Audio recorded at Tibetan Buddhist Institute, Adelaide. Transcript auto-generated and AI-corrected; may contain errors.
About this talk. In this 48-minute talk, Kyabje Rinpoche investigates a central question: can ignorance—the root of suffering—be eliminated? Through logical analysis, he shows that ignorance is distorted awareness, not correct awareness. Since distorted awareness is overcome by truth, just as falsehood is overcome by facts, ignorance can be eliminated through wisdom realizing selflessness. The self that ignorance grasps as independent and substantially existent does not exist; recognizing this directly undermines self-grasping. Rinpoche walks methodically through this reasoning, grounded in the Four Noble Truths, showing how the certainty that liberation is possible arises from understanding ignorance can be dispelled. He concludes by clarifying the distinction between the false self to be negated and the nominal “I” that functions in daily life. For practitioners seeking philosophical grounding for their practice.
File metadata (for organising)
File: 1993-11-05 – 22B – KR.mp3
UUID: ddab7adf-6953-4c0a-af90-0426c4e50c81
Teacher: Kyabje Rinpoche
Collection: Compendium of Valid Cognition
Date: 1993-11-05
Recorded at: Tibetan Buddhist Institute, Adelaide
Words: ~2,741
Qualities of achieving a particular state and think how wonderful. We’re we’re naturally going to develop a longing. We’re really going to want and we’re going to implement the practices. We’re going put in the practices which means we can achieve that state on the one hand. And the other, if we see various faults and various negativities involved in certain ways of being, of thinking, states and behaviors.
And we’re quite naturally going to having seen well their faults and their negativities are going to seek to be rid of them, to get to abandon them. So when we see the sufferings of cyclic existence, we can understand that these these sufferings are these faults of cyclic existence. These various suffering are result. These are true sufferings. So we go into question, what are what is if they’re a result, what is the cause?
And the cause are the are true sources of suffering, true origins. And understanding that and not wanting to experience, see, identifying the negative and the faults of cyclic existence of these true sufferings, then we’re going to begin to implement the means by which we can eliminate these causes where we can bring a cessation of true sources. So, you know, looking at the nature of the of our of our results that we experience and their causes, we then develop an attitude which wishes to abandon this like the the cyclic existence to achieve liberation to achieve the qualities of nirvana or beyond sorrow which is a true cessation. So true cessation is is constituted of a flawless happiness. It is it is complete.
It is only happiness. And once recognizing that quality we go on to question, well how can I achieve such a state? What are the methods? And you know one develops a real longing to to achieve such a state and begins to examine the possibilities and the means to achieve such a state. What are the causes?
And this is the means of practice which is which are true paths. So we is that it is in is by means of an analysis of these four noble truths that we can develop a tremendously powerful practice in terms of, the at, liberation and and and happiness and the means to achieve that in in terms of cause and result. And then the various sufferings that we experience and the sources of these suffering and also in terms of result and cause. So we’re always discussing the Four Noble Truths and and the meanings of the Four Noble Truths. And we’re continually, you know, you’re you’re continually listening to teachings on the Four Noble Truths.
But it’s it’s extremely important that you identify what is the what is the the fundamental principle which is being discussed here. We have to recognize what exactly is being gotten at here. So I’m going to I’m going to, explain the essential features extremely well. So, you know, if we consider the fact that all of us have an attitude which wants to be rid of our suffering, that we we have a sense that we need to abandon cyclic existence. This is we all have this longing to get rid of our suffering.
It’s it’s definite that we have this attitude. So we we all have a dislike for cyclic existence. We all want to be free of suffering. We want to be rid of our suffering. We want to abandon our suffering.
We long to be free of our suffering. But so we all have this. We all have a longing to be free of suffering, but and cyclic existence. If we were to question, well, do I have the ability? And we we wonder, well, I don’t I don’t know whether I can or not.
We we simply don’t know. I don’t know. I don’t know. I don’t know. I I don’t So this is this is an extremely important point that we come to understand for ourselves that we have that we have the ability to to be free of our suffering and cyclic existence.
We have to we have to know this for ourselves that we we not only must want to be free of our suffering, but we must but we must know that we can in fact we have the ability. If if we don’t know this then there’s no there’s no way that we will develop the power of practice necessary to be free of cyclic existence. We’ll simply be caught in the quandary of thinking, know, can I be free or can I not be free? Can I rid myself of suffering or not? We’re not quite sure and we simply and in the meanwhile all our time passes.
And we we so we have to develop an attitude of tremendous effort to find this freedom. So we have to believe that we we have the ability. So though we might want to achieve liberation understanding that the state of liberate the state of liberation is characterized by the experience of only happiness whatsoever, but if we went on to think, well do I have the ability to achieve that state? And we at this point, at our present point, we simply think, I don’t know whether I do or not. Whether we have the ability or not, we simply think to ourselves, I don’t know.
So we have to understand that we in fact do have the ability, the ability to abandon our suffering, the ability to attain happiness. We have to understand it by means of a valid cognition. So we have to go on to investigate in terms of whether we have the ability or not to come to a stable stable, powerful ascertainment the fact that in fact we do have the ability. So how we to understand How are we to go about understanding whether we have the ability or not? The ability whereby to abandon our sufferings to attain complete happiness.
The method is to begin to look at the causes of our suffering. First first, to begin to look at the causes of our suffering, are our true sources. True sources are constituted of karma, actions, and afflictive emotions, but mainly the afflictive emotions. And the root of all afflictive emotions is ignorance. So where the question is coming down to, can, I abandon ignorance or not?
When we examine it if if upon examination we see that we are able to abandon ignorance, then we can abandon we can abandon suffering. We can be free of our suffering. We can attain liberation. If we cannot abandon our ignorance, then there’s no way that we can abandon our suffering. There’s no we cannot attain freedom from our suffering.
We cannot attain liberation. So it comes down to whether or not we are able to abandon ignorance or not. So if we were to examine, can I am I able to eliminate my ignorance or am I not able to eliminate eliminate my ignorance? What would you say? So if we’re able to eliminate ignorance, then we can eliminate the root of our suffering.
We can we can remove if we are able to eliminate ignorance, then we can move the the obstruction to the happiness of liberation. So the fact of our ability to eliminate suffering and to attain happiness of liberation comes down comes down to the root of the investigation of the nature of ignorance. So in our investigation of the nature of ignorance, we have to come to understand, well, is ignorance a is it a correct awareness, is it mistaken awareness, is it a distorted awareness. If it’s a correct awareness that’s to say if it’s factual with respect to the nature of its object, if it’s if it’s true with respect to the nature of its object then we we can’t eliminate it. For example, the the eye the consciousness which perceives the flower, it understands flower.
And we’re it’s a true awareness. It’s a factual awareness. We’re not we cannot eliminate that awareness. But if the there was a if the consciousness perceived the existence of no flower, then this would be a wrong consciousness. This would be the distorted awareness.
And a distorted awareness can be eliminated. That is and what what can be what can eliminate it? The an awareness which perceives the existence of the flower. That is an awareness which is concordant with the actual fact, which is true. So the self-grasping ignorance is self-grasping.
So we have to see whether the self which is being grasped at by ignorance is truly existent. Is it factually concordant with that type of object, or is it distorted? If it’s not distorted, then it can’t be eliminated. If it is distorted, then it can be eliminated by making use of a correct awareness. A correct awareness could eliminate a distorted awareness.
So it’s an it’s analogous to a situation where it’s a person tells a lie. And the way that that lie can be overcome is by the truth. The truth of the situation over is able to overcome a falsity with respect to that same situation. So truth is able to eliminate falsity. So with respect to to ignorance, it it is it is a is a falsity.
It is distorted awareness with respect to its object. Its object is the person’s aggregates or the person’s aggregates and the continuity of the person. And it is holding the person to exist independent of the aggregates. In this case, in this context, a self sufficient substantially existent self, self sufficient substantially existent self. So we have to question, well, is that the way the self exists?
Is that factual? And but in fact, the person which is held to exist independent of the aggregates does not exist. This is false. The person not relying the the awareness which conceives of the person not relying upon the aggregates is false. The awareness which conceives of the person to rely upon the aggregates is factual or true.
It is by means of this, correct awareness which which is factual with with respect which concordant with the facts that we can eliminate ignorance. So, you know, though we’ve presented a line of reasoning whereby we can remove ignorance, we we and the the remove ignorance which grasp at the at the self of persons which can be eliminated by the wisdom realizing selflessness. So therefore we can in fact abandon ignorance. But still though we want to though as we mentioned previously, though we wish to be free of our suffering and wish to attain liberation, it is not until we actually realize selflessness that we will gain certainty as to our ability to achieve this end. Though, you know, right now we really don’t have an ascertainment of this fact that we have this ability.
Though we want to be free of suffering and we’ve presented a line of reasoning whereby we can, we don’t have the real ascertainment. It is only gaining the realization of wisdom, of selflessness, that we develop a real ascertainment that one can be free of cyclic existence. For example, the person is not, self sufficient, substantially existent self, because it is, it is neither the same, nor different than the aggregates. Therefore, it is, not substantially existent, self sufficient self. Using various lines of reasoning, through meditating on these lines of reasoning, coming to, understanding, a realization of selflessness, it is then that one develops a real valid cognition with respect to the fact that one is able to abandon cyclic existence.
So we have to meditate on selflessness. It is when we realize selflessness, then we will we will simultaneously understand that we can be free of suffering, that we have the ability that we will generate a valid cognition, and the valid cognition which ascertains that we have the ability to be free of our suffering. So is it through understanding that that ignorance is the root of our suffering and that that the object as grasped that by ignorance in fact does not exist. Therefore such such a distorted awareness can be abandoned and through the development of wisdom. That this being the cause of our suffering we remove the cause, then we can really understand there’s not going to be a result.
That this ignorance acts as an obstacle to liberation. If we can ascertain by a valid cognition that we can eliminate this obstruction, then without the obstruction, then there’s nothing which hinders the attainment of liberation, that it can be achieved. So this what has just what what has just been explained is like the the condensed the combined essence of the reasoning. Yeah. Okay.
So we’ll stop there, but if you have some questions. I have tea. You don’t have any tea. So this is the this is really a wonderful path that the Buddha has taught. And if there’s tremendous gain at its end if we are able to travel it.
If if you can’t, then it’s your fault. So it is on the basis of our of our the basis of our present embodiment that we can travel this path of Dharma. There’s no other type of embodiment which is able to to travel this path. Yes. So there are many different reasonings that we could use as a means for meditating on selflessness.
One of which would be the the self which does not rely upon the collection or the continuum of the aggregates as a subject. It it it does not inherently exist because it is it is because it is neither neither inherently the same nor different than the aggregates. For example, the horn on a rabbit’s head. So, you know, we’re we’re talking about our self which does not rely upon the aggregates. The aggregates being aggregates aggregates of forms, feelings, perceptions, mental constructions, and consciousness, the five aggregates.
So a self or a person or I which does not rely upon the aggregates or the collection of the aggregates or the continuum of the aggregates. That person does not exist because if such a I or self or a person did exist then they would have to be either the same as the aggregates or different than the aggregates. If something exists it must be either the same aggregates or different than the aggregates. It must be one of these two. And this self or I is neither the same nor different than the aggregates, therefore it doesn’t exist.
For example, like a sky flower. A sky flower doesn’t exist. And so this is this self is like a sky flower. So we think about this again and again meditate again and again on this I, this self, the self which appears not to rely upon independent of the aggregates that realizing that it does not exist, then we have realized selflessness. I’m not very good.
Very very good. A self which exists? How about if I say self? Yeah. He’s talking about independence.
There is this. Yeah. How about if I ask if there’s a cell? The nonexistent cell. So the you know, we there’s the two selves.
There’s the one one the self which is the object of negation, but then there’s the nominal self. The self which when we say I go, I eat, I sleep, I work, this the I which is merely imputed. The self or the I which is merely imputed exists. So when to realizing selflessness one eliminates self grasping and one attains liberation and therefore, you know, when you when you go about your everyday business then self grasping can cannot manifest. Self grasping does not manifest.
And self grasping does not manifest then was one does not accumulate the karma which acts as a cause of cyclic existence. And you don’t have to take rebirth with cyclic existence. So if one has compassion, one takes rebirth out of compassion but not out of self grasping. So keep your. Ah.
So so keep your. Ah. Very good. So if you don’t if one doesn’t have self grasping, then one doesn’t suffer. And one and one has happiness.
This is what we want. And additionally, that out of compassion, then one can go about bringing about the welfare of others. I’m happy.