Living Well, Dying Well (Audio and Unedited Transcripts)

By Kyabje Lama Zopa Rinpoche
Theosophical Society, Brisbane, Australia (Archive #293)

A public talk by Lama Zopa Rinpoche in Brisbane, Australia in April 1991. Rinpoche spoke about the purpose of life and developing the correct attitude toward death.

Click on the audio links to listen online and read along with the unedited transcript. 

Ultimate Nature of Mind

…even for one living being, hundreds, thousands, so many one can manifest, various forms, as there's needed, then to help, to guide from happiness to happiness. So like this, then gradually bring everyone to the end of the death, rebirth, the whole problem and lead to highest, the fully knowing mind.

So such these incredible extensive benefits that we could offer to every living being, with complete freedom, with full wisdom, knowledge, without having slightest ignorance, obscuration, and perfect power to reveal any guidance, any methods that it fits to them to bring them in happiness, from happiness to happiness to the ultimate happiness. Then infinite compassion for others, unbearable compassion to each living being, the compassion wishing everyone to be free from the problems and causes and to do that by oneself, to take that responsibility on oneself, so there is infinite compassion, that time the compassion is, mind training in the compassion is completed, there's nothing more to develop, nothing more wisdom to develop, nothing more power to develop, nothing more compassion to develop. So without any slightest mistake, that one is able to perfectly help, able to guide every living being.

So this, we have all that potential now, all that potential to be able to bring everyone to the end of all the problems and causes, to bring them the peerless happiness, the state of the fully knowing mind, our present mind has all that potential, so our mind has the fully enlightened being's nature. So now, now what, talking more precise, what is that? The potential or the nature of fully enlightened being that which we have now in our present mental continuum, so what is that? So now here comes the ultimate nature of the mind. So, the definition of the mind that which can do all these things, which has all these powers, potential, unbelievable potential, infinite potential, hope or potential that we have or that our present mind has to offer extensive benefit to every sentient being. [pause]

So that is this mind, which nature is clear and perceiving object, this mind. The mind that which has all this potential. So now, what is the nature of the mind, that is clear light. So what is that clear light? So, we think, before we label mind, before we make up the label "mind," there is a reason before that we think. Before we make up the label there is a reason before that. The reason that which we think, which makes us to decide this particular label, mind, the reason that which makes us to decide this particular label mind, that reason is the base, that reason before we, what makes us to decide the particular label "mind" that is the base to be labeled mind. The mind is the label, what is to be imputed, the mind is the phenomenon what is to be imputed and the reason which we think before we label mind, that is the base to be labeled mind, so it's two different things. So, the mind which if formless, colorless, shapeless, and which nature is clear, perceiving object, depending on this, then one's own mind, the thought, labels, merely imputes mind. Because of this reason, this particular phenomenon, which is different from the body, which does different function from the body, different nature from the body, different function from the body, then because of this one make up the label "mind." So, the mind is an idea, a concept or an idea.

So however there is a reason, before we call mind, there is a reason before this. Then by depending on some reason then after that we label mind. However the mind is merely imputed, what is called mind is merely imputed by the mind, by the thought. So therefore, there's no mind, there's no real mind existing from its own side. There's no independent mind or there's no inherently existent mind, a real mind in the sense inherently existent. So such that mind, that way of appearing the mind to us and the way we believe that way, such that independent or inherently existent mind, so that is empty, that is completely empty, doesn't exist, completely empty right there.

So that doesn't exist but what exists? That mind that appears inherently existent that doesn't exist empty right there, but what exists is the mind that which is merely imputed by one's own thought, depending on these reasons, depending on this base, this particular phenomenon that which is formless, which nature is clear, perceiving object. So therefore this mind it is existing being merely imputed by the mind but it is empty of existing from its own side. So this is the very nature of the mind, this is the ultimate nature of the mind, and this is what means clear light. This is the very nature of the mind, this is the ultimate nature of the mind.

So now, so this is what, this is the potential, this is the nature, this is what, this is the potential, this is the nature of the fully enlightened being, that which I described just before, having fully knowing mind, full wisdom, the fully knowing mind, perfect power, infinite compassion for all living beings. So those who have problems, those whose minds are obscured, have mistakes, so having compassion to all those living beings. So, this ultimate nature of the mind, the clear light, this is the nature of the fully enlightened being.

So, there is, within our mind there is the nature of the fully enlightened being, because the action of the fully enlightened being is radiating, is entering in our mental continuum and that way it makes us to develop our mind or it makes us to create the cause of happiness. This way our mind becomes positive attitude and this way able to produce happiness. Then, in the ultimate nature, in emptiness, in ultimate nature, there's no difference, the nature of our mind and the nature of fully enlightened mind. So, this can relate to well, whatever different name that one uses, whichever faith that one has, one can relate this, anyway, in the world, most people believe there is somebody highest, there is somebody who has highest power, who has most power, who gives guidance, there's somebody, there's a highest being, there is somebody who's most knowledgeable, there's somebody who is highest.

So, depending on the different people's faith, so some call Buddha, some call God, so generally there is a belief there is somebody highest. So even though it's not clear, even though there's no clear understanding what it is exactly, all the qualities, however there is belief generally, most of the people there's a belief there's somebody who's highest, so giving according to one's own faith then giving different labels. Some use God, some use Buddha and so forth. So this one, this what I'm describing now, this one, somebody, even Catholic or Christian, this can relate like this. That God is working in your mind. So according to one's own faith, so can relate.

However in emptiness, in the ultimate nature, there is no difference between ultimate nature of one's own present mind, even though this present mind is obscured, not pure, obscured, but in the ultimate nature, in emptiness, ultimate nature of one's own mind, the mind that which is obscured now, which is for the time being, and the ultimate nature of the fully enlightened mind or whatever one call the ultimate nature of the holy mind of God. It's inseparable, there's no differentiation, as far as the ultimate nature there's no differentiation each other, the ultimate nature of one's own present mind, that which is obscured, and that which is completely pure, these two they have no differentiation. There is difference the base, the base of the ultimate nature, the supporting and support, the supporting, the support, the mind is support, the ultimate nature is supporting. The ultimate nature it depends on the mind, it exists by depending on the mind. The mind is support or dependent. So the base, the support, the mind, there is differences, this one is impure and that one is completely pure, but except there's difference but in the ultimate nature, there's no differentiation these two. So that is one, how our mind has all the potential, the potential or the nature of the fully enlightened being.

The third, in this essence of the mind there is potential that one can transform the body in the completely pure holy body, the completely pure body of the form, those different aspects, to guide other sentient beings, to benefit for the sentient beings, to bring them in, to reveal, guide in the path, to bring them from happiness to happiness to the peerless happiness, the full enlightenment. So, because of these three reasons, so that in our mind there is the potential or the nature of the fully enlightened being.

So now, this clear light nature of the mind, this is pure, unstained by ignorance, dissatisfied mind attachment, anger, pride, doubt, wrong views, this nature of the mind is not oneness with the mistakes, not oneness with the delusions. This nature of the mind is not oneness with the ego, this nature of the mind is not oneness with the self-cherishing thought, it's not oneness with the ego. This, because of that, it is pure, the nature of the mind is pure, by that sense, because it's not oneness with the mistakes of the mind. So therefore this nature of the mind is not oneness with the mistakes of the mind, not oneness with guilt, not oneness with the mistakes. [pause]

So, these mistakes are temporary, like the weather, the sky is no oneness with the fog, those clouds, it's temporarily covered by fog, clouds. Because the sky is not oneness with the clouds, so due to another cause and conditions, these clouds, fog, come but another cause and conditions they get cleared away. The sky becomes very clear, able to, the sun is able to shine to the earth, then able to give much enjoyment, much happiness to relieve the many problems, not having the light, so able to give much enjoyment, to grow the plants, the crops, so forth, so like this, this is temporary, the bad weather, filled with fog and cold and having hailstorms and so forth, this is not forever, this is temporary.

Similar, the mirror that is covered with dust, it is not forever, it is temporary. So due to another cause and conditions, it is obscured by dust but due by another cause and conditions it can be cleared away. So like this, similar, the impatient mind, the self-centered mind, so forth, the very dissatisfied, so strong desire, all these things, the mistakes that we have done, all these are not forever, they are temporary. So due to another cause and conditions it happened and due to another cause and conditions, so they get cleared away or they get removed away. That this mind can be free from all this, that this mind become pure, being free from all these things, by depending on another cause and conditions.

So, like this, for example, the milk has the potential to produce butter, but it is dependent on another condition, it is dependent on the condition which makes the milk to produce the butter. In Tibet, they put the milk in the churn, this container made out of wood or bamboo or whatever, then churn, then so by depending on that condition, then by meeting that condition then produces butter. Similar, gong, the gong has the potential to produce the sound, but until it meets the condition, which rings the gong, until it meets the condition, the stick, that hits on the gong, until that happens, the sound doesn't come out, sound doesn't happen. So, the potential is there, so it's a question of meeting the condition, the stick, that which beat, touched to the gong. So like this, this mind has all the potential to achieve any happiness, to achieve any level of happiness, to obtain the extensive benefits for other living beings…