Lam-rim Teachings France 1990 (Audio and Unedited Transcripts)

By Kyabje Lama Zopa Rinpoche
Nice, France, July 1990 (Archive #692)

Lama Zopa Rinpoche gave these teachings on lam-rim in Nice, France in July 1990. The series includes an oral transmission of the Heart Sutra and teachings on emptiness, impermanence and death, and transforming problems.

Lam-rim Teachings: First Discourse Part A

So before the, I'm very happy to meet everybody, those whom I met before and those whom I meet the first time this life. So before the discourse, so we can do some meditation in the Essence of Wisdom, recite this meditation prayer and....

[Shakyamuni Buddha prayer, other prayers]

Do not commit any unwholesome actions, Enjoy creating the perfect virtue And subdue one's own mind: This is the teaching of the Buddha.

[Prayers in Tibetan]

Look at the reality of self, action, object, enemy, friend stranger, one's own body, possessions, surrounding relatives, so forth, so now we look at their reality, that these, the characteristic, the nature of these things is transitory, the nature of these phenomena is transitory, that they change within every second by cause and conditions, and this is the nature of these phenomena. Not only that, that these things, because of that you see that it changes by being under the control of cause and conditions, that these things can be stopped at any time. It is nature of the phenomena.

So therefore how we create the problem by the mind is when we believe something that which do not exist in the reality, something opposite, something contradictory to the reality, so when that doesn't function, when that doesn't happen what we believe, what we expect, which is contradictory to the characteristics or the reality of these phenomena then this itself becomes the problem. So how we create a problem in our life is like that. So if we practice awareness, if we practice mindfulness, awareness, in the nature of the I, action, object, these causative phenomena, if we practice awareness, mindfulness in their nature which exists, which functions and then ys you do not find a problem, you don't create a problem by the mind. So this meditation, it became very important to solve problems in the life, this awareness. So one of the important, fundamental meditation practices to be aware what exists, the way things exist, that becomes most important, fundamental meditation taught by Buddha.

So suddenly when you think of the reality of the object there's no problem, you don't see a problem. But when you, when the mind is distracted by the hallucination, by the wrong view, wrong philosophy, wrong view, which is opposite to reality so ys when one is not aware of the reality of the things, of these phenomena, so one exaggerate, one makes a lot of exaggeration, projection on the self, action, object so ys that is the problem. So in the life experience that is not happening, what you project, yourself, action, object is not happening, what the phenomena shows, what you see, what you experience is the reality, so that point, what one project, what one believe and reality what we experience in the life, what it shows, so when those things do not fit, when these things happen opposite to what we project, what we, wish that we generate, which doesn't fit with the reality, so then that time the fear comes, worry comes, nervous breaking, depression, all these problems rise, when you see, when you have the experience in the life of the reality, which is opposite to the projection, wish what we generate.

So these things, these phenomena they change within every second by cause and conditions and that these things can be ceased any time. So therefore, this is the nature, and this is what we experience in the life, whether we accept this or even we don't want to accept this, even we don't want to happen this, so therefore there's no point to have dissatisfactory mind, desire, and ignorance, this wrong conception believing something that doesn't exist in the reality, while these things are impermanent nature but believing as permanent. Believing that these things do not change by cause and conditions, that they last, that they're permanent. Then, no point to get angry, there's no meaning to get angry, because nature of these things, these phenomena are transitory and that they can be ceased at any time.

Now the next, so for example, if somebody did not label "Nice," this area, this country, this area, if there's no thought which labels "Nice," Nice doesn't exist, if nobody has the mind to label "Nice" there's no way Nice can exist, even though there is such a place, ocean, then mountains, such all these things, even that these things exist but if nobody has the mind to label "Nice" there's no way that Nice can exist. Nice doesn't exist if nobody has the mind to label "Nice." So how does Nice exist? By depending on such this, first of all, French place. Then second this particular direction and area and then somebody labeled Nice, somebody by depending on this, made it up the label, made it up the name Nice. So therefore how does Nice exist is Nice exists by depending on this particular area, the French place and the person's mind which labels Nice, so depending on those two then Nice exists. So it's very scientific, it's not particular belief that you have to force, it's something, how Nice is dependent arising you can understand from this, so Nice is dependent on, the way Nice exists is dependent on this particular area and then people's mind which labels Nice. So depending on those two then Nice exists.

So even the people have the thought to label Nice, but again if there's no base to be labeled Nice, if there's no such a place, ocean, mountains like this, if there's not this place there's no base, but even people have the idea, the mind to label Nice, again Nice cannot exist.

For example a child, a child called Michelle for example, the person called Michelle, now without the base, association of body and mind, even the parents have the idea to label Michelle, Michelle doesn't exist. So ys before the pregnancy happened, before the fertilized egg happened, the consciousness taking place on the fertilized egg, before this happened, even the parents have mind to label Michelle so that time there's no base, the association of body and mind, the aggregates, so therefore that time Michelle doesn't exist. So after the aggregates happened, the association of body and mind it happened but ys their mind did not label, before they had the mind to label Michelle, again Michelle doesn't exist. So when Michelle, so when does Michelle come into existence? So when the parents, the person who imputes, so association of body and mind, the aggregates are there and when the parents, after they labeled, when they impute Michelle by their mind then when those two things happened, the basis and the mind which labels, only then Michelle exists, how Michelle comes into existence.

So now, how Michelle exists, Michelle exists only in name, in mere name. Michelle being merely imputed on the base, association of body and mind, by the person's mind. So how Michelle exists is Michelle exists only in mere name. So what Michelle is, what it is, what Michelle is is nothing else except only the merely imputed one, what it is is nothing else, what Michelle is is nothing else than what is merely imputed by the mind, so ys the Michelle is completely empty, there is no concrete or there is no real Michelle from its own side, it's completely empty. That one, real Michelle appearing from its own side is completely empty.

So similar, so you see now, Nice, what is Nice? It's nothing else than what is merely imputed by the mind. So same thing, I, the self, I, again this, without the mind which labels I, there's no I, without the mind which thinks of I, which labels I, there's no I, without that there's no I exists, there's no self exists. Without the mind which thinks of self, in other words, yeah, without the mind which thinks of self, which labels self, which thinks of self, without that mind, the self doesn't exist. So, self, I, is merely imputed on the association of body and mind, the aggregates by the thought.

So, from this morning until tonight, so continuously our mind, we label I, self, on these aggregates. So what we are doing now, we believe, we say that "I am sitting," "I am listening, talking" - there is no other reason at all to say this "I am sitting," "I am talking, listening," the reason why we say this, there's no other reason, the reason is only that this base, the aggregates, the association of body and mind is sitting, the body is sitting, the base, the body, is sitting. Only this is the reason, because of that it is believed "I am sitting." So it is a concept, "I am sitting" is a concept, so there is no other reason, "I am sitting", there is no other reason, only reason is that the body is sitting. There is no other reason, "I'm talking", there's no other reason, only the reason is that the basis, the aggregates, is doing the function of talking, the speech, is doing the function of talking. So this is the only reason.

So same thing, "I am thinking", there is no other reason at all except only the base, the mind, is thinking. So like this, from morning until night, constantly we label according to the, constantly we label I on these aggregates and according to the functions of the aggregates, what the body does and what the mind does, so "I am eating," "I am sleeping," "I am talking" so "I am this and that", so the mind merely imputes constantly according to the functions of the basis, what is does, the aggregates, the body and mind. So you see now, from morning until night, "I do this," "I do that," this and that, all this an idea or being just simply an idea or a concept. So you can see now there's no such real thing there, there's no real one from its own side, a self, a real one from its own side so you see from morning until night, on this base, association of body and mind, that real self is completely empty, that real self, real one from its own side, doesn't exist at all.

So now you see like this, from birth until death, it is like this, so "I am happy", "I am unhappy", all this, there's no such real self from its own side, except what we impute, there's no self other than what we impute on this base, so however, there's no self other than what we impute, what we merely impute. So if we really analyze, What is the I? The reality of the I, if we really analyze it's like this, the ultimate nature, if we really look at well what the self is, what we normally believe there's real one from its own side and this one will get sick and this will, how this can be happy, how this self can be happy, how this real self, real one from its own side, independent one, how this can be happy and so much worry and concern that this real self, real one from its own side, this will get problems, this will receive harm, so much worry and fear of this, in our life the whole thing concerned or worried ys afraid that this self, that something which is real one from its own side, something that which is not made up by the mind, unlabeled by the mind, independent.

So first we make it up, I, we believe, our mind make it up, make an identity, make such an identity we make it up, we project, we make up the self like this, we project unlabeled, independent, nothing to do with the mind, nothing to do with the base, association of body and mind, nothing to do with the mind which labels, there's something else, I, self, unlabeled one, having existence from its own side. So then we, then rises fear, worry, concern, all the things, that this real self will get into problems, will be unhappy…

…but in the reality there's no such self. If you analyze, What is the self? What is it exactly? That I that we are always being concerned, worried, afraid something will happen to that, so if you analyze what it is exactly, so in the reality, so like this, scientific like this, if you analyze the nature, you cannot find that real self, something concrete or real self, unlabeled by the mind, that self exists, real self that exists without depending on the base, the association of body and mind, this base and the mind which labels, so there's no such real self, cannot be found if you search where it is, where it's located, outside of the body, inside of the body, where it is located? If you search cannot be found from the tip of the hair down to the toes, in the heart, in the chest, it looks like in the chest, it looks like findable somewhere in the chest but if you really search, if you really analyze where it is exactly located, inside the chest where, when you don't analyze it looks like there but as soon as you start to analyze, it becomes unclear. As soon as you start to analyze where it is inside the chest, suddenly, immediately it becomes unclear. So could not, if you search could not find on the heart, on the ?beating heart, in any part of the chest, you cannot find. Not in the brain, neither in the chest, so you just look at, you just be aware of the inside of the body, inside the chest, all the things what are in the chest, down below the neck, down to the belly, just being aware the physical part and then see, then one part of the mind look for the I, that real self, one part of the mind being aware of the pieces inside the body, down below the neck, down to belly, being aware, as you are seeing them, one part of the mind search for the real self. [long pause]

So could not find, neither in the belly, in the legs, nowhere you could not find, the real self, that which we normally project, projected by our mind, such a I that is projected by our mind so this could not be found anywhere, from the tip of the hair down to the toes, anywhere, neither inside nor outside, nowhere it exists. [pause]

So that real self which we have been projecting and have been cherishing, thinking this is the most precious, most important, in the reality it is nowhere, it exists nowhere, neither inside nor outside. [pause]

So that doesn't exist at all, but there is I that which experiences suffering, which experiences happiness, which looks for solution to eliminate the problems, which does meditation practices, the I which seeks for ultimate happiness, the I that which is sitting, sleeping, eating, walking, there is a I, there is a I that which does all these activities, but that one is nothing else other than what is merely imputed on the base, on this base, association of body and mind, by the mind. So therefore what it is this I, the self, what it is, now you see deeply concentrate, so what it is. Now we analyze, so what it is. It's neither the body nor the mind, it's not the aggregates, nothing of this.

So as Nagarjuna explained, the being, so in other words we can use the same name, I, it's not the earth, not the water, not the fire, earth means the body, so it's not the earth, this body, not the water, liquids inside, not the heat, not the fire, not the heat, not the wind, the breath and not the space inside the body, I is not also space, I is not also the consciousness, I is not any of these and, neither any of these nor even the whole group, nor even the whole thing of this. [pause]

But again, I is neither all these things, nor it exists separately from these aggregates, nor the I exists separately from these aggregates. If the I exists separately from these aggregates, then no reason, even the body goes in the, even the aggregates, even the police catch the body, put in prison, there's no reason why the I has to go prison, so even the police catch this body, put in prison, but the I doesn't have to go to the prison, if the I exists separately from the aggregates. So similar even the body is sick, hunger, thirst, no need, no reason, no need the I to get sick, there's no reason the I to get sick if the I exists separately from the aggregates even the body gets sick, even the mind is unhappy, even the mind is depressed but there's no reason why the I has to be depressed. Then in that case, the I can, if the I exists separately from the aggregates then the I can travel all over the world without the body, the I can go to Tibet, can go all over the world, can travel without the aggregates, so you don't need tickets, doesn't need to worry about to get tickets, to buy tickets, doesn't need to worry all the expenses because there's no body, the I exists separately from the aggregates, so in that case, I doesn't have hunger, thirst, hot and cold, all these things, so there's no need to do job, I doesn't need job, doesn't need to have education in order to do job, all these things, not necessary to do.

So also doesn't need a vehicle in order to travel, the need of the vehicle is only because there's physical body, because there's physical body so there's need of vehicle to travel, so if the I exists separately from the aggregates, from the body, then the I in order to travel doesn't need vehicles, the I doesn't need any money, there's no reason. So however, so that is not the experience, that is not our experience, that the I exists separately from the aggregates. So, it doesn't exist separately from the aggregates also.

So, there is I which does all these activities, walking, sitting, eating, sleeping, so forth, experience happiness, suffering, creating the cause of happiness, eliminating the cause of sufferings, so this I is what is merely imputed, this I is nothing else than what is merely imputed on these aggregates by the thought. So therefore now, what it is is nothing else, it is just simply what is merely imputed - that's all. What one's own mind simply, what it is is simply what one's own mind merely imputed, so it is nothing else other than that. [pause]

So that this merely imputed I cannot be found anywhere, merely imputed I or the I cannot be found anywhere from the tip of the hair down to the toes, on this base cannot be found anywhere, if you search, cannot be found anywhere, but this I, but this imputed I, the self can be found in the world, in France, in Nice, in this house, the imputed, the labeled I can be found in this house, in Nice, in this meditation room, so it exists in this meditation room, what it is doing? This labeled I, what it is doing now is meditating, is analyzing the I, is sitting, doing all these actions, sitting, talking, listening, but you cannot find this imputed I or the I, whatever you say, think, it's the same, you're talking the one thing, cannot be found, neither inside the body nor outside, from the tip of the hair down to the toes, anywhere it can be found. [pause]

But it can be found in this world, in France, in Nice, in this house, in this meditation room, no other reason only because the aggregates, the association of body and mind is here now in this meditation room, in France, in Nice, in this meditation room, so doing the action of sitting, listening, meditating, that is the only reason. [pause]

So like this, so there's no such I, a real one from its own side, that is completely empty, so the I is completely empty. So similar the aggregates on which the I is merely imputed is also completely empty, is also merely imputed so it doesn't have a real existence from its own side, so same thing the body is also merely imputed, merely imputed one, it doesn't have a real existence from its own side. The mind is also a merely imputed phenomenon, phenomenon which is formless, colorless, shapeless, that which nature is clear light perceiving object, so on such that phenomenon, such this phenomenon exists so this is the only reason why there is mind, why mind exists. There is no other reason than this why mind exists. Because there is such a phenomenon, colorless, shapeless, formless, which nature is clear light perceiving object, so by this it is believed that there is a mind. So again mind is completely empty.

So besides these aggregates also the object of senses, sound, smell, taste, tangible, all these objects of five senses are also similar way, that they all are merely imputed, nothing exists, nothing has real existence from its own side, nothing has existence from its own side. [pause]

So when we think about problems of life, if we don't, if there's no mind which labels problem, there's no problem, if there's no mind which gives name "problem", which regards the life situation as a problem, which labels on the life situation, the experience, "problem", if there's no mind which labels problem, problem doesn't exist. So again, so without the mind which labels problem, problem doesn't exist. Because there's a mind which labels, "This is a problem", so then problem, that's how one experiences problems. So in reality there's no real problem from its own side, so that is completely empty, whatever the problem is, relationship problem, AIDS, cancer, whatever it is, so it's completely empty. Without the mind which labels cancer, cancer doesn't exist. Without the mind that labels AIDS, AIDS doesn't exist. So it's dependent on the mind labeling. So conclusion, there's no such real problem from its own side, there's no such real cancer, AIDS, from its own side. As we believe, as we are scared of, as we are worried of, it is completely empty, something real one from its own side, it's completely empty.

So that's how everything came from the mind, Nice came from the mind, I came from the mind, aggregates came from the mind, body and mind came from the mind, five sense objects came from the mind, form, sound, smell, so forth, problems came from the mind, happiness, problem, all this came from the mind, created by the mind or came from the mind. So for example, when the mind did not label AIDS and cancer, AIDS and cancer doesn't exist, these problems don't exist. Similar, other relationship, losing friends, the separation the couple, husband and wife, all this, so when your mind look at it as a problem then it appears as a problem, when your mind doesn't look at it as a problem, it doesn't appear as a problem. So finding problem, first one's own mind interpreted…