So anyway, what I was saying? Oh, yeah…. Going back to what she mentioned about mental continuum, all that. So, you do with strong guru devotion and intensive practice of purification, collecting merits, then you have much imprint from the past, having studied teachings on emptiness or having heard, meditated, yeah, those unmistaken teachings, the teachings on the Prasangika school view, it means, [pause] then when all these cause and conditions all together then it’s just, then suddenly one day then able to recognize the object of ignorance, what ignorance believe, the false I which is believed by ignorance it’s true, from beginningless rebirth. So suddenly you, it’s always there but you’re not aware, so here with all these cause and conditions together, ______ together, practice, then the strong guru devotion from that you receive the blessing of the guru in the heart, in your heart, then due to that then suddenly you’re able to recognize the object to be refuted. Then once you recognize this, then it’s just a minute, it’s just a second, minute, to realize emptiness, to realize that one is hallucination. So in reality it doesn’t exist. However, so, just there, just there, that your mind has been holding on to this I, this real I, which I already explained before what it means, this real I. Then suddenly you discover, you realize, there’s nothing to hold on to, nothing’s there to hold on to, which you have been holding on to from, not only from this morning, from birth time, from beginningless rebirths, been holding on to, believing this is true, that this is true, there’s such an I, that it’s true, holding on to this, that this is completely true, a hundred percent holding on this, believing. So suddenly discover nothing to hold on, so you lose, totally empty right there. Doesn’t go anywhere but just there, just there empty.

So for example, in the road at night time or dusk time there’s a rope there, then the way the rope curled, like a snake, the colors, like a snake. Then due to dusk, like that, then your mind think, Oh, a snake! You label, snake. You label snake and then, your mind label a snake and believe in that and appeared snake, it appeared back snake, as a snake, then you see snake. So, then you put flashlight, clear light on that, flashlight, so that snake that your hallucinated mind believed is snake, it didn’t go anywhere. It didn’t go somewhere. It didn’t go somewhere. Just, so when you put light, it’s just, that is empty, that doesn’t exist just there, doesn’t go anywhere, doesn’t exist there. So like that.

So however, then that time you feel losing or lost, losing the I or lost the I, totally lost the I. So then, so here, so why you feel losing the I or totally lost the I, that is because, that is showing, it is said by great lama ?Keutsang Jamyang Monlam, one bodhisattva, great lama, in this mahamudra teaching that that proves, losing the I or lost the I, that the I is totally lost, why you get such an experience, completely nonexistent, so why you get that experience because on the merely labeled I, there’s true existence on the merely labeled I, this projection, this projection from the ignorance, true existence on the merely labeled I, merely labeled by your mind, which is merely labeled by your mind, okay. So true existence on that, which is projected by your ignorance. So it proves that one doesn’t exist, not merely labeled I doesn’t exist but the extra thing, what exists is the merely labeled I but what extra thing that which doesn’t exist is the truly existent on that, projected by your mind, by ignorance. So that one, it proves that it doesn’t exist, it’s not there.

So, that time, if you don’t have complete, if you don’t have full understanding of the experience, before you get, before you actually come to this point, having guideline, having guide, so such as this thing is going to happen, you need to hear the teaching from, experiential teaching from the lama, the guru. You need to hear, like before you go, before you travel somebody explains to you how to travel or the map, show the map. So if you don’t have the complete teaching, the idea, what is actually going to happen when you realize emptiness, so if you don’t have that then you have no idea what’s going to happen. So then, this is something very intensely experience, so strong experience that you never had before from beginningless rebirth holding the I that it’s true. So now start to realize, which you have been believing, holding on to from beginningless rebirth, so now you see that doesn’t exist, so losing the I, lost the I totally, so like there’s no I, no self.

So however, that time one might get afraid. When the I, when you get experience of losing the I, that it’s going to be completely lost or become nonexistent, going to be completely nonexistent, so can get unbelievable fear. That fear is different from then fear when you encounter a tiger or something, that kind of fear. This fear is something very deep, very, very deep fear. So then, so without knowing what’s happening, even though you are in correct procedure to realize emptiness, in the correct channel, even though you are in correct, how to say, the experience what’s happening even though it’s correct way to realize emptiness, but because you have no idea, so then unbelievable fear rises, then you might, so scared might fall into nihilism, How can this be? How can this be? You don’t understand that this is what is seeing Middle View, Madhyamika, Middle View of emptiness. So then you don’t realize, so you have, so get so scared you’re falling in nihilism, How’s it possible this? If I doesn’t exist then what? So it appears like, in reality it’s not that the I becomes nonexistent, not that. But it appears like that. It has to appear that way, as if the I, who does all the activities, eating, walking, sitting, sleeping, doing job, as if that I become nonexistent. Again that’s the proced-, it has to, this is not what is happening but it has to appear like that. Because, you have to understand here, because for us, who haven’t realized emptiness, us, the I, the merely labeled I and, we can’t think separately the merely labeled I, separate from the false I, you can’t think. So for us, I means there has to be, I means has to be this real I, this truly existent I. If the I exists then it has to be this. Who does all the activity is this real I. That’s our belief. So that’s why this is happening, that me, who is meditating, become empty, nonexistent, me who is meditating, that. So there’s no such thing the merely labeled I, this. Me who is meditating, because in our view, these two are just, can’t differentiate, the merely labeled I, which exists, and the false I, truly existent I, the real I. So has to, so has to appear this way.

So anyway, so that time, if you didn’t have idea before, guideline, when the actual experience what’s going to happen then there’s a great danger, of course, for intelligent ones, as mentioned in the Madhyamika texts, even the bodhisattvas, lower intelligent ones, incredible fear rises; higher intelligent ones then incredible joy and tears come out and the pores, hairs from the pores stand up. So one monk from Nalanda, one Western monk, so had that experience, that when he started to ?proceed, started to discover, there was incredible joy, unbelievable happiness and tears come, pores, so that what a higher bodhisattva experiences. So I’m not saying that he’s a bodhisattva, but he, so there happened, what is explained in the texts it happened. So there are a few people who has experience. But most difficult one is guru devotion, for many people hardest one is the guru devotion, seeing the guru buddha, all the bodhicitta realization, those things, but the emptiness is like my root guru, His Holiness Trijang Rinpoche, used to talk that the hair, sorry, not hair, threads got caught, so Rinpoche used to say, If you know the point, if you’re able to recognize the point then everything so easy can be released out, thread that got cut or caught.

So emptiness, if you know the right point, means from the four analyses, the first one, the vital point of recognizing the object to be refuted, that one [Tibetan]. So what you have to realize is empty, that which you have to realize is empty, so that one, if that no mistakes is done [snaps fingers], at the very beginning when you start to meditate on emptiness, the object to be refuted if it’s found that, what to be realized empty, found that one then, the target, to realize that is empty, so if that’s found [snaps fingers] then that’s the main point, then it’s easy to realize emptiness. But if that’s missed out then even you spend billions of eons meditating on emptiness then it does not become meditation on emptiness. It doesn’t become meditation on emptiness. So if you missed that out, the object to be refuted, to start with, what you’re going to analyze, if that’s missed out, then how many billions of words you use, from the philosophical teachings, billions of eons you meditate, it’s not meditating on emptiness. You’re going over the words but you’re not meditating on emptiness. So therefore we have to know what exactly it means meditating on emptiness; otherwise, can waste the whole life.

So anyway, so now going back to mental continuity what she mentioned. So, yeah, so therefore, here, so you have to let go. Here you have to go, like crossing the river, so you have to go through the fear. So you have to know before that when some of these experiences happen, unbelievable fear rising, you have to go through the fear. You don’t stop, you don’t escape from that, must go through the fear. So that’s very, extremely essential, you must go through the fear. Then you have to realize emptiness. Let it totally lost, totally lost, let it become totally nonexistent.

Why, there’s no danger to fall in nihilism, why? Why? Why there’s no danger to fall in nihilism, why? Because there’s mental continuum. There’s mental continuum from beginningless rebirth, now, then until we achieve enlightenment, mental continuum, and even after we achieved enlightenment, the mind doesn’t stop there, mind doesn’t cease. In the, I think Sautrantika school or Vaibhashika school, ?che ta me wa, ?do depa, they believe, I think, the continuity of the aggregates ceases, believe like that, I think, the arhats, the continuity of the aggregates ceases. That’s according to that school, but here, in reality, the mental continuum, even after you become enlightened the mental continuity is always there. It’s forever. Doesn’t need to cease. [snaps fingers] So therefore, the I which is labeled on that, I which exists on that, I which is merely imputed or which exists on the aggregates, so this, like formless realm there’s no body, there’s only consciousness so that time the I exists on the aggregates of consciousness, so there’s no body, yeah, like that, formless, the samsaric realm, formless realm. So since there’s mental continuity always, forever, so the I, that which is labeled, which exists in mere name, merely labeled by mind, the I which exists on the aggregates, since there’s continuity of aggregates all the time, so I exists all the time. The I, merely labeled, exists all the time. There’s continuity of that I forever. So, one should know that before, one should have that idea before.

Then here, even the fear rises, all this, but generally fear rises because, so this is something, this I we have been holding on to, thinking this is a hundred percent it exists, true, and then cherishing that. On top of that, cherishing that the most, then from beginningless rebirth, of course, you will be frightened, you will be unbelievably frightened when you see this is empty, doesn’t exist. So because you brought there’s mental continuum, there’s always mental continuity or not, so then I thought to use that, even though it’s not exactly the question but, here, but I thought in case somebody, these kind of experiences, then good to know ahead of time.

Yeah, then…. [pause]

[tape change]

So, just mention this explanation, quotation, from Gyalwa Kelsang Gyatso, Seventh Dalai Lama, so then stop there. So the root of samsara is this, there’s aggregates. What is the root of samsara, all the sufferings, delusion and karma? All the delusions, karma. So there’s aggregates, which is to be labeled I, self, so the mind which sees these aggregates, you see the aggregate of the body sitting then the mind labels I, then labels the action of sitting. The mind, the aggregate of mind is unhappy then the mind which sees the aggregates, the mind, unhappy, makes up the label, I, and the label, then gives the name, imputes, unhappy. So the mind is meditating, so the mind which, the thought which sees the aggregates, the mind meditating, then that thought merely impute, I, and then merely impute the action of meditation, meditating. So now this is an example.

So now the mind seeing the aggregates, now that mind merely impute I, okay, merely impute I. That’s the first second. [snaps fingers] First the mind see the aggregates then next, impute the I, merely impute I. Then, the next second, after the imputation then the next second, the I, which is merely imputed, appears to you. So when it appears to you, it doesn’t appear to you merely labeled by mind. What should appear to you when it appears back, it should appear merely labeled by mind. But that appearing back merely labeled by mind is only for buddha. It’s only for the buddha, who has purified the subtle negative imprint left by the past concept of true existence, the ignorance, that which, the subtle negative imprint left on the mental continuum by the past ignorance, concept of true existence, that which projects the dualistic view, true existence, appearance of true existence. So that both obscurations, that appearance and that subtle negative imprint which project that dualistic view, both are the knowledge obscuration. So buddha doesn’t have that subtle negative imprint left by the past ignorance, so therefore, for buddha, things appear merely labeled by mind. But not for us sentient beings. Everything appear, because of subtle negative imprint left by the concept of true existence, so that projects, because of that then everything appeared truly existent. When everything are merely labeled by mind, everything exists in mere name, but appeared to us sentient beings, when it appeared back, truly existent. So except the equipoise meditation of the arya beings, those who have wisdom directly perceiving emptiness, so in the equipoise meditation, nondual with the emptiness, subject and object nondual, there’s nothing to, like having put water into water, nothing to differentiate two separate things. So that time, to that wisdom directly perceiving emptiness doesn’t have the truly existent appearance, doesn’t have this hallucination, so because direct perception of emptiness, the wisdom, in equipoise meditation on emptiness.

So therefore, why the I, so now you can understand why the I, first, so next second [snaps fingers] when it appeared back, why it appeared back existing from its own side, not merely labeled by mind, so that is because the negative imprint left on the mental continuum by the past ignorance, so right after the mind merely imputed I, the mere name, then immediately the negative imprint project the truly existent appearance. The truly existent appearance is there, decorated, like you put a carpet on the floor or on the table, like that. So makes real. So now here then, now you can see why makes the I real, due to ignorance, the negative imprint left on the mind projected truly existent appearance, okay. So made real. So hallucination, false I, okay. Something which is not there, which is something totally nonexistent. So now, so appearing real one in the sense existing from its own side. Then, the next second [snaps fingers] then your mind, you let your mind to hold onto this, this is true, hundred percent true. So then that time you created the ignorance, root of samsara, because not being aware, not understanding _______ ignorance and not meditating, even you know intellectually but you’re not meditating here, you’re not using your meditation here, that this is hallucination, false I, this meditation is not there, and that the I exists merely imputed by mind, subtle dependent arising, relating to the aggregates, the I is merely imputed by mind, subtle dependent arising, the meditation is not there, so then you let your mind hold onto this true. So then we create the root of samsara, ignorance, like that.

So the root of samsara, all these global problems, these wars and all these millions of people get killed and the individual person’s problems, all this, whatever, all these unbelievable sufferings of sicknesses or the death or however, the oceans of hell being sufferings, hungry ghost, animal, the oceans of human being sufferings, suras, asuras, all this, so where it come from, karma and delusion, delusion come from this ignorance, you let your mind [snaps fingers] just this concept, you let your mind hold onto this I it is true, this is true. Just simply that. [snaps fingers] That you made it ignorance. So everything, so the whole root is this, something, some concept which doesn’t make sense, which is something which doesn’t make sense at all. Holding on this I, which is not there. That’s it! You let your mind believe in this, which is not there. Then from this, all those unbelievably difficult, troubled mind, emotional, then karma then the whole oceans of all sorts of suffering came from this. So that’s why, because we didn’t cut, eliminate, this by realizing emptiness, so that’s why we suffer from beginningless rebirth up to now, we’re still we’re not liberated from oceans of samsaric sufferings even though we experienced all the sufferings numberless times, every realm sufferings numberless times, form realm, formless realm, and every samsaric pleasure we experienced numberless times, so still did not achieve liberation. So that’s because we haven’t realized emptiness, object of ignorance we didn’t realize was empty and develop this wisdom, then based on the higher training of morality, concentration, these, then the wisdom directly perceiving emptiness, which ceases the defilements, gross defilements, then with bodhicitta cease subtle defilements, so can happen, so like that.

Yeah, then, [pause] today the offerings have developed. Today the offerings become more beautiful. Then bless.

[Rinpoche recites Offering Cloud Mantra (3x) then The Power of Truth.]

For the benefit of all sentient beings oneself to achieve enlightenment, then all these offerings, which are nature of great bliss, all the offerings at the FPMT center gompas and Aptos house, Washington, all those offerings, which are nature of great bliss, offer to the gurus, His Holiness the Dalai Lama, or you can offer like this, Guru Shakyamuni Buddha, that is all the gurus, all the Buddha, Dharma, all the Sangha, all the ten-direction statues, stupas, scriptures, everything, offer. Generate infinite bliss within them. Prostrate to them.

Now offer towards all the ten-direction Buddha, Dharma, Sangha and ten-direction statues, stupas, scriptures, manifestations of the guru, His Holiness the Dalai Lama.

Due to all the three-time merits collected by me, the three-time merits collected by others, may the bodhicitta be generated in one’s heart in the hearts of all the sentient beings, especially in the leaders of the countries and all the terrorists, all the people who have harmful thoughts to others, in all their hearts without delay even a second.

And those who have generated, in whose heart the bodhicitta is generated, may it be increased.

Jang chub sem chog….

Gang ri ra wai….

Due to all the past, present, future merits collected by me, the three-time merits collected by others, by having generated bodhicitta in everyone’s heart in this world, then may war, famine, disease, torture, poverty, dangers of fire, water, air, earthquakes, all these, wherever these are happening may they be stopped immediately. May nobody experience these things forever in this world. Filled with the perfect peace and happiness.

Due to all the past, present, future merits collected by me, the three-time merits collected by others, which exists but which is empty, may the I, who exists but who is empty, lead all the sentient beings, how to say, achieve Guru Shakyamuni Buddha’s enlightenment, which exists but which is empty, lead all the sentient beings, who exist but who are empty, to that Guru Shakyamuni Buddha’s enlightenment, which exists but which is empty, by myself alone, who exists but who is empty. [pause]

As the three-time buddhas dedicate their merits I will dedicate all my merits in the same way.

May the general teaching, particularly Lama Tsongkhapa’s teaching, may it be completely actualized within one’s heart and in the hearts of all one’s own family members, all the students, and all of us here, and all the students in this organization and the supporters, benefactors, and those who give up their life, sacrifice their life to the organization, doing service to others and the teaching of Buddha, in all their hearts, then in the hearts of everyone in this world.

Chhö kyi gyäl po….

Dag dang zhän gyi….

So, good morning.

[Short mandala]

Thank you.