Audio recorded at Buddha House Adelaide. Transcript auto-generated and AI-corrected; may contain errors.
About this talk. In this 46-minute teaching, Geshe Dhawa Gyaltsen begins with the ethical heart of the bodhisattva path—aspirational and engaging bodhicitta, and the six perfections—before turning to precise analysis of how the mind actually works. He systematically examines two omnipresent mental factors: the five types of feelings (physical pleasure, mental pleasure, physical pain, mental pain, and neutral), and recognition—the faculty that identifies objects and their characteristics. He traces how recognition arises when sense organ, consciousness, and object come together, divides recognition into six types according to its basis, and distinguishes recognition with sign from recognition without sign through detailed examples. Suited to serious students of Buddhist epistemology and philosophy.
File metadata (for organising)
File: 21 Lo Rig.mp3
UUID: 2fb12664-04bb-4a33-ac3a-570596f0edec
Teacher: Geshe Dhawa Gyaltsen
Collection: Nature of the Mind (Geshe Dhawa Gyaltsen)
Date: 1995 (exact day not recorded)
Recorded at: Buddha House Adelaide
Duration: 46.0 minutes
Words: ~2,316
So according to a line from the Bodhisattvacaryāvatāra that talks about bodhicitta. bodhicitta is explained in two: the aspirational bodhicitta and the engaging bodhicitta. These are the two types of bodhicitta. So putting it like this: the wish, for the sake of all sentient beings, “May I achieve the fully enlightened state” — that is the aspirational bodhicitta. So then, for that purpose, actually engaging in the path of the bodhisattvas — engaging in the deeds of bodhisattvas — that is the engaging bodhicitta. So the first part — the aspirational bodhicitta — also becomes a cause for the fully enlightened state. And actually the second part — the engaging bodhicitta — is the actual cause of the fully enlightened state. So through the practice of these two bodhicittas, one should try to gain some understanding of them, or try to generate these two types of bodhicitta within oneself, and get some understanding of them. And then engage in these different practices like the practice of the seven cause-and-effect instructions, or like exchanging self with others.
So these are different types of practice that one can do to gain this understanding or experience. So all the time we talk about practising bodhicitta or generating bodhicitta within our practice. And by generating or by having some understanding of bodhicitta, what we should do now is engage in the acts of bodhisattvas — engage in the practice of the deeds of bodhisattvas. So what types of practices are the bodhisattva deeds? They are: the practice of giving. Like giving — all the enjoyment that we have, or things that we use — are the result of the practice of giving. So as a person who enjoys this wealth or these resources, in order to have a good rebirth, one has to practise the second — so then thirdly, in order for one to have good surroundings, one needs to practise tolerance, patience. So then whatever action you perform, you need a virtuous effort. So even then, if we have all these four, even if one doesn’t have good concentration, then there is a possibility that our mind gets disturbed by different delusions and one comes to create many faults or negativities.
So there’s a special tree that grows in the water — I’m not sure what the name of that is — which bears no fruit. So the tree which bears no fruit — there’s no way one can enjoy the fruit. So same thing like a barren woman who never has a son. So that’s another example. So even if we have all the former things very well — like wealth, a good rebirth, good surroundings, and so on — if one’s mind goes under the control of delusions, or one doesn’t have good concentration and wisdom — the last two — and our mind goes under the influence of delusions, then what do you say? So when delusions arise within one, the delusions lead one into a certain state always. So as we said before, the engaging bodhicitta is the actual cause of the fully enlightened state.
So in order to generate these two types of bodhicitta within one, one needs first to have the special resolve — the wish to help all other sentient beings, like taking the responsibility to help all other sentient beings by oneself. And then before that, one needs to know the practice of compassion. So then to generate that kind of compassion within one, one first needs the practice of love. So this is like generally — love and compassion — and it doesn’t mean that compassion has to come after love, you can do the practice of love beforehand too. But that is especially when talking about this compassion that is explained after the love. The love here means heartwarming love for all sentient beings.
So heartwarming love towards all sentient beings is that you see all sentient beings as the most dear to you — towards the most dear to oneself. So then before generating that kind of love, one needs to first practise recognizing all sentient beings as your mothers, and remembering their kindness, and repaying their kindness. And for that, one needs to practise the practice of equanimity. So through the practice of equanimity, what one does is one stops feeling attached to friends and stops hatred towards the enemy. So thinking on these different steps, one after another, one should try to meditate on bodhicitta.
So, in the great Lamrim teaching, how it explains meditation is: meditation is a mind familiarizing with a virtuous object. Mind familiarizing with a virtuous object — that is what meditation is. So taking one’s mind from negative actions — from non-virtuous actions — and turning that into virtuous action is what meditation is. So we do a few minutes of meditation, thinking very well on this step, and do a short meditation.
So on last Thursday, we talked about feelings, and we talked about different types of feelings: two types, three types, and five types. So we finished explaining two and three kinds, and now today we explain the five kinds of feelings. So the five types of feelings are: pleasurable feeling, and mental pleasure. And then pain. And then mental pain. And neutral. So these are the five. So the first one — pleasurable feeling — that is the external feeling, the feeling that you have from the five senses. And the external feelings of pleasure and the feeling that you gain from the five senses are the same. So the mental pleasure is pleasure but not the pleasure of the senses. So when we say pleasure — the first one — that is referring to physical pleasure. It comes out of the senses. So the mental pleasure is what you experience through your mind.
So the feeling that accompanies the mental consciousness — the pleasure that accompanies the main mind — so when we talk about pain, then that pain feeling is also the external pain — referring to physical pain — which arises out of the five senses. So then the mental suffering or mental pain is the feeling that is experienced by the mind. So then the neutral one is a neutral feeling. So I just finished the explanation of feelings.
So now among the five omnipresent mental factors, the first one was feeling — that explanation is finished. The second is recognition. Oh, yeah. So recognition is that which apprehends a sign — a knower that observes an object and says, “This is such and such object.” So that recognition also has to have these three things coming together: the object, the sense organ, and the consciousness. Three things have to come together and then out of that the recognition arises. So one comes to recognize: this is that.
Oh, yeah. For example, with the blue: this is blue. So recognition is divided into six types according to its basis, and there are six types according to objects.
So like the basis: through the eye organ, you have a recognition through the eye sense organ. Same thing with the ear organ — the ear-based recognition: out of that you have a recognition. So same thing with the other senses — nose, tongue, body, and mental — these different, I would say, different bases: underlying those, you have different recognitions.
So how does recognition arise through, say, the eye consciousness? It is that a coming together — coming together with the eye consciousness — that you come to have recognition. So with the eye consciousness, how recognition arises is: it is the coming together which means the basis — the eye sense organ — the eye consciousness, and visual form, like whatever colour: blue. These three coming together — then there is a recognition: you come to recognize this is blue. So same thing with the ear consciousness. For example, these three things coming together: you come to recognize something. Like the ear sense organ, the ear consciousness, and the object as a sound — a beautiful sound — let’s say a flute. And when these three things come together, you come to recognize the sound of the flute. So similar to that, the other senses — there are six kinds.
So among these three things — the object, the sense organ, and the consciousness — if one is missing, then you won’t have recognition. So that’s the explanation of how recognition has six types according to its basis. And now according to object, it is again divided into six. So as objects there are six types: visual objects up to mental objects — there are six types. So eye sense consciousness, ear sense consciousness — each of these has its six objects, six different objects. Each consciousness has its own objects.
So there are six types of recognition. Again, that is divided according to some other groupings. So the six are: recognition with sign. And the second is recognition without sign. The third one: limited recognition. And extensive recognition. And then unlimited recognition. And then the last one: recognition of nothingness.
So recognition with sign — that is explained in three different kinds. The first one is recognition of the connection between name and meaning. And the second type is recognition of compounded things as impermanent. So recognition of compounded things, or recognition of impermanent things.
The first one is recognition of the connection between name and meaning. So another type of recognition, which is recognition of a clear object or vivid object. So what we mean by the first recognition — recognition of connecting name and meaning: here, the example of the vase. The vase is a name, and its meaning is like the definition of the vase. Oh. So those who are expert or know about these two — like definition and name — those who have that type of recognition: that type is the first one. So those who have studied philosophy, they have more understanding of the connection between name and meaning, or name and definition. So for example, in order first to understand the meaning: to understand the name, you need to understand the meaning first. So it is like: first you come to know the meaning of the vase — like that which has a round belly and flat base and is able to hold water — is something called a vase. Then you first come to know the meaning, and afterward you call it a vase. Then you come to know the name. So then the second is the recognition of compounded things or impermanent phenomena. Like: this is a pillar, this is a vase — recognizing that. That is also the second type of recognition.
So then the third type of recognition is a clear recognition of the object — a vivid recognition of the object — where you have a very clear object that you are going to recognize. Like if you are meditating on emptiness, you come to know what emptiness is very clearly first, and then you recognize it out of that clear understanding of emptiness. So that is the third type of recognition. So most of the time, the direct valid perceptions are this third type of recognition.
So then, like, the recognition of sound being permanent — apprehending sound as permanent — these are not clear recognition. So then now we go to the next type: recognition without sign. And again it has three different kinds. So one of the recognitions is the recognition within the child — a child who is not educated in terms. So then the second type is the recognition of a person who is meditating on emptiness. So then the third type of recognition is recognition that is not clear — the opposite of the first one — not a vivid object or clear object.
So the first one — recognition of a child — means those who have no understanding of philosophy or the terms. Like, not knowing the term and the meaning. We use it just opposite to the first one. So for example, those who are not educated with different terms — say, like, they are not educated with the term. So we train in the term like saying: the vase — what do you call it — flat base and round belly, which is able to hold the water — is called by this term. So those who are educated with that are the educated ones, and those who are not introduced to that term are the not-educated ones.
Oh, yeah. So the second — the mind momentarily realizing emptiness — is also, what do you say, recognition without sign. So because it is absorbed in the meditation on emptiness, it is recognition without sign. Because those sitting in meditation on emptiness have stopped the dualistic appearance — the dualistic appearance. So when one is sitting in meditation on emptiness, totally absorbed in that state of emptiness, there is no sign appearing. No sign. So that is why it is the recognition without a sign. So it is like: sitting in meditation on emptiness — that is free from dualistic thought. So one is completely absorbed in the meditation on emptiness and there is no thought going outside towards external objects saying, “This is this. This is that.” So there is no recognition on that side.
So then the third type of recognition is that the object is not clear — recognition where the object is not clear. That is the opposite of the first one. That is: saying that sound is permanent, or apprehending or seeing a rabbit’s horn. So these are examples. So, like, the conception of seeing a rabbit’s horn — the generic image of the rabbit’s horn appears to that person — both together. So they both —