Special Insight 2: Wisdom of Emptiness (26 July 2011)

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0:54 I don't know if any new people are coming. Report an error in the passage at 0:54 Highlight the passage at 0:54

0:59 Okay, Report an error in the passage at 0:59 Highlight the passage at 0:59

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1:35 well welcome everybody. Report an error in the passage at 1:35 Highlight the passage at 1:35

1:48 So in this class, for the people who weren't here last term, we're studying Lama Tsongkhapa's middle length lamrim, the special insight section, which we started in the special insight one class, but we didn't get very far into it because I spent quite some time reviewing The lower philosophical systems. So those of you who are just starting now, I don't think it will take much to get up to speed on the text. Report an error in the passage at 1:48 Highlight the passage at 1:48

2:28 So I don't know if there are copies of this text in the bookstore. Does anybody know? Report an error in the passage at 2:28 Highlight the passage at 2:28

2:37 Okay. So this is the text we're going to follow. And maybe at break time I'll pass out. A sheet of paper where I can get people's email addresses and I can send the electronic copy of this text for people who don't have it. Report an error in the passage at 2:37 Highlight the passage at 2:37

2:54 Oh yeah, I have a piece of paper without labels. Report an error in the passage at 2:54 Highlight the passage at 2:54

3:04 Maybe we'll just do it at break time. So if people find that this class isn't what they want, they can leave at break time and not have to give your email address. Report an error in the passage at 3:04 Highlight the passage at 3:04

3:15 Okay, so let's start. I like to start the class by setting our motivation for the evening. So if we can spend a minute thinking Report an error in the passage at 3:15 Highlight the passage at 3:15

3:31 about the countless beings in just this world who Report an error in the passage at 3:31 Highlight the passage at 3:31

3:44 are just trying to be happy and Report an error in the passage at 3:44 Highlight the passage at 3:44

4:00 experience difficulties again and again due Report an error in the passage at 4:00 Highlight the passage at 4:00

4:25 to being stuck in saṃsāra, go Report an error in the passage at 4:25 Highlight the passage at 4:25

4:49 with their mental afflictions and Report an error in the passage at 4:49 Highlight the passage at 4:49

5:11 generating compassion for them and Report an error in the passage at 5:11 Highlight the passage at 5:11

5:17 a wish to free them from their suffering. Report an error in the passage at 5:17 Highlight the passage at 5:17

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6:01 And the best way to help them is to become completely enlightened ourselves in Report an error in the passage at 6:01 Highlight the passage at 6:01

6:13 our wisdom, passion and power to their fullest extent to Report an error in the passage at 6:13 Highlight the passage at 6:13

6:45 benefit all sentient beings without exception. Report an error in the passage at 6:45 Highlight the passage at 6:45

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7:55 We'll start with the praise to Manjushri in the white book on the first page to dispel the darkness of our ignorance. Report an error in the passage at 7:55 Highlight the passage at 7:55

8:11 Obeisance to my guru and protector Manjushri. Who holds to his heart a scriptural text symbolic of his seeing all things as they are. Whose intelligence shines forth as the sun unclouded by delusions or traces of ignorance. Who teaches in sixty ways with the loving compassion of a father for his only son. All creatures caught in the prison of saṃsāra, confused in the darkness of their ignorance, overwhelmed by their suffering. Report an error in the passage at 8:11 Highlight the passage at 8:11

8:37 You, whose dragon thunder-like proclamation of Dharma arouses us from the stupor of our delusions and frees us from the iron chains of our karma, who wields a sword of wisdom hewing down suffering wherever its sprouts appear, clearing away the darkness of ignorance. You, whose princely body is adorned with 112 marks of a Buddha, who has completed the stages achieving the highest perfection of a bodhisattva, who has been pure from the beginning, I bow down to you, O Manjushri. Report an error in the passage at 8:37 Highlight the passage at 8:37

9:21 With the brilliance of your wisdom, O compassionate one, illuminate the darkness in closing my mind. Enlighten my intelligence and wisdom so that I may gain insight into Buddha's words and the texts that explain them. Report an error in the passage at 9:21 Highlight the passage at 9:21

9:35 And in the gold book, the Heart Sūtra, on page 76, Report an error in the passage at 9:35 Highlight the passage at 9:35

9:51 I prostrate to the Arya Triple Gem. Thus did I hear at one time, the Bhagavan was dwelling on Mass Vulture's mountain in Rajgriya. Together with a great community of monks and a great community of bodhisattvas. At that time, the Bhagavan was absorbed in the concentration on the categories of phenomena called profound perception. Report an error in the passage at 9:51 Highlight the passage at 9:51

10:11 Also at that time, the bodhisattva, mahasattva, Arya, Avaluki, Tishvara, looked upon the very practice of the profound perfection of wisdom and beheld those five aggregates also as empty of inherent nature. Then through the power of Buddha, the Venerable Shariputra said this to the Bodhisattva, Maha Sattva, Arya Avalokiteshvara. How should any son of the lineage train who wishes to practice the activity of the profound perfection of wisdom? Report an error in the passage at 10:11 Highlight the passage at 10:11

10:38 He said that, and the Bodhisattva, Maha Sattva, Arya Avalokiteshvara said this to the Venerable Sharivadiputra. Shariputra, any son of the lineage or daughter of the lineage who wishes to practice the activity of the profound perfection of wisdom should look upon it like this, correctly and repeatedly beholding those five aggregates also as empty of inherent nature. Report an error in the passage at 10:38 Highlight the passage at 10:38

11:01 Form is empty, emptiness is form. Emptiness is not other than form. Form is also not other than emptiness. In the same way, feeling, discrimination, compositional factors and consciousness are empty. Shariputra, likewise all phenomena are emptiness, without characteristic, unproduced, unceased, stainless, not without stain, not deficient, not fulfilled. Report an error in the passage at 11:01 Highlight the passage at 11:01

11:26 Shariputra, therefore in emptiness there is no form, no feeling, no discrimination, no compositional factors, no consciousness, no eye, no ear, no nose, no tongue, no body, no mind. No visual form, no sound, no odor, no taste, no object of touch and no phenomenon. There is no eye element and so on, up to and including no mind element and no mental consciousness element. Report an error in the passage at 11:26 Highlight the passage at 11:26

11:53 There is no ignorance, no extinction of ignorance and so on, up to and including no aging and death and no extinction of aging and death. Similarly, there is no suffering, origination, cessation and path. There is no exalted wisdom, no attainment and also no non-attainment. Shariputra, therefore, because there is no attainment, bodhisattvas rely on and dwell in the perfection of wisdom, the mind without obscuration and without fear. Report an error in the passage at 11:53 Highlight the passage at 11:53

12:21 Having completely passed beyond error, they reach the end point of nirvāṇa. All the Buddhas who dwell in the three times also manifestly completely awaken to unsurpassable, perfect, complete enlightenment. and reliance on the perfection of wisdom. The mantra of the perfection of wisdom, the mantra of great knowledge, the unsurpassed mantra, the mantra equal to the unequal, the mantra that thoroughly pacifies all suffering, should be known as truth since it is not false. Report an error in the passage at 12:21 Highlight the passage at 12:21

12:51 The mantra of the perfection of wisdom is declared. Thayata Om Gathe Gathe Paragathe Parasam Gathe Bodhishoha Shariputra, the Bodhisattva, Mahasattva should train in the profound perfection of wisdom like that. Then the Bhagavan arose from that concentration and commended the Bodhisattva, Mahasattva, Arya, Avalokiteshvara, saying, Well said, well said, son of the lineage, it is like that. Report an error in the passage at 12:51 Highlight the passage at 12:51

13:18 It is like that. One should practice the profound perfection of wisdom just as you have indicated. Even the Tathagatas rejoice, the Bhagavan having thus spoken. The venerable Sharivadiputra, the Bodhisattva, Mahasattva, Arya, Avalokiteshvara, and those surrounding in their entirety, along with the world of gods, humans, suras and gandharvas, were overjoyed and highly praised that spoken by the Bhagavan. Report an error in the passage at 13:18 Highlight the passage at 13:18

13:44 And then Refuge and Bodhicitta on the bottom of page 98. Report an error in the passage at 13:44 Highlight the passage at 13:44

13:59 I go for refuge until I am enlightened to the Buddha, the Dharma and the Supreme Assembly by the merits I create through listening to the Dharma. May I become a Buddha in order to benefit all sentient beings. I go for refuge until I am enlightened to the Buddha, the Dharma and the Supreme Assembly. By the merits I create through listening to the Dharma, may I become a Buddha in order to benefit all sentient beings. I go for refuge until I am enlightened to the Buddha, the Dharma and the Supreme Assembly. Report an error in the passage at 13:59 Highlight the passage at 13:59

14:29 By the merits I create through listening to the Dharma, may I become a Buddha in order to benefit all sentient beings. Report an error in the passage at 14:29 Highlight the passage at 14:29

14:49 So up until this point, Lama Tsongkhapa has been talking about how afflicted ignorance is the root of cyclic existence, misconception of reality. Report an error in the passage at 14:49 Highlight the passage at 14:49

15:03 So Report an error in the passage at 15:03 Highlight the passage at 15:03

15:20 what does that mean? The root of cyclic existence. The root, the main cause of all of our problems, all of our difficulties, is a conception. A conceptual mind that believes that things exist in a way that they don't. It's the root of all of our problems. Report an error in the passage at 15:20 Highlight the passage at 15:20

15:52 So the second noble truth says true origins, right? All of our problems come from all of our suffering, all of our difficulties come from karma, contaminated karma and mental afflictions. Report an error in the passage at 15:52 Highlight the passage at 15:52

16:08 And the main amongst those two are mental afflictions. And the root cause of all of the mental afflictions is ignorance, believing that things exist in the way they don't, superimposing or exaggerating a way of existing onto something that actually does exist. Report an error in the passage at 16:08 Highlight the passage at 16:08

16:33 Things do exist, but we superimpose or exaggerate the way that things do exist. And based on that, we develop attachment and anger. And jealousy and pride and all of those disturbing emotions. So we're superimposing a solidity, a concreteness, Report an error in the passage at 16:33 Highlight the passage at 16:33

17:10 an independent existence, Report an error in the passage at 17:10 Highlight the passage at 17:10

17:15 believing that things exist in and of themselves, that they have a real essence. Whereas in reality, everything is... Arises dependently. Things arise from various causes and conditions. They're constantly changing. There arise independence on parts. And there arise, most importantly, independence on imputation by our conceptual mind. Report an error in the passage at 17:15 Highlight the passage at 17:15

17:53 There arise independence on our conceptions. all phenomena actually arise. Independence upon the mind. Nothing exists independent of the mind. Report an error in the passage at 17:53 Highlight the passage at 17:53

18:19 So Lama Tsongkhapa says that this afflicted ignorance, which is the root of all of our problems, has two subcategories, the self of persons and the self of phenomena, which is the inherent, well the most subtle level is... Believing in the inherent existence of ourselves and all other beings as well as phenomena other than beings and persons. Report an error in the passage at 18:19 Highlight the passage at 18:19

18:48 And the main troublemaker among all of those conceptions is what is called the view of the transitory collection, which is the belief in the inherently existent I Report an error in the passage at 18:48 Highlight the passage at 18:48

19:09 and mine. Report an error in the passage at 19:09 Highlight the passage at 19:09

19:25 So Lama Tsongkhapa beautifully, well how we finished off the last term was through covering Lama Tsongkhapa's, well, Lama Tsongkhapa quoted a couple of different sources that beautifully I thought described how ignorance is the source of all of our problems. Report an error in the passage at 19:25 Highlight the passage at 19:25

19:45 So on the top of page 259, if people have their text, or if you have Hopkins text, it's on page 51. Report an error in the passage at 19:45 Highlight the passage at 19:45

19:59 Lama Tsongkhapa says, Once delusion or this afflicted ignorance has apprehended the objects as established by way of their own characteristics, which is another way of saying as inherently existing. If the object is in accord with one's mind, then attachment arises. Report an error in the passage at 19:59 Highlight the passage at 19:59

20:25 And if it appears discordant with one's own mind, anger or aversion arises toward it. So first... We perceive the object as existing from its own side, independent of the mind, in and of itself. And then if it's an object that is pleasing to our mind, then we develop attachment. Report an error in the passage at 20:25 Highlight the passage at 20:25

20:51 And if it's an object that's displeasing to our mind, then we develop aversion. Report an error in the passage at 20:51 Highlight the passage at 20:51

20:59 And then if we don't find the object pleasing or displeasing, then we just have a continuity of ignorance. Report an error in the passage at 20:59 Highlight the passage at 20:59

21:14 And then at the bottom of page 259, Lama Tsongkhapa summarizes what Dharmakirti says in his commentary on valley cognition, where he says, so initially once the observed object of the thought I is apprehended as established by way of its own characteristics, attachment to the self arises. So first we observe the I or the me. Report an error in the passage at 21:14 Highlight the passage at 21:14

21:48 And then we think that we exist in and of ourselves or we have a real essence. And Report an error in the passage at 21:48 Highlight the passage at 21:48

22:01 then the attachment to me arises. And then that generates craving for my happiness. Report an error in the passage at 22:01 Highlight the passage at 22:01

22:16 So then based on that, Report an error in the passage at 22:16 Highlight the passage at 22:16

22:21 we grasp onto mine, things that are mine, in order to accomplish my happiness. And Report an error in the passage at 22:21 Highlight the passage at 22:21

22:34 mental afflictions arise. Report an error in the passage at 22:34 Highlight the passage at 22:34

22:40 Which creates contaminated karma. And Report an error in the passage at 22:40 Highlight the passage at 22:40

22:51 with contaminated karma we're creating more and more causes to be reborn in cyclic existence. So in that way we perpetuate our cyclic existence again and again. Through every moment of ignorance, every action that we create that's motivated by ignorance is creating more causes to be born in cyclic existence. Report an error in the passage at 22:51 Highlight the passage at 22:51

23:19 So in order to get out of cyclic existence, we need to realize emptiness. Report an error in the passage at 23:19 Highlight the passage at 23:19

23:30 So Lama Tsongkhapa talks about how it's important that we really need to understand the causes of cyclic existence and how ignorance is the root of all of our problems. And until we do that, we won't be motivated from within to really abandon our ignorance. Because there's all sorts of reasons not to meditate on emptiness. It can be uncomfortable. Report an error in the passage at 23:30 Highlight the passage at 23:30

24:05 We can think of a lot of other things we would rather do. Report an error in the passage at 24:05 Highlight the passage at 24:05

24:13 It's very easy to justify ourselves when a mental affliction arises. So in order to overcome that justification, we need to have reflected on it quite a lot. And see how our ignorance has caused all of our problems and continues to cause our problems. Report an error in the passage at 24:13 Highlight the passage at 24:13

24:39 Because I think it's easy to sit in class and think, yeah, nothing exists from its own side. Yeah, yeah, I don't exist from its own side. People don't exist from their own side. Report an error in the passage at 24:39 Highlight the passage at 24:39

24:49 Until somebody irritates us. And then for sure it's their fault. Well, or if we're evolved, maybe it's not. All their fault. But it's very hard to let go of them being wrong from their own side. Report an error in the passage at 24:49 Highlight the passage at 24:49

25:12 But where does right and wrong come from? Does it come from the other person? It Report an error in the passage at 25:12 Highlight the passage at 25:12

25:25 actually comes from our mind. Where does good and bad come from? Outside? It comes from the mind. Report an error in the passage at 25:25 Highlight the passage at 25:25

25:40 That's really hard, right? That's really hard. Report an error in the passage at 25:40 Highlight the passage at 25:40

25:47 That's something we need to think about. Report an error in the passage at 25:47 Highlight the passage at 25:47

25:58 Well, of course we're right. Right. Report an error in the passage at 25:58 Highlight the passage at 25:58

26:07 So emptiness, right? According to the right prasagikas, it's saying nothing exists from its own side. Person doesn't exist from its own side. Annoying person doesn't exist from its own side. Right doesn't exist from its own side. Wrong doesn't exist from its Report an error in the passage at 26:07 Highlight the passage at 26:07

26:42 own side. They function for sure. Things function, actions function to create right happiness or suffering. Right and wrong and good and bad come from the mind. Report an error in the passage at 26:42 Highlight the passage at 26:42

26:59 So we need to be told that about a hundred thousand million times. And then really think about it, right? Report an error in the passage at 26:59 Highlight the passage at 26:59

27:16 Which is where we left off last time. Well, where we begin on page 260 of the text. Report an error in the passage at 27:16 Highlight the passage at 27:16

27:30 So in the middle of the page, or if you have Hopkins, it's on page 53. Report an error in the passage at 27:30 Highlight the passage at 27:30

27:40 So Lama Tsongkhapa here says, It is necessary to want the extinction where the ignorance is explained above. The two apprehensions of self have been abandoned. So first of all, we need to want to abandon ignorance, which is, you know, seems obvious, right? Report an error in the passage at 27:40 Highlight the passage at 27:40

28:10 If I look at my own experience, I think for a long, long time, I didn't really want to abandon ignorance. I wanted to abandon suffering, for sure. But do I really want to abandon my way of looking at things? Do I really want to abandon Report an error in the passage at 28:10 Highlight the passage at 28:10

28:33 opinions about things? Do I really want to abandon being right from my own side? It's a big thing, right, to really want to abandon ignorance. Because that's really wanting to abandon the way we've looked at things our whole entire lives, right? I mean, in this life and all our previous lives, right? So in order to really want to abandon ignorance, we need to understand on a deep level how ignorance really is causing all of our problems. Report an error in the passage at 28:33 Highlight the passage at 28:33

29:14 That once we abandon ignorance, then life will be... Much, much easier for ourselves. And then we'll be able to benefit others much more effectively. Report an error in the passage at 29:14 Highlight the passage at 29:14

29:32 So then Lama Tsongkhapa says, okay, so if someone wants to abandon ignorance but then doesn't put effort into trying to understand how ignorance serves as the root of cyclic existence, then we're not very smart. Report an error in the passage at 29:32 Highlight the passage at 29:32

29:58 Right. don't know what it says. Report an error in the passage at 29:58 Highlight the passage at 29:58

30:00 So if we want to abandon ignorance but we don't really understand how ignorance serves as the root of all the problems and the root of psychic existence, then we're not of the sharpest faculties. Report an error in the passage at 30:00 Highlight the passage at 30:00

30:18 Because we're told again and again how ignorance is the root of suffering, but if we haven't really thought about it ourselves, it's not so obvious, is it? Report an error in the passage at 30:18 Highlight the passage at 30:18

30:32 Something to think about. And once we've really thought about it, then we'll really want to put effort into abandoning ignorance because once we really do understand that that's the root of our problems. Report an error in the passage at 30:32 Highlight the passage at 30:32

30:47 Also, Lama Tsongkhapa says we're not very smart if, even though we partially understand how ignorance is the root of cyclic existence, but we don't put effort into generating the pure view of selflessness. The pure view of emptiness, Report an error in the passage at 30:47 Highlight the passage at 30:47

31:09 having thoroughly refuted the object apprehended by the apprehension of self with scriptures of definitive meaning and reasonings. Report an error in the passage at 31:09 Highlight the passage at 31:09

31:21 So if we even partly understand that ignorance is the root of our suffering, our difficulties, but we don't put effort into meditating on emptiness and thinking about emptiness and studying emptiness and generating the correct view, And I'm kind of just jumping right into it, aren't I? Welcome back. Report an error in the passage at 31:21 Highlight the passage at 31:21

31:55 So we need to, right? We need to put the effort in. We need to study this, right? Listening to teachings again and again, think about it and meditate on it again and again. And how do we do that? We need to thoroughly refute the object apprehended by the apprehension of self, right? So here, Lama Tsongkhapa, at the time of Lama Tsongkhapa, there were a lot of misconceptions about how to meditate on emptiness. You just have to meditate on space or you just blank out your conceptual mind. Report an error in the passage at 31:55 Highlight the passage at 31:55

32:36 There were a lot of misconceptions. So Lama Tsongkhapa is very specific about how we have to refute the object apprehended by the apprehension of self or the object apprehended by the conception of an inherently existent. Self and phenomena. So what do we have to do? We have to look at how are we viewing things? Report an error in the passage at 32:36 Highlight the passage at 32:36

33:00 How are we viewing ourselves and other persons and other phenomena? In our own experience, how are we looking at things? And then we have to refute that things actually exist that way. Report an error in the passage at 33:00 Highlight the passage at 33:00

33:19 So we have to see how, in our own experience, we are... We are believing that things exist in a particular way that doesn't actually exist. We have to refute, we have to negate the object that we've been holding in our minds for our whole life. Report an error in the passage at 33:19 Highlight the passage at 33:19

33:44 And so this is difficult, right? This is very threatening to the ego. But this is exactly what we need to do. There isn't the easy way of just not thinking about it. Just not like... Report an error in the passage at 33:44 Highlight the passage at 33:44

34:00 The annoying person, just not thinking about the annoying person isn't going to get us to emptiness. We need to look more deeply at the annoying person and see that they don't actually exist the way we think that they do. Report an error in the passage at 34:00 Highlight the passage at 34:00

34:21 So it's not a matter of turning away, it's a matter of looking more deeply with penetrating wisdom. Report an error in the passage at 34:21 Highlight the passage at 34:21

34:32 And then Lama Tsongkhapa says we need to do that. Through scriptures and reasoning. So we need to read about emptiness from valid sources and then think about the reasonings. Report an error in the passage at 34:32 Highlight the passage at 34:32

34:51 And then Lama Tsongkhapa says, that is because they have lost the vital essence of the path leading to liberation and omniscience, yet they remain indifferent about it. Report an error in the passage at 34:51 Highlight the passage at 34:51

35:01 So here he's saying that if we know on the one hand ignorance is the source of all our problems, but we don't put effort. If we don't do anything about it, then we're losing the opportunity to get out of cyclic existence. Maybe without even caring about it. Report an error in the passage at 35:01 Highlight the passage at 35:01

35:27 Because if we know and we don't do anything about it, he's saying we're not very smart. Because we have the taste, we have the ticket to nirvāṇa, the ticket to enlightenment. And if we don't do anything about it, then we're wasting our time. Report an error in the passage at 35:27 Highlight the passage at 35:27

35:52 We feel bad if we lose an object. We often feel worse if we lose an object of attachment than if we not meditate on emptiness. Report an error in the passage at 35:52 Highlight the passage at 35:52

36:07 But actually, if we think about it, it's incredible, right? It's incredible that we have met these teachings. It's incredible that we know that there's a way to finish suffering forever. Report an error in the passage at 36:07 Highlight the passage at 36:07

36:22 So if we don't take its essence now, right? If we don't use it now, then when are we? When are we going to do it? Is the opportunity going to come up again? Who knows, right? According to scriptures, it's not very likely. Report an error in the passage at 36:22 Highlight the passage at 36:22

36:41 Don't pick the essence in this life. Report an error in the passage at 36:41 Highlight the passage at 36:41

36:55 So many people who are suffering who have no idea how to get out of that suffering, but we're fortunate enough to at least know intellectually how to get out of that suffering, finish that suffering. Report an error in the passage at 36:55 Highlight the passage at 36:55

37:12 So we need to refute that object in our experience. So if we think about the annoying person, how does that annoying person look in our mind? Report an error in the passage at 37:12 Highlight the passage at 37:12

37:27 Does it look like it's just imputed by the mind? He does. Report an error in the passage at 37:27 Highlight the passage at 37:27

37:40 So actually, let's do an exercise. So bring up a person that Report an error in the passage at 37:40 Highlight the passage at 37:40

37:52 we find kind of irritating. Report an error in the passage at 37:52 Highlight the passage at 37:52

38:10 So notice how that person appears. Report an error in the passage at 38:10 Highlight the passage at 38:10

38:26 Pretty solid and concrete. Report an error in the passage at 38:26 Highlight the passage at 38:26

38:49 Probably what comes to mind is just a few qualities that Report an error in the passage at 38:49 Highlight the passage at 38:49

38:59 are repeated over and over again. The annoying qualities. Report an error in the passage at 38:59 Highlight the passage at 38:59

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39:44 So if we think about that person consists Report an error in the passage at 39:44 Highlight the passage at 39:44

39:55 of a body and the mind. The Report an error in the passage at 39:55 Highlight the passage at 39:55

40:01 body, is it a singular phenomenon? Report an error in the passage at 40:01 Highlight the passage at 40:01

40:09 Melt that into the billions of atoms, subatomic particles. We Report an error in the passage at 40:09 Highlight the passage at 40:09

40:22 split further and further and further. Report an error in the passage at 40:22 Highlight the passage at 40:22

40:33 There's no singular body that's covering. And Report an error in the passage at 40:33 Highlight the passage at 40:33

41:01 if we look at the mind of that person, the mind is like space. No form, no shape, no color. Report an error in the passage at 41:01 Highlight the passage at 41:01

41:25 Constantly changing thoughts, feelings, Report an error in the passage at 41:25 Highlight the passage at 41:25

41:36 perceptions. Report an error in the passage at 41:36 Highlight the passage at 41:36

41:45 No real essence of a person there. Where Report an error in the passage at 41:45 Highlight the passage at 41:45

41:58 does person come from? We Report an error in the passage at 41:58 Highlight the passage at 41:58

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42:34 can also look at the annoying behavior. Report an error in the passage at 42:34 Highlight the passage at 42:34

42:38 What is the behavior that annoys us? Report an error in the passage at 42:38 Highlight the passage at 42:38

42:59 What do we actually perceive through our senses? Report an error in the passage at 42:59 Highlight the passage at 42:59

43:08 Some colors and some shapes, some sounds, some Report an error in the passage at 43:08 Highlight the passage at 43:08

43:19 data. Report an error in the passage at 43:19 Highlight the passage at 43:19

43:33 Where does annoying come from? Report an error in the passage at 43:33 Highlight the passage at 43:33

43:43 Our mind that Report an error in the passage at 43:43 Highlight the passage at 43:43

43:55 organizes that data and labels annoying. Report an error in the passage at 43:55 Highlight the passage at 43:55

44:05 There's no annoying amongst those colors and shapes and sounds. Within that data, there's no annoying. Report an error in the passage at 44:05 Highlight the passage at 44:05

44:43 As it is said. We think that attractiveness and unattractiveness, good and bad, Report an error in the passage at 44:43 Highlight the passage at 44:43

44:54 right and wrong, are qualities within the object itself. In Report an error in the passage at 44:54 Highlight the passage at 44:54

45:08 order to realize emptiness, we need to see that those qualities do not exist in the object, but come from our mind. Report an error in the passage at 45:08 Highlight the passage at 45:08

45:41 So we need to see that annoying person is an image. A picture just in our mind. It's a picture, it's an image in our conceptual mind and Report an error in the passage at 45:41 Highlight the passage at 45:41

46:07 it doesn't correspond to anything that actually exists in reality. That's refuting the object of our conception of inherent existence. Report an error in the passage at 46:07 Highlight the passage at 46:07

46:24 That's what we need to do to realize emptiness is to see what it is that we're hanging on to when we have a mental affliction. And how that image in our mind, the object of that image doesn't actually exist. It Report an error in the passage at 46:24 Highlight the passage at 46:24

46:45 involves giving up our belief, our clinging to our being right. Does that make sense? Report an error in the passage at 46:45 Highlight the passage at 46:45

47:00 Not easy. Report an error in the passage at 47:00 Highlight the passage at 47:00

47:06 Lama Tsongkhapa isn't pulling any punches here. That's what we need to do. Report an error in the passage at 47:06 Highlight the passage at 47:06

47:18 So then, Lama Tsongkhapa. Report an error in the passage at 47:18 Highlight the passage at 47:18

47:24 It has a section showing that the apprehension of self must be abandoned. The apprehension of this inherently existent self. You need to abandon it. And he quotes a bunch of treatises. He quotes Dharmakirti. He quotes Nagarjuna. He quotes Chantrakirti, all of the great masters to support this position. Report an error in the passage at 47:24 Highlight the passage at 47:24

47:47 So Dharmakirti says on the bottom of page 260, Without these objects being refuted, They cannot possibly be abandoned. So without these objects, the inherently existent person and phenomena, without those objects being refuted, they cannot possibly be abandoned. So these conceptions of inherent existence cannot be abandoned. Report an error in the passage at 47:47 Highlight the passage at 47:47

48:20 Abandoning desire, hatred and so forth, that are connected with good qualities and faults. Is done by not seeing those in objects. So desire, hatred, attachment, aversion, anger, arise, associated with seeing objects as having good qualities in and of themselves or bad qualities in and of themselves or faults in and of themselves. Report an error in the passage at 48:20 Highlight the passage at 48:20

48:51 So if we perceive an object as inherently existent, Then we think of it as being attractive or having qualities in and of themselves. Then attachment arises. We Report an error in the passage at 48:51 Highlight the passage at 48:51

49:11 perceive an object as being inherently existent and having faults in and of itself. Then aversion, anger, irritation arise. Report an error in the passage at 49:11 Highlight the passage at 49:11

49:24 So we abandon attachment and anger by seeing... That those qualities and faults do not exist within the object. We abandon our attachment, our anger, our mental afflictions by seeing that those qualities that we're superimposing on objects don't actually exist within the object. Report an error in the passage at 49:24 Highlight the passage at 49:24

50:06 And it's not, because it's an inner problem, right? It's a problem within our minds, the way we see things. And it's not through some external approach that we remove our ignorance. We don't remove our ignorance, Lama Tsongkhapa is saying, by, like in the same way that we remove a splinter from our finger, right? Report an error in the passage at 50:06 Highlight the passage at 50:06

50:31 We can remove a splinter from our finger with a needle or a tweezers or something, right? That's not how we remove ignorance. We don't remove ignorance that way. We need to remove ignorance by refuting the object that we're hanging on with our mind. Report an error in the passage at 50:31 Highlight the passage at 50:31

50:57 So Lama Tsongkhapa says, so you must abandon this ignorance by seeing the lack of real existence of the object as apprehended by something like the apprehension of self. Report an error in the passage at 50:57 Highlight the passage at 50:57

51:13 So we abandon ignorance by seeing the lack of real existence of that object. It does exist conventionally through imputation. Report an error in the passage at 51:13 Highlight the passage at 51:13

51:26 But it doesn't exist really from its own side in and of itself. Report an error in the passage at 51:26 Highlight the passage at 51:26

51:37 So the qualities and faults do not exist within the object. They're Report an error in the passage at 51:37 Highlight the passage at 51:37

51:49 imputed by the mind. Report an error in the passage at 51:49 Highlight the passage at 51:49

51:58 Then Lama Tsongkhapa quotes Chandrakirti. He says, The glorious Chandrakirti, I'm on page 261, also taught that once all the afflictions like attachment, as well as birth, aging and so forth, are seen to arise from the apprehension of self, The desire to refute and abandon it will arise. So once we see that all of our mental afflictions arise from this ignorance, conceiving of a real self, Report an error in the passage at 51:58 Highlight the passage at 51:58

52:33 as well as not only our afflictions arise from that, but all of our problems, even aging, sickness and death arise as a result of ignorance. Report an error in the passage at 52:33 Highlight the passage at 52:33

52:49 So once we see that, then the desire to refute and abandon it will arise. And then at that point the yogi refutes with reasoning the object superimposed by the apprehension of self, the self of a person or the inherently existent person. Report an error in the passage at 52:49 Highlight the passage at 52:49

53:09 So we need to refute that. Report an error in the passage at 53:09 Highlight the passage at 53:09

53:15 So Chandrakirti in his Entrance to the Middle Way or Madhyamaka Avatara says, Once his mind has seen that all afflictions and faults arise from the view of the transitory collection, The yogi knows the self to be its object and performs the refutation of self. Report an error in the passage at 53:15 Highlight the passage at 53:15

53:39 So all afflictions and faults arise from the view of the I and mine as being inherently existent. So the yogi knows that the conventionally existent person is the object that exists, but then we superimpose inherent existence on top of that. Report an error in the passage at 53:39 Highlight the passage at 53:39

54:02 Remember, there is a self that exists. There is a person that exists. And then we refute what we're superimposing, which is the inherently existent self, the self that exists from its own side. The self does exist in a very subtle way. As Lama Zopa Rinpoche says, it's almost as if it doesn't exist, but it does exist conventionally, by convention. Report an error in the passage at 54:02 Highlight the passage at 54:02

54:43 And then Nagarjuna says, that is the cause of all the views. Without it, afflictions do not arise. So that being this ignorance, this afflicted ignorance, is the cause of all of the afflicted views. There are five afflicted views that are talked about in the teachings. The main causes of our problems, the view of the transitory collection. The view of wrong modes of conduct is supreme. Report an error in the passage at 54:43 Highlight the passage at 54:43

55:21 Like the view that happiness really comes from. Getting angry, right? Our happiness really comes from the objects of our attachment, the view that, right, et cetera. So there are a number of views. Report an error in the passage at 55:21 Highlight the passage at 55:21

55:39 So ignorance is the cause of all of these afflicted views. And without ignorance, the afflictions do not arise. Therefore, if you thoroughly know this, then views and afflictions are thoroughly cleansed. If you wonder how this is known, It's by seeing dependent origination. So how do we refute this inherently existent self, this inherently existent person, phenomena? Report an error in the passage at 55:39 Highlight the passage at 55:39

56:16 There are many different reasonings that are used in the scriptures. There's something called the diamond sliver's reasoning. Report an error in the passage at 56:16 Highlight the passage at 56:16

56:29 Then the king of reasonings is the reasoning of dependent origination. Things are dependent. On causes and conditions, parts and imputation. Report an error in the passage at 56:29 Highlight the passage at 56:29

56:42 So the trick here is oftentimes we understand that things are dependently arisen. It's not so difficult to understand that I arise in dependence on my mother and my father and the food that I eat and all that. But we need to understand that there is no me other than that which is dependent. There's... Report an error in the passage at 56:42 Highlight the passage at 56:42

57:10 We understand that we're dependent on others, but there tends to be a very stubborn little belief that there's a real essence of me. There's a real me in there, a real essence of me. But there's not even a real essence of me. Report an error in the passage at 57:10 Highlight the passage at 57:10

57:33 The me is completely dependent on causes and conditions, parts and imputation. There's no me. Other than that which is dependent. There's no real essence of me. There's no me other than that which is dependent. Report an error in the passage at 57:33 Highlight the passage at 57:33

58:06 So that, when we get that, then I think we're close. Report an error in the passage at 58:06 Highlight the passage at 58:06

58:27 So I gave the example last term about the storm, the tropical storm that arises. In the middle of the ocean, it just arises, starts with some rain and it starts with some wind. Report an error in the passage at 58:27 Highlight the passage at 58:27

58:46 And then as it moves across the ocean, constantly changing causes and conditions, everything, the temperature of the air, the direction of the wind, the position of the land, everything is constantly, the causes and conditions are constantly changing and moving across the ocean. And by the time it hits land, then it's a very different phenomenon than what it started off with. Report an error in the passage at 58:46 Highlight the passage at 58:46

59:18 Constantly changing causes and conditions. And then we label this constantly changing causes and conditions as storm or Hurricane Katrina. Report an error in the passage at 59:18 Highlight the passage at 59:18

59:34 There's no real essence of Hurricane Katrina. There's no common thread, a real essence that carries it through. It's just constantly changing causes and conditions that are labeled Hurricane Katrina. Report an error in the passage at 59:34 Highlight the passage at 59:34

59:55 Similarly, I am just constantly changing causes and conditions that is labeled I. There is no real I there. Report an error in the passage at 59:55 Highlight the passage at 59:55

1:00:15 So this is a big difference between the lower schools. And the highest school, Prasangika, the most subtlest, the most subtle school. Report an error in the passage at 1:00:15 Highlight the passage at 1:00:15

1:00:31 So the lower schools would say, yeah, things are dependent on causes and conditions. They're constantly changing. And they're saying, some thing, some real essence of a thing is dependent on causes and conditions, is constantly changing. The lower schools would say. Report an error in the passage at 1:00:31 Highlight the passage at 1:00:31

1:00:56 Prasangika says, no, there's no thing that's subject to causes and conditions that's constantly changing. There are constantly changing causes and conditions that are then labeled a thing. See the difference? A thing being subject to causes and conditions as opposed to constantly changing causes and conditions that are just labeled a thing. Report an error in the passage at 1:00:56 Highlight the passage at 1:00:56

1:01:24 It's not a thing in and of itself. Report an error in the passage at 1:01:24 Highlight the passage at 1:01:24

1:01:29 So I see that as being one of the essential differences between the lower schools and Prasangika. So the lower schools would say, see, the fact that things are dependent arising proves that there's a real thing. Report an error in the passage at 1:01:29 Highlight the passage at 1:01:29

1:01:48 The fact that things are subject to causes and conditions proves that there's a thing, an inherently existing thing, that is subject to causes and conditions. Report an error in the passage at 1:01:48 Highlight the passage at 1:01:48

1:01:59 Whereas Prasangika uses that same reasoning. It's a dependent arising that proves that there is no real thing. Subject to causes and conditions labeled a thing. Report an error in the passage at 1:01:59 Highlight the passage at 1:01:59

1:02:31 That's on. It is? Can you hear it? Report an error in the passage at 1:02:31 Highlight the passage at 1:02:31

1:02:46 Oh, that works. On top of what you said, would it be true to add or to be able to think the lower schools prove that there is a thing there? Report an error in the passage at 1:02:46 Highlight the passage at 1:02:46

1:03:02 Could you also say because they say? You can find that thing. It's not just, okay. Right. Yeah, if you search among the parts, you can find it. Okay. Whereas Prasangika say if you search among the parts, you can't find it. And Geshe-la on Wednesday night has been talking about, they say because it can be perceived by a direct perceiver. Report an error in the passage at 1:03:02 Highlight the passage at 1:03:02

1:03:29 Is that it? The lower schools, because a direct receiver can see it. Is there any other reason that they say it can be found? I Report an error in the passage at 1:03:29 Highlight the passage at 1:03:29

1:03:49 mean, there are various different arguments, which I'm not familiar with all of them, but one of them is that if you can't find it, how can you say it exists? Report an error in the passage at 1:03:49 Highlight the passage at 1:03:49

1:04:02 If you can't find it, how can you say it exists? Which makes a whole lot of sense, right? you know. Report an error in the passage at 1:04:02 Highlight the passage at 1:04:02

1:04:12 If you can't find it, then you have to say it's non-existent. Not finding is equivalent to not existing for lower schools. Report an error in the passage at 1:04:12 Highlight the passage at 1:04:12

1:04:30 Well, they assert a number of different things. Like the person. Different schools would say the person. You can find the mind. The mental consciousness. The mental consciousness is the person. You can find it. Or the five aggregates. You can find the five aggregates. So that is the person. So, you know, so the lower schools say that you can find it and a valid cognizer finds it, they say. Report an error in the passage at 1:04:30 Highlight the passage at 1:04:30

1:05:08 And, you know, and if we meditate, we can kind of, right, we can kind of see, you know, if we meditate on the nature of the mind, it kind of seems like there's a real substance there if we don't go far enough. Like there's a real mind there. That's constantly changing, but there's a real mind there. So it's just that they haven't gone far enough. So that's my understanding at least. Report an error in the passage at 1:05:08 Highlight the passage at 1:05:08

1:05:46 There for causes and conditions to be able to manifest around, for lack of a better word. How do those two connect? Findability and... And what you said, there has to be something there if causes and conditions can make something appear that proves that there has to be something there. You said it in a much clearer way than I can. How do I connect those? I have to think about that. Report an error in the passage at 1:05:46 Highlight the passage at 1:05:46

1:06:26 Okay. Yeah. Yeah, please. And we used the microphone for the recording. Report an error in the passage at 1:06:26 Highlight the passage at 1:06:26

1:06:40 Is it working? The light should go on. Report an error in the passage at 1:06:40 Highlight the passage at 1:06:40

1:06:50 Okay. Maybe just put it. Report an error in the passage at 1:06:50 Highlight the passage at 1:06:50

1:06:56 Okay. Oh, good. Report an error in the passage at 1:06:56 Highlight the passage at 1:06:56

1:07:00 So maybe hold it. Anyway. Report an error in the passage at 1:07:00 Highlight the passage at 1:07:00

1:07:33 break it down into like the composite argument and it's it's made up of an ag of aggregates it has the appearance that there's a solid single thing there when in fact there isn't so you can keep reducing it down and say well it's actually empty and we're superimposing a thingness onto something that actually doesn't Mm-hmm. Report an error in the passage at 1:07:33 Highlight the passage at 1:07:33

1:07:56 because it's really not there when you look very closely and then there's where my mind goes, and it's always sort of stumped here, is, well, how is there anything as opposed to nothing? You know, and I'm sure Yeah. Yeah. I understand that they would say that this is an essentialist view. It's like falling to the other extreme of asserting that there's some kind of true existence or something like that, some ultimate true But there is some is-ness that by virtue of me being able to even talk, or that there Report an error in the passage at 1:07:56 Highlight the passage at 1:07:56

1:08:40 is-ness as opposed to, you You know. know. Ha ha. Well, there is existence. I wouldn't say there is-is-ness. Okay, so the question is, right, so you understand that if you... Really analyze something, you can break it down into its composite parts and you can break it down, always can break it down further and further and further. Report an error in the passage at 1:08:40 Highlight the passage at 1:08:40

1:09:04 So there's nothing findable, right? But then how can you say things do exist then, right? I mean, because things do exist, right? How is it they're not asserting nothingness, right? Report an error in the passage at 1:09:04 Highlight the passage at 1:09:04

1:09:38 Okay, so this is where the razor's edge comes in, right? So when we do the meditation on emptiness and we break things down and we don't find the phenomenon we're looking for, then it's easy to fall into nihilism and think there's nothing exists at all. And Lama Tsongkhapa says, okay, well, things aren't findable, but they do exist. Report an error in the passage at 1:09:38 Highlight the passage at 1:09:38

1:10:10 Conventionally, things are dependent arisings. They do exist through convention. Things do have conventional characteristics. Conventionally, we can say the cup has roundness and it's white and it's blue. Conventionally, but those are also just imputed by the mind. So Tsongkhapa would say there is existence. Report an error in the passage at 1:10:10 Highlight the passage at 1:10:10

1:10:42 And the cup is, but there isn't an is-ness, implying that there isn't a cup from its own side. There aren't characteristics from its own side. So that's where the is-ness is being refuted. Existence conventionally isn't being refuted, but is-ness is being refuted in that... An existence from its own side by way, among, within the object itself is being refuted. Report an error in the passage at 1:10:42 Highlight the passage at 1:10:42

1:11:19 I don't know if that answers your question. No. Okay. Because I'm totally down with this idea that the cup doesn't exist. It exists by convention. And it's something that, because, you know, in a different culture that thing could be, it could be something else. I'm giving it meaning. I'm imputing. I get that. But the fact that we're even talking cup or there's movement or there's light or consciousness implies that it's borrowing. Report an error in the passage at 1:11:19 Highlight the passage at 1:11:19

1:12:00 If there's no cup that fundamentally exists in its own right, I could get that. But it implies that it's borrowing. It's existence from some more fundamental existence. There's an implication there that because there is as opposed to is not, there's no absolute non-existence. You see, because we wouldn't even be here having this conversation, there would just be nothing. There would be complete absence, complete, total absence. Report an error in the passage at 1:12:00 Highlight the passage at 1:12:00

1:12:41 An utter absence and we couldn't even, you know what I'm saying? So it implies that there's luminosity, there's even consciousness, that there is even awareness. And maybe that's the fundamental nature from which the cup borrows any reality that we can say the cup has. It implies that it borrows it from something. You know, some... Why? Okay. Report an error in the passage at 1:12:41 Highlight the passage at 1:12:41

1:13:11 Because of what I just said. There are appearances. I could see. There are appearances due to karma. Okay. Due to karma, things appear. I could see that there's, I could be, that's fine with me. Instead of saying things, we'll say appearances. Appearances to the mind. Okay. That we're even speaking of a mind or appearances at all whatsoever. Report an error in the passage at 1:13:11 Highlight the passage at 1:13:11

1:13:41 As opposed to just non-existence, as opposed to nothingness. You see what I'm saying? As opposed to pure voidness, pure absence. Right, so we're not saying that there's nothing, right? Emptiness is saying emptiness of existing a particular way. Empty of existing from its own side, right? Independent of the mind. There's nothing that exists. Report an error in the passage at 1:13:41 Highlight the passage at 1:13:41

1:14:06 Independent of the mind. Everything is an appearance to the mind. And the mind is merely imputed by conception. There is nothing that exists independent of conception. Not even the mind. Not even the mind. So there isn't a fundamental existence from which things are borrowed. Anything that you search for, even emptiness, search for it, you won't be able to find it. Emptiness is empty of inherent existence. Report an error in the passage at 1:14:06 Highlight the passage at 1:14:06

1:14:44 Mind is empty of inherent existence. Buddhas are empty of inherent existence. That makes sense. You're saying that the mind exists because of conception, but then we say conception exists. independence on the mind so it's this kind of a circular argument if we're using reason to refute or negate it's not working for me because Right, and... Report an error in the passage at 1:14:44 Highlight the passage at 1:14:44

1:15:16 arguments. You know what I'm saying? So you're saying imputing what is what's imputing you're we're saying that we're imputing upon the mind but the mind is the basis for any kind of imputation you know right and and There is a mind that exists conventionally and that functions. And this is the tricky part. This is the middle way that it's so hard to find. Report an error in the passage at 1:15:16 Highlight the passage at 1:15:16

1:15:41 It's so hard to see how nothing exists from its own side at all. It's only imputed by the mind and it functions. This is the brilliance of Lama Tsongkhapa's. Explanation of emptiness. Because the mind functions and the mind is merely imputed by conception. That all makes sense to me. Like if we're talking about things existing conventionally and they're not existing in a solid way and they're being appearances, that all makes sense. Report an error in the passage at 1:15:41 Highlight the passage at 1:15:41

1:16:16 But when they go to the extreme saying, oh, there's no true nature, there's no essence. So think about it. I am thinking. I've thought about it. I mean, seriously, it takes years and years and years and lifetimes, right? Thinking about it for years, yeah. And so this is actually the part that doesn't really make sense to me. Report an error in the passage at 1:16:16 Highlight the passage at 1:16:16

1:16:41 Because if we're really saying emptiness, emptiness, then there would be nothing. Nope. That's precisely what Lama Tsongkhapa is saying that it's not. It's empty of a particular way of existing. He's saying things do exist and we're just negating a particular way of existing. We're not negating existence. Report an error in the passage at 1:16:41 Highlight the passage at 1:16:41

1:17:07 We're negating inherent existence. So this is something, you know, I don't think we're going to solve this right now. But prasangika is very much towing the line, the middle way. I understand that. And what you're saying makes sense to me. The middle way argument is saying that we're not going to the extreme of absolute emptiness because that doesn't make sense because things exist conventionally. Report an error in the passage at 1:17:07 Highlight the passage at 1:17:07

1:17:37 And we're not going to go to the extreme of asserting some kind of fundamental nature. But that doesn't make sense to me. Okay, so I think we need to take a break here. And the thing is about this is that, you know, we expect to understand it like completely right now, but it really takes a lot of thinking about it, meditating on it, purifying and accumulating merit, right? Report an error in the passage at 1:17:37 Highlight the passage at 1:17:37

1:18:08 It's not just... Being smart and thinking about it, we do need to purify and accumulate merit. And over time, it makes more and more sense. And I'm not saying you have to believe what I'm saying. I'm just telling you what Lama Tsongkhapa is presenting as the Prasangika position. What they're saying is that you arrive at least at a conceptual understanding of emptiness. Report an error in the passage at 1:18:08 Highlight the passage at 1:18:08

1:18:38 By way of reason, they're huge advocates. Tsongkhapa and the Dalai Lama and all these teachers are huge advocates of using reason. So they're saying that you can actually arrive at at least a conceptual understanding by way of reason. So I'm just saying through, I haven't found the reasoning and that's, you know, I'm regarding you as a teacher and asking you this question that perhaps you can clarify through reasoning. Report an error in the passage at 1:18:38 Highlight the passage at 1:18:38

1:19:07 How that is not so. And not trying to give you a hard time. I really trust that there is truth to this. I have that faith. Yeah, and we're going to cover it. I mean, Lama Tsongkhapa covers one of the reasonings in this section, so we're going to cover it in future classes. Report an error in the passage at 1:19:07 Highlight the passage at 1:19:07

1:19:31 There are many different kinds of reasonings, and he presents one of them here. Report an error in the passage at 1:19:31 Highlight the passage at 1:19:31

1:19:45 Oh yeah, and Geshe Dagpa is an excellent teacher. Report an error in the passage at 1:19:45 Highlight the passage at 1:19:45

1:19:56 We'll Report an error in the passage at 1:19:56 Highlight the passage at 1:19:56

1:20:03 take a break. We'll take a break and if people want to stay and talk about it, feel free to take a break. What do you mean by a fundamental nature? Report an error in the passage at 1:20:03 Highlight the passage at 1:20:03

1:20:21 Oh, thank you. need some. -inherently. Report an error in the passage at 1:20:21 Highlight the passage at 1:20:21

1:20:37 like just all of a sudden... Pure absence. Okay. And your if is already mistaken, right? Because that's not what we're saying. We're not saying emptiness doesn't mean nothingness. Emptiness needs emptiness of in here. Report an error in the passage at 1:20:37 Highlight the passage at 1:20:37

1:20:58 That makes sense to me. Report an error in the passage at 1:20:58 Highlight the passage at 1:20:58

· · · silence, 1 minute

1:21:57 Oh, yeah. Microphone. Really, do I need you with this big voice? Yes. Yes. All right. No exceptions. All right. Except. Except even my microphone. Thank you. Oh, sorry. Yeah. I can turn it down so that it wouldn't Oh, okay. Thanks. Is that working out? Yeah, impressive. Yeah, mine's working. Okay, I'm turning it on now. Here we go. Okay, my first selection will be from cats. Report an error in the passage at 1:21:57 Highlight the passage at 1:21:57

1:22:45 Anyway, I was just saying that this has been helping me. I told you, do you really want me using a microphone? You're going to hold it out to here. Report an error in the passage at 1:22:45 Highlight the passage at 1:22:45

1:22:54 This has been helping me because recently I've had an experience with a friend of mine who... Has suddenly become very aloof and I don't know why. And that's like the thing that drives me the craziest because of course everybody has to like me or if they don't, you know, it's going to ruin my life. And I've had to go through this whole process of realizing that I have this whole story about why this person doesn't like me. And that may, first of all, it may not even be true. Report an error in the passage at 1:22:54 Highlight the passage at 1:22:54

1:23:23 I could just be paranoid. I'm misapprehending some signals that I'm getting. And actually the meditations on this have been one of the ways I've been getting through this. Because I even wrote this person and didn't get a response back. And that even added to my insecurity about this whole thing. And I just thought, I'm weaving an entire story about this person. Report an error in the passage at 1:23:23 Highlight the passage at 1:23:23

1:23:48 First of all, I'm not even looking at this person correctly. I'm not using emptiness. And actually, I started applying these antidotes and it was the thing that's gotten me calm. And at this point, it's just like, if it's meant to be resolved, it'll be resolved. And I have to just let it go because there could be something going on in this person's life that has nothing to do with me that I'm personalizing. Report an error in the passage at 1:23:48 Highlight the passage at 1:23:48

1:24:11 So that's just an example of how this actually, it seems very... philosophical and ethereal at times but it actually is very Yeah, Report an error in the passage at 1:24:11 Highlight the passage at 1:24:11

1:24:40 and yeah. applications yeah because this has applications to every moment of every day exactly every single moment yeah that's what makes it so interesting right is it isn't some abstract philosophical thing is it it's something that affects every moment of our perception and Report an error in the passage at 1:24:40 Highlight the passage at 1:24:40

1:24:43 It can be. And in that kind of situation, Peter, what I find is really useful is who is this me that's being rejected, right? Report an error in the passage at 1:24:43 Highlight the passage at 1:24:43

1:24:54 It's me, what about me? Report an error in the passage at 1:24:54 Highlight the passage at 1:24:54

1:25:03 It's very interesting, yeah. And at least I find it helpful. Yeah, and Report an error in the passage at 1:25:03 Highlight the passage at 1:25:03

1:25:13 even more fundamental than what did you do, who is this I? Who is this eye that's being rejected? Is it the body that's being rejected? Is it the mind that's being rejected? Is it the mind? And which hairs of your beard are being rejected? Report an error in the passage at 1:25:13 Highlight the passage at 1:25:13

1:25:38 I don't know. I find this one really helpful. Report an error in the passage at 1:25:38 Highlight the passage at 1:25:38

1:25:46 We just have to try a lot of things in our painful experiences and just see what works. So when this kicks in, is practical. Oh, yeah. It makes my life a whole lot easier. I get a lot less drama than I used to in my mind. Or the drama lasts a whole lot. Well, yeah. Shorter time. Report an error in the passage at 1:25:46 Highlight the passage at 1:25:46

1:26:18 So thank you. Yeah, exactly. Lama Tsongkhapa, Buddha. Buddha, right. Right. Okay. Report an error in the passage at 1:26:18 Highlight the passage at 1:26:18

1:26:31 Any other questions before we continue? Report an error in the passage at 1:26:31 Highlight the passage at 1:26:31

1:26:41 Oh, okay, so this is, so Lama Tsongkhapa actually wrote three lamrims. So the three-volume one is the Great Treatise, right, or the Lamrim Chenmo. And then he wrote a middle-length lamrim subsequent to the Great Treatise, and that's what we're covering right now is the middle length, because it would, you know, it's taking me a few years to get through the middle length. Report an error in the passage at 1:26:41 Highlight the passage at 1:26:41

1:27:09 It would take about 20 years. But you know, Report an error in the passage at 1:27:09 Highlight the passage at 1:27:09

1:27:16 much of the middle length lamrim really is a subset of the great lamrim, except the special insight section. It's very different. They both have special insight sections, but in the great lamrim there's a lot more technical stuff and a lot more refutation of... Yeah, but you know, Report an error in the passage at 1:27:16 Highlight the passage at 1:27:16

1:27:41 The thoughts of the day, the refutation of Baba Viveka and the support of Buddha Palita. So all of that kind of stuff that's not in the middle length on rim, the middle length on rim is focused more on how do you realize emptiness. Not so much refuting the thoughts of the day. So it's more accessible, I find, the middle length on rim. Report an error in the passage at 1:27:41 Highlight the passage at 1:27:41

1:28:13 And there's somebody's pen too. Report an error in the passage at 1:28:13 Highlight the passage at 1:28:13

1:28:19 Okay, so where do we leave off? Report an error in the passage at 1:28:19 Highlight the passage at 1:28:19

1:28:24 So we were quoting Nagarjuna where he says that, Report an error in the passage at 1:28:24 Highlight the passage at 1:28:24

1:28:33 so when we thoroughly know that the afflictions arise from ignorance, then views and afflictions are thoroughly cleansed. If you wonder how this is known, it's by seeing dependent origination. So nothing exists from its own side. But things do exist conventionally and dependently. Report an error in the passage at 1:28:33 Highlight the passage at 1:28:33

1:29:07 So then Nagarjuna continues by saying that things produced dependently are not inherently produced. Things that are produced dependently are not inherently produced. And that's what was taught by Supreme Omniscience. Report an error in the passage at 1:29:07 Highlight the passage at 1:29:07

1:29:34 Things are produced conventionally. They're just not produced inherently. Report an error in the passage at 1:29:34 Highlight the passage at 1:29:34

1:29:44 Right. Then I'm going to go to a different translation because this translation isn't working for me. The next paragraph. Report an error in the passage at 1:29:44 Highlight the passage at 1:29:44

1:30:24 So then, okay, so thus he indicates, Nagarjuna indicates that the conception of true existence or the conception of inherent existence, which is the cause of all afflicted views and all other afflictive emotions, Is abandoned through realizing the suchness or emptiness of things. The absence of inherently existent production by means of the reason of dependent arising. Report an error in the passage at 1:30:24 Highlight the passage at 1:30:24

1:30:52 So we realize emptiness and the absence of things arising inherently by means of the reasoning of dependent arising. And the perception that inherent existence does not exist Does not occur without coming to disbelieve the object of the conception of things as inherently established. So here once again Lama Tsongkhapa is emphasizing we need to identify the object of refutation in our experience. Report an error in the passage at 1:30:52 Highlight the passage at 1:30:52

1:31:32 The object that we're hanging on to in our experience and refuting that. We're not refuting existence. We're refuting the inherent existence. We're refuting that object that we're hanging on to. Report an error in the passage at 1:31:32 Highlight the passage at 1:31:32

1:31:56 We're refuting that Report an error in the passage at 1:31:56 Highlight the passage at 1:31:56

1:32:02 real me. We're refuting that real annoying person. We're refuting that real wonderful person too. Report an error in the passage at 1:32:02 Highlight the passage at 1:32:02

1:32:20 There is a person that exists conventionally, a person that is imputed. To the ever-changing body and mind. But Report an error in the passage at 1:32:20 Highlight the passage at 1:32:20

1:32:32 there isn't a person that exists from its own side. It's just imputed by the mind. And it functions the Report an error in the passage at 1:32:32 Highlight the passage at 1:32:32

1:32:45 middle way. Report an error in the passage at 1:32:45 Highlight the passage at 1:32:45

1:32:49 But any object of our mental affliction, if we're having a mental affliction, and I've said this before, if we're having a mental affliction, then for sure we're hanging on to an object that doesn't actually exist. Report an error in the passage at 1:32:49 Highlight the passage at 1:32:49

1:33:11 We're having a mental affliction. We are for sure grasping onto an object. There's an object of our mind that Report an error in the passage at 1:33:11 Highlight the passage at 1:33:11

1:33:24 doesn't actually exist. Report an error in the passage at 1:33:24 Highlight the passage at 1:33:24

1:33:36 Okay, easy to say, hard to do, right? But it's brilliant. I mean, one of the things I absolutely love about this topic is that, as I was saying, it applies. It is relevant to every single moment of our lives. It's not some philosophy we put on the shelf when we go to work or when we're having interactions with our friends or the annoying people. Report an error in the passage at 1:33:36 Highlight the passage at 1:33:36

1:34:07 It's something that we can apply in every moment. And every moment we have a mental affliction is a wonderful opportunity to look at how we're looking at that person or object and look more deeply and see how they really exist. They really exist the way we think they do when we have a mental affliction. Report an error in the passage at 1:34:07 Highlight the passage at 1:34:07

1:34:35 I mean, it doesn't always work, right? I mean, that takes time, right? And our understanding of emptiness has to be pretty strong in order to melt a major mental affliction. It takes time. And it also takes concentration, right? If we have that, if we're angry at somebody, And then we meditate on their emptiness. We might be able to dissolve that anger for a few seconds. Report an error in the passage at 1:34:35 Highlight the passage at 1:34:35

1:35:12 But as soon as our mind gets distracted, the anger comes right back. So that's why we need the calm abiding that we talked about in the calm abiding class. We need to be able to meditate on emptiness and keep the mind focused on the emptiness of that person that we're angry at. Long enough to melt that anger. But normally what happens when we don't have concentration is it's a little schizophrenic. Report an error in the passage at 1:35:12 Highlight the passage at 1:35:12

1:35:42 It's like calm, agitated, calm, agitated, calm, agitated, agitated, agitated, calm, agitated. It's like the angel and the devil kind of fighting. So through practice and through meditation. Getting more concentrated, then the meditation on emptiness gets stronger, right? The antidote gets stronger and then we can actually dissolve the mental affliction completely. Report an error in the passage at 1:35:42 Highlight the passage at 1:35:42

1:36:17 But it's a process, right? Slowly, slowly, as they say. Right, Report an error in the passage at 1:36:17 Highlight the passage at 1:36:17

1:36:30 then Arya Deva is quoted. He says, if selflessness is seen in objects, then the seed of cyclic existence will be ceased. Report an error in the passage at 1:36:30 Highlight the passage at 1:36:30

1:36:42 That reinforces what we've been saying, which Lama Tsongkhapa says, through seeing the non-existence of the self of the object of observation apprehended by the conception of self, the root of cyclic existence, ignorance, is cut. So once again, by seeing the non-existence of that self that we're hanging on to, that inherently existent self. Report an error in the passage at 1:36:42 Highlight the passage at 1:36:42

1:37:16 Then we cut the root of cyclic existence. And then Shantideva also teaches the same thing. He says, thus the emptiness of persons is thoroughly established. Therefore, since their root has been cut, all the mental afflictions do not arise at all. Report an error in the passage at 1:37:16 Highlight the passage at 1:37:16

1:37:37 So once we directly realize emptiness, then we start removing the mental afflictions from their root. And if we familiarize ourselves with that direct realization of emptiness again and again, then that's how we remove the root of all the mental afflictions forever, such that they can never rise again. Report an error in the passage at 1:37:37 Highlight the passage at 1:37:37

1:38:03 So in Sūtra, the Noble Sūtra of the Tataka's Secrets, it's saying Shantamati, it is like this. For example, when a tree is cut at the root, All the branches, leaves and twigs will dry up. Likewise, Shantamati, when the view of the transitory collection is fully pacified, all the mental afflictions and secondary mental afflictions will be fully pacified. Report an error in the passage at 1:38:03 Highlight the passage at 1:38:03

1:38:36 So the example, right, of a tree. All of the other antidotes taught in the Dharma are useful, right? It would be like cutting off a branch here, cutting off a branch there, cutting off a branch there, right? You know, trying to overcome pride by meditating on all the things we don't know, right? That will overcome pride to a certain extent, but it doesn't remove pride from the root, right? Report an error in the passage at 1:38:36 Highlight the passage at 1:38:36

1:39:06 Meditating on love for that person that we're annoyed with will reduce the annoyance and maybe eliminate the annoyance toward that person, but it doesn't cut it from the root, right? Realizing emptiness is like uprooting the entire tree. So none of the mental afflictions can arise. Report an error in the passage at 1:39:06 Highlight the passage at 1:39:06

1:39:35 I think it's on. It always brings the question to mind of still the daily living of our lives, the responsibilities to our families, to whatever community we live in, etc. You know, when I start thinking of all these things and cutting the root and then all the mental afflictions are gone, I'm in true Buddha nature. Report an error in the passage at 1:39:35 Highlight the passage at 1:39:35

1:39:56 Yeah, but who's going to work that day and pay the bills and do all the responsibilities? For me, I get a little spacey with all this stuff, you know, and I don't see where daily responsibilities fit in if I'm so Buddha nature now that I've gotten rid of all my mental afflictions. Do I still have to work and pay bills? So do we have to have mental afflictions to be able to work? Report an error in the passage at 1:39:56 Highlight the passage at 1:39:56

1:40:21 I just don't see, you know, the Buddha nature seems so ethereal that I don't see how it fits into the daily life, you know. I have a hard time understanding. Report an error in the passage at 1:40:21 Highlight the passage at 1:40:21

1:40:31 So the thing is, there is a person that exists, and the person, you know, still functions, right? If you have a family, you still need to take care of your family. You still need to, right, have a roof over your head and, you know, eat. All of that kind of thing as long as we have a body. Who is that person if they're dependent arising? Does it really exist? That's the thing. Report an error in the passage at 1:40:31 Highlight the passage at 1:40:31

1:40:59 The person exists. It just doesn't exist as concretely as you think it does. And actually that person will function a whole lot better if that person never gets angry and never grasps onto my way of doing things, right? Never grasps onto... having Report an error in the passage at 1:40:59 Highlight the passage at 1:40:59

1:41:22 Needing things to be a particular way, needing other people to be a particular way, doesn't have their own agenda. That person would function a whole lot better. That person will still exist, but will exist as a more positive force in society. Report an error in the passage at 1:41:22 Highlight the passage at 1:41:22

1:41:45 So all of this has to do with the mind. and removing the faults of the mind It's just refuting a wrong way of looking at things. It's eliminating the faults in the mind. Report an error in the passage at 1:41:45 Highlight the passage at 1:41:45

1:42:25 There's a way with a lot of attachments to community and to other things that create a society that then people would just be wanderers or something. Report an error in the passage at 1:42:25 Highlight the passage at 1:42:25

1:42:35 Let's say you don't have children or a husband, but you're just a person. You're getting rid of all attachments and all this and that. Where is the glue that keeps a society together then? Love. Report an error in the passage at 1:42:35 Highlight the passage at 1:42:35

1:42:51 Because attachment, at least in Dharma. It means having an agenda that I need, I'm doing this because I want something for me. That's what attachment is in the Dharma and that's not beneficial for society. That prevents us from doing what is best for society because I need to get recognition or I need things to be done a particular way. Report an error in the passage at 1:42:51 Highlight the passage at 1:42:51

1:43:25 So once we get rid of attachment, then we interact with others through love and compassion as opposed to through what I want for me and my family and my friends and my country. Report an error in the passage at 1:43:25 Highlight the passage at 1:43:25

1:43:42 Yeah, letting go of the self-centeredness and doing like the Buddha's work for the welfare of all sentient beings, spontaneously doing what's best. What's most beneficial. What prevents us from doing what's most beneficial is our attachment. So removing attachment is only a positive thing. And removing attachment doesn't mean indifference. It means loving more. Report an error in the passage at 1:43:42 Highlight the passage at 1:43:42

1:44:21 In some teachings, in the Hinayana teachings, it talks about the near enemy of... It talks about near enemies and far enemies. Near enemy of attachment. The far enemy of attachment is anger or hatred. The near enemy of attachment is indifferent. Non-attachment doesn't mean indifferent. Report an error in the passage at 1:44:21 Highlight the passage at 1:44:21

1:45:07 So it's interesting. I was just in Washington, D.C., spending many days with His Holiness the Dalai Lama. And it's amazing to be around a being, at least in my belief, that everything, That he's doing is for others. Report an error in the passage at 1:45:07 Highlight the passage at 1:45:07

1:45:25 It's just, it's mind-blowing, right, when you think about it. And there was one day he was saying, I mean, I would go to the morning prayers, right, and he would be there at 5 o 'clock in the morning, right, after he finished his personal prayers in the morning, right, before he arrived at the Verizon Center at 5, he finished his four hours of... Report an error in the passage at 1:45:25 Highlight the passage at 1:45:25

1:45:51 He was saying the first day of the empowerment, he said, yeah, I woke up at 1 o 'clock this morning and did my personal prayers and then came here and did his preparation and did the empowerment. He was saying when it finished, right at 5 o 'clock. He was full of energy and he wasn't tired at all. I was feeling exhausted. Report an error in the passage at 1:45:51 Highlight the passage at 1:45:51

1:46:16 But, but you know, but he's just, you know, I mean, It's amazing thinking that this person is getting up at 1 o 'clock in the morning so that he can give this to us day after day after day after day. It's not like he gave us those 11 days and then went off and had a holiday. He did those 11 days and then he went to Chicago for two days and gave talks and then he went to Dharamsala and then he's doing his thing. Report an error in the passage at 1:46:16 Highlight the passage at 1:46:16

1:46:47 You just try to follow the schedule and it's just day after day after day, hour after hour after hour of working for others. And it's amazing. Report an error in the passage at 1:46:47 Highlight the passage at 1:46:47

1:47:02 Yeah, and he's the same age as my mother, who, you know, spends all day watching TV. And my mother's wonderful, right? But she's, you know, not quite the Dalai Lama. Report an error in the passage at 1:47:02 Highlight the passage at 1:47:02

1:47:21 I don't know how, why I brought that up. So, oh, because everything he does is, right? Out of love and compassion for others. So he seems to have a whole lot more energy than most of us, right? He seems to be doing a lot more for others than most of us. Because, you know, actually the mental afflictions take up a lot of energy. If we didn't have mental afflictions, then life would be a whole lot easier. Report an error in the passage at 1:47:21 Highlight the passage at 1:47:21

1:47:59 I guess we'll stop there. Report an error in the passage at 1:47:59 Highlight the passage at 1:47:59

1:48:08 I guess my question comes out of some personal dilemmas I'm facing now. It also reminds me of two years ago, my career had ended because of an accident and I was trying to think of another career and my career ended about three years ago and I was spending the year after my accident trying to think of another career that seemed as important because I was in the medical... Report an error in the passage at 1:48:08 Highlight the passage at 1:48:08

1:48:34 You know, giving field as the one I felt I was supposed to be doing this destiny thing and blah, blah, blah. And I spoke to this geishala and said, you know, what am I supposed to do now? You know, do I try to find another important destiny kind of career of giving to people and this and that? And he said, you know, if you have a big job, you don't have a lot of time to practice the Dharma, you know, and that better to not have such a... Report an error in the passage at 1:48:34 Highlight the passage at 1:48:34

1:49:03 Big job and practice the Dharma. And then just as far as what to do every day, do whatever the causes and conditions are, what the conditions are calling you to do in front of you that day. And so right now I'm in a change also. I'm considering a move. I'm not sure what's holding me in my old place. Do I move to a new place? Report an error in the passage at 1:49:03 Highlight the passage at 1:49:03

1:49:25 What's pulling me? What's not pulling me? That's what I was asking you. What holds things together? How do you make these choices? And I asked him that too, how do you make these decisions? And he said, you know, you just have to decide what's best for you. It's logic. It's not really asking Tara or this one or that one, you know. Report an error in the passage at 1:49:25 Highlight the passage at 1:49:25

1:49:42 But it has to do with what are the conditions calling you now in front of you. Like the monks, for example, maybe they're physicians or they're this, that, and the other thing. But maybe that day they have to wash the dishes, you know, or do the conditions that are in front of them. So it was just very helpful to me. Report an error in the passage at 1:49:42 Highlight the passage at 1:49:42

1:49:59 Thinking when I asked you that question, it's coming out of that same kind of place of this major change I'm going through now. What are the forces that are allowing me to make the decision? But after hearing you speak, I'm reminded of what he said, which is what are the conditions? You practice the Dharma and then tend to the conditions in front of you. Report an error in the passage at 1:49:59 Highlight the passage at 1:49:59

1:50:22 So I just wanted to say that. So I said what's tying things together is love and compassion, but also wisdom. We try to make our decisions based on the wisdom that we have. What's more beneficial for myself and others? Report an error in the passage at 1:50:22 Highlight the passage at 1:50:22

1:50:42 We just do our best, right? Report an error in the passage at 1:50:42 Highlight the passage at 1:50:42

1:50:48 Alright, so let's dedicate. Let's do Shantideva, page 246. Report an error in the passage at 1:50:48 Highlight the passage at 1:50:48

1:51:04 Did everybody sign the sheet? Report an error in the passage at 1:51:04 Highlight the passage at 1:51:04

1:51:19 May all beings everywhere, playing by sufferings of body and mind, obtain an ocean of happiness and joy by virtue of my merits. May no living creature suffer, commit evil, or ever fall ill. May the thirsty find water and delicious drinks. May the poor find wealth. Those weak with sorrow find joy. May the forlorn find hope, constant happiness and prosperity. May there be timely rains and bountiful harvests. Report an error in the passage at 1:51:19 Highlight the passage at 1:51:19

1:52:06 May all medicines be effective and wholesome prayers bear fruit. May all who are sick and ill quickly be freed from their ailments. Whatever diseases there are in the world, may they never occur again. May the frightened cease to be afraid and those bound be freed. May the powerless find power and may people think of benefiting each other. Report an error in the passage at 1:52:06 Highlight the passage at 1:52:06

1:52:28 For as long as space remains, for as long as sentient beings remain, until then may I too remain to dispel the miseries of the world. Report an error in the passage at 1:52:28 Highlight the passage at 1:52:28

1:52:41 Let's also dedicate for the long life and good health of all of our spiritual masters. Sopa Rinpoche, Kishidapa. His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Report an error in the passage at 1:52:41 Highlight the passage at 1:52:41

1:52:58 teachers, masters that we have. Report an error in the passage at 1:52:58 Highlight the passage at 1:52:58

· · · silence, 1 minute

1:53:42 So next week we don't have class because of the Sakyatrinzen event in Santa Cruz. It's sponsored by all the centers. So come to that if you can. Chin Rizik, Forum Chin Rizik and Mahamudra. And Sakyatrinzen is one of the highest masters in Tibetan Buddhism. So we're very fortunate to have him. All right. Report an error in the passage at 1:53:42 Highlight the passage at 1:53:42

1:54:12 Thank you. Report an error in the passage at 1:54:12 Highlight the passage at 1:54:12

1:54:19 Mine. Whose pen is this? Is this? It might be Jessica's or the... That is not a pen. It is merely labeled a pen. Report an error in the passage at 1:54:19 Highlight the passage at 1:54:19

1:54:34 It is merely labeled a pen. And it functions as a pen. Report an error in the passage at 1:54:34 Highlight the passage at 1:54:34

1:54:43 Hi, Henny. It's nice to see you. Report an error in the passage at 1:54:43 Highlight the passage at 1:54:43

1:54:54 Well, yeah, the special insight section for... few months, but actually, we just started on the text about a month before, so I can yes. Report an error in the passage at 1:54:54 Highlight the passage at 1:54:54

1:55:15 because this is just is just the combo binding special insight sections there's i i have the I will email out the PDF of the file for people, but if people want a hard copy, we can... I have some copies made. But you said you did see it in the store? Yeah. Report an error in the passage at 1:55:15 Highlight the passage at 1:55:15

1:55:59 Okay. Okay. Report an error in the passage at 1:55:59 Highlight the passage at 1:55:59

1:56:16 Right. Report an error in the passage at 1:56:16 Highlight the passage at 1:56:16

1:56:26 Okay. Well, we just can do our best, right? So I'm glad you can at least come for... Well, those are the first... that's not part. Report an error in the passage at 1:56:26 Highlight the passage at 1:56:26

1:56:12 Okay. Okay. Okay. Report an error in the passage at 1:56:12 Highlight the passage at 1:56:12

1:56:35 days anyway, right? It's a Saturday, Sunday. No, no, it's Friday, Oh, it starts on a Thursday. Okay, I should probably know that. Report an error in the passage at 1:56:35 Highlight the passage at 1:56:35