Audio recorded at Buddha House Adelaide. Transcript auto-generated and AI-corrected; may contain errors.
About this talk. In this 93-minute teaching, Geshe Kyab guides students through the third principal aspect of the Buddhist path: right view and the meditation on emptiness. Having covered renunciation and bodhicitta in earlier sessions, he now explores why wisdom understanding emptiness is essential for eliminating suffering and achieving liberation. Geshe Kyab explains dependent arising through concrete examples—how a pen, bedroom, or any object depends on both its physical basis and its label or name—and shows how understanding this principle undermines our false belief that things exist independently and truly. He stresses that emptiness and dependent arising must be realized simultaneously, not as separate concepts. The teaching walks through the difference between calm abiding meditation, which stabilizes the mind, and analytical meditation on emptiness, which actually liberates us. Using examples of puzzles, tennis, and dreams, he illustrates why realizing emptiness requires patience, concentration, and genuine interest in ultimate happiness rather than temporary pleasures. Aimed at serious practitioners with some foundation in Buddhist philosophy.
File metadata (for organising)
File: 2016 11 29.mp3
UUID: 39d38b21-d363-4ae9-94de-56e3a97ce3af
Teacher: Geshe Kyab
Collection: Geshe Kyab Three Principal Aspects (Geshe Kyab)
Date: 2016-11-29
Recorded at: Buddha House Adelaide
Duration: 93.1 minutes
Words: ~9,252
Good evening, everyone. Let’s look at the page thirty four. I go for refuge until I am enlightened. Dharma and Sangha, the assembly. Practice of giving and other perfections.
May I become awakened for the benefit. May all sentient beings and happiness in the causes of happiness. May all sentient beings be free from suffering. May sentient beings abide in the equanimity free from attachment, preference, hatred, and enemies. Reverently, I prostrate with my body, speech, and mind.
A present cloud of the many types of offerings actually arrayed. I declare all of my negative actions accumulated since the beginningless time, and rejoice in the merit of all holy and ordinary beings. Please remain until the end of cyclic existence. Short mandala offering. English.
This ground, anointed with incense, heaped with flowers. Imagine this is Buddha may all sentient beings enjoy this pure land. Thank you. So we are approaching the third principle, which is the right view. We are finished Renunciation, which is the first principle.
Second one is the bodhicitta, or mind of enlightenment, finished. Our right view, also the part of the right view, also finished. So this right view is the most important part of three principle which is also complicated. In order to understand the right view, you need this analytical mind. So you must be analyzed this particular conception, otherwise you wouldn’t understand.
In order to analyze the right view, you need time, you need interest, you need patience. Most important thing is the patience. First of all, without understanding, I mean without wisdom understanding emptiness, you know, we cannot eliminate pain and suffering. So that’s the main thing. Realizing emptiness is very important.
Means that. Wisdom understanding emptiness. In order to understand the emptiness or realize emptiness, then first thing is you need to learn intellectually, you need to understand the emptiness. Then secondly, that one is the, you know, you need to bring it to the level of insight as a practice. Then you need to meditate, which is the more analytical meditation that you need to do.
Then gradually one day we can able to realize the emptiness. So that means wisdom understanding emptiness. Your wisdom understanding the emptiness. Emptiness. So then we can be able to eliminate the pain and the suffering.
But only the calm abiding, which is the basic meditation. calm abiding, generally speaking, is much easier than this second meditation which is the Vipashyana or the insight meditation, which is analytical meditation. calm abiding is the basic and first meditation, so many ordinary people can be able to achieve calm abiding, you know. The calm abiding is the important? Yes.
Absolutely. Yes. But only calm abiding, you cannot, eliminate the pain and suffering. So our main purpose of learning Buddhism and practicing Buddhism, you know, means to eliminate the pain and the suffering, suffering, to achieve ultimate happiness. That is our target, you know.
That’s the main reason that people learn Buddhism. Some people become monks and nuns. Some take lay vows, and some also they, you know, do go to those remote area to do this, you know, the retreat. In entire of their life, they do retreat. All these things people do different, different, different ways, you know, it’s depending on own schedule, timetable, but reason.
We all have same reason and same, you know, we all are seeking ultimate happiness. So that’s why the, you know, different different ways people try to achieve ultimate happiness. So Buddha house students want to achieve ultimate happiness. You are seeking ultimate happiness, so that’s why you come here to listen to these kinds of teachings. In order to achieve ultimate happiness, you cannot achieve ultimate happiness until you eliminate the pain and suffering.
See now, in order to, I’m going back now, in order to eliminate pain and suffering, wisdom understanding emptiness is very important. So this point is the only calm abiding cannot help us to achieve ultimate happiness. Because only calm abiding, you cannot eliminate the pain and suffering. calm abiding is important? Absolutely.
Which is the Samatha meditation. It’s important because calm abiding meditation helps us to stabilize our mind. Usually, all this mind or consciousness is very much distracted, you know, sense consciousness and mental one. Everything is very active. There’s no really time to come.
So the calm abiding, when you do this calm abiding meditation, especially all the sense perception, eyes, consciousness, ear, nose, tongue, body will be slips down. Only the mental will be very active because when you do this meditation, you need object to, you know, to focus on it. So then you need to visualize the object, which is you need to focus on the object. When you do that, only the mental is very active. All other, you know, sense perception slips down, not disappearing, just, you know, not active.
Even though mental is also focusing the object, but sometimes mental also distracts. So that’s why the meditation means to control the distraction. You know? So when you do that, after some times your mind would become very much strong and very much confident, more calm. That’s the main thing is to be more calm.
So then you can think very strictly. Know, then you can be able to analyze also well. So that’s why the calm abiding is still very important. But calm abiding only, achieving calm abiding, good, but not that much great. So that’s why Vipassana, second meditation, here is the wisdom of understanding, emptiness, that we need to meditate emptiness, selflessness.
So according to the selflessness, also different Buddhist schools, different views. So that’s why now here is the need to understand, in order to understand the emptiness well, we need to understand dependent arising. That is very important. What does meaning depending arising? Depending arising also the according to the Buddhist school, different different views by here in the highest perspective is the depending arising is the dependent arising is that all existence arises from different other factors, causes and conditions and its parts.
It could be the impermanent phenomena, could be the permanent phenomena, but everything arises depending on other factors. So that’s the most important things we need to understand. So now you need to analyze what does mean everything arises from depend other factors. You cannot just go and and and, you know, meditate all the things right away. First of all, you need to bring one object.
Try to understand the depending arising on that object, then same, once you understand that, then same conception and idea or notion you can apply all other existence. Everything is the mind game, you know. So it’s a mind game. For instance, if you want to play some puzzles, let’s say that puzzle is a mess. Now somebody asks, can you put all these puzzles back?
When you do that, you cannot just put like this. You need to concentrate, isn’t it? You need to focus. Which what object goes in which direction? And and maybe head, maybe leg, or maybe the the face or anything.
So see, that’s this way you need to go. So that that point is the you need patience, you need focus, you need concentration. Even though just, you know, the putting puzzles back in making this the picture, so the you need a lot of time to do that. I used to play puzzles. I like it because puzzle is also very good.
Sometimes you focus. You know? I have in my iPad. Sometimes I do. Sometimes my monkey mind is just like this.
Stop. I want to puzzle Mount Everest. You know? I destroy Mount Everest first, put back, then I put back. It takes a long time but mind is there, you know, see?
Like this, Mount Everest. If you finish Mount Everest, next thing is something else. Polar bear, you know, like this. So this make you like this. Otherwise, your mind is everywhere, everywhere like this.
Puzzle help you sometimes. So that’s why the tennis, long tennis, I like about the I can focus only these two people, not like everywhere, you know. Only two people like this. Just focus. Nothing else, which is good for mind also.
I like tennis. That’s what I like about it. Sometimes soccer is okay, but too much is going on there and everybody is running, you know, like this. And one goal every year, and your mind is like this. But tennis is the two people.
That’s it. Nothing else. Especially the good to watch in television than actually going there because they no no one else on they show you only the ground. And then they do this to a man or woman just like this. That’s very good.
See? And the point is to look at the puzzles. How much patience and the focus, concentration you needed to put all these puzzles. Now we are talking here is the emptiness. See, you need almost 100x times more concentration or focus than just the one puzzle you are focusing in, you know, and putting all these puzzles back.
See? It’s not simple. Puzzle is simple but sometimes even difficult, isn’t it? But now here is the we are talking about the emptiness. It’s not only just focusing also.
You need to do more, you know, you need to analyze also. And this is analytical meditation. So that’s why it’s very important. First of all, you need to understand the depending arising. What does dependent arising mean?
Of course, depending arising is is that everything arises from other factors. What does that mean? See now, so these are the units to analyze it. Just bring one object, then analyze it, the depending arising that object. But once you understand the depending arising that particular object, the same idea you can apply the all other existence.
Same thing, only the different objects. Otherwise, conception of depending arising is the same thing. Some dependent arising arises from causes and conditions. Some dependent existence arises from its parts, you know, different parts, especially the permanent phenomena when we talk about the depending arising. Because permanent phenomena, we cannot talk about the Permanent things, we don’t talk about cause, you know, because permanent has no cause.
It’s permanent. It’s not changing. So there’s nothing we can talk about the permanent phenomena that arise from its causes. We cannot say that because permanent is the permanent. Only the impermanent things like products produce from its causes, which the case.
Because the products are impermanent moment to moment changing. It arises from the causes and conditions. But permanent is the permanent. Only we can talk about the permanent phenomena arising in its parts. So that’s only their dependency means its parts.
You know, they have their own parts like that. Okay? So then they now if every existence depending arising, so that mean what would be the opposite of the depending arising. That’s what we need to understand. What would be opposite of the depending arising?
Independent. Let’s say independent. So independent going to be the negation of that. Is depending arising? The more independent of the nature or true nature arising would be destroys, isn’t it?
This conception. See? Let’s say this pain is depending on arising. That means this pain arises from so many other factors. There are so many causes and conditions that, you know, must be, you know, done before actually this pain happen to be like that.
So many causes and conditions. All these plastics and and, you know, you just name it. There are many, many things you needed in order to build or create pen like this. But most important cause or condition is the label or the title that we say pen. Let’s say pen already do have all its bases, every bases out there, but not yet labeled the pen.
So that means not yet the pen exists. Even though all the bases of the pen already there exist, but but not yet labeled or titled, you know, this object as a pen. So that means yet not pen exist until it, you know, it gets the label as a pen. For instance, there are three rooms, empty three rooms. Somebody, you know, constructed one a new house.
There are three rooms. Everything’s empty. Okay? But then now the there’s no the bedroom exist yet. So the kitchen does not exist yet.
So the living room does not exist yet. But then now, you put things inside your bedroom, you know, like a king’s bed and it’s a mattress. Then the bed sheets and the tables, bed table or lamp, whatever you needed in the bedroom. Let’s say you already accumulated all these things, but still not bedroom exist. Same thing you did for the kitchen.
All the kitchen things are, you know, you put down, but not yet kitchen exist. Same thing like a living room. Well, when would be all these three rooms exist? Until you say, I will call this room is my bedroom now. I will call that room is my kitchen.
So you see this, you know, another room is still my living room. Then that moment, you got the bedroom, you got the kitchen, you got the living room. Before, all the three rooms do have the base of the, you know, bedroom, kitchen, and a living room, but not yet bedroom, you know, established. Why? Because of the not label it yet.
Label or a title. This nominal, not yet there. Until you label, I will call that this room is my bedroom, kitchen, so in this one. Maybe you may thinking, oh, empty. Empty room.
Maybe okay. Maybe the only level, then what would be filled into rooms? One room you call, I will call bedroom. Bedroom established? No.
Same thing. It’s now I’m talking other way. When you say this room, I will call kitchen. Kitchen exist? No.
Or this room, I will call living room. Living room exist? No. Only you’re saying name, but you cannot just put down the name until its base is there. There’s no suitable base yet.
Remember, I’m talking other way now. One is the base there, not labeled. Now this one is the you are giving level but not the base there. Because in order to be a bedroom, you need both. It’s a base and level together.
So that’s called depending arising. You need both. One is missing, not exist. One interim, you cannot say my bedroom. That’s because bedroom need you need a bed, you need a table, you need a mattress, you know, whatever is needed in a bedroom, you need all these things.
Otherwise, just one empty room, you cannot just call bedroom. You can call, but not bedroom exist. Bedroom need all its base. You cannot call this gompa bedroom, can you? No.
You can call. I’m I’m sorry. You can say, but even though you are saying, but that that does not make sense because this room is not bedroom. This room is not suitable for the bedroom because there’s no base basis of the bedroom. Rather, this room should be calling temple.
That’s perfect because of the room has all the, you know, basis of, you know, of the temple. Statues, thankas, and and the what do you call that? Thangkas and all these, you know, the thrones. So perfect for the temple. Then you can when you say temple, it’s perfect.
It’s valid. There’s a valid base. But that empty I mean, this room has not valid bedroom base. So that’s why you cannot just level this bedroom, that bedroom. It’s just useless.
So that’s why the whatever you labeled, the that base must have valid, you know, the base in order to label it. Let’s say vase and pillar. Pillar. Vase. You cannot label, or I will call pillar for the vase or the mug, let’s say.
You cannot label this one as a pillar because this glass does not have a valid base of pillars. It’s against the conventional consciousness because of this crazy, isn’t it? Also, the pillar, you cannot label it as a glass or a mug or the vase because pillar has has no valid base of glass or vase. But this glass do have a valid base of glass. So that’s why the label is also perfect when you say glass or mug or any vase or anything.
That’s why it must be matched. You know. It must be compatible, its base and label must be compatible. If it is against the cognizer or the consciousness, especially the the conventional consciousness. If it is against the conventional consciousness, that means if base and the level not suitable, then you cannot just label.
So that’s why whatever label is out there, mostly these are the compatible with its base. It’s compatible. So that’s you need it. Same thing like I give you three rooms. This room is not compatible, you know, the on a back not a compatible level of the bedroom because of the there’s no valid base bases for the bedroom.
So that’s why the when you label the bat bedroom, just useless. Not compatible. So also the same thing. Kitchen kitchen is also not compatible as a label for the bedroom because kitchen has no valid basis for bedroom. See?
So that you cannot level. There’s no basis, you know, of of this the bedroom. So it’s the living room if you look at that. But then kitchen is the kitchen is perfect. This level kitchen level is perfect for the, you know, kitchen because of the kitchen has all these bases, a valid bases to be kitchen.
So that’s why level is the perfect for the kitchen, that particular, you know, room, which is the all the basis, you know, are the valid basis for the kitchen. So that’s why the label kitchen is the suitable. It’s much comfortable like that. Same thing also, know, other things. You cannot just label the flower to the tree or tree to the flower.
You cannot just change around. Same thing, Tree has no base of flower. Flower has no base of tree. Totally two different objects. So my point I’m making here is the when you label something, first thing is the unit base.
Every existence must have its basis that can be labeled. When you label, you have to check it out the base first. What would what was the base? According to the base, the level will be just whatever level you are going to put down must be suited to its base, must be comfortable. So that’s called a valid base of bedroom, kitchen, and the living room.
Living room is the not valid base of kitchen. Kitchen is not valid base for living room or the bedroom. See? It makes sense, isn’t it? If you really think seriously, whatever level they are labeling, they don’t just out of the blue or blindly labeling, they check first base.
Then something suits, or I will call this this and that, then it suits. Perfect. Otherwise, nose. Can you label? I will call eyes.
Eyes, can you call nose? No. Because eyes and nose label it according to its suitable base. If base is not suitable, you cannot just label it. In in in this is highest Buddhist schools.
Everything is the, you know, things are things are exist as a nominal. Just the title or name mean that. Just exist as a nominal. Nothing else. No more than that.
You know? Does not exist truly, does not exist from its own side, does not exist inherently, does exist as a nominal. No more than that. So that’s, you know, these high schools, Prāsaṇgika Madhyamaka, say something like this. You need to analyze here.
This precious brain, you need to use, you know, analyze. Analyzing is very, very important. Check it out like this. Bring one object and try to, analyze that particular object, how it arises, how dependent arising. You know?
What is the dependent arising of that particular object? How that particular object arises? Is that object arising arise, you know, arising in in inherently or truly or not? Thus, you need to check it out. Inherently existence mean truly existent.
Same thing. That mean independently existence. No need any causes and conditions. That’s the meaning of the truly existent. No need causes and conditions at all.
Nothing. But give me one example. Anything. Give me one example, and and and and and and the it is does not exist from causes and conditions and the parts. Give me one example.
Nothing else. There’s nothing like that. Truly existing is the nonexistent, actually. Only our mistaking consciousness mistaking consciousness perspective, it is existence, but it is a mistaking consciousness. But I’m not saying mistaking consciousness does not exist.
Of course, mistaking consciousness does exist, but it is mistaking consciousness. Only truly existing exist exists in mistaking consciousness. Otherwise, truly existent is non existence. So that’s why the truly existent appears. All these things appear as truly existent, then conceptually, our consciousness is going to grasp.
So that existence is the negation. Must be negated, you know. So that this this point is the what is the negation, what is really the opposite of the negation, what does negation, and all these small, small things are very important to understand in order to meditate emptiness properly. Yeah, it’s difficult. Yeah, there’s no easy path, you know.
There’s no easy enlightenment. Absolutely not. Because we already built up all this negative tendency or habit since beginningless time until now, how can it be easy to meditate? Easy to meditate emptiness? No.
It’s difficult. But as I said, patience is very important. Tolerance is very important, and mindfulness is another thing. Important. And most important thing is the interest.
Interest is very important. How much you’re interested to meditate emptiness. Then the most important question is the what I am seeking? That’s why you need to ask questions. What I am seeking?
What really I am seeking? Temporary happiness or the ultimate happiness? If you are seeking temporary happiness, I don’t think you need to meditate emptiness. I don’t think you need to meditate anything for the temporary happiness. I don’t think so.
Because temporary happiness is the anyone can get temporary happiness. Nonreligion people can get temporary happiness. Religion people can get temporary happiness without practicing. Yes. I don’t think temporary happiness is our target.
I think ultimate happiness is the we all are seeking. Why? Because of the we all have same needy. We all wanted no pain and suffering. I wanted no pain and suffering.
You wanted no pain and suffering. Totally equally same. See, no pain and suffering. So that perspective, if it is true, if you really don’t want pain in a suffering, then I think you are seeking ultimate happiness. That’s a shock.
You may be not understanding, you know. Maybe you’re not understanding the ultimate happiness, but if you are seeking I mean, if you, you know, don’t want pain in the suffering, so then then you are you are really seeking ultimate happiness, philosophy perspective. So if you are seeking ultimate happiness ultimate happiness wouldn’t happen just praying just praying some prayers or just saying some mantras. No. Or then then they, you know, most of the Buddhist people already achieve ultimate happiness.
We do say prayers all the time. We do say mantra all the time. I mean, Buddha house students achieve ultimate happiness because you do hear many mantras, pujas, prayers. Almost every day there are some things going on there, isn’t it? But then Buddha House students don’t need any teachings.
Happiness. Then please help me. I’m not yet achieving ultimate happiness. Help me. Seems to be a Buddha house student already achieved ultimate happiness.
Look at this. Intense class came. Less and less people. That means they already achieve ultimate happiness, isn’t it? Maybe some people still try to achieve.
Most of them already achieve ultimate happiness, I think. Point is the c. It’s serious, you know. Achieve then then the achieving ultimate happiness is important. We are seeking that.
Then the order to achieve ultimate happiness, this one is very important. Wisdom, understanding, emptiness. This is not that that comes. I just mentioned to you at the beginning of my teaching. Wisdom understanding emptiness is very important.
In order to understand the emptiness, you need to meditate emptiness. See? Selflessness. In order to meditate selflessness and emptiness, you need to learn first how to meditate selflessness and emptiness. That’s exactly the we are here now.
Right view. See? Then which is the also, you need to understand depending arising. Dependent arising and emptiness. It is difficult beginning once you hear one time, when you hear twice, when you hear three, four, five.
If you hear more than if you really meditate, then after sometimes, you will little bit there. Here. Yes. This happens. Nobody can understand beginning.
Absolutely not. Nobody can understand beginning. Gradually, you need to meditate, need to read the books, buy the books, read the books, then meditate the books, then listen to the teachings. So this way, you need to build up like this. So that is why today’s our class is the definition of not having completed the analysis of the right view.
Appearance of depending a relation which is unerringly is accepted separately from emptiness, and as long as they are seen as separate, then one has still not realized the Buddha’s intent. So this one is talking about the depending arising and emptiness. If you see separately, so that’s every meaning is the main thing is the. Then the not yet. One has still not realized Buddha’s intent.
So that means because you’re separated depending on arising and emptiness. The next one is coming. These two realizations are happening simultaneously without alternation and from merely seeing a dependent relation is completely unerringly the definite ascertainment that completely destroys the way of objects are apprehended as truly existent, at that time the analysis of the ultimate view is complete. That means depending arising in the emptiness, once you understand and realize simultaneously, that moment completely destroys the way of all objects are apprehended as a true true existence, truly existent, which is the you know, we apprehend regularly, we apprehend apprehend the objects as a truly existent. Why?
Because of the all objects appears as a truly existent. Repeat again. Intellectually, we may say no. Not truly existent, but we are talking deep inside us all these objects appears as a truly existent. Then we really the apprehended objects as a truly existent.
We grasp the objects as a truly existent. So that’s a problem, you know. Then we grasp. We believe into it. These are truly existent.
So then comes I. See? I am truly existent. I. And me comes.
Then now somebody slightly says some negative, how dare you telling me, see, I. How dare you telling me so and so. See, this I is a very strong I. That’s exactly the way we apprehended truly existent. See?
Almost like I is just like this, you know? Then I, I, and me, me, me, very, very strong. Apprehended I and me as a truly existent. That’s a lack of understanding selflessness. We are not saying self does not exist.
We are not saying we are not denying self does not exist. Self does exist. Self does not exist mean self does not exist truly, inherently. Self does exist as a nominal. See, just the title, just the name, that’s it.
No more than that. Self does not exist truly does not exist. That’s a nonexistence of the self. Self does exist. There are how many selves there?
See, we are one self is teaching and several selves are listening. How can you say self does not exist? But now existence, non existence, self exists, self does not exist, that one is the unit to really figure it out, meditating. What really means self does not exist, what really means self does exist. So these are things you need to find out, and in order to find out you need to meditate.
You cannot just find out. You may find out intellectually, but that’s just intellectually, you know, but I’m talking insightly. Look at the look if in if if you look at the just try to understand form of the anger When you get angry, it’s unbelievable sometimes. You know, we are really not ourselves when you get angry. See?
Very strong angry, hostility, hatred. Look at some people. When they get angry, sometimes some beautiful woman or a handsome man can become very ugly because of their rage comes out from the inside. Why? Because of that much they’re holding themselves as, you know, truly existent, like I kind of, you know, very strong selfish mind, self-cherishing, or ego, strong ego.
See? These are the problem. So the understanding emptiness will help us to cut out anger or at least really the, you know, beginning, reduce getting angry. Our problem is, I did say this before. I don’t know how many people understood.
Our problem is we are only enjoying, you know, this — when you go to see some magicians, these two hours, we are enjoying that, you know, magic show. Everything is the fake. Everything is the mistaken consciousness, but we are enjoying that. All life is like that, really. Whatever you do, everything is like that, you know.
It’s like a dream. Same example. Just enjoying the magics. Ignorance is the magician showing us all these beautiful, you know, appearances. See?
All these things are, you know, go to the mall, beautiful things, beautiful people. When you go to beaches, oh, beautiful bodies there. Then now see all these appearances that ignorance was telling us, these are the real. These are the real. These are the real.
You must believe them. These are the real. I’m I’m showing you all these magics. Believe me. I am the magician.
Believe me, not Buddha. Believe me. Then we then then the these are very easy. You know? Magic.
Very easy. Easy to see. You no need to meditate. You no need to analyze. You no need teachings.
Just go there, see it, isn’t it? Something like that. All these appearances are you no need any effort. It comes. When you open up your eyes, you can see.
When you open your ears, you can hear. When you open up your nose conscious, you can smell. When you open when you, you know, test it on your tongue, many different food. There. So it’s a tangible objects and mind.
Very easy. You don’t need that much effort. No. That’s because of the ignorance. It’s fundamental confusion.
Ignorance is confusing us. Ignorance is the evil bringing us down. And we we are, choosing the easier one. So that’s our life like that. So this is the point Buddha taught us conventional truth and ultimate truth.
See? These are the conventional truth. Truth that the we think these are the truth like ordinary people, like us. We think these are the real. That’s called conventional truth.
But this truth is the because of the from the ignorance. Like a magic musician saying, these are the real. I’m showing you this magic. These two hours, we think it’s real. See?
But then after all, one magic is finished, does not exist. Everything is fake. Everything is, you know, not truthfulness. See? When you dream, see beautiful, beautiful things.
When you wake up, all those things are gone. It does not exist. Same thing here, once you realize emptiness, then all these things are there, really because they happen to be mistaken consciousness, does not exist ultimately, exists as a conventionally, but does not exist ultimate level. Again does not exist does not mean they disappear, all these things are like a one by one disappear. No, this conception perspective does not exist mean, does not exist as what we apprehended.
What we apprehended. We apprehended as a truly existent. That is not does not exist mean that. We are not saying book is disappear. All these things are just wipe up.
Not like that. Here is a conception. This one is here inside the mind. This consciousness, once you realize emptiness, then the this consciousness perspective or this existence does not exist, truly existent, because of the wisdom understanding emptiness. But book exists, pen exists, or even all this bell exist.
This con this consciousness perspective does not exist. Mean, truly existing does not exist because of understood the emptiness. But these are the there out there, you know. So this point is the ordinary people’s perspective. Something is the exists, you know, or ordinary people that’s called conventional truth.
But then the ārya beings, those the meditators, you know, ārya beings’ perspective, something is truth, which is the ultimate truth because they meditate emptiness. Two different things. But let’s say I become ārya beings. One object, just a book, now two different perspectives. When I meditate, emptiness on the book, all these books be you know, book does not exist inherently.
I understood now conception of the emptiness, which has helped me a lot now because I understood the book does not exist inherently because I realize the emptiness of the book. But book is here. This is already changed. Book will not gonna be changed. Book is just a book.
What what what should be changed? Here, main thing is here. This conception needed to be changed. Then now, when this conception changes, which is the once I realize emptiness, book is here, but now what would be benefit? Now when this book is the, you know, somebody tears my book or this book burn, whatever happened to this book, I wouldn’t be suffer because I understood the emptiness of the book.
I no need to go through pain and suffering. If I have no realization of the emptiness on the book, something happened in this book, I will be suffer. Who did this? Who tore my book? You know, who wrote things on my book?
I will be, like, upsetting and, you know, I I do although this suffering is not big suffering, but I’m just giving you a, you know, small example. I’m on I I wouldn’t go kind of, you know, pain and suffering whatever happens on this book. So it’s these glasses, same thing. Or this watch or whatever belong in my or my body. Let’s say my body, if I realize emptiness on my body when I get sick, when I get some joint problems or migraine or whatever is it, I wouldn’t be upset because I understood.
It’s a nature of the life because my body doesn’t exist inherently. My body exists dependently, causes and conditions, arises from causes and conditions, and my body is also impermanent. It’s momentary changing. I’m getting old. Of course.
So see, all those these things come together, and I wouldn’t be that much. I wouldn’t be, you know, pain and suffering because I understood the emptiness, you know, on my body. But now now when I get sick, I feel pain and suffering. I worry, concern. See?
Or, you know, I must eat well because I need to live a long life, or I must don’t eat that one, yet that food maybe caused me some illness. See? All these things. Your life is all the time fearful, isn’t it? Like this.
So see, even though when you look at the people, oh, they look like happy, but fearful. Oh, nowadays, so many terrorists, this one and that one. Oh, Donald Trump become president. You have no idea what will he be going to do now. Oh, you know, Geshe la was saying, Geshe la may like to stay in Adelaide, not going back to America now.
You have no idea what Donald Trump were going to do, Geshe lah. You know? I mean, all these wondering, wondering things are isn’t it? See? But once you realize emptiness, all of course, these are the just nothing.
These are the very gross suffering. We are talking here a subtle level of suffering will be disappear. See? Today, Ohio, one university, one man hurt ten people again. He drive, and and I think this man came from Somalia refugee, young man.
And they found his Facebook saying he was, you know, sending sending means he was writing down kind of a warning telling American, stop hurting Muslim people around the world. I’m warning you. He did it like that. Know? Yes.
Although I have not realized emptiness yet, from time to time, I do meditate. It’s helping me, you know. Realization is it may take few life’s time to realize emptiness. But just meditating, understanding really quietly, whatever is bothering you, try to select the object and meditate emptiness on that particular object. This will help you.
It really, you know, the it’s it is make a lot of sense, but it’s quite, you know, difficult sometimes. Yeah. It’s it’s not easy, but what we need to do, we need to meditate. We cannot just, you know, things make it easier, you know, just little by little. So now this one is the depending arising, which is the, you know, all these appearances.
Depending arising and the emptiness. It Let’s say this pen’s nature is emptiness because it is dependent arising. You cannot separate. There’s no two different things. No.
Just one pen. One pen, It is depending arising. That’s why the pen’s nature is emptiness. It is emptiness because it is dependent arising. See?
Must be simultaneous together. If you separate it, this depending arising emptiness, so this is exactly here, then you are not yet really understood the Buddha’s intent. Yes. If these two realization are happening simultaneously without alternation and from merely seeing dependent relation and completely unerringly the definite ascertainment comes that completely destroys the way all objects are apprehended as truly existent. At that time, the analysis of the ultimate view is complete.
So okay. Now, ten minutes break. I’d normally concentrate, just to let you know the secret. And over the weekend, I was exhausted. I mean, I didn’t even go back and review the notes.
I was just exhausted. And yesterday, I was very emotional. Now do these teachings tend to do that? I think maybe you are pushing too much yourself. Oh, maybe.
You cannot just push. You know, you have to you need some time to practice. You need to make some time. But you cannot just, you know, practice and study it like a, you know, very long period of time. Then you can then you you will be tired, you know.
Then you you then after some time, you may lose interest. You make this comfortable way. Okay? So time to practice, time to eat, time to run, time to walk, time to sleep. This way.
Yes. Everything must be scheduled, which I do. I already schedule morning to morning wake, get up I go to bed. I have all this, you know, like this. It does very well.
Sometimes I cheat a little bit. You know, mostly I do this way. It’s it’s good. You know, when I meditate, I meditate certain time. When I do sadhana recitation, I have some time for sadhana recitation.
In my daily base, I have so many initiations. And when I take breakfast, I watch little television, some news morning. Time to watch, time to stop. See this way, or when I go outside to work, time to walk. No stopping.
Just walk one hour, you know. Then come back, time to take shower, time to eat, time to go to bed. Yeah. So then then then this make you kind of, you know, you’re disciplining yourself. But I know I’m a little different.
I’m from monastery, which is we are under the, you know, discipline everything. You know? So then now, I did this in Florida also. But even though not monastery, but I am the my own monastery now. I need to follow those, you know, the otherwise, it’s not easy to, know, leaving single monks in in the, you know, neighbors or the westerners.
It’s very difficult. But if I make my own monastery myself, much easier. So that’s why I will survive fifteen years. There’s no Tibetan in Florida. Only three Tibetans.
One in Miami, one in in the Lantana, but we barely meet one year, maybe one or twice. That’s it. No Tibetans. Forget about the monks. Nothing.
No monks in there. I’m the only monk. It wasn’t easy. But as as I said, I made this routine, you know, who I am. So I my apartment is my own monastery now.
See? So this way is much easier for me to to maintain who I am and and then, you know, to stay there continually and teach Dharma. If I don’t, I may fail. See? So I may, you know, some geshes went to here in Australia, long time ago, some lamas invited an FPMT center.
They stayed there for maybe one or two years. They came, they said, no. It’s not for me. I cannot stay there. If I stay there long, I I may not be monks and nuns.
They came back. I know these things gonna happen. I know these things gonna happen before I went to Western countries. I already studied everything, you know. Then I decided.
Same thing. Your practice is the you need to make this routine. Keep some time to meditate and reading things, analyzing things. You cannot just analyze a full day until you’re exhausted. Then, you know, that that’s what we call the, you know, know, the achieving enlightenment within the three days.
Sorry. That’s what you try to do maybe. Do you know? I didn’t I obviously didn’t study. Just concentrating in class was enough.
I know. That’s why you wanted to achieve enlightenment. Yeah. Was I was trying. This is this is called analogy, you know, to achieve enlightenment within the three days.
Three days are starting very hardly meditating day and night to achieve enlightenment. After they couldn’t achieve enlightenment, then lost interest. That’s not good. So better to think enlightenment is so far, but I will get there gradually. Any questions?
Anyone? Prominent? Permanent. Uh-huh. Prominent.
So what phenomenon? Prominent phenomenon is the space. Let’s say space. Space is the permanent phenomena. Why?
Because space does not change. Space is the all the time space. It does not change. So that’s why it is a permanent phenomenon. This is not a permanent phenomenon because this changes.
This color changes. One day this will disintegrate, disappears. Changing, changing, changing. Why? It is impermanent phenomena.
Same as this flower, all these things. But space is the permanent phenomena. Emptiness is the permanent phenomena. Cessation is the permanent phenomena. Cessation of suffering is the permanent phenomena.
Once you cease the suffering, permanent. No changing. That’s best, you know. It’s permanent. Something changes, that’s called impermanent.
Something does not change moment to moment, so that’s called permanent phenomenon. Okay? Oh, There are many, many. I see. There are others too.
But these are just a few examples. Yeah. So this point is we need to learn the also, I would like to say the continue of consciousness. Continuity of consciousness is permanent. It’s continue.
Permanently continue. I’m not saying I’m not saying consciousness is permanent. What I’m saying is the continuity of the consciousness. Yeah. It’s permanent.
So a person is empty. But when they are no more, then what happens to that emptiness? What do you mean? So a person is empty. Right?
What do you mean person is empty? Emptiness? Yeah. A person is empty and enhanced existence. Empty of being, inherent existence.
Yes. So when that person is no more, what happens to that emptiness? That emptiness person that that person is dies, you mean that. So that part of the what happened to that part of the emptiness? Mhmm.
That part of the emptiness is the emptiness. Emptiness is prominent. Person is not the So the emptiness is separate from the person? Yes. Person is the impermanent.
Emptiness is the permanent. Yeah. That’s why impermanent means that. Patricia, you mentioned that permanent phenomena is not dependent on causes. Is still dependent on other factors?
Yes. What other factors do you mean? Other parts, other parts. It has many parts. And the label as well?
Yes, same thing. There’s no difference for that. Besides the cause, permanent we don’t talk about the causes. Because causes is only impermanent phenomena. We talk about causes like products produced.
But permanent is the it is permanent, not changing. So then now you cannot talk about the causes. Once you say causes, changing things, you know, see? And changing changing things cannot be a cause of unchanging. Unchanging cannot cause changing.
So this point is the permanent is the only unchangeable. So that means you cannot talk about the causes. Causes are the only changeable phenomena we need to talk about. Like products or things are only yeah. Okay?
Anyone? Just, Slower, in regards to the person who is experiencing emptiness, emptiness, does the object appear in a different way? Like, because there is a realisation that it is its parts, does it actually appear differently to the way that we are seeing it? Appears there is no person who realizes emptiness. Okay.
When I meditate, I realize emptiness. Yes? At the moment, there’s no appearances because I’m I’m totally the concentrating and focusing the emptiness. So that means at that moment, there is no appearances. But once I get off from the meditation, all these appearances will be appears.
So that’s why the this sutric grounds and the paths is very important to understand. All these teaching this they give you. They talk about the the path of seeing. Once you approach the path of seeing, there would be many different paths of seeing and so is the different practitioners of the path of seeing. So some path of seeing practitioners, just, you know, the let’s say the now I I cannot translate in English until I get that book.
It’s called the meditative practitioner, you know, meditator, person who is meditating emptiness. Now he or she was meditating emptiness, that’s it.
There’s no appearances because appearances are the non meditator. When they stop meditating, when they when they get up from the meditation of the emptiness, when they eat, when they cook, appearances appears. You know? But this will not gonna be affect them because they know how to control it. But then when they go back to meditate, all these appearances will disappear.
Only the the they are focusing the emptiness. There is no other existence that exists beside emptiness when they meditate. That’s it. There is no other conventional phenomena exist when they meditate. The emptiness.
I’m not saying just meditate. Emptiness, I’m talking about it. But once they stop meditating, emptiness, when they wake up and when they go to take showers, appearances. When they eat, same thing. When they walk, you know, same thing.
Because they are not meditating emptiness, but all these appearance appears. However, just appears, but not same as like us. Yes. Us, it appears. Them also appears.
But us appears, we believe into it. We grasp. They don’t. They say, oh, I know you. I know.
You know? It’s you know, it’s my left hand. I know, you know, all these things. It’s very easy for them because of the power of the this meditation. Okay?
That’s different. Yeah. So that’s why the sutric grounds and the paths. Sutric grounds and the paths, one particular teaching. Maybe next year, and I will give you lots of homework.
I’m kidding. You’re reminding me one of my student, Viviana. Her name is Viviana. When she was young, she was a real diehard. She told me, very nice student.
She lives in Miami. You look very familiar. When I saw you I said, oh, you know, look. But now after I was thinking, after I was thinking it was Viviana. Yeah.
Same color, hair is same, glass, and how you act things. She does the same thing, yes. Same thing. Is she enlightened, I don’t know, but she was a very good student, very nice human being. Viviana.
Can I make a speech? Thank my mother and my father. Anyone? I’m sorry, but I do have one. Go.
Go. Go. Mine are never intelligent questions, but was having a look, yesterday I was very emotional, and tonight before I came here, I was having a temper tantrum on the bed. What is that? Temper tantrum?
Temper, Why? Well, I was just upset, you know, and I started talking to the dog and I said, I was talking to my daughter and I was saying, my dear daughter, and I was saying, why won’t you come to me? Which is ridiculous! You’re talking to whom? The dog and my dead daughter, okay?
And I’m saying why won’t you come to me? Death daughter. Why won’t the molecules that were you, why won’t they come back to me now? Just let me speak to you. Just, you know I mean, surely, we’ve all done this, haven’t we?
Really? Haven’t we? Haven’t we? No. I I I never talk to dead people.
No. Dog? Okay. Yes. Dog is alive?
Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Dog is alive. Yes?
Yeah. Okay. You yep. I talk my cat. But is that attachment?
Well, I I pine for her. Yes. When you talk to dead people, it is attachment. Attachment. Yeah.
Let go. Let go. Yeah. No good. Talk dark.
Okay. No problem. No dead people. Especially, you are Viviana now, you know. Viviana never talks to dead people.
Yeah. Because of the one problem is when you do that, of course, you are upset, which is you already told me, and then your daughter, dead daughter will be very difficult there because you are holding. Do you understand? I do. You’re holding.
If you really love her, let her go. Say goodbye. What is it about my dead daughter that’s upsetting you? What What is that? Say that if I’m upset and calling her that my dead daughter will upset her, but I want to know what is my my dead daughter.
What is your dead daughter? Yeah, if she’s upset, then what is she that is upset? No, I’m not saying she is upset. I’m not saying she is upset. That’s I didn’t say that.
What I’m saying is that when you talk Yeah. Her, I don’t think she is there. But what I’m saying is that when you talk to her, sometimes these are called spirit. Yeah. But I’m just saying, how long your daughter passed away?
Long? Two and a half years. Okay, that means it depends, She may be already reincarnated. Any forms or maybe man or any animals or any other part of or maybe having, you know, whatever is it. She already may be reincarnated.
Or if you have been that way, her all the time, that’s problem now. I don’t know. Maybe only sometimes. If you have been holding her all the time, maybe she couldn’t reincarnate it. Maybe she is between somewhere there.
See? That’s my point. But I’m not saying she is there. What I’m saying is if you don’t let go, if you attach too much, she attach you. Then these two attach will be bond like this.
Even though she she already gone for two years, maybe she is somewhere between death and birth. See? Somewhere. Stuck there. You know?
Difficult to find the some kind of other beings. Very difficult sort of, you know, situation situation will be very difficult. If you really love her, then the you need to show her, I love you, but now you already passed away. You maybe already maybe go ahead and get reincarnation. That’s it.
But pray. But talking is the I don’t understand why you talk dead people. And what for? You want fun? Sorry.
For fun? Like I was saying No. No. I mean, I don’t think it is fun to talk dead people. No.
No. I don’t. I mean, this is just the some there are some United States that we have. Some people, they think they bring dead people. Some people do these kind of things, you know, but in Buddhism, we don’t believe because for our side is the saying, better to let go of them.
It’s very important. If you love them, just let go. Let go, pray, and, you know, give some donations for their names. You know? Like, we do monasteries, give some donations and some prayers.
We ask them for their name. Just let go. Of course, we miss them. Why not? We remember them.
Why not? But talking and crying, these are not good. Okay? And and it’s not good for you also. I was it’s just happened in the last couple of days.
About the emotionalism and concentrating on these teachings. It will ruin your I know that. You. So that means then then the and it does not make sense. I mean, why are ruining your life?
You’re such a wonderful person. Just so then if you if you are not happy, you cannot meditate. You cannot think straight, you know, clearly. See? So then do you want it that?
Yeah. So let go. Okay? Let go and give lots of love to your dog. That’s best.
Yeah. Dog need love. Yeah. Yeah. Okay.
Now dedication, please. Page two forty six, please. May all beings, every way, plagued by their suffering body and mind, open ocean and happiness and joy, through merit’s virtues. May no living creatures suffer, commit evil or come to ill. May none be in fear or depression.
May the blind see forms, the deaf hear sound. May weary travelers find their repose. When naked find clothing, hungry find food, the thirsty find water and delicious drink. May the poor find wealth, those who sorrow find joy. May the fearful find safety, constant happiness and prosperity.
May there be timely rains and good harvests, may all medicine be effective, and wholesome prayers. May the world be healed, may all the diseases that are in the world, may the frightened cease to be afraid, and those bound be freed. May the powerless find power, and may this be maintained for as long as space remains, for as long as sentient beings remain, until then may I too remain to dispel the misery of the world. Page thirteen from the Buddha’s book. Lord of Dharma, who is conversant with the various dispositions of those to be subdued, make clear the light of your invaluable spoken advice.
Thus Kadampa tradition, Essence of the Buddha’s Teaching, foremost holy Lama, to you, Lord, Supreme. O Lama, please bless me below. Thank you very much.