exists, label comes and exists, so like that, so the, so the, from negative action, body, speech, and mind, whatever, by leaving imprint on the mind, then, by making all the causes and conditions together, then manifest out.

So there is the base, and then your mind makes up the negative label, bad, this negative label, so, so then it comes in existence, that way, see, then you encounter the problems, so that, okay.

So then, something, so, from the positive action, good karma, virtuous actions, Dharma, leaves positive imprint on the mind, then, today, that cause and conditions comes together, then that one experienced out, so, experienced out, so like suddenly you see beautiful flowers, suddenly you see beautiful flowers which you enjoy, contact the senses, you enjoy, or suddenly, or you are hungry, hungry looking for food, then you find a very good restaurant, that has food, what you want to eat.

This is a result, this is a result, happiness, pleasure, so, ripened this time, from, you see the positive imprint, imprint left by the positive action, virtue, in the past, up to this life or past life, or many billion, zillion eons, numberless eons ago, however, so today, that cause and condition, it becomes ready, so experienced out, so able to enjoy the delicious food or able to find a person, a kind person, good person, who gives you money, so, you’re traveling or you need money for food or whatever, and then somebody, you meet somebody, whatever, and then somebody, you meet somebody and gives you money, so helps you, so, yeah, like that. You got sick, and you find doctor, that exactly knows your sicknesses, and can give the right medicine and that, and gives you money, so helps you, so, yeah, like that. You got sick and you find doctor, that exactly knows your sicknesses, and can give the right medicine and that, not only give right medicine but it can cure, but it can cure your sicknesses.

Many times a doctor knows your sicknesses, and he gives right medicine, but, many times, there’s obstacle to benefit, even though it’s the right medicine, so because there’s spirits who, in the West, in the Western, education, that’s not known yet.

So there are spirits who interfere, who interfere, who doesn’t allow the medicine to be effective, to benefit for the patient, you see.

So that’s why it is our common experience, so it’s correct medicine but not benefiting, not benefiting, the sickness  it is our common experience, so it’s correct medicine but not benefiting, not benefiting, the sickness continues or increases, continues, so then you do, reciting mantras, by knowing what kind of spirits, are harming, and so forth, then, then Buddha gave various mantras or various practices, what you can do, so then you, by account/counting on [?] that, then you do the prayers, those mantras, different deities, to protect the sentient beings from those different beings’ harm, then, then the medicine works, then after that, then the medicine benefits.

It’s correct medicine, but not necessarily always benefit, so that’s quite common, you do some, you do some two or three minutes puja, that’s what the Buddha explained, so, communicating, contact those beings, who are interfering, so then, make them happy, then, then they release the patients, then the medicine works. So that’s quite common, what I was saying. Anyway, able to find the right doctor, who gives right medicine, and able to cure your sickness/es, even that, so that.

Similar, if you are doing business, and you have success, you get what you want, or, however, you get what you want, or more than what you want, or less, anyway, so, same, that pleasure came from the mind, that success, how much money, the, able to make a lot of money, it came from the mind, from the imprint, left on the mind by the past karma, good karma, because it’s pleasure so it has to come from good karma, that which left imprint, plant seed, imprint on the mind, in the past, so, so like that.

So it’s very, very important.

Similar, if you are doing business, and you have success, you get what you want, or, however, you get what you want, or more than what you want, or less, anyway, so, same, that pleasure came from the mind, that success, how much money, the, able to make a lot of money, it came from the mind, from the imprint, left on the mind by the past karma, good karma, because it’s pleasure so it has to come from good karma, that which left imprint, plant seed, imprint on the mind, in the past, so, so like that.

So it’s very, very important, very important, extremely important to, in our daily life, in our daily life to live our life with this awareness, with this awareness. This is the basic, this is the basic Buddhist philosophy, everything is coming from karma, from your mind, from your karma, from your intention, karma, karma is not body, it’s mind, body and mind, the mind.

There are six principal consciousnesses, and sixty-five mental factors, so there’s kon-dro ba’i sem-yong [Tib], so there’s five mental factors, always, five mental factors, always kon-dro ba’i sem-yong  always following, accompanying with principal consciousness, there are five mental factors, kon-dro, how to feeling, contact, _[Tib], feeling, contact, intention, I think _[Tib] apprehension, _[Tib] cognition, attention, sems-pa, attention, then _[Tib], do you remember the last one? Apprehension, apprehension, comprehension, maybe apprehension _[Tib].

Do you remember? Anybody remember? Any holy beings? Remember? _[Tib], what English word?

Mental attention. The intention is, that, intention makes the principal consciousness to focus on the object, to pay attention, to focus on the object, to focus on the object, I forget now the _[Tib], _[Tib] is same, but there is something extra. _[Tib] is same but there’s something extra. _[Tib] sems-pa makes the mind, it uses the example, iron magnet, so this iron magnet is, makes to, contact the iron, so that’s used an example for intention. 

Then the _[Tib] is, the principal consciousness to pay attention on the object, not only that but maybe, not only that, not only contact, not only focus on the object, but it’s to function, _[Tib] a little bit extra function, huh, I thought _[Tib], you said, what?

Attention, what about the sems-pa? So I forgot, there’s a little extra function _Tib] so, I think maybe, yeah, so, anyway, let you know next year, maybe after you’ve achieved enlightenment.

So anyway, sems-pa, sems-pa [Tib], so one intention is the motivation before you act. Sems-pa  is the, while you are doing the action, the motivation, the, the motivation, the thought of the act, while the action is happening, so, that’s sems-pa.

So sems-pa is the motivation of the act, then sems-pa is while the action is happening, the motivation, so both are intention.

So, so anyway, what’s karma, the karma is from the mental factor, there’s kon-dro ba’i sem-yong, five, that’s always accompanying with the principal consciousness, so, feeling, cognition, then, contact, intention [?] then the apprehension, but has to be analyzed.  These five mental factors wors on the same object with the principal consciousness in five similarities.

So, anyway, what is karma? Karma is from the body and mind, mind, and from the six principal consciousnesses, and the fifty-one mental factors, mental factor. Which mental factor? From the five, _[Tib], always accompanying with the principal consciousness, so with that, the intention, so that. What is karma? Karma is intention.

So everything came from your mind, your mind, okay, came from the karma, from intention, okay, so that.

So, this is very basic Buddhist philosophy, philosophy, other one is reality. If you don’t say the word philosophy, Buddhist philosophy, the actual reality, how things are working, how things are created by mind, is working. how things are created by mind, is working, so like that.

So, the pleasure, suffering, forms, sounds, smells, tastes, tangible objects, then, everything, your world, your world came from your mind, your world came from your mind, so, less negative karma, less negative karma, then, result, less suffering. More good karma, more happiness. So then, after some time, no negative karma, we don’t create, so when your mind is advanced.

So, then mind being in virtue, living always in virtue, no negative karma, so, then, as I mentioned the other day, when you achieve arya being, you know when you achieve arya being, then you don’t, like those bodhisattva, arya beings, do not, there’s no harm they receive because there’s no negative, impure mind which causes to receive harm, which causes to receive harm, it’s not there.

So we don’t need to talk about Buddha, just even sentient being, bodhisattva, arya bodhisattva, you see.

So everything, so receiving harm or not is depends on your mind. If you have impure mind, then that happens; if you don’t have impure mind, it doesn’t happen, so that.

So here, this is a basic Buddhist philosophy, so that, it doesn’t accept an outside being created your life, outside being. Your suffering, your happiness, somebody else, created everything, your happiness, your suffering, all that, so everything came from your mind, you see.

So that means you have total freedom in your hands, happiness or suffering, what you want, what you want to experience, so liberation, enlightenment, sufferings in the lower realms, higher rebirth, what you want, so it’s in your hands. After this life, if you have higher rebirth or suffering in the hells, hungry ghosts, animals, so you have choice, you have freedom. So if you don’t want to be born in the lower realms, suffering, experience those sufferings, you purify the cause. You don’t create the cause of the lower realms, you purify the cause, so then you get higher rebirth, you want higher rebirth, deva, human rebirth, you create the cause of that, so that, so you achieve. That’s in your hand, what you want, suffering, or happiness. What you want, samsara or liberation, so it is in your hands. So, it depends what you do with your mind, depends what you do with your mind, how you use your mind. Whether you use your mind for samsara, whether you use your mind to achieve liberation, so it depends on that, learning the path and actualizing the path, no question of that.

So, same, whether you want to be born in the hell or whether you want to achieve enlightenment, it’s in your hands. So that depends on what you do with your mind. You don’t want to be reborn in the hell realm, you purify the cause, you purify the cause, what you have created in the past, which makes to reincarnate in the hell realm, you purify.  Same, then, also, then you learn and practice the path to enlightenment, develop that, transform the mind into that.

So we wish enlightenment, so like that.