Audio recorded at Buddha House Adelaide. Transcript auto-generated and AI-corrected; may contain errors.
About this talk. In this 46-minute session, Geshe Dhawa Gyaltsen examines the path of preparation—where meditators overcome subtle mental conceptions blocking the direct insight into emptiness. He compares how Hīnayāna and Mahāyāna traditions work with different obstructions, then walks through the four levels (heat, peak, tolerance, supreme dharma) where practitioners progressively release four misconceptions: grasping at substantial existence, self-sufficient entities, and the difference between functioning things and imputed phenomena. Using concrete examples—smoke and fire, moisture and water, the hand versus the person—he clarifies what “substantially existing” means. He also traces how a Hīnayāna arhat transitions to the Mahāyāna path through bodhicitta, eventually receiving teachings directly from enlightened emanation bodies. Aimed at practitioners with grounding in Buddhist philosophy.
File metadata (for organising)
File: 22 P and G.mp3
UUID: 962b6296-fbbf-452a-bc91-23e1e824530d
Teacher: Geshe Dhawa Gyaltsen
Collection: Paths and Grounds (Geshe Dhawa Gyaltsen)
Date: 1995 (exact day not recorded)
Recorded at: Buddha House Adelaide
Duration: 45.7 minutes
Words: ~2,084
So now explain the difference between the Hīnayāna path of preparation and the Mahāyāna path of preparation — the difference in these two. So it’s the differences of these two with respect to their objects. So when a person on the Hīnayāna path of preparation observes the four noble truths and sees or conceives the non-true existence of these four noble truths. They use all different logical explanations, logical reasonings to be able to understand that. And not only that, but the Mahāyāna path of preparation also acts as an antidote towards the obstruction to omniscience.
So the path of preparation — the Hīnayāna path of preparation — acts as an antidote only to the conception of truly existing phenomena, and does not act as an antidote towards the obstruction to omniscience. So so the beings on the path of preparation can directly hear the teachings from the supreme emanation bodies. Supreme emanation body. So so but then the Hīnayāna path of preparation — the beings on the Hīnayāna path of preparation — can also hear teachings from supreme emanation bodies, but they can’t meet them. They can’t meet the supreme emanation body.
And the Mahāyāna path of preparation, which mainly meditates on emptiness. So the term ‘path of preparation’ is used here because it prepares one to have a direct — it prepares one to have a direct realisation of emptiness. So so the path of preparation, as it is classified into four — like the heat, peak, and so on — the heat level is also classified into three. The what is it? The big, medium, and small.
So so the three — the classification of small, medium, and big. If one is to explain it according to one person generating these different levels of mind at different stages, then the first generation — or the path of preparation of that person — is known as small. And the second is known as medium. And the third is known as the big.
To explain this with different beings. So to explain with different beings, the path of preparation that which is with the being of low intelligence — it is known as the small — it is the small path of preparation. So then the path of preparation of the being of medium intelligence is known as the medium one. And then the path of preparation of the being of the highest intelligence is the big path of preparation.
Heat. So then the mode of generation of these different paths — a person who has already gone through the Hīnayāna path — it is not. So, beings on the Mahāyāna path of preparation are of two types. One that has followed all the Hīnayāna path and come to the Mahāyāna path and entered the Mahāyāna path of preparation. And one who from the very first, like, entered the Mahāyāna path.
So so the person who at the very first enters the Mahāyāna path — as soon as that person achieves the union of calm abiding and special insight into emptiness — achieves the path of preparation. So then if another follower has gone through the Hīnayāna path and reached the Hīnayāna arhat state, and has achieved the Hīnayāna arhat — for that person, whenever that person comes to overcome — so whenever that person comes to remove or overcome the conception — the obstruction to omniscience that is the conception grasping at deluded objects — then that person achieves the path of preparation. So when these two persons achieve that, that is the person has achieved the heat on the path of preparation. So each of these levels of the path of preparation — one removes these different conceptions that we just explained, the four different conceptions. And when the being on the path of preparation comes to achieve the antidote — the direct antidote towards the seed of these different conceptions — then that person goes to the next path, which is the path of seeing.
So the differences of these four classifications of the path of preparation. Did you understand? So whenever that being who enters first the Hīnayāna path and reaches the Hīnayāna arhat state, and then enters into the Mahāyāna path — and along the Mahāyāna path, when that being comes to achieve the ability or the power to remove the conception grasping at deluded objects — then that person reaches the Mahāyāna path of preparation. Yeah, the Mahāyāna path of preparation. So as an example, like, here is the arhat — the arhat for a hearer — that meditates on bodhicitta like recognising all mother sentient beings and thinking over the kindness of those sentient beings. So through this practice, whenever the point — when the arhat comes to generate great compassion — he or she becomes a Mahāyānist and also falls in the category of Mahāyāna.
So so then along continuing, like, following that — whenever that person or the being generates bodhicitta — they achieve the Mahāyāna path of accumulation. So then on the path of accumulation, the being accumulates merit, and that being accumulates merit. Then through that, whenever the being comes to overcome or remove this obstruction to omniscience — that is the conception grasping at deluded objects — the person achieves the Mahāyāna path of preparation. Is that path of preparation. Yeah. Oh, think this one. So, again, repeat the differences of these four parts, the four levels.
The path of seeing — the third path of seeing — is explained as like a fire. So as a sign to generate this path of seeing, the first level is like having the heat as a sign. That is the path of preparation, the first level. So so then up to the level of heat, the — how do you say? — the anger can still destroy the virtue of that being.
So then when it reaches the next level, that is the peak level. And when it has reached the peak level, then the anger cannot destroy the root of virtue. So then the next is the tolerance level. That is — one has no fear in the profound view, that is emptiness.
So when we actually come to have a direct understanding of emptiness, then you have a fear there. You generate a fear. So which is, how do you say, the lack of inherent existence. The lack of inherent existence. And when you come to realise that the self is not existing inherently anymore.
And there you have the fear of that. So so on that level — on this level of tolerance — where one has no fear in realising the profound view. And also one never takes birth into the lower realms. So then next is the supreme Dharma. That is the supreme Dharma of the mundane beings. And we start here with the supreme Dharma. So so when one meditates on emptiness and when one comes to a direct understanding of emptiness, there, you know, one goes into this fear.
So, and there is, what to say — for some beings, because of the fear, they leave the meditation, they stop meditating. And it is a common obstruction that again stops one from realising emptiness. And for the other person who continues even with the fear and comes to realise — to understand. So which is to make one reach the path after this path. That is the only thing Geshe-la said. Yeah.
Can you explain again, like, make it more simple? So when we say the substantial existing — the conception of grasping at the substantial existing — that is the substance. It doesn’t mean the object like the substance — the actual substance. So the substance has like the ordinary substance is what we, I would say, things that you fix and you use and like you play with. So the substance — or entity — that is explained here is of two types. And then one is substance of functioning things.
No, no, no. The substance. The substance entity.
Yeah, that is explained as two types. One is substance of functioning things. And then the self-sufficient. Like, I would say, self-sufficient. The substance entity exists in these two — the substantially existing and the self-sufficient.
That is what is meant when we say the substantially existing. So which is self-sufficient — that able to appear by itself there without depending on others. So so as a person or a being — as we used the example before — in order to have that concept of a being, you have to first contact or see the being. And then you have the concept of being. And without having contact, you will never have the concept of the being.
So it is dependent. So this substantially existing — or what do you call it? — the self-sufficient person — it is the opposite. It is the opposite of that.
Yeah, substantially existing or functioning things. So generally there are these terms which are used, like: substance of existence, and what do you call it — like substantial existence, and established existence, and existence — these are explained as synonyms in one class. But in this case, when we are saying the substantial entity or self-sufficient — which means existing sufficiently, or by itself, without depending on other things.
So are you seeing anything in the? Okay. It’s like I said — all that we’ve got — it’s been explained before also, like, giving the example as a Leslie. So it’s explained — I’ll give you the example as the imputed person. And the functioning person is the example of the substantial entity or existing person.
So in order to see or recognise a functioning person, you don’t need to depend on others. You don’t need to depend on others to realise that or to know that — to know the functioning person. So like the past with the — what do you call the — when you want to come back, what do you call this? The bowl.
No. Yeah. The, like the, yeah, the pot, the vase where they have a, yeah, spot. Like to, yeah, with the vase. The spot — in order to recognise that, you don’t have to depend on or know other phenomena to know that. And similarly, to know the hand or the head, you don’t have to know the other phenomena. So because of that, the hand is not an imputed phenomenon.
So so it isn’t so easy to understand the substance or entities. As if you understand these four conceptions, that will, I would say, clear things out. So you should not say it’s not because of your small intelligence. Not one thing. It’s not because you haven’t studied this. So as an example, Geshe-la himself is saying that since he was eighteen until he was fifty — he studied this philosophy. Though he has studied all those years, still he doesn’t have exact understanding. So you haven’t yet studied extensively on philosophy. So when you come to teaching, you all note it down, and then when you go back to your room — so the next week when you come, you just again write down everything and do the same thing you did. Same way. I will let you have, like, a secret.
This is true. So, by seeing the smoke, you can understand there is a fire, but maybe you are not sure still whether fire exists or not. Because — so if a person who doesn’t know what fire is — if he or she, that being, sees smoke, they won’t know there is fire too. Won’t know that there is a fire. So if a person who knows the term ‘fire’, then if that person sees the smoke, then they can know there is fire. So the fire is imputed — and imputed to that which is burning and hot.
So so to be able to have this concept of fire, you first have to know the heat and that which is burning. So then that heat and that which burns — what do you say — is the substantial entity. Yeah. It is. Yeah.
Substantial entity. It has never been labelled onto others. So same with the water — that which has moisture — yeah, that which has moisture. So that too — that moisture is water.
And it is a substantial entity.