Audio recorded at Tibetan Buddhist Institute, Adelaide. Transcript auto-generated and AI-corrected; may contain errors.
About this talk. In this 47-minute teaching, Kyabje Rinpoche unfolds Candrakīrti’s *Entering the Middle Way* by connecting the five paths of bodhisattva training to the Heart Sūtra mantra — each syllable marks a stage of realization. He establishes the motivation first: placing others’ happiness above one’s own, and the determination to attain enlightenment for their sake. The core teaching traces the progression from compassion through the wisdom of emptiness to the awakening heart. Rinpoche then focuses on the first ground, where bodhisattvas achieve direct insight into emptiness and become irreversible. He describes the profound joy that arises from abandoning fundamental obstacles, the manifest powers (shaking a hundred world systems), and the permanent freedom from lower rebirths. For practitioners with some Dharma foundation.
File metadata (for organising)
File: 1991-03-07 – 5A – KR.mp3
UUID: b0f7e598-6782-4f0f-a982-686679003662
Teacher: Kyabje Rinpoche
Collection: Entering the Middle Way
Date: 1991-03-07
Recorded at: Tibetan Buddhist Institute, Adelaide
Words: ~2,706
Begin by developing the kind hearted attitude which among the two, ourselves and others, holds others more dear and wishes to to lead them to complete happiness and eliminate all of their suffering. In order to lead others to complete happiness, to eliminate their suffering that that if I do not myself, if I do not eliminate the faults of myself and bring the consummation of my excellent qualities then I will not be able to achieve that aim. In order to achieve that aim of eliminating all my various faults and bringing the consummation of my excellent qualities, I must carry on a practice. So for the next three minutes, cultivate the kind hearted attitude of the awakening heart, which is that in order to eliminate all my various faults, in order to bring consummation all my excellent qualities that I must practice the Dharma. In order to practice the Dharma, I must understand it thoroughly.
And therefore, I’m going to try and seek to understand this present teaching in order that I might be able to benefit all sentient being. So the text is the Middle Way,, entering into the Middle Way. And Rinpoche just recited the verse, which is listed in your translation as four c to five b, where it says, the mind of a child of a conqueror overpowered with compassion to liberate dedicated with aspirations and abiding in joy is called the first. So the text that we’re discussing is the Entering Into the Middle Way, Madhyamakāvatāra, and by the author is Candrakīrti. And why did he compose this text?
It was in order for his many disciples to be able to practice the great vehicle well. So in this is the Entering the Middle Way is a book or a text in Tibetan language. A text is called a. A. So the the etymology of this word, which is simply translated as text.
There’s two there’s two syllables. Means literally means example. And, generally, we talk about example and then the meaning of the example. So the word here means the factor. So the factor of the example.
So a is that which is the factor or the element of the example aside from the factor of meaning? Just the the element or the factor of example. So this the word Tibetan word, and actually it has a rather significant meaning. Literally, we can say it means the factor of example. And what is being set out is the exemplification of those who have practiced the Dharma.
How did they go about their practice? What did they do? What did they realize? What qualities did they achieve through their practice? So a is an illustration of the mode the mode of practice, the types of practices, and what is achieved through practices by practitioners who have actually done this before us.
So the text which is the setting forth the factor of the example, those we come to understand how those previous practitioners, practitioners, what types of practices they engaged in, how they went through their various practices. We listen to these explanations, we study them, we come to an understanding so that we ourselves can engage in like types of practices, achieve those same qualities, eliminate those various, those similar types of faults. And this is the purpose. So there is the example and then the purpose. The example is the illustration of others’ practices and methods of practice.
And then the purpose of this study is to achieve those same ends ourselves. So there’s a great deal of meaning in this term, translated as text. So presently, we’re engaged in the process of listening to and reflecting upon the text entering into the middle way. And this, you know, who was it was it that practiced? Whose practice is being illustrated in this text?
Those are the practitioners who were trainees intent on entering into the middle way. And their methods of having accomplished this are set forth. You know, we begin to what is being taught are the various practices and how to implement those practices. What how did they achieve their ends? What did they achieve?
What did they eliminate in the course of practicing, attaining their levels of understanding? All of this order to that we can follow in the same we can follow upon making use of their same methods to achieve these same ends. So to give a humorous illustration illustration of this process of following as those who did before. And likewise, in my there’s a story about in my home area where I came from, there was a a great Lama had come, and the various high officials were going to have an audience to go meet with this high Lama. Many of the officials, these other high officials, they had never met such a high person, and they didn’t know the protocol.
And they were wondering, you know, how should we go and meet this person? And one high official said, just do exactly as I do. Just follow my example. And so they were going the place where the high lama was sitting, and it was very muddy. And the first high official, he slipped and fell in the mud.
And all the rest of them slipped and fell in the mud. Are So to follow in the same way, but we are to look toward the bodhisattva and act in the same way as they do. Sets out the the method of meditation or cultivation for his those trainees intent on the on, you know, on entering. And first, he says that they should cultivate compassion. Having cultivated compassion, then they should cultivate the understanding of emptiness.
And out of this they will achieve the awakening heart. But in this case, what is a nominal, what is called nominal, or merely name awakening heart. Once they have increased their and achieved an actual experience of the awakening heart, then they become fully qualified. It becomes a fully qualified awakening heart, They become bodhisattvas. So we who are seeking to practice the great vehicle should follow in the same manner as the previous bodhisattvas.
Those who were who practiced in accordance with the training entering into the middle way. They first cultivated compassion, then generated the wisdom, understanding, emptiness, achieved the nominal awakening heart, intensified their experience, and finally became fully qualified Bodhisattvas. So, upon initially generating the awakening heart, one enters into the first of the five paths of the great vehicle, and one becomes a novice bodhisattva. Then these five paths are set out in the Heart of Wisdom Sūtra, within the mantra, Gate Gate Pāragate Pārasamgate Bodhi Svāhā. This sets out the five paths of the great vehicle.
So the Gati Gati is the first two paths. Pāragate is the third path. Pārasamgate is the fourth path, and Bodhi is the fifth path. So this in this mantra setting that which sets out the five paths of the great vehicle, the first it mentioned the the syllables, denoting the first of the two paths. And these two paths are the paths of ordinary beings.
And by ordinary beings, we mean those who have not had direct realization of emptiness. Once one achieves the direct realization realization of emptiness, one is no longer an ordinary being but is a superior. That is to say, one is superior to ordinary beings having gained direct realization of emptiness and and achieves the third of the five paths. So during these these so these first two syllables, denote the first of the two of the five paths and the paths of ordinary beings. And these beings engage in various practices, and the main types of practices in which they are engaging in the course while they abide on these two paths are the cultivation of intensifying their great compassion, deepening their wisdom, realizing emptiness, intensifying their awakening heart.
But they combine this with the various other practices of the six such as generosity, ethics, etcetera. So this first two paths are called the path the first is the path of accumulation. The second is the path of preparation. Then the third syllable is that of paragate. Pāragate denotes the third of the five paths.
And these are these are correct paths, this or this path of superior. It is at this point that one achieves direct direct perception of emptiness, and one becomes a great vehicle superior by the power of that. And then the fourth syllables, denotes the increase in the force of one’s wisdom realizing emptiness that one achieves the fourth of the five paths. Then the syllable Bodhi denotes the exalted wisdom of the Buddha, which is the path of the Buddha. Fourth third paths, there is a presentation of the 10 grounds or the 10 levels, the 10 bhūmis, which are spread out over these two paths.
So the the third path that denoted by the term paragate is only includes the first of the 10 grounds. Then the fourth path denoted by the term, it includes part of the first ground and the remaining remaining grounds up the tenth ground. So there are no grounds on the first of the two paths, and the grounds begin on the on the on the third path. And we’ve we’ve I have arrived at an explanation of this first ground on the third path. So we’re going to be discussing what are the qualities of having attained the first of the 10 grounds.
And this is explained in terms of one’s own qualities, in terms qualities in terms of oneself, and there are eight of these. But also the qualities of outshining others in terms of one’s qualities relative to others. So in terms of oneself, there are eight qualities. In terms of how it compares to others, there is this quality of outshining others. So, again, beginning with that verse that we we first mentioned where it says, the son of the child of the conqueror, overpowered by their compassion.
But additionally, they haven’t achieved the direct perception of emptiness, they have now achieved the first ground. There are two types, translating this term in two different ways. bodhicitta, the usual what we call conventional awakening heart. This is the the awakening heart is what we normally talking about that for the sake of all sentient beings may attain Buddhahood. This is called the conventional enlightenment mind or mind of enlightenment.
I translate it as the awakening heart. But there is another type which is the ultimate awakening mind, or the ultimate mind of enlightenment, ultimate bodhicitta, which is the direct perception of emptiness. It is an ultimate mind. It directly perceives emptiness. So there there is a direct the ultimate awakening mind and the conventional awakening heart.
I translate a little bit differently. There the there are various presentations of these 10 grounds. There is a presentation as it is set forth in the Ornament for Clear Realization. And there is also the presentation as set forth here in our present text, entering into the middle way. And is there a difference in these two presentations.
The presentation as set forth in ornament is much more vast. It sets forth many all of the various qualities which are attained at each of the grounds such as the various, not only the emptiness which is being realized, but also the various types of compassion and in detail the various qualities. Qualities. But here, in entering, it only talks about the 10 grounds in terms of their direct perception of emptiness. There is a direct perception of emptiness at the first ground, direct perception of emptiness at the second ground.
So it’s a very narrow explanation as compared to the ornament. At the at the path, which is denoted by the the syllable which is the first ground, one achieves the direct perception of emptiness. And this is an ultimate mind. It is the ultimate awakening mind. And And just as in the case where one we call someone who has, for example, if someone has taken the vows of a monk, we call that person a monk.
If they’ve taken the vows of a nun, we call that person a nun. If they’ve taken the vows of female lay vows, we call that person a female lay holder. Bow holder. A lay female bow holder. Etcetera.
Likewise here, because this person has achieved his bodhisattva has achieved the ultimate mind, we give them a new name. We call them ultimate bodhisattvas. So this bodhisattva, upon having achieved the first ground, it is said of this bodhisattva that they had been born into the lineage of the Thus-Gone or born into the lineage of the Tathagatas, that is to say the Buddhas. And this is said because they have gone they have moved very far from the lesser vehicle, and they are very close to the actual attainment of Buddhahood. So therefore, they are said to be born in the lineage of the Tathagatas or the Buddhas.
Having having having a having been born into the lineage of those that’s gone, then as it says in verse number six, he he completely forsakes the three fetters. And these three fetters are great faults or obstacles to the attainment of Buddhahood, and these are completely abandoned from their very root at this point. And he generates within his mind a great a great joy or a great bliss. So, how is this great joy or bliss generated within the mind at this point? He realizes that he has now abandoned these three great faults, these three links.
And he understands that he no longer they no longer exist. That he and in fact, he understanding this, then there right he he there is no doubt within his mind any longer that he’s quickly going to attain Buddhahood. And there’s a great rejoicing since his his sole intention is to attain Buddhahood for the sake of sentient beings. And now he he realizes very deeply that he’s actually going to quickly, without doubt, achieve that in. And it rises in this great sense of joy and bliss from this understanding.
So it therefore, this first ground is termed the very joyful. And in Tibetan, means very or great. Means joy, very joyful, great joy. At this point, he manifests magnificent qualities. He eliminates far reaching faults, and he has tremendous power.
And the power to the extent as it mentions here in the text itself, verse in six, that he is able to vibrate a 100 world systems. That just by the tapping of his foot, the the world’s a 100 world systems will cause the shake. And as the text goes on to say in verse number seven, he, at this point, advancing from ground to ground, descends now all paths to bad migration have ceased. He no longer he he has completely blocked or completely ceased the possibility of taking rebirth in bad migrations. So his capacity is continually increasing, his power, by means of which he advances through the grounds, the first ground to the second ground to third ground.
This is done in terms of of his increasing his capacity and power. And as it says in the third line of the seventh verse, all the levels of ordinary beings are ended. This being is having attained the first ground is a great vehicle superior, and he no longer abides on any of the paths of ordinary people. So if his qualities were to be extensively explained, they be explained in terms of 12 sets of hundreds of qualities, 12 sets of hundreds of qualities. So, I mean, his qualities at this point that the bodhisattva having that direct perception of emptiness are un imaginable.
And if we were to attain the first ground, then we would attain attain these same qualities. We would have the same powers. So all of these various qualities, whatever they might be, these excellent qualities, these good qualities are in terms of oneself, one’s one’s own individual. In terms in reference to oneself, one has these qualities.