BP: Mind and Cognition (15 December 2014)

0:18 Okay, can you hear me okay? Report an error in the passage at 0:18 Highlight the passage at 0:18

0:25 Are you warm? Would you like the air conditioner on? Report an error in the passage at 0:25 Highlight the passage at 0:25

0:31 Okay, okay. Report an error in the passage at 0:31 Highlight the passage at 0:31

0:36 Do you need anything to drink or eat or anything? Just push the button next to your seat. Report an error in the passage at 0:36 Highlight the passage at 0:36

0:48 What do I have? Share my water with you. Report an error in the passage at 0:48 Highlight the passage at 0:48

1:00 How is everybody? Report an error in the passage at 1:00 Highlight the passage at 1:00

1:14 Anybody? in. Report an error in the passage at 1:14 Highlight the passage at 1:14

1:12 is everybody? Report an error in the passage at 1:12 Highlight the passage at 1:12

1:16 Do you have anything you'd like to share or experience over the course of the week? Report an error in the passage at 1:16 Highlight the passage at 1:16

1:45 know, I got or whatever, you know, sad or whatever, anxious. You know, I just came back to that and said to myself, I'm interested in it. And, know, it really, know, it comes in right now. Report an error in the passage at 1:45 Highlight the passage at 1:45

2:00 the funny thing I did a bit of an experiment I'm working in home care also and I've got a client he's got a humongous portal it's this huge white portal 16 months old I'm a teenager Report an error in the passage at 2:00 Highlight the passage at 2:00

2:18 overly excited, you see, so every time I come to the door, that huge dog is swimming against the fly. Okay. happy, happy, no, not aggressive. Okay. Report an error in the passage at 2:18 Highlight the passage at 2:18

2:30 And then the people that live there, they don't particularly help and say, oh, Alfie, who is it? You know, who is it? You know, they go like this. And of course, dogs get more hyper and more hyper. So anyway, so usually he jumps on me, which, you know, I don't particularly like. Sure. Yeah. And I thought, okay, this time I try, you know, if that works on dogs. Report an error in the passage at 2:30 Highlight the passage at 2:30

2:54 I get Alfie, I walk so close to him that, you know, he couldn't really jump, you know, he would have fallen over. And I put my hands onto his head, and I pushed his bottom down, and I set him right in front of me, and I just put my hands down there, and just tried to get my calmness onto that blooming dog, and it worked. Report an error in the passage at 2:54 Highlight the passage at 2:54

3:18 You I was like the dog whisperer. Wow. That's great. Report an error in the passage at 3:18 Highlight the passage at 3:18

3:29 How Report an error in the passage at 3:29 Highlight the passage at 3:29

3:42 old is she? Two in a bit. That's quite impressive. Obviously she's... Report an error in the passage at 3:42 Highlight the passage at 3:42

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4:29 Yeah, I think it's useful sometimes to keep in mind that the natural state of the mind is peace. It's like a storm blowing through. It's not permanent. We don't indulge it or suppress it. It'll just pass by eventually. Report an error in the passage at 4:29 Highlight the passage at 4:29

5:02 Yeah, what's the latest news, isn't it? Report an error in the passage at 5:02 Highlight the passage at 5:02

5:13 How many are being held? They don't know. Report an error in the passage at 5:13 Highlight the passage at 5:13

5:31 Any other thoughts? Report an error in the passage at 5:31 Highlight the passage at 5:31

5:40 Yeah, I'm going to re-aim that eventually. Report an error in the passage at 5:40 Highlight the passage at 5:40

5:50 Beam me up or something. We Report an error in the passage at 5:50 Highlight the passage at 5:50

5:57 have a special guest. Report an error in the passage at 5:57 Highlight the passage at 5:57

6:04 They couldn't cross the Harbor Bridge. Really? Report an error in the passage at 6:04 Highlight the passage at 6:04

6:27 Oh, okay. Report an error in the passage at 6:27 Highlight the passage at 6:27

6:39 Thank you. How Report an error in the passage at 6:39 Highlight the passage at 6:39

6:49 are you feeling? How are you feeling? evening. Report an error in the passage at 6:49 Highlight the passage at 6:49

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7:10 did some reading today and to try and catch up Report an error in the passage at 7:10 Highlight the passage at 7:10

7:26 So Report an error in the passage at 7:26 Highlight the passage at 7:26

7:32 tonight and one more session. It's Report an error in the passage at 7:32 Highlight the passage at 7:32

7:57 a difficult world, I think, in many ways. It's a lot of suffering. Report an error in the passage at 7:57 Highlight the passage at 7:57

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8:49 So there are different levels of going for refuge and different interpretations of what it means to go for refuge. I think perhaps I mentioned... Report an error in the passage at 8:49 Highlight the passage at 8:49

9:04 I read a short piece by Rachel Remen where she talked about the fact of one way, at least, of looking at going for refuge is that we go for refuge from suffering. Report an error in the passage at 9:04 Highlight the passage at 9:04

9:18 And we can, I think that's fair enough, that none of us want to suffer. We all want to be happy, no matter what the differences, superficial differences amongst us, most basically. But this also extends equally to others besides ourselves. Report an error in the passage at 9:18 Highlight the passage at 9:18

9:41 that we perhaps You know, the people that we do care about, the people that we have compassion for, but also for those we don't, for those we harbor some animosity or resentment Report an error in the passage at 9:41 Highlight the passage at 9:41

9:59 or whatever. There's a lot of misguided people in the world. Report an error in the passage at 9:59 Highlight the passage at 9:59

10:07 So, you know, we have limited control over our own situations and destinies and we're trying to, I think, develop some skills. Around how to work with our own mind and therefore our lives in order to lessen our suffering and find more of what we want in our life. I think that's fair enough. I think that's a quite intelligent way to go about the problem of suffering is to try to develop ourselves and working with our problems at a more fundamental level. Report an error in the passage at 10:07 Highlight the passage at 10:07

10:42 But also we can kind of begin to understand it, I guess, Report an error in the passage at 10:42 Highlight the passage at 10:42

10:51 widen our scope of concern. Report an error in the passage at 10:51 Highlight the passage at 10:51

10:59 And beginning with those perhaps are in immediate proximity or just our families and our relatives and friends. Report an error in the passage at 10:59 Highlight the passage at 10:59

11:19 So the notion is that the more we are, the more that we can do, the more that we have, the more that we can give. So hopefully our way of living our life is part of the solution to the problem of suffering and is part of simply adding more suffering to the world. Report an error in the passage at 11:19 Highlight the passage at 11:19

11:43 But over and above that, maybe we can actually begin to, in some small ways, have some kind of effect in a modest fashion on the people immediately around us, but maybe that will have some significant follow-ons and ripple effects. The more people who create a peaceful mind and have a loving attitude and are concerned with the suffering of others, compassion and so forth. Report an error in the passage at 11:43 Highlight the passage at 11:43

12:12 And moreover have some skill, some wisdom about how to maybe to create a better world, both for ourselves and others. Maybe the general suffering in the world will be that much less. So Report an error in the passage at 12:12 Highlight the passage at 12:12

12:34 we're all interdependent and we're not islands unto ourselves. What we do and don't do affects others, both immediately but also maybe in some unforeseen. in a bed. Report an error in the passage at 12:34 Highlight the passage at 12:34

12:53 It weighs somewhere down the line. So we can go for refuge not only for our own piece of chocolate cake to find our own happiness and remove our own suffering, but we can have a greater vision, an ever-widing concern for others about us. Maybe we can't presently imagine how we can make any major effects on the world. Report an error in the passage at 12:53 Highlight the passage at 12:53

13:29 Nonetheless, we can... Sort of direct ourselves where we like to go at least. We can create a positive wish, positive aspiration to become a better person for the sake of others. Report an error in the passage at 13:29 Highlight the passage at 13:29

13:54 At least we're doing something. Report an error in the passage at 13:54 Highlight the passage at 13:54

13:58 So if you'd like to join in, we can always write the verse of refuge together. I go for refuge until I'm awakened to the Buddha, Dharma and Saṅgha through the collections of merit and wisdom created out of generosity and the other practices. May I become a Buddha for the sake of all sentient beings. I go for refuge until I am awakened to the Buddha, Dharma and Saṅgha. Through the collections of merit and wisdom created out of generosity in the other practices, may I become a Buddha for the sake of all sentient beings. Report an error in the passage at 13:58 Highlight the passage at 13:58

14:32 I go for refuge until I am awakened to the Buddha, Dharma and Saṅgha. Through the collection of merit and wisdom created out of generosity in the other practices, May I become a Buddha for the sake of all sentient beings. May all sentient beings have happiness and the causes of happiness. May all sentient beings be free from suffering and the causes of suffering. Report an error in the passage at 14:32 Highlight the passage at 14:32

14:55 May all sentient beings be insufferable from the joy that is without sorrow. May all sentient beings abide in equanimity, free from attachment for some and aversion toward others. Report an error in the passage at 14:55 Highlight the passage at 14:55

15:13 you'd like to stand or we're going to sit. Report an error in the passage at 15:13 Highlight the passage at 15:13

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16:15 Wear a baseball cap. Report an error in the passage at 16:15 Highlight the passage at 16:15

16:37 So taking a comfortable, firm posture. Begin by relaxing, getting in touch with our bodies. So I invite you to bring your awareness to the crown of your head, your scalp. And begin by imagining or actually feeling the wrinkles between your brow and your forehead, smoothing out the Report an error in the passage at 16:37 Highlight the passage at 16:37

17:09 pressure in and around your eyes, diminishing the Report an error in the passage at 17:09 Highlight the passage at 17:09

17:21 muscles of the face, softening, relaxing. Your Report an error in the passage at 17:21 Highlight the passage at 17:21

17:36 tongue is soft. Report an error in the passage at 17:36 Highlight the passage at 17:36

17:40 And jaw relaxed. Report an error in the passage at 17:40 Highlight the passage at 17:40

17:46 And bringing your awareness to the back of your neck and turning your head to each side a few times. Very gently loosening, stretching the muscles of the back of the neck and Report an error in the passage at 17:46 Highlight the passage at 17:46

18:06 bringing your awareness to your upper back and shoulders and drawing your shoulders up toward your ears and circling them to the back, Report an error in the passage at 18:06 Highlight the passage at 18:06

18:24 to the front. Just rotating your shoulders a few times. Report an error in the passage at 18:24 Highlight the passage at 18:24

18:37 Eventually returning your shoulders back up towards your ears and just allowing them to drop comfortably to the sides. And with that the feeling of some kind of burden or weight that you may have unknowingly been carrying around on your back over the course of the day. Report an error in the passage at 18:37 Highlight the passage at 18:37

18:57 Moving down and through your body into the ground as if some burden has been lifted from your shoulders. A feeling of relief. Report an error in the passage at 18:57 Highlight the passage at 18:57

19:15 And bringing your awareness all the way down to your hands. Your hands are soft. Report an error in the passage at 19:15 Highlight the passage at 19:15

19:30 Relaxing your lower arms, Report an error in the passage at 19:30 Highlight the passage at 19:30

19:38 your upper arms, your Report an error in the passage at 19:38 Highlight the passage at 19:38

19:47 chest is at ease. Report an error in the passage at 19:47 Highlight the passage at 19:47

19:56 Relaxing throughout the heart area, the central space of the chest, Report an error in the passage at 19:56 Highlight the passage at 19:56

20:12 a portion of your back. Report an error in the passage at 20:12 Highlight the passage at 20:12

20:29 And releasing the tension that we often hold in our stomach muscles just to allow the belly to go soft throughout Report an error in the passage at 20:29 Highlight the passage at 20:29

20:49 the abdominal cavity. And Report an error in the passage at 20:49 Highlight the passage at 20:49

21:02 keeping your trunk erect, relax your lower back muscles. Report an error in the passage at 21:02 Highlight the passage at 21:02

21:28 And Report an error in the passage at 21:28 Highlight the passage at 21:28

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22:11 finally your feet. Soft and loose. Report an error in the passage at 22:11 Highlight the passage at 22:11

22:23 And we'll scan through our bodies once again from the crown downward through the central portion of the body, paying particular attention to the tightnesses and tensions in the body and breathing into those areas and breathing out from those same areas. And with each out-breath, a loosening, a diminishing, a relaxing, the tensions and tightnesses in our body. Report an error in the passage at 22:23 Highlight the passage at 22:23

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23:29 With each out-breath, the Report an error in the passage at 23:29 Highlight the passage at 23:29

23:34 body becoming softer. Report an error in the passage at 23:34 Highlight the passage at 23:34

23:39 Relaxed, calm, Report an error in the passage at 23:39 Highlight the passage at 23:39

23:45 a pleasant place to be in the body. Report an error in the passage at 23:45 Highlight the passage at 23:45

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24:49 Just stay with your body for a while. Relaxed. I Report an error in the passage at 24:49 Highlight the passage at 24:49

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25:37 invite you to become aware of the fact that you're breathing. And just now, when you became aware, what was the physical sensation in the body? Where was it that indicated to you that you're breathing in, that you're breathing out? And just focus your awareness slightly. Rest your attention on that physical sensation. Report an error in the passage at 25:37 Highlight the passage at 25:37

26:04 Associated with the natural breath. You can combine it, if you wish, with the counting of the breaths. Report an error in the passage at 26:04 Highlight the passage at 26:04

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30:34 Mind back. Report an error in the passage at 30:34 Highlight the passage at 30:34

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36:15 So we're going to shift our attention to a sensation of the body other than that of the breath. So focus your awareness on a sensation of the body. Report an error in the passage at 36:15 Highlight the passage at 36:15

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37:26 And again, shifting our attention this time, listening to the sounds around us, both near and far. Focusing your awareness on sound, Report an error in the passage at 37:26 Highlight the passage at 37:26

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39:00 turning our attention inward to the mind itself, the thoughts, the words passing through our mind, pictures, images, states of mind, restlessness, Report an error in the passage at 39:00 Highlight the passage at 39:00

39:21 displeasure, emotions, mind Report an error in the passage at 39:21 Highlight the passage at 39:21

39:29 itself. Report an error in the passage at 39:29 Highlight the passage at 39:29

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40:47 And finally just allowing the mind to become involved in any object that it naturally tends toward in a relaxing, easy-going way. Report an error in the passage at 40:47 Highlight the passage at 40:47

40:59 Maintain a degree of awareness, a watchfulness. Report an error in the passage at 40:59 Highlight the passage at 40:59

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42:07 Then we'll bring the mind back to the breath, easy, gentle, in and outflow, the natural breath. Report an error in the passage at 42:07 Highlight the passage at 42:07

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46:08 So we're going to continue with the six root afflictions. Report an error in the passage at 46:08 Highlight the passage at 46:08

46:18 I could demonstrate them for you quite easily for Report an error in the passage at 46:18 Highlight the passage at 46:18

46:27 my first demonstration. Report an error in the passage at 46:27 Highlight the passage at 46:27

46:33 So we're also going to look at, if you have it handy, we're going to look at the quiz answers of quiz 11. And combination with note four lines Report an error in the passage at 46:33 Highlight the passage at 46:33

46:58 as well. Report an error in the passage at 46:58 Highlight the passage at 46:58

47:09 So last time we looked at the first two of these six root afflictions, attachment and hatred. So we mentioned that the Report an error in the passage at 47:09 Highlight the passage at 47:09

47:21 Tibetan word for affliction, sometimes it translates as afflictive emotion or disturbing emotion or negative emotion. I Report an error in the passage at 47:21 Highlight the passage at 47:21

47:36 don't quite have a word for it. It's a compound of... Two words from the Tibetan, one nyong means to disturb, afflict, and mong means to obscure, it veils the mind. So this points out the fact that, as Karen pointed out, that normally the natural state of the mind is peace, but when an affliction arises, our minds are disturbed. Report an error in the passage at 47:36 Highlight the passage at 47:36

48:03 We lose the natural peace of the mind. But more than just that. We are obscured from seeing the actual nature of the object that we're relating with, that we're engaging, whether it's attachment or hatred. They all are wrong consciousnesses. They exaggerate or deprecate. They superimpose with regard to the characteristics of the object, a level which isn't present when it's attachment. Report an error in the passage at 48:03 Highlight the passage at 48:03

48:34 We exaggerate the appealing quality, and we've... Filter out, temporarily at least, Report an error in the passage at 48:34 Highlight the passage at 48:34

48:46 the negative, the drawbacks of the same love. Most everything has good and bad qualities, a combination of the two. But the afflictions by their nature are imbalanced states of mind. So they're either, in the case of attachment, exaggerating the positive, the appealing, and dismissing or overlooking the negative. Report an error in the passage at 48:46 Highlight the passage at 48:46

49:11 Whereas the... Anger, for attachment, for example, is exaggerating the negative aspect. And at the moment of anger, it just doesn't see anything good about that object. At that moment, at that moment, that particular state of mind is blinded to, obscured with regard to anything good about the object, positive about the object. Report an error in the passage at 49:11 Highlight the passage at 49:11

49:41 It's only picking out the, so it's very selective. of each other. It magnifies what it's singled out, what it's paying attention to. So we've gone through attachment and anger. Report an error in the passage at 49:41 Highlight the passage at 49:41

50:00 I might point out, I don't think I mentioned this last time, it's not in our text, but in general, anger is said to arise in dependence upon one main cause and two conditions. And this is useful. It's useful to talk about the emotions in this way, these afflictions, by deconstructing them. They're not quite as solid. Report an error in the passage at 50:00 Highlight the passage at 50:00

50:27 They're not these things in our head, permanent, substantial entities, which we give them an agency, almost a personality which they don't possess. They're just arising states of mind, just like a fever. Certain conditions arise, you go out and... You go out in the cold or whatnot improperly dressed and you run a fever. Report an error in the passage at 50:27 Highlight the passage at 50:27

50:59 The fever wasn't lurking somewhere in the depths of your being waiting for the opportunity to manifest and neither is anger or attachment and so forth. So there aren't these demons inside our heads as some that we have to be on guard in a way. But having said that... It's just a, there's no... Report an error in the passage at 50:59 Highlight the passage at 50:59

51:20 think, yeah, that's kind of a... Anyway, back to the point. It was brought out that there are certain triggers. We all have certain triggers. And the main cause of anger is most basically an unhappy mind or stress or irritation. Happy people don't become angry. So, you know, you might not get your want, but you don't become angry about it. Report an error in the passage at 51:20 Highlight the passage at 51:20

51:53 So the context in which anger arises is a stress, irritation, unhappiness. So the more that we're able to keep our minds happy, the less anger we will be. But there's also two conditions which are necessary as well. A frustrated desire. So we can see from this the less desires we have, less opportunity that our desires will be frustrated. Report an error in the passage at 51:53 Highlight the passage at 51:53

52:23 That is, say, will be obstructed, and therefore there are less opportunities for anger to arise. So anger arises in dependence upon desire, a frustrated and obstructed desire. Report an error in the passage at 52:23 Highlight the passage at 52:23

52:38 But we also have to identify an object which we see as obstructing our desire. You know, sometimes we might not get what we want, but it just seems to be the nature of things. And we don't point out to any particular... A person or a thing which is obstructing our desires. Moreover, interestingly, we take that obstruction to be the cause of our suffering. Report an error in the passage at 52:38 Highlight the passage at 52:38

53:07 You know, if it wasn't for you, I'd be happy. Report an error in the passage at 53:07 Highlight the passage at 53:07

53:13 We identify a person or it could be a traffic. You want to get to where you're going? Right. And that's obstructing my desire to get to where I want. And we have an unhappy mind. This constellation, But there's also physical sensations, there's memories, thoughts. This whole constellation of mental and physical elements is what we're calling anger. Report an error in the passage at 53:13 Highlight the passage at 53:13

53:42 So it's made up, anger isn't just a solid, substantial entity, it's made up of lots of little bits. But in dependence upon those lots of little bits, it's like the condition of a fever arises, the dependent arising. The state, a particular state of mind arises. So it's workable. We can, if we can make our mind happy, if we can, you know, there's lots of ways that we can work with these states. Report an error in the passage at 53:42 Highlight the passage at 53:42

54:11 They don't have the power. The third of these six afflictions is that of pride. So in our text, this is on page 55. There's a very brief definition in the answer sheet on quiz 11, where it just says a puffed up. A puffing up of the mind, independence upon the view of the transitory collection. So pride, the Tibetan, not Tibetan, the Sanskrit word for pride is manas. Report an error in the passage at 54:11 Highlight the passage at 54:11

54:52 And manas means measure. Pride is going beyond the measure of what is actually there. So usually it's an inflated sense of self. Or inflation of some quality of I or mine, something that's gone beyond what is actually there, beyond that measure. Report an error in the passage at 54:52 Highlight the passage at 54:52

55:23 I thought there Report an error in the passage at 55:23 Highlight the passage at 55:23

55:31 is, okay, question. How could, is there a distinction? And if there is a distinction, how can we distinguish between pride on the one hand as an affliction and self, we'll say self-esteem or feeling of self-worth? Report an error in the passage at 55:31 Highlight the passage at 55:31

55:54 Any thoughts around that? How can we make that? I mean, do you agree there is a distinction? Yeah. What would be some of the qualifications? Report an error in the passage at 55:54 Highlight the passage at 55:54

56:13 That is. Report an error in the passage at 56:13 Highlight the passage at 56:13

56:30 Okay. So a sense of self-esteem would be believing in one's worth and then as Report an error in the passage at 56:30 Highlight the passage at 56:30

56:48 worthy as others. Okay. And pride would be more of a sense of puffing up. Okay. Report an error in the passage at 56:48 Highlight the passage at 56:48

57:01 Okay. Report an error in the passage at 57:01 Highlight the passage at 57:01

57:14 Okay, Report an error in the passage at 57:14 Highlight the passage at 57:14

57:35 so self-esteem would involve what? Report an error in the passage at 57:35 Highlight the passage at 57:35

57:50 Desire to have a better mind. Report an error in the passage at 57:50 Highlight the passage at 57:50

58:00 Okay, so in Report an error in the passage at 58:00 Highlight the passage at 58:00

58:16 your places as opposed to separating. Okay, Report an error in the passage at 58:16 Highlight the passage at 58:16

58:39 so there's a kind of a uniqueness kind of notion around that. I'm special, special in some way. Please. Report an error in the passage at 58:39 Highlight the passage at 58:39

59:17 some qualities that Report an error in the passage at 59:17 Highlight the passage at 59:17

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1:00:02 We do have Report an error in the passage at 1:00:02 Highlight the passage at 1:00:02

1:00:24 a Report an error in the passage at 1:00:24 Highlight the passage at 1:00:24

1:00:49 sense Report an error in the passage at 1:00:49 Highlight the passage at 1:00:49

1:01:07 that one is healthy and one maybe not so healthy somehow. you have self-esteem in combination with clinging to a permanent self? Report an error in the passage at 1:01:07 Highlight the passage at 1:01:07

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1:01:13 David, did you have a comment? Okay. Report an error in the passage at 1:01:13 Highlight the passage at 1:01:13

1:01:23 Oh, okay. Okay. Self-valued. Okay. Yeah, okay. I was just using the word self-esteem. I'm just trying to contrast it with pride. Because sometimes, as is often the case, especially some new students coming to Buddhism, they hear about pride as an affliction. I shouldn't have pride. And the moment they feel good about themselves, they have this, oh, I'm feeling pride, and they kind of push it down. Report an error in the passage at 1:01:23 Highlight the passage at 1:01:23

1:02:03 But I don't think it necessarily has anything to do with anti-feeling good about yourself. Yeah? I think gratitude. Yeah? Report an error in the passage at 1:02:03 Highlight the passage at 1:02:03

1:02:29 Okay. Report an error in the passage at 1:02:29 Highlight the passage at 1:02:29

1:02:33 So what's the opposite of pride? Report an error in the passage at 1:02:33 Highlight the passage at 1:02:33

1:02:39 A pride, a shame, Report an error in the passage at 1:02:39 Highlight the passage at 1:02:39

1:02:46 self-fledging, self-gradging, humility. So I think pride, there's an element of comparison. That one is special in some way. I mean, you could be especially stupid. That's a form of pride. you know, I'm, I'm... I'm unique in this compared to everyone else. But I think humility is really centered in one's self. You have your sense of you know your self-worth. Report an error in the passage at 1:02:46 Highlight the passage at 1:02:46

1:03:22 You know what you can do. And it's an accurate measure. Coming back to this notion of measure. I can do this well. Report an error in the passage at 1:03:22 Highlight the passage at 1:03:22

1:03:33 And you can have some good feeling about that. And it's an accurate measure. So there's a sense of not necessarily... I went, what? Report an error in the passage at 1:03:33 Highlight the passage at 1:03:33

1:03:42 My sense of my self-identity isn't dependent upon comparison with others. I feel good about it. Everybody can be special. That would be fantastic. We're all special. So you don't build your identity in relationship to others, your own feeling of who you are and so forth. I don't know. That's kind of my take. There is a use of the word pride. Report an error in the passage at 1:03:42 Highlight the passage at 1:03:42

1:04:10 In a very positive sense, sometimes we talk about the pride of a bodhisattva who's working for the benefit of others. So there are these positive connotations of the same word. So it's used in different circumstances. But here it's a puffing up or going beyond the measure in some way of qualities about oneself. Report an error in the passage at 1:04:10 Highlight the passage at 1:04:10

1:04:43 About mine, my family, my country and so forth. Report an error in the passage at 1:04:43 Highlight the passage at 1:04:43

1:04:52 Something other than what is actually there. Report an error in the passage at 1:04:52 Highlight the passage at 1:04:52

1:05:02 And then the fourth of these root afflictions is ignorance. So ignorance is a big subject in Buddhism, obviously. And there are different levels of what we mean by ignorance. And first, just looking at... What is ignorance? And here in the quiz answer it simply says an unknowing with regard to the way things are. Report an error in the passage at 1:05:02 Highlight the passage at 1:05:02

1:05:34 So there are different levels of ignorance. But we can talk about ignorance in two ways. And one of them is simply a darkness of mind, an obscuration of mind. Report an error in the passage at 1:05:34 Highlight the passage at 1:05:34

1:05:57 Not knowing the way things are. So it's an unknowing quality. And this is the way ignorance is spoken of in Abhidharma. And this mainly, the text that we're using, the Manifest Knowledge text, for example, our text on minds and mental factors, is coming from that category of The three baskets of Buddhism called Abhidharma. And here it mentions Vasubandhu and Asanga, their brothers. Report an error in the passage at 1:05:57 Highlight the passage at 1:05:57

1:06:36 And Vasubandhu wrote, each of them wrote a text on Abhidharma. And within their definition, their way of looking at ignorance, they emphasized this quality of, it's an obscuration, it's a darkness of the mind. The inability to see. Whereas other Indian masters, they said, well, that's fine, but there's another more profound type of ignorance. Report an error in the passage at 1:06:36 Highlight the passage at 1:06:36

1:07:09 And they saw ignorance as misconceiving the way things exist. And here it says, ignorance that is obscuration with respect to the meaning of suchness. So if you look at page... One of our answer sheets, quiz 11, where it says quiz answer number five. Two types of ignorance. The ignorance that is an obscuration with respect to actions and their results. Report an error in the passage at 1:07:09 Highlight the passage at 1:07:09

1:07:37 So this is said to be ignorance with regard to the conventional. You know, what actually brings happiness and what brings suffering? We're obscured with regard to that. We have some wrong ideas about that. And the other type of ignorance is... The ignorance that is obscuration with respect to the meaning of selflessness. That's the ultimate. So sometimes in our texts, they'll talk about ignorance and they'll talk about it as if it's an ignorance with respect to the conventional. Report an error in the passage at 1:07:37 Highlight the passage at 1:07:37

1:08:13 And when they say conventional, they mean with regard to cause and effect, karma. Most of the time when we talk about ignorance, we're talking about Ignorance with respect to the ultimate. And here the ultimate can mean selflessness. And eventually when we discuss it further, we can talk about ignorance with respect to emptiness, the ultimate nature of things. Report an error in the passage at 1:08:13 Highlight the passage at 1:08:13

1:08:43 So two levels. Report an error in the passage at 1:08:43 Highlight the passage at 1:08:43

1:08:49 In the Wheel of Life, there's a tonka on my right hand side in the back. It depicts the Wheel of Life. And it has concentric circles, beginning with the root afflictions of hatred, attachment and ignorance. And then the various actions which arise out of that and bringing about these various six realms of existence. Report an error in the passage at 1:08:49 Highlight the passage at 1:08:49

1:09:19 And then on the outside concentric circle, there are what are called the 12 links of dependent origination. And the first link of dependent origination is ignorance. And it is depicted by a blind man walking with a stick. So that denotes the fact that we're obscured with the actual nature of things. And then due to that, we involve ourselves in actions, which is the second link in the iconography of the Twelve Links. Report an error in the passage at 1:09:19 Highlight the passage at 1:09:19

1:09:57 It's depicted as a pot or forming a pot or shaping karmic formations. So due to ignorance we create actions. From actions we condition our consciousness and so forth. So ignorance is the root. Report an error in the passage at 1:09:57 Highlight the passage at 1:09:57

1:10:16 And it can be, just to emphasize, it can be talked about with regard to ignorance, with regard to the conventional, which means the law of cause and effect, karma. Or it can, and most often it means, and this will become clearer as when we come to the view of the transitory collection, most often it means ignorance with respect to the ultimate, which means selflessness, the misconception of the nature of the I, the self, and so forth. Report an error in the passage at 1:10:16 Highlight the passage at 1:10:16

1:10:57 Okay? Report an error in the passage at 1:10:57 Highlight the passage at 1:10:57

1:11:14 Pardon? Report an error in the passage at 1:11:14 Highlight the passage at 1:11:14

1:11:21 Yeah, they're all, so all the afflictions obscure the mind. With regard to the actual way the object exists. Report an error in the passage at 1:11:21 Highlight the passage at 1:11:21

1:11:36 Last week in note 4, the Buddha used the metaphor or the analogy of looking into a bowl of water and one bowl of water was filled with dye. So when you look into that bowl, So we're super, you know, we... Report an error in the passage at 1:11:36 Highlight the passage at 1:11:36

1:11:58 You don't see an accurate reflection of your face. That's attachment. And the water in the bowl was boiling. And likewise, you don't see an accurate reflection of your face. It's distorted. What you're viewing is distorted. And that was analogous to hatred. Report an error in the passage at 1:11:58 Highlight the passage at 1:11:58

1:12:23 So all afflictions are wrong consciousnesses. The object does not exist the way it's appearing to us. We're relating to a hallucination to a lesser or greater degree. But we believe it's the case and we relate with it accordingly. Report an error in the passage at 1:12:23 Highlight the passage at 1:12:23

1:12:51 So on page one of note four, where it's coming down to the second paragraph from the bottom where it says number four, in general, Ignorance is divine as possessing a mistaken understanding of the four noble truths, the cause and effect and so forth. So as a mistaken understanding, ignorance is a kind of mental darkness because the mind is not clear with regard to the nature and qualities of the object. Report an error in the passage at 1:12:51 Highlight the passage at 1:12:51

1:13:19 But on another level, ignorance is not merely not knowing, but an actual holding to a mistaken conception here with regard to the self, grasping at a wrong view of the self. So this is the ignorance, which is... The root of all the afflictive emotions, which we're going to talk about later. Report an error in the passage at 1:13:19 Highlight the passage at 1:13:19

1:13:42 That's why it plays such a central role in the mental development in terms of the path. There are quite a number of quotations. For example, Arya Deva's 400 verses. Arya Deva was a great 8th century master. And where he said, you can make effort at morality and generosity, without the understanding of selflessness, you will never be find liberation. Report an error in the passage at 1:13:42 Highlight the passage at 1:13:42

1:14:18 At best, without developing the wisdom, understanding selflessness, which is a direct antidote to ignorance, at best we can make the Report an error in the passage at 1:14:18 Highlight the passage at 1:14:18

1:14:37 best of a difficult situation. We can't transcend it. We can't... Report an error in the passage at 1:14:37 Highlight the passage at 1:14:37

1:14:47 Overcome it completely. There's always going to be some flow. There's always going to be some degree of dissatisfaction, suffering in some way. No matter how much generosity or the ethical quality of our life and how much patience we, no matter how much effort we make, we have to understand, we have to overcome ignorance. Report an error in the passage at 1:14:47 Highlight the passage at 1:14:47

1:15:13 Any thoughts or questions around that? We're going to talk a great deal about ignorance. We'll talk a little bit more about it in a little while. When we come to the views. Report an error in the passage at 1:15:13 Highlight the passage at 1:15:13

1:15:29 So the wisdom of understanding selflessness, yeah, is the direct antidote to ignorance. Yeah, that's right. Report an error in the passage at 1:15:29 Highlight the passage at 1:15:29

1:15:47 Yeah, Report an error in the passage at 1:15:47 Highlight the passage at 1:15:47

1:15:55 I mean that's what, for example, last term we went through karma. We went through the ten non-virtuous actions. So the practice of ethics. Is some understanding that one begins to see the relationship between our actions and the results. To some degree we can have some actual experience of that. But some of it is dependent upon what we call inference through credible testimony. Report an error in the passage at 1:15:55 Highlight the passage at 1:15:55

1:16:35 Some of the subtle workings of karma. are obvious to ourselves. So we have to be able, we have to have some conviction in that from generosity wealth will rise. We talked about this when we talked about ways of knowing. So ethics, the practice of ethics is the way in which we can begin to improve our karma. Report an error in the passage at 1:16:35 Highlight the passage at 1:16:35

1:17:11 That understanding is working against the ignorance with regard to cause and effect of actions. Report an error in the passage at 1:17:11 Highlight the passage at 1:17:11

1:17:28 In that sense, Buddhism is very much a matter of education. Beginning to point out to ourselves, what are the real sources of happiness? And what are the real sources of our problems? And beginning to see the value of... that, yeah, okay. Report an error in the passage at 1:17:28 Highlight the passage at 1:17:28

1:17:35 You know, what are the... Report an error in the passage at 1:17:35 Highlight the passage at 1:17:35

1:17:47 An ethical way of life. So that would be an antidote to ignorance with regard to the conventional. But it can't remove suffering completely. That in and of itself cannot liberate the mind. We have to develop, overcome the ignorance with regard to the ultimate and the only antidote. Report an error in the passage at 1:17:47 Highlight the passage at 1:17:47

1:18:19 To that ignorance is the wisdom, understanding, selflessness, emptiness. Report an error in the passage at 1:18:19 Highlight the passage at 1:18:19

1:18:31 So again, let's look at doubt. Being two-minded with regard to the truth. For example, the four noble truths. So again, these mental factors are being set out in terms of what is conducive for the path, our journey along the path. And what are the obstructions? Not in general. So we're talking about a particular type of doubt, afflicted doubt. Doubt in general can be neutral or it can be extremely positive. Report an error in the passage at 1:18:31 Highlight the passage at 1:18:31

1:19:08 Again, Arya Deva in his 400 verses said, the mere doubt as to whether things truly exist or not can shake the foundations of cyclic existence. Just doubting, do things actually truly exist or not? you know, are Report an error in the passage at 1:19:08 Highlight the passage at 1:19:08

1:19:24 Having some real strong doubt about that is an extremely powerful and positive mind. So here we're talking about afflicted doubt, so not doubt in general. Report an error in the passage at 1:19:24 Highlight the passage at 1:19:24

1:19:37 Here the quality of the doubt is like a paralysis. It paralyzes us. Here the doubt is more than not is tending toward the non-factual. And holding, which acts as an obstruction. So I doubt if there's such a thing as liberation. And you're really firmly upholding. The mind begins to narrow Report an error in the passage at 1:19:37 Highlight the passage at 1:19:37

1:20:19 itself down to where it's not willing to really engage in looking at new facts, new possibilities. Here it says, Looking on page 60, just as it's been said above, it is a mental factor that wavers between two points with observations of the four truths and so forth. Report an error in the passage at 1:20:19 Highlight the passage at 1:20:19

1:20:45 This doubt hinders all virtuous activities, especially as it hinders seeing of the truth. Since it will be overcome when one sees the truth, it is said to be a thorough entanglement that is an object of abandon of the path of seeing. Report an error in the passage at 1:20:45 Highlight the passage at 1:20:45

1:21:02 you know, the... Sometimes the path is set out in five levels, sometimes five paths. Path of accumulation, preparation, path of seeing, path of meditation, path of no learning. So each of these are the stages that one passes through. First one enters into the path. One enters into the path of the Mahāyāna by generating the awakened heart. When you achieve the path of seeing, the third of these five paths, By having direct realization of the Four Noble Truths. Or another way of saying that comes to the same thing is a direct realization of selflessness. Report an error in the passage at 1:21:02 Highlight the passage at 1:21:02

1:21:46 And it says you become what's called a stream winner when you have direct realization of selflessness. So it says here, one sees the truth. So the truth here refers to the Four Noble Truths. We could just say selflessness. One sees selflessness. It is said to be... A thorough entanglement that is the object of abandonment of the path of seeing. And there's a footnote, footnote number 27. Report an error in the passage at 1:21:46 Highlight the passage at 1:21:46

1:22:18 It says, the three thorough entanglements. So these are kind of strange words, but we're entangled in these. And when we see the truth, that is to say when we have a direct realization of selflessness, We're released from these entanglements. And what are these three entanglements? The first is, let's go to the third first. Report an error in the passage at 1:22:18 Highlight the passage at 1:22:18

1:22:45 The third of these is doubt. So it's like Report an error in the passage at 1:22:45 Highlight the passage at 1:22:45

1:22:53 you are on a journey. But you may say, I want to go somewhere, but I'm not sure where I want to go. I'm not sure how to get there. Report an error in the passage at 1:22:53 Highlight the passage at 1:22:53

1:23:09 And the mind is, you know, doubt is being two-minded. It's like, you know, the Tibetans have this saying, sewing with a two-pointed needle. Report an error in the passage at 1:23:09 Highlight the passage at 1:23:09

1:23:22 You really can't get much work done. So this kind of, this afflicted doubt in which the mind, it paralyzes from making any kind of commitment, actually getting on with the work that needs to be done. Involving ourselves, engaging in a practice. You say, I don't know what to do. I don't know whether to go right or left. I don't know which is the path and which is not. So that kind of paralysis is an entanglement. Report an error in the passage at 1:23:22 Highlight the passage at 1:23:22

1:23:53 So at the path of seeing, when one sees, when one clears up doubt, that's the path. Report an error in the passage at 1:23:53 Highlight the passage at 1:23:53

1:24:06 The other two are, the first one was view of the transitory collection. We're going to talk more about that. Report an error in the passage at 1:24:06 Highlight the passage at 1:24:06

1:24:18 For most people, there is no path of liberation. The view of the transitory collection is holding the five aggregates, forms, feelings and so forth. We can just say the body and mind to be a self. Very strongly seeing the body and mind as a permanent, unchanging, independent self. Report an error in the passage at 1:24:18 Highlight the passage at 1:24:18

1:24:49 If you hold that, there's no path of liberation. This is the way things are. I am a permanent, unchanging, independently existent entity, I, self. Report an error in the passage at 1:24:49 Highlight the passage at 1:24:49

1:25:06 If one sees, so that is the view of the transitory collection, which we'll talk more about that. As long as one is holding that, then there's no path. There's no path to liberation. Report an error in the passage at 1:25:06 Highlight the passage at 1:25:06

1:25:22 You're held back. You're entangled by that view of the transcendental recollection. By seeing selflessness, you say, ah, there is a path. Report an error in the passage at 1:25:22 Highlight the passage at 1:25:22

1:25:32 I was under the control, the influence of a misconception. There is a path, and that path is the view of selflessness, the wisdom understanding selflessness. So when the path opens up to yourself, the view holding... The other entanglement is view holding bad morality and conduct as supreme, and we're going to talk more about that. This is, you know, you think, well, you know, many, sometimes, I don't know much about Hinduism, but many, they do have a whole view of that liberation exists, and some of their means of going about achieving liberation. Report an error in the passage at 1:25:32 Highlight the passage at 1:25:32

1:26:24 It would be mortification of the body, for example. Asceticisms, you know, sitting out in the hot sun with fires around you. Report an error in the passage at 1:26:24 Highlight the passage at 1:26:24

1:26:35 So that would be, from the point of view of Buddhism at least, that would be a wrong path. So that would hold you back. You'd be entangled in that and you couldn't get on. So by seeing the truth, That is, gaining a realization of selflessness. You overcome the fact, you say, there's no path. You overcome that. Report an error in the passage at 1:26:35 Highlight the passage at 1:26:35

1:27:03 You overcome doubt about which path it is. And you are assured not to take a wrong path. You understand the actual nature of the situation and how to get to where you want to go. And that's what it means here by abandoning these three thorough entanglements. Amongst these, one of them is afflicted doubt. Have a good evening. Report an error in the passage at 1:27:03 Highlight the passage at 1:27:03

1:27:32 You're welcome. You're welcome. Okay. We're going to have a session next week. I'm sorry. Yeah. There's one more session. Okay. Okay. Okay. So these three, what are called three entanglements. One abandons the view of the transitory collection. I would just say, conceiving the... Conceiving most essentially the body and mind as a self. One abandons the wrong views, holding bad views, holding bad morality and conduct as supreme. Report an error in the passage at 1:27:32 Highlight the passage at 1:27:32

1:28:13 One says, well, those really don't work. I have to generate the wisdom, understanding emptiness. That's the actual path. And one is no longer confused about what is and isn't a path. One abandons afflicted doubt. Report an error in the passage at 1:28:13 Highlight the passage at 1:28:13

1:28:30 So those are the five afflictions. They're called non-views. The fifth of the afflictions, or the sixth of the afflictions, is called afflicted views. And there are five of them. So if we look at the meaning of afflicted views, the group of five distinct erroneous views, including the view of the transitory collection. Report an error in the passage at 1:28:30 Highlight the passage at 1:28:30

1:29:07 So this first of these five views is probably, I mean, it's one of the most important. And, you know, we can look at, in our note four, page two, the afflicted views are divided into five distinct erroneous views. They are all afflictive wisdom. That sounds very strange, doesn't it? The word that... The word that is being translated as wisdom could just as well be translated as intelligence. Report an error in the passage at 1:29:07 Highlight the passage at 1:29:07

1:29:48 So we can use our intelligence wrongly, can't we? Many people do that. Your intelligence can be put to negative uses. So when we talk about afflictive wisdom, I mean, you know, it's... Report an error in the passage at 1:29:48 Highlight the passage at 1:29:48

1:30:10 Here it says, the mental factor of wisdom functions to discriminate or distinguish the objects before it, and therefore determines its qualities. In the case of the five afflicted views, the wisdom is discriminating its object wrongly. So even intelligence can be wrong, or we can say wisdom can be wrong. Report an error in the passage at 1:30:10 Highlight the passage at 1:30:10

1:30:35 It's the ability of the mind to discriminate the nature of the object, but we can... We can misunderstand or we can discriminate wrongly. So we come up with this strange, what do you call that? Anyway, Report an error in the passage at 1:30:35 Highlight the passage at 1:30:35

1:30:56 there's a word for that. Afflicted wisdom. Generally we think wisdom is something of an extremely wonderful quality. Report an error in the passage at 1:30:56 Highlight the passage at 1:30:56

1:31:14 So we come up with the word afflicted. Since this leads to further affliction, it's called afflicted wisdom. there's a word that, when there, the word. Report an error in the passage at 1:31:14 Highlight the passage at 1:31:14

1:31:21 So it is a kind of intelligence, but it's misconceived. It's distinguishing its object wrongly. All of these five views are distinguishing their object wrongly. So the first of them is the view of the transitory collection. On page two of our notes, the view of the transitory collection is an afflicted wisdom. Report an error in the passage at 1:31:21 Highlight the passage at 1:31:21

1:31:47 So it's intelligence. We're discriminating. Or distinguishing the object wrongly based upon observing the appropriated aggregates. So appropriated aggregates. Report an error in the passage at 1:31:47 Highlight the passage at 1:31:47

1:32:02 This terminology is going to be used again and again and again. The five aggregates. What are the five aggregates? Report an error in the passage at 1:32:02 Highlight the passage at 1:32:02

1:32:14 Forms? Okay. So most generally forms, you're right. Most generally we just mean the body. Okay. Second? Feelings? Okay? Pleasurable feelings, unpleasurable. Feelings, remember that in the Buddhist context, in this kind of discussion, feelings is very narrow in its meaning. It simply means either pleasurable feelings, unpleasurable feelings, or neutral feelings. In English language, feelings has a much broader meaning, doesn't it? Report an error in the passage at 1:32:14 Highlight the passage at 1:32:14

1:32:47 It includes many emotions. I feel like hitting you. Okay? In the Buddhist context, it's confined to what we call hedonic tone or the feeling tone, either pleasurable, displeasurable or neutral. That's all. Feelings, okay. Third, Report an error in the passage at 1:32:47 Highlight the passage at 1:32:47

1:33:11 discernment. That's a possible, yeah, that's a possible discrimination, sometimes called recognition, sometimes perception. This is this, this is a house, this is a chair, this is good, this is bad. That type of way of discrimination, the nature of the object. So that's the third of these five aggregates. Report an error in the passage at 1:33:11 Highlight the passage at 1:33:11

1:33:36 The fourth? Report an error in the passage at 1:33:36 Highlight the passage at 1:33:36

1:33:45 Almost. Report an error in the passage at 1:33:45 Highlight the passage at 1:33:45

1:33:50 The contact and wisdom are included in there, but it's much bigger than that. It's like a big catch-all, the fourth aggregate. Report an error in the passage at 1:33:50 Highlight the passage at 1:33:50

1:34:05 Formative mental factors? Okay, good. Yeah, right. So there's some different names, sometimes compositional factors. Formative factors, mental tendencies. So all of these 51 mental factors minus two, that is say 49 mental factors are included in what's called this fourth aggregate. So what are the two that aren't included? Feeling and? Report an error in the passage at 1:34:05 Highlight the passage at 1:34:05

1:34:46 Perception. OK. Discrimination perception. OK. So we've already enumerated those two, feeling and discrimination. The remaining 49 are included in the fourth aggregate. So it's a big grab bag full of lots of factors, contact and wisdom. So they're included in there. Report an error in the passage at 1:34:46 Highlight the passage at 1:34:46

1:35:07 Action as, if you mean by action and intention, it would be included in there as well. So we're going through 51 mental factors. 49 of them would be included in the fourth aggregate. So it includes... A lot. The fifth aggregate? Good. How many consciousnesses are there? Report an error in the passage at 1:35:07 Highlight the passage at 1:35:07

1:35:33 Okay, what are they? Report an error in the passage at 1:35:33 Highlight the passage at 1:35:33

1:35:41 That's a mental factor. Report an error in the passage at 1:35:41 Highlight the passage at 1:35:41

1:35:47 Okay, mental consciousness. Yeah, good, good, good, good, good. So these four, there are four on the mental side and one on the physical side. So we can, you know, one easy way of talking about them is body and mind. But if we were to kind of... Make a finer distinction. Then we divide mind into these other, the mental side into four aggregates of feelings, discriminations, compositional factors and consciousnesses. Report an error in the passage at 1:35:47 Highlight the passage at 1:35:47

1:36:16 So this is a view of the transitory collection is an afflicted wisdom that based upon observing the appropriate aggregates. So appropriated means that Sometimes they refer to as aggregates of clinging that we've assumed. We've taken on these aggregates. What we're saying is body and mind under the force of karma and afflictive emotions. Report an error in the passage at 1:36:16 Highlight the passage at 1:36:16

1:36:44 We've appropriated them. We didn't choose this body and mind. We were forced to take them on. So these are the appropriated body and mind. Essentially we're talking about body and mind. So it is wisdom. Discriminating afflictive wisdom that we're observing the body and mind. Seeing it as permanent. Report an error in the passage at 1:36:44 Highlight the passage at 1:36:44

1:37:18 Observing the body and mind. Grasp as an independently existent I or mine. It's a misspelling there. Here it says M-I-N-D. It should be M-I-N-E. Mine. My. Mine. My body. Report an error in the passage at 1:37:18 Highlight the passage at 1:37:18

1:37:40 Okay, so this view of the transitory collection is observing the body and mind and it sees it as, grasps to it as an independently existent I. Report an error in the passage at 1:37:40 Highlight the passage at 1:37:40

1:37:58 Do we don't know something? Report an error in the passage at 1:37:58 Highlight the passage at 1:37:58

1:38:04 What are you talking about? Okay. Okay. Okay, so we're observing the body and mind, essentially, and we're conceiving that to be an independently existent I. I am. think they did better. Report an error in the passage at 1:38:04 Highlight the passage at 1:38:04

1:38:21 In other words, a grasp at an independent existent self. Sometimes the I is associated with the body, sometimes it's associated with the mind. You know, when you stub your toe, you say, I'm hurt. When you're happy, you say, when the mind is happy, you say, I'm happy. That I is conceived to exist independent upon the body and the mind. Report an error in the passage at 1:38:21 Highlight the passage at 1:38:21

1:38:50 Independent upon causes and conditions and so forth. We're going to talk more about that. So here, that's called, so that particular conception, that particular afflicted wisdom is called the view of the transitory collection. On Report an error in the passage at 1:38:50 Highlight the passage at 1:38:50

1:39:16 the quiz answer number, page number one, quiz answer number six, quiz answer number 11. Explain the view of the transitory collection and the meaning of transitory collection. So a mental factor that observes the aggregates, so the aggregates of forms, feelings, discriminations, compositional factors, consciousnesses, and conceives them to be a real I or a mind. Report an error in the passage at 1:39:16 Highlight the passage at 1:39:16

1:39:49 So the aggregates. An aggregate is like lots of little bits, a bundle of something. Sometimes they're called the five bundles. There's lots of parts collected together. They're Report an error in the passage at 1:39:49 Highlight the passage at 1:39:49

1:40:11 a collection. So since the aggregates are transitory, so they're constantly changing, they're momentarily arising, abiding, ceasing, and they're made up of collections. So they're constantly changing and made up of many parts. They are an unsuitable base for conceiving a permanent, and by permanent we mean unchanging, and a unitary, that it means... Report an error in the passage at 1:40:11 Highlight the passage at 1:40:11

1:40:36 A partless or unitary or a single I or mind. We conceive it. So the view of the transcendent recollection is an afflicted wisdom conceiving the body and mind to be unchanging and singular or unitary. Report an error in the passage at 1:40:36 Highlight the passage at 1:40:36

1:41:02 We have a sense that we're going to talk a great deal about that in the future. Does that make any sense? Yeah. Something Report an error in the passage at 1:41:02 Highlight the passage at 1:41:02

1:41:23 there that we're at that moment that is a rising dependence upon the view of the trans-story collection, which is conceiving of the body and mind to be unchanging and unitary. Report an error in the passage at 1:41:23 Highlight the passage at 1:41:23

1:41:56 So this view of the trans-story, we're going to come to that. The view of the trans-story collection underpins all the afflictions, attachment, hatred, pride, and so forth. Report an error in the passage at 1:41:56 Highlight the passage at 1:41:56

1:42:10 Oh, self-worth. Oh, okay. Report an error in the passage at 1:42:10 Highlight the passage at 1:42:10

1:42:16 Okay, does it... So, yeah, it's a good question. Yes, so we can... I mean, that's a difficult question. Report an error in the passage at 1:42:16 Highlight the passage at 1:42:16

1:42:41 Yeah, Report an error in the passage at 1:42:41 Highlight the passage at 1:42:41

1:43:07 yeah, yeah. Report an error in the passage at 1:43:07 Highlight the passage at 1:43:07

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1:43:44 non-nullistic that we don't exist. Report an error in the passage at 1:43:44 Highlight the passage at 1:43:44

1:43:55 I mean, all those views, you know, it's just kind of sub, let me say, you know, the view of the Transitor collections just up into like 21 or so 20. And when you look at them, I mean, this is how we view ourselves. Yeah. Yeah. So we kind of really think or we to understand that this is not the truth, that the truth is new, but really in real life, you know, most of the time, because we're so used to looking at things this way. Report an error in the passage at 1:43:55 Highlight the passage at 1:43:55

1:44:27 So, of course, it's kind of the base of everything. Report an error in the passage at 1:44:27 Highlight the passage at 1:44:27

1:44:34 You're right. I was just looking for it. There's a paragraph which I'm trying to find. Report an error in the passage at 1:44:34 Highlight the passage at 1:44:34

1:44:53 Yeah, here it is. It's on page 59. So, yeah, it's a, you know, it says, it says ignorance is of two types, okay? Ignorance and then... right. Report an error in the passage at 1:44:53 Highlight the passage at 1:44:53

· · · silence, 1 minute

1:45:11 It mentions them, then explains each of them, each of the two. The ignorance that is an obfuscation with respect to actions and the result causes one to accumulate actions for Report an error in the passage at 1:45:11 Highlight the passage at 1:45:11

1:45:26 rebirth in lower realms. That is, through misconceiving the nature of cause and effect, we create negative actions. and are we mistaken with regard to what actually brings about happiness, we create suffering for ourselves. But the second one, ignorance that is obscuration with respect to the meaning of suchness or the ultimate. Report an error in the passage at 1:45:26 Highlight the passage at 1:45:26

1:45:54 So what you say is quite right in the sense that when the ignorance acts as a basis for an affliction, it creates the causes of suffering. Report an error in the passage at 1:45:54 Highlight the passage at 1:45:54

1:46:20 But even we can do positive actions, even Report an error in the passage at 1:46:20 Highlight the passage at 1:46:20

1:46:36 in the context of ignorance, which will perpetuate cyclic existence, but will bring a type of happiness within cyclic existence. But still, it binds us to cyclic existence. I don't know if that causes one to accumulate actions for circling in good migrations. So you want, so even... We can create positive actions even motivated out of ignorance. Ignorance with respect to the nature of the I, the self. Report an error in the passage at 1:46:36 Highlight the passage at 1:46:36

1:47:13 I am doing prostrations. I am saying prayers. So we can do positive actions in conjunction with misconceiving the nature of the I. That is, say, in conjunction with ignorance. But they are positive actions. And they will bring about a positive result. But that positive result will always be within cyclic existence. Ignorance, I don't know if I'm okay. Report an error in the passage at 1:47:13 Highlight the passage at 1:47:13

1:47:50 Actions based upon ignorance. Report an error in the passage at 1:47:50 Highlight the passage at 1:47:50

1:47:59 So ignorance is the root of all actions, both positive and negative. And so we can create positive actions even in conjunction with ignorance. You know, even, you know, I'm... Report an error in the passage at 1:47:59 Highlight the passage at 1:47:59

1:48:18 I'm a, you know, I'm I'm a... We can meditate with ignorance. We can do prostrations with ignorance. We can say prayers with ignorance. We can say mantras with ignorance. Report an error in the passage at 1:48:18 Highlight the passage at 1:48:18

1:48:35 So what I'm saying, that will always tend to perpetuate cyclic existence, even though it brings about a positive result. Other types, but we can also create negative results. And these negative results is when that ignorance... Is the root of an afflictive emotion such as attachment, hatred and so forth. Then that's not only perpetuate cycling existence, but perpetuate suffering within cycling existence. Report an error in the passage at 1:48:35 Highlight the passage at 1:48:35

1:49:03 So does that make sense? So self-esteem. So getting back to your original question, you could have self-esteem, but you could be misconceiving that self. So as Margaret was pointing out, In general, that's a positive quality. To have self-worth and self-esteem. But we could at the same time, that self which we find so worthy, which is a very positive, we would see as a positive state, could be being misconceived as an independently existent self. Report an error in the passage at 1:49:03 Highlight the passage at 1:49:03

1:49:43 So that would perpetuate cyclic existence, even though you would probably get along much better in cyclic existence. Things would go better for you in cyclic existence. It's going to perpetuate it. The only thing that transcends, that no longer doesn't serve the function of perpetuating cyclic existence is the wisdom, understanding and selflessness. Report an error in the passage at 1:49:43 Highlight the passage at 1:49:43

1:50:04 That's the only thing that steps out of the whole system. Report an error in the passage at 1:50:04 Highlight the passage at 1:50:04

1:50:15 So that wisdom is the direct antidote to ignorance. Report an error in the passage at 1:50:15 Highlight the passage at 1:50:15

1:50:36 There's not what's called contaminated actions. Report an error in the passage at 1:50:36 Highlight the passage at 1:50:36

1:50:47 I mean, it's a very difficult subject. I mean, not difficult, I just don't understand it very well. But the Buddha creates, does activities. But Buddha's actions, they're likened to a bird flying through the trail left by a bird flying through the sky. Report an error in the passage at 1:50:47 Highlight the passage at 1:50:47

1:51:11 Buddha's actions, what we call Buddha activities, Are likened to a bird, the trail left by a bird flying through the sky. What's the trail of a bird, what's that like, the trail of a bird flying through the sky? Report an error in the passage at 1:51:11 Highlight the passage at 1:51:11

1:51:27 There's nothing. Our actions condition our mind. There's a residue. A bird's actions are completely spontaneous. They just arise and then there's no residue. There's no... Report an error in the passage at 1:51:27 Highlight the passage at 1:51:27

1:51:48 There's no conditioning of the mind from our actions, as in the case of our actions. So he doesn't leave any footprints. All his actions are spontaneous from moment to moment to moment to moment. They're not conditioned by what he did in the past. Our actions are conditioned by what we did in the past. So there are actions, but they're quite different. Report an error in the passage at 1:51:48 Highlight the passage at 1:51:48

1:52:12 They're not karmic. Report an error in the passage at 1:52:12 Highlight the passage at 1:52:12

· · · silence, 1 minute

1:52:59 yeah, I think I understand what you're saying. It's a little bit like, you know, you don't... Report an error in the passage at 1:52:59 Highlight the passage at 1:52:59

1:53:10 call yourself this diversity of goals and actions. and unaffected by came before. Report an error in the passage at 1:53:10 Highlight the passage at 1:53:10

1:53:25 of the conversation we've had was up of three things, and one of those things was the previous Yeah. So once you've reached that state, you bring it down to a small enough view of moment. Report an error in the passage at 1:53:25 Highlight the passage at 1:53:25

1:53:41 thought that was going to be broken. Report an error in the passage at 1:53:41 Highlight the passage at 1:53:41

1:53:46 the moment of consciousness being based on the previous moment of consciousness. Okay, so we're not talking about consciousness in general, we're calling it conditioned consciousness. That's what the third link in dependent origination is, conditioned consciousness, not consciousness in general. Report an error in the passage at 1:53:46 Highlight the passage at 1:53:46

1:54:17 So everything is fresh, spontaneous, it's not patterned activity, it's not patterned by what's gone on in the past. the commandment you described. Report an error in the passage at 1:54:17 Highlight the passage at 1:54:17

1:54:29 Everything is, yeah, it's hard to imagine. Report an error in the passage at 1:54:29 Highlight the passage at 1:54:29

1:54:49 Previous moment? Report an error in the passage at 1:54:49 Highlight the passage at 1:54:49

· · · silence, 1 minute

1:55:33 Why is that? previous experiences, thoughts. Report an error in the passage at 1:55:33 Highlight the passage at 1:55:33

1:55:27 zero down to that moment-to-moment, you know, experience, consciousness is a stream of moments. Report an error in the passage at 1:55:27 Highlight the passage at 1:55:27

1:55:45 just seems to me that that's the... That's the fine grain of experience. I mean, everything is based on previous moments, either of consciousness or of cognition or of... So the consciousness is still there. There's a first moment of Buddha consciousness, a second moment of Buddha consciousness, and that second moment is dependable. No, that's great. Report an error in the passage at 1:55:45 Highlight the passage at 1:55:45

1:56:17 Yeah. Report an error in the passage at 1:56:17 Highlight the passage at 1:56:17

1:56:25 be able to experience a moment of consciousness being you. Report an error in the passage at 1:56:25 Highlight the passage at 1:56:25

1:56:32 on the previous mode of a concept I still Report an error in the passage at 1:56:32 Highlight the passage at 1:56:32

1:56:41 yeah, is it, I'm tough on, I'm, I'm, I'm. Okay. I think that's great what you're trying to work out there. Report an error in the passage at 1:56:41 Highlight the passage at 1:56:41

1:56:57 So, yeah, so the upshoot of all this is that the view of the transitory collection is this ignorance misconceiving the... Okay. Report an error in the passage at 1:56:57 Highlight the passage at 1:56:57

1:57:11 Observing the body and mind, the five aggregates, and conceiving of them to exist as an independent self. Report an error in the passage at 1:57:11 Highlight the passage at 1:57:11

1:57:42 Yeah, it could very well be. Yeah, Report an error in the passage at 1:57:42 Highlight the passage at 1:57:42

1:57:51 that's right. Ignorance is not always manifested. But there are times when that's right. Report an error in the passage at 1:57:51 Highlight the passage at 1:57:51

1:58:03 If we couldn't create virtue, Report an error in the passage at 1:58:03 Highlight the passage at 1:58:03

1:58:09 a great portion of our lives, ignorance is manifested. But that's not to say that even in that kind of context we can't create virtue. I'm giving to you. In that moment I can be conceiving myself as separate from you, as independent from yourself. And I'm giving to you. And I can have a generosity in that context so I can be creating virtue even though the mind is, ignorance is operating. Report an error in the passage at 1:58:09 Highlight the passage at 1:58:09

1:58:48 But that's not ignorance with respect to karma. That's ignorance with respect to the nature of itself. Report an error in the passage at 1:58:48 Highlight the passage at 1:58:48

1:58:58 Okay. Report an error in the passage at 1:58:58 Highlight the passage at 1:58:58

1:59:01 We're going to whip through these next week. I like, yeah, I hope to. Report an error in the passage at 1:59:01 Highlight the passage at 1:59:01

1:59:13 The pressure's on. Report an error in the passage at 1:59:13 Highlight the passage at 1:59:13

1:59:17 You're going to stay here until we finish. No, Report an error in the passage at 1:59:17 Highlight the passage at 1:59:17

1:59:26 it's good. Questions are very good, actually. I wish I could answer them. Report an error in the passage at 1:59:26 Highlight the passage at 1:59:26

1:59:33 So we can dedicate the positive energy we've created together. So next week will be our last session together for the year. Report an error in the passage at 1:59:33 Highlight the passage at 1:59:33

1:59:54 May all beings everywhere, plagued by sufferings of body and mind, attain an ocean of happiness and joy by virtue of my merits. May no living creature suffer, commit evil or fall ill. May no one be afraid or belittled with a mind weighed down by depression. May the blind see forms and deaf hear sounds. May those whose bodies are worn with toil be restored on finding repose. Report an error in the passage at 1:59:54 Highlight the passage at 1:59:54

2:00:19 May the naked find clothing, the hungry find food. May the thirsty find water and delicious drink. 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. May all medicines be effective and wholesome prayers bear fruit. May all who are sick and ill quickly be freed from their ailments. Report an error in the passage at 2:00:19 Highlight the passage at 2:00:19

2:00:45 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 powers find power and may people think of benefiting each other. 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. Through these skillful actions may I quickly become an awakened spiritual master and lead each and every living being to that awakened realm. Report an error in the passage at 2:00:45 Highlight the passage at 2:00:45

2:01:15 May the supreme jewels of the awakened heart and mind that have not arisen arise and grow, and that those that have arisen never diminish but increase more and more. And the land is circled by snow mountains. You are the powerful Chenrizi Tenzin Gyatso. Please remain to the end of cycling in distance. Report an error in the passage at 2:01:15 Highlight the passage at 2:01:15