Teachings from the Mahamudra Retreat (Audio and Unedited Transcript)

By Kyabje Lama Zopa Rinpoche
Adelaide, Australia (Archive #1443)

The following are excerpts of Lama Zopa Rinpoche's teachings at the Mahamudra Retreat hosted by Buddha House, in Mylor, South Australia, from 9 April to 4 May, 2004. These recordings do not form a complete record of the retreat, as they do not include teachings by other Sangha, various prayers and dedications, and portions of the initiations and secret teachings.

Day 23: Evening Teaching - Part B

So now, so sentient beings, one’s own all wish-fulfilling, more precious than the, each sentient being is one’s own all the wish-fulfilling, more precious than the sky filled with wish-granting jewels. So they are the most precious, most kind one, so now, what they want is, so therefore, in one’s own life there’s nobody to cherish other than the, except sentient beings, there’s nobody to work for except other sentient beings. And what they want is happiness, what they do not want is suffering, so as one has full responsibility to free them from all the suffering and causes and bring them to enlightenment, to do that by oneself alone, therefore, first oneself should achieve the state of omniscient mind that can see directly all the sentient beings, can read everyone’s mind, can see directly all their characteristics, all their level of intelligence, the karma and able to directly see all the methods that can fit even to one sentient being to bring them from happiness to happiness to full enlightenment. So, the omniscient mind which can see directly all the methods, even to guide one sentient being from happiness to happiness to enlightenment. So all these various methods even unimaginable the methods to bring even one sentient being from happiness to happiness to the enlightenment, so knowing every single sentient being, all the methods how to bring to enlightenment. So therefore, so must achieve this state of omniscient mind and then full enlightenment.

Now then, to do that, for that one need to actualize the path, that doesn’t happen without cause and conditions, so one need to actualize the steps of the path to enlightenment. One need to follow the graduate path, the steps of the path to enlightenment. Only in that way then one complete the path. It has to be practiced in order and have realization. Just meditating what you like, only meditating what you like, what you don’t like then, such as the lower realm sufferings or the impermanence and death, nature of life, or the suffering of samsara, the meditations that which one do not like, then don’t think, don’t practice, don’t meditate; and then the ones that like, then something looks nice words, something that looks nice then meditating on those, so that cannot, one can’t really achieve the realization. So without meditating, example, without realization the renunciation of samsara, the total aversion to samsara, seeing how samsara is only in the nature of suffering, like being in, like yourself being in the septic tank or inside, in the midst of the fire or naked body sitting on the thorn bush, in the midst of a thorn bush. However, so without this realization cannot really have realization of compassion to other sentient beings, then can’t have realization of bodhicitta, then cannot enter in the Mahayana path. So however, so one need to achieve the realizations of the graduated path to enlightenment.

And then, [pause] so how to meditate, so everyday life how to meditate, so went through that, that very practical advice by Pabongka Dechen Nyingpo, as he himself he completed the path to enlightenment, so advice coming from his own experience. [Pause]

So went very brief over the definitions of the lam-rim realizations, to have some idea, so that one can check whether one has that, so that one can examine whether one has that realization or not, so that can tell, one can judge, discriminate, so by knowing the definition of those realizations. So the, so what I didn’t mention is the definition of realizing emptiness, because that one I didn’t mention before, so up to bodhicitta mentioned.

However, somehow what is explained there by great enlightened Pabongka, in the outlines, some, think this way might be like that. However, that, [pause] so, you have the translation of the section of the emptiness, the first, that we translated, after talking about, when there’s the part of emptiness beginning and teachings of the three principles of the path, by Lama Tsongkhapa. I think that’s, I think time in Florida or something, Florida or the North Carolina, somewhere, the [Tibetan] it begins with the, Therefore, attempt to meditate on dependent arising.... Huh

Ven. Sarah: That wasn’t me. It wasn’t me.

Rinpoche: You didn’t, you haven’t brought? Huh? Oh, you haven’t brought the translation?

Ven. Sarah: Is Rinpoche talking about this Mahamudra prayer?

Rinpoche: Three principles of the path.

Ven. Sarah: No, it wasn’t me, Rinpoche.

Rinpoche: Alle, I see.

Ven. Sarah: I didn’t do that.

Rinpoche: These words, [Tibetan], the one before that, you see, Therefore attempt to meditate on dependent arising. Showing that, having realization of bodhicitta is not enough, that one must realize emptiness, right view, so then there instead of saying meditate on emptiness, it says you attempt to realize dependent arising. In the teachings of Three Principal Aspects of the Path to Enlightenment. And after that, anyone, one sees the unbetrayable, the cause, effect, of the phenomena one see is unbetrayable, unbetrayable forever, one see. It means anyone who see the cause, effect, of the phenomena unbetrayable forever, [Tibetan] I’ve forgotten the bit that translates, that’s not easy to translate, there’s specific words, terms, there...[Tibetan], the particular terms were translated but I couldn’t remember now.

However, the meaning is that the, you realize, so that person realizes the object of ignorance, the concept holding the I, for example, the I truly existent, the I apprehended or believed by the ignorance, concept of true existence, truly existent, so that person seeing, that person discover, realize that this truly existent I that’s believed, that is hold onto by the ignorance, that’s totally believed, a hundred percent, by the ignorance, so the person must realize that truly existent I, that one, that real I in the sense independent, existing from its own side, so totally empty, doesn’t, just there, it doesn’t go anywhere, just there doesn’t exist, doesn’t exist at all, so totally empty right there. So from where it’s appearing, it is totally empty right there.

So, [pause] there’s a scaring crow in the field. Uh? What? Scarecrow? Uh, what’d you say? Scarecrow. There’s a scarecrow on the field, put some dress and the hands kind of hanging like this, head like that, so it can be used the example as daytime or nighttime, either way, so nighttime, so you see like that’s a person standing there, but when you put the light, flashlight there, you have that hallucination, you had the hallucination that there was a person there, but when you put a flashlight, then that hallucination is (?) shikpa, stopped, that hallucination is stopped. After you put the flashlight on that, the hallucination that you had before, that’s a person then it’s stopped. Slightest even atom of that doesn’t exist there. What you believed as a person appeared because your mind labeled, the way it looks like, then your mind label, Oh, that’s a person. Reason because that looks like, so a person, there’s a person standing there in the field, your mind labeled and believed in that, then that creates the appearance that there’s a person and then you see that there’s a person, also you think, I really see a person. I really see a person, you say. Even though it’s a hallucination but you, like in the dream you really see the things. For your mind, whatever you see in the dream you’re really seeing, so that expression, I really see it, it is there even in the dream, even though they don’t exist, even though they don’t exist at all. Not only they don’t exist from its own side but the things in a dream do not exist at all. But still in the dream you will say, I really see it. In the dream you believe, you talk.

So now here, so that, so before you really see a person there, for the hallucinated mind, you believe that you’re really seeing a person. So, it doesn’t always prove that, as it appears to you it really exists there. So however, by coming near, if it’s daytime then you see that hallucination you had before, that person, stopped. There’s not even an atom of that, totally nonexistent, empty. So similar at night when you put the flashlight on that.

So like that, similar here, you realize the object of ignorance, that no question, a hundred percent that is apprehended, that is grasped or held by the ignorance, so like this, then suddenly you realize just there, suddenly you realize this is not there, this is totally empty there, just there, completely, there’s not even an atom of that existing from its own side. So the previous is, [Tibetan] it’s a particular term and I don’t remember the, there’s a specific, there’s a particular translation for that, I did one time, but now don’t remember. However, the meaning is, so that when you realize emptiness the previous hallucination, the object of ignorance, the real I, in the sense appearing from there, totally existent, empty there. There’s not even an atom of that exists, the real I in the sense independent one, existing from its own side. So, (?) shikpa, not disintegrate, it’s, how to say, totally stopped, nonexistent, it become nonexistent. Disintegrate will be in pieces, but it’s not pieces, like breaking this, like a cup, then become pieces, disintegrate. So what disintegrate the house, the walls, not that. So here, nonexistent.

So however, so here, that person, so when, that person see the I which appears, that I which appears not merely labeled by mind, what exists is in mere name, merely imputed by mind, but what doesn’t exist is what appeared not merely labeled by mind. So completely hold onto the, grasped or hold onto by ignorance, so I what appeared existing there, it’s totally nonexistent, totally nonexistent from there, there’s no even slightest atom of that. So the object of ignorance that which is, the truly existent I, the object to be refuted, by realizing that is totally empty, [pause] then again and again, by training the mind into that realization, going back to that state, seeing empty, and then you see, mind training in that, then one see that, it doesn’t come to, it doesn’t lead, so, this way of realizing emptiness, doesn’t lead to nihilism, that the I doesn’t exist at all, it doesn’t lead to nihilism, it doesn’t lead to nihilism at all. So, by training the mind more and more in this emptiness, coming back to this point, seeing, meditating on emptiness, so as a result, then you discover, that it’s definitely the I. There’s no I exists, but exists in mere name, merely imputed by mind.

So, as I mentioned a few times how subtle, how extremely subtle it is, the definition of existing, the borderline of existing and not existing is, any phenomenon, even with the I, so unbelievable, unbelievable subtle, so exist in mere name, merely imputed by mind, so, [pause] so there’s the aggregates, reason there’s aggregates and then mind just made up the label, I, and your thought, reason because there’s aggregates, there is the valid base, the aggregates existing, so your mind just made up, your mind just think, just made up the label, simply just made up the label, I. So just, so that’s it, there’s nothing additional, there’s nothing more, there’s nothing even slightly more than that, I exists, there’s nothing slight more than that, that the I exists. There’s nothing more than that. That’s it, finished. So reason, because there’s the aggregates, so the mind, your thought just, simply just made up the label, simply thought the I and made up the label. Then believed in that. Why it exists? There’s no reason at all except there’s the valid base, the aggregates exist. Because there’s the base exists. That’s it. Nothing. That’s it. Just that, just that.

So, as a result, realizing the object of ignorance, the truly existent I, that hundred percent grasped or apprehended or held by the ignorance, totally empty, just there totally empty, not even slightest of atom of that exists. Then, by realizing that, as a result then you discover the I, instead of coming to the point, there’s no I, I doesn’t exist, instead of that, I exists, exists in mere name, merely imputed by, because merely imputed by mind, exists in mere name. So, no choice, the realization comes as a result, the discovery, so the conventional truth, I it exists in mere name. Now here you see the I, you realize, you see the I according to the reality, here how you see, how you discover the I is according to reality, in mere name, merely imputed by mind.

So here, when it comes to the conclusion, when it comes to this point, conclusion, that realizing the conventional truth, I exists being merely imputed by mind, so existing, I exists in mere name, I experience happiness, suffering in mere name. I doing activities in mere name. I itself exists in mere name, experiences happiness, suffering in mere name, it does activities in mere name. So when you realize the conventional truth, before you realize absolute truth of the I, now here you realize conventional truth of the I. So then when you discover, you realize, existing, that the I exists being merely labeled by mind, then that time you see the I is unified of, you see the I, it is existing being merely labeled by mind but while you are seeing the I, realizing the I in this way, at the same time you realize the I is empty of existing, empty of the independent, empty of independent I, empty of existing from its own side, empty of the real I or empty of existing, the I existing from its own side. So while you are seeing the I is empty of existing from its own side, you see it is existing, exist in mere name, merely imputed by mind, while you are realizing that the I exists in mere name, merely imputed by mind, at the same time you realize it is empty, so the I is unified of emptiness and dependent arising. You don’t see contradictory emptiness and dependent arising on this one object, I. The I is unified of those two. So when it comes to, when that realization comes, that time then the analysis of emptiness is completed.

So here what I want to say is, if it leads, here I want to conclude this way, your meditating on emptiness, what you believe you have realized emptiness, so if it leads to this point, the subtle dependent arising, Prasangika school view, that the I exists in mere name, merely imputed by mind, so if it comes to this point, realizing the subtle dependent arising, how the I is subtle dependent arising, so how the I exists, the subtle dependent arising, exists being merely labeled by mind. So, if it comes to this point, if it comes to this conclusion, then your realization of emptiness is correct, if it comes to this point. If it doesn’t lead to this point, if it doesn’t help to realize the conventional truth of the I or if it doesn’t help, doesn’t come to this conclusion, doesn’t lead to this conclusion, realization of conventional truth I, the subtle dependent arising of the I, opposite or lead to, leading to opposite to this, which is, then opposite to this, that is nihilism, fell in nihilism, doesn’t exist. Either nihilism, doesn’t exist or fell in eternalism, other extreme that existing from its own side. So that is not realizing Middle Way view, that is not realizing Middle Way view.

So the previous one is, that as Lama Tsongkhapa described there, [Tibetan] so the object of ignorance you realize that’s totally nonexistent, that real I in the sense ordinary terms, what ordinary people talk, their daily life, their daily, expressing the object to be refuted in ordinary people’s daily life words, it’s real, a real I. However, describing that, how it’s expressed in the philosophical teachings, the teachings of emptiness, so the independent I or existing from its own side or existing by nature, so the truly existent I. So by realizing that totally nonexistent, then you entered the Middle Way view, devoid of eternalism and devoid of nihilism, so that’s what Lama Tsongkhapa is saying, that person entered in the path that pleases all the Victorious Ones. [Long pause]

So, [pause] so one thing to clarify is that, very important thing to clarify, so when we recite the Heart Sutra, this Prajnaparamita teachings, where it says no this, no that, no eye, no nose, no tongue, so forth, which I missed out from the Heart Sutra, but today I put at the first. So anyway, so when one go through this, if you get fear, so if you get fear during that time, so what I think is, that’s positive, that’s a very good sign, when we read, when you recite like Heart Sutra, those, where it says no this, no that, if you start to get fear, start to experience fear, that’s a good sign, because, I think I mentioned already before, because that means, it is touching, it is hitting on the, when you’re reciting this it is hitting on the, the “no” it is hitting on the object of ignorance, the target, the object to be refuted, the real I in the sense independent or existing from its own side, believed by, apprehended, believed by ignorance, so it is hitting, it is touching on that, it is hitting on that. So when it hits on that, you get fear. I don’t know how others would say. I don’t know how others, I’m not sure, but the way I think is that, so fear rises, because I think that time it hits, touch, it hits on the object of ignorance and then it is not there, it hits, it touches, so that’s you get, you start to get fear. Sometimes when you get fear when you recite the Heart Sutra, some fear rising, so this is what I think. Also when you meditate on emptiness fear rises.

So if the way you meditate, the way you think, if it missed out the point, where it says “no,” it’s not on the object of ignorance, the false I or the I existing from its own side, if it’s not on that, if it’s negating the I which exists, which is merely labeled by mind, I don’t think the I, I don’t think the fear comes. I don’t think the fear comes. Why fear doesn’t come, when you fell in nihilism, why fear doesn’t come? What I think is that even you intellectually think, that you could not find the general I or the merely labeled I could not find, you could not find, but at the same time this ignorance, one’s ignorance holding continuously the real I, in the sense independent or existing from its own side, continuously holding on that. Continuously that’s happening there. The real I meditating is still there, the real I, there’s a real I meditating, that’s still happening there, that’s still there, so nothing happened to that, nothing happened on that target. So therefore, I don’t, this is there, a real I meditating, doing meditation on emptiness, this is there, so I don’t see how fear can rise, if one fall in nihilism. So that’s what I think.

So now here, [pause] so for example, all the conditions, cause and conditions together, so there’s imprint from past lives, heard teachings on emptiness or studied or whatever, meditated, that, then strong guru devotion, so the state of mind like that, strong guru devotion developed. And then also at the same time doing extensive purification. So strong guru devotion receiving blessing in one’s own heart, the guru’s blessing in one’s own heart, then at the same time, the extensive collecting merit and doing purification, like prostrations by reciting Thirty-five Buddhas’ names, so forth, Vajrasattva, so these things, so pacifying the obstacles for realization and necessary condition, to collect merit, that’s happening, so then, so that time then doesn’t need many words. So when the mind is ready doesn’t need many words, even two words, then you find some, like even two words, like that. It clicks [snaps fingers], when all the conditions are there, receiving the blessing of the guru, strong purification, all that, then it just [snaps fingers] clicks the mind. Then you [snaps fingers], suddenly you recognize the gak-cha, the object to be refuted, the false view. It’s always there, it’s always there, we’re born with it, and from beginningless rebirth it’s been there, but never, we got up this morning with that ignorance, with that view, and from birth, then from even before, from beginningless rebirth, but never recognized and always believed that it’s true, so that blocked to see the truth.

So anyway, so the, that, so all the cause, conditions together, then that time even, without even many words, that, like for example, a vase, like vase on the vase, I on the I, even some, came out of, there’s some teaching like that, came out of that lama’s experience, expressing, so something like that, then suddenly some, even two words like that, then suddenly it click your mind. Then, [pause] you, vase on the vase, something like that or some words, then you look at the I, then you use that example on the I, you see the I also like that, I on the I, so that, what it’s saying is that, there’s a merely labeled I, the I which exists is merely labeled I, then there’s a false I on that, there’s true existence, truly existent appearance projected, decorated or projected on the merely labeled I by ignorance, by past ignorance, by leaving a negative imprint on one’s own mental continuum, then this negative imprint project, the first second, because the aggregates, reason because of the aggregates, by focusing on that, thinking of that, then mind merely impute the I, mind merely impute the I. By focusing, by thinking of the aggregates, so as I gave the example the other day, because aggregates is, body is doing the action of sitting, aggregate of body is doing the action of sitting, so then mind, if somebody ask what you’re doing, then mind first think of what the aggregate of the body is doing and what the mind is doing, the body, speech and mind doing. So if the mind focused on that, what the body, what the speech, what the mind does, then it imputes, after that it imputes, mere imputation, the I, I’m sitting or listening or talking, whatever, the function which also exists in mere name, so then, so the next second, so first second is that, by thinking of the aggregates the mind [snaps fingers] merely impute the I. The next second of that then this I merely imputed, which is merely imputed by the mind in the first second, the next second it appears back, it doesn’t appear merely labeled by mind, it appears not merely labeled by mind.

So how that happened, so as I mentioned before, the ignorance, the concept of true existence left a negative imprint on the mental continuum, so that negative imprint, the first, in the first second the mind thinking of the aggregates [snaps fingers] merely imputed the I. Then right after, [snaps fingers] right after that due to the negative imprint, the negative imprint put a projection, the negative imprint, the truly existent appearance it projects on that, like from a negative roll, by putting in the machine with electricity, then it projects on the TV screen, movie screen, so here negative imprint, mind is like a film, mind is like the negative roll, negative, and then the imprint is like what is printed there, so right after the mind merely imputed I, then that puts this decoration, this hallucination, the appearance of true existence, so then the next [snaps fingers], right after that, right after the mind merely imputed I, then [snaps fingers] the hallucination of the truly existent appearance is projected there, projected on the merely labeled I.

So that’s how, after the mind thinking of the aggregates then merely imputed [snaps fingers] I, when it appears back, it appears back not merely labeled by mind. Not merely labeled by mind, a real one existing from its own side, independent. So then the, the same continuity of that thought, the first second thought imputed, first second thought imputed, then the next second, which is continuity of that previous thought which merely imputed I, so [pause] then believe, hold onto, apprehend or hold onto this inherently, this truly existent I, this I which appeared not merely labeled by mind, it’s true. [pause] So not being aware, forgot or not being aware that is, that it just now merely imputed by one’s own thought, by one’s own mind, not having that awareness and forgotten that.

So, then the continuity, the same continuity of the thought that which the first second merely imputed the I, so that thought, so we allow, we let that thought to hold onto this projection, the way the I appeared, not merely labeled by mind, truly existent, real one, so we let that thought to hold onto it, thinking, apprehending that it’s true. So, that time then become, this thought become ignorance, whenever the next second thought, we allow to hold onto it, that it’s true, the I that which appeared not merely labeled by mind, truly existent, so that time, this is what receives the label ignorance. [Snaps fingers] Then this time we created ignorance [snaps fingers], we created the ignorance, the very specific ignorance, the root of samsara, that which become root of samsara. There are many ignorance according to the four schools of Buddhist philosophers, previous ones they have their own connotation of ignorance, the root of samsara, but in reality they’re not root of samsara. The root of samsara is only one. So this particular one, when the I appeared back not merely labeled by mind, that it’s true. The minute when we let our mind believe [snaps fingers] on that, so that is, that time we create ignorance, we create, so that is the root of samsara or root of all other delusions, all the negative emotional thoughts and karma, the action, karma, and then all the result sufferings, general suffering of samsara, particular sufferings of each realm, all that. So this is the very beginning, this is the very beginning, the creator, which is your own mind, but the hallucinated mind and the ignorance holding true existence. The creator, the originator of, from the twelve dependent related limbs, the evolution of samsara, so here when we create this ignorance [snaps fingers], so that’s the first thing, what, originator, the [snaps fingers] the creator or originator, the rest of twelve dependent related limbs, this is the first one, from the twelve, this is the first one.

So, like this, so now here, one get the, you can get the idea how we create the root of samsara continuously, so because we always let our mind hold onto this projection, the false I, the I which appeared to you not merely labeled by mind or existing from its own side, so we always let the mind to hold onto this as true. So therefore, now here we can get the idea of, that we’re creating the root of samsara all the time, non-stop, twenty-four hours. So therefore, so now here, I think I mentioned already before, how so essential it is, how it is so essential, the most important thing, so essential, now here you can see, when we know, when we know how we create the root of samsara, by knowing that, we know that, now here solution is, solution is to not let our mind to hold onto this, the I appeared not merely labeled by mind or existing from its own side, however, to not allow the mind to hold onto this is true. So for that, we meditate looking at it hallucination, we meditate, the opposite is we look at it hallucination, as it is hallucination. As it is hallucination, not true, false, so we look at it false. As it is hallucination, we look at it hallucination. So, by looking at it hallucination, by practicing mindfulness, that’s looking at it hallucination, so it helps. So what understanding comes it’s, it doesn’t exist, that understanding what comes in your heart, so you don’t let the mind, so that, when you do that, this real I, I in the dream or like illusion, however, when you look at it hallucination, as it is hallucination, which gives understanding in your heart, nonexistent, empty.

So here you’re not allowing, when you practice mindfulness like this, even one doesn’t realize completely it’s, totally it’s empty, completely empty, but even not concentrating completely like that, but this is hallucination, it’s not true, it’s empty, some idea of empty, the nonexistent, rather than existing, more idea in the heart, nonexistent. So, anyway, so here, so this way it helps to not create the root of samsara, this ignorance, which you don’t allow to hold onto it it’s true. So same thing on the aggregates, same, when we let our mind to hold onto the aggregates, that this is true, as it appeared not merely labeled by mind, existing from its own side, so again that become root of samsara, according to Sera Je, the Jetsun ?Chokyi ?Gyaltsen author, not only that but also the ignorance, our mind holding the aggregates, the aggregates appearing not merely labeled by mind, existing from its own side, holding that as true, that’s also root of samsara, so like that.

So all the rest of phenomena, when we don’t meditate that they’re empty, when we don’t meditate they’re hallucination, without looking at hallucination that which is hallucination, without looking at it false that which is false, so when we don’t, when we meditate like this then the ignorance holding things, holding on to the phenomena as true as they appear, existing from their own side or not merely labeled by mind, so that doesn’t happen. When we meditate on emptiness, phenomena or the, even looking at it like illusion or like a dream, however, looking at it false that which is false, looking at it hallucination that which is hallucination, similar when you recognize the dream as a dream, while you’re dreaming, if you recognize the dream as a dream then you have understanding in your heart, it’s not true. It doesn’t exist, and similar when you know, when you discover this is not, this is just a mirage, when you realize that there’s no water there at all, on the sand, that place there’s no water at all, when you, either you’re told by somebody or you came from there, you realize there’s no water at all, but you have the vision of water, this, so as if there’s water, you have vision. So here you come to know this is a mirage. So you have the still vision that as if there’s water that’s there but you have understanding in your heart, it’s not true. You have the vision, but understanding in your heart it’s not true; there’s no water there. So then there is no thought, by knowing this is a mirage then there is no thought holding, apprehending that there’s water there, that is water, there’s no, that thought doesn’t happen. Same thing when you recognize the dream as a dream, it doesn’t allow the thought believing it’s real. So it’s same, so like that.

Then, since you’re not creating the ignorance this way, practicing mindfulness, whether looking at things as a dependent arising, existing in mere name, or empty or the looking at the hallucination as hallucination, however, so you don’t create, you don’t allow the mind to become ignorance, concept of true existence. So during that time, impossible to rise anger, attachment, all those other delusions, all the rest of the delusions doesn’t, there’s no basis to rise, so then there’s no creating karma. Then there’s no suffering of samsara from that.

So to finish what I was mentioning before.