Audio recorded at Buddha House Adelaide. Transcript auto-generated and AI-corrected; may contain errors.
About this talk. In this 45-minute teaching from 1996, Geshe Dhawa Gyaltsen establishes qualifications for studying emptiness: teachers must have direct experience with emptiness, not just scholarship, and students must avoid two intellectual traps—abandoning the profound view or using logic to deny cause and effect. He outlines two meditation types: space-like concentration and illusion-like meditation. He then presents the Buddha’s graduated approach, which teaches different levels of selflessness based on listeners’ intelligence—from understanding that the person lacks inherent existence to the subtler realization that all phenomena lack inherent nature. Geshe-la explains how we innately grasp at “I” and “mine,” then introduces the beginner’s logical method “free of one and free of many,” which requires first identifying exactly what is to be refuted. Whether this practice becomes true bodhisattva training, he emphasizes, depends entirely on motivation.
File metadata (for organising)
File: 05 HS.mp3
UUID: ad353a44-0a6e-45e0-87b0-9a52b7614ccf
Teacher: Geshe Dhawa Gyaltsen
Collection: Heart Sūtra (Geshe Dhawa Gyaltsen)
Date: 1996 (exact day not recorded)
Recorded at: Buddha House Adelaide
Duration: 44.7 minutes
Words: ~2,342
So quoting the line of master Candrakīrti in his teaching text known as Madhyamakāvatāra. In that text, there’s a where this was just chanted few lines which in those line explains the what sort disciples is needed for the I wanna say, for what sort of disciples are needed for the practice of emptiness? So so the training or the followers, the training should be someone who So, as an ordinary trainee should hear the teachings on emptiness and and and through the hearing of the teachings should should be should generate or feel joy in within by hearing the teachings. And And then as an external sign, the person whoever hears the teachings, an empty issue like a what is it? Out of joy, like, as an external sign of crying or or what do you call, the pores of the body standing up, hairs standing upright?
So whoever have these signs by hearing the teachings on emptiness, like the joy and that’s an external sign and those are the external signs. To to them, the teachings of emptiness should be taught. So, he’s just saying that from the side of the listeners here, not sure, he don’t know whether all of them have these qualities or not. And from my side as an explanation here. And I myself don’t have all these internal and external qualities.
So from the myself as myself, from the beginningless time engaging in in in always in negative actions and still not satisfied with that? So, at this time of when I achieved or I have gained this precious human body and where I have this all the chances for this practice, what are things to be adopted and what are things to be abandoned. So by knowing these and and hearing the teachings on emptiness, some of these sign sign appears. So so then if I look myself as as my qualities, then I’m not qualified not to give on teachings give teachings on emptiness. So the the the actual sign or the the disciple should be should be one when when they to hear a teaching on emptiness, should have great joy which the pores of the body standing up, the hairs on the of the body standing up and also tears coming to your eyes.
So that is what the actual sign should be. So so if if that is only one that is the only disciple where the emptiness is taught, if you in this period of time, in this time, this period, we won’t we won’t find anyone who who have that that who have, what to say, possessed those signs. So so then at present time, as a as a disciple who who listening to the teachings of emptiness should be like free from two faults. So so the first first fault is abandoning the profound view with not having any interest in it. That is what one of the fall is.
So so then the second fault that one should remove is that, there are many, logical analysis which I explained, for realizing emptiness. And I sometime like using those logical analysis that one come to a point where one doesn’t accept even the law of cause and effect. So this is also the thing that need to be abandoned. So disciples who who are free of these two faults, to them, if one is to teach emptiness, then, like, I wanna say, there’s no no faults or no faults there’s no fault of teaching emptiness to those to those So so so there’s no fault showing teachings of emptiness to to these disciples and from the disciple its own side, from their side they happen to collect all the necessary cause for for realizing this profound profound view? So and then as it is explained in the Mādhyamika text, the disciples should always engage in the practice of morality, the practice of generosity.
And furthermore, like, engaging in the practice of the bodhisattva’s deeds. So so as a disciple, as a right disciple, proper disciple for hearing teachings on emptiness, if the best then should be bearing all those signs, and if not, then should be free from these two faults. So if if one is not free from these two faults, then even for the explanator or by the speaker speaker to receive the faults of the speaking or teaching emptiness. And and and similarly also from the explanatory side, if he or she to give teachings on emptiness without any experience on emptiness then the person whoever breaks one of the root vows of bodhisattvas. So as you know that the Bodhisattva root vows where it says that teaching emptiness without training.
So So, in brief, the person who gives explanation on emptiness should have experience on emptiness and as a prompt listener, they should be free from these two faults. That’s the next So from the explanation side, don’t have, I would say, real experience, but has been studying for a long time, have have, what is it, some understanding of emptiness. So which the understanding that the explanation have known as like doubt tending towards the fact. So that kind of doubt the explanation So and then today, the the explanation that Geshe was giving here is the the on the side of the profound on the on the side of the what’s this? A profound view that is which is the practice of Bodhisattvas.
So whether this this practice becomes a Bodhisattva practice or not, it totally depends on our motivation. From both the explanator and listener, whether their practice become bodhisattva deets or not, it’s totally up to the motivation. So with the motivation that you had during meditations and setting the motivation from this morning, so I won’t be explaining that. So setting of the motivation that I listen to this teaching. So setting this motivation and we do short meditation.
So we did very short meditation because we don’t have much time. So if we do long meditation then again we won’t have time for question and answer next. So, well, Geshe-la explains with the explanation when if you don’t understand or if you have a doubt, just ask the question. So meditation on emptiness can be, I would say, in two ways meditation on emptiness can be done. One, like a space like concentration.
That is one concentration which is known as space like concentration. That is one. And then second one, post-meditative. And then second is like the illusion like illusion like illusion and like space. There are these two two ways of meditating on emptiness.
So to give a detailed explanation of all these because it’s very short time. It won’t cover whole thing. Concentration on emptiness that is what Geshe-la started explaining yesterday. As a beginner there are four or five levels, five paths or five levels of meditations how or practice how one can, how how one do in high level of practice that one can do on the view of emptiness. So so as Buddha have told to those who are known as the most lowest intelligent one, to them Buddha taught the selflessness of a person which is permanent, independent and permanent.
So the self that permanent what do you call? Self sorry. The self selfless that which is being permanent and independent. Permanent, single, and independent. So so then so that those with medium intelligence, again, Buddha taught another level of selflessness of the person.
So so then so then those with more intelligent ones, to them also would have thought that All phenomena are inherently existent but empty of truly existent. So so then the most or the sharpest of all to them, intelligent of all, to them Buddha taught the non inherent inherent existing of all phenomena. So so the the final one, the last one is the the the final view, which is known as the view of So so the generally speaking, there are there are three types of views which are which are explained here. The the view that law of karma doesn’t exist. And then the view that the existing of self.
And then and then then finally, third view that is a view of inherent existing. There are three views. So, are the three views that need to be removed or overcome. And as is explained in the Four Hundred Stanzas, the text says that the small and medium scope is small and medium scope practice is which overcomes the first view that is the view believing that the nonexistent law of karma. So then then after that, it nearly continues with the practice where you first remove the the inner existing of self of a person, and then then and then it continues with the second the last which is the you move or or you overcome the inherent existence of all phenomena.
So similar to what is explained in the four hundred stanzas, the text that we too first discuss the selflessness of a person. So, this both selflessness that the selflessness that is explained in both, the selflessness of the person, the selflessness of phenomena, both being selflessness, There’s no difference in subtleties and in subtleties both are same being selflessness. And also, there’s no difference in realizing them. They they have they they have they have they there’s no difference in realizing them. Like, both are same both are same which So both the self selfless is no do both are if one realizes the other one, then it’s also the other one also is realized.
So it’s there’s no difference between these two being being selfless. So, there’s no difference of the selflessness but from the basis it’s said that the selflessness of the person is easier to realize than the other phenomena. So first to to gain the realization of selflessness in a person, one have to first know the the innate innate self, grasping to the innate self. One have one first have to recognize how we grasp it to the innate self. So so this in itself is within all of us have this in itself and that such the eye, such as that eye which is existing from its own side.
That is the eye which is known as the innate eye. So grasping to that eye and viewing that it inherently exist or it exist from its own side. So so that is the innate self and then and same with the selflessness of there’s also the innate of phenomena. So that in itself phenomena which is again on the basis of mine or my thing. So on the basis of that my or mine, one holds the other phenomena or the object existing from its one side or being in existence.
That that that grasping. This is the, yeah, the innate self. So so this mine or my mine which, yeah, holds all the external external object and grasp it to it that’s saying it’s mine. So which which makes one hold one’s possession so far more valuable, like, see valuable? So, holding to one’s possessions and also misusing others possessions, This is like holding or grasping to one’s possession is the self phenomenon.
So so then next is grasping at grasping like So then grasping at next is the grasping at the external object, which grasping that external object existing inherently. So so so these logic logical reasoning which which are uses which are used here to to overcome these two graspings, like grasping at mind and grasping grasping at at the object which the object inherently being inherently existent. Which are used, these logical reasons are used to overcome these, I would say, overcome these two graspings. So to overcome this grasp, There logical reasonings which are given. There are many logical reasonings which are given and one is known as which are which are free.
The reasons which are given one is free of being one and free of being different and also there are other logical analysis which are known as the seven analysis which are using the example of and So, are these many logical analysis or reasonings which are given, but as for the beginner, the first one which is being of being one and free of being different or many. Free of being one and of being many. So this this is what is given which is this explanation is which is given to for the beginners. So this free of being one and free of being many, which is explained by giving under four points. So, the four points are that ascertaining the object which is to be refuted.
And then second point is, what do call, like, the possibilities. Second point is the possibilities. So then the third one is that free of being one. And then and then the fourth one, is free of being many. So under these, yeah, for these four points which I’ve been explaining.
So applying these four points on we we and using these four analysis and and and then if you do concentrate or meditate on emptiness, you it’s possibility that it’s possible that you might have idea what emptiness is. So, as it is said in the Bodhicaryāvatāra text that if you do not recognize or identify the object to be negated then there’s no way you can ascertain emptiness. So so it is easy for us to say the selflessness of the person but selflessness of the person and it’s easy to say that but if one doesn’t know which self that one is negating then the logical analysis. Then you don’t know how to apply this logical analysis. So as an analogy, similar to that that like, to shoot an arrow, you first need to know the target.
So without going to target, if you shoot, then you don’t know where it will hit. So it is like that. And and similar like, another example that