Audio recorded at Buddha House Adelaide. Transcript auto-generated and AI-corrected; may contain errors.
About this talk. Using the image of mud settling in water to illustrate how thoughts obscure mind’s true nature, Geshe Pema Tsering covers doctrine and practice in this 44-minute session. He argues that since mind is “merely clear and knowing” and phenomena are limitless, Buddha qualities are limitless too — then distinguishes mind’s two truths: conventional existence through labeling and ultimate emptiness of inherent existence. Practical guidance follows: meditate first thing in the morning, keep sessions short at first, avoid too much food or sleep the night before, and let thoughts of past and future settle rather than chasing them. A lively Q&A closes the session, covering the difference between mind and consciousness, the subtle wind mind that carries karma between lives, and whether all Buddhas share one mind — answered with “exactly the same, but not one.”
File metadata (for organising)
File: 04 MP 2003 05 13.mp3
UUID: f9204d1e-8255-4116-9dcd-b2d5200de91d
Teacher: Geshe Pema Tsering
Collection: DB Mind and its potential (Geshe Pema Tsering)
Date: 2003-05-13
Recorded at: Buddha House Adelaide
Duration: 44.9 minutes
Words: ~3,594
It has the ability to know all phenomena. So if we look at this logically, if we’re trying to apply logic to this situation, then we also derive a support for the theory that qualities can be limitless as well. So therefore, what this means is the nature of mind is mere, clear, knowing, and because of this, it can know all phenomenon, and phenomenon are limitless, then that means that the qualities of the mind or the qualities of a Buddha are also limitless. So what this means is, in terms of our day to day meditative practice, what it means we have to concentrate on is there’s two different, what they call truths, of our mind. Our mind has two different truths to it: conventional truth, that’s the way it exists conventionally, and an ultimate truth, or the way that it exists ultimately.
Now, from a conventional point of view, that is things exist even though they exist merely by labeling a lump of causes and conditions. In that conventional way that they exist, we say that it’s conventional truth. And the ultimate truth of something is that it doesn’t exist it doesn’t exist inherently or it doesn’t exist from its own side or it doesn’t exist truly. So that’s its the its ultimate truth. So what this means is that from a conventional point of view, then we should try and meditate on the nature of mind being as, like, clear light and clearer knowing.
And from an ultimate point of view, we should try and meditate on what emptiness is or what the true nature of reality is, and that is that things don’t exist from their own side they don’t exist inherently, but it’s not that they don’t exist at all. They do exist as a label or a concept placed onto a collection of causes and conditions. So we need to try and avoid both the extremes of thinking that things exist the way we think they do and the extreme of thinking they don’t exist at all. We need to be in the middle of these two extremes. So so this is very difficult for us to understand even in terms of, like, one object out of the limitless phenomena that we encounter.
So it’s difficult for us to understand that this is the true nature of our mind as well, that our mind is actually free of inherent existence and that it exists based on causes conditions. That’s very difficult for us to understand. So it’s something that we have to keep applying ourselves to and using logic to try and make sense of it to ourselves over and over again. So the reason that we have trouble seeing the true nature of our minds is that it’s usually filled up with thoughts. And what we mean by the true nature of the mind?
The true nature of the mind is the way that the mind actually exists. Right? So if we wanna understand the true nature of the mind, then we have to get our thoughts to stop. Because our thoughts are usually covering our minds, usually filling our mind, then it’s very difficult for us see the way our mind actually exists. It’s a difficult process to do.
And actually getting our thoughts to stop is very difficult. So the process in terms of meditating that we need to do is if our in order to try and understand better the nature of our mind is when we think about the past, stop ourselves. When we try and imagine what’s going to happen in the future, that we should stop ourselves. And apart from trying to concentrate on one object, whether it’s something external or trying to concentrate on the nature of our mind, then we should not let our minds wander hither and thither. We should stop them from thinking anything.
So what actually happens is that our mind is a bit like water with dirt in it, in terms of the dirt being like a metaphor for the thoughts. So if we let all the thoughts settle, in the same way as if we let the mud settle in water, then we get a better understanding of what the nature of water is. So if we let our thoughts settle and we don’t run after them, so if we think about the past, we let it go, we think about the future, we let it go, and we just try and let our mind concentrate and settle on one thing in a relaxed manner, then we’ll get a truer insight into what our mind is actually like because it won’t be filled up with different thoughts. So if we’re trying to understand how that works in terms of a metaphor, it works in terms of a muddied water. So the best time of the day to do this is actually first thing in the morning.
If we try and meditate first thing in the morning, then we we’ve just woken up, and our mind hasn’t had quite enough time to run around after everything. You know? Our faculties or our sensors aren’t fully kicked into gear. They’re not that’s not a literal translation, but they’re not fully working. So we do we get less distracted.
We get we don’t notice smells as much. We don’t notice hearing. We don’t notice sounds as much. So it’s easier for us to concentrate at this time of the morning. So when we’re trying to do this, we also have to try and make sure that we didn’t sleep a lot the night before or too much the night before, and that we didn’t have a really big meal the night before because both of these things can interfere with us trying to do this meditation in the morning.
Trying to understand how much sleep we need is important. Sometimes if we have too little sleep, then we can’t concentrate, and if we have too much sleep, then it’s difficult for us to to do the meditation as well. So we have to try and find the point of of how much sleep we need. So if if we do these meditations and teachings and teachings and teachings and teachings and teachings and teachings and we keep doing this and focusing on our mind, not only will we get great insights into our mind, will also be able to improve our concentration and eventually develop some types of So if we if we do this if we do these meditations and teachings and teachings and teachings and teachings and teachings and teachings, then we’ll begin to notice that our mind becomes a lot clearer, and we are able to concentrate on things better. If we start being able to access the more subtle parts of our mind, then we’ll develop different types of clairvoyance.
We’ll be able to hear things in different places and etcetera. Apart from developing that, we’ll be able to learn things easier. We will be able to have what’s like a sharp mind that picks up things very easily. And by developing our mind, anything that we put our mind to, we will be able to do. So if we can do this, if we can give our minds a little bit of time each day to stop being so scattered and get them and bring the mind back into itself and then try and give the mind a bit of a rest from thinking at this stage and to concentrate just on one one object, then we’ll notice then we’ll notice the the improvement in the quality of our mind.
But the trick is at the beginning to not try and make not try and meditate for long periods of time all at once, to try and do it in short time spans and more frequently at the beginning, and then try and gradually increase the amount of time that you’re spending in one go. So if we give our mind a break from running after all these different things and try and get our mind to concentrate on one thing in a relaxed manner, then what this does is give us not only a chance to give bring some calmness to our mind and to try and understand its its true nature better, but it also gives us a little holiday from thinking, which can be very, in terms of regenerating the mind, be very powerful. Another way that the mind is usually referred to is as being merely clear knowing, not just clear knowing, but it’s also referred to as being merely clear knowing. What this means is that its nature is only these two things. It doesn’t incorporate anything else into its nature.
When we say that mind or consciousness is clear and knowing, we’re not just referring to the basic nature of mind, but even the different mental states. For example, anger or desire attachment, these types of mental states, basic nature or the way that they actually exist is actually clear and knowing as well. Because that’s their basic nature, then that means that, there we have the ability to change it. So if anyone has any questions. Okay.
So the nature of mind is clear and knowing, and only clear and knowing. What that means by this is that even negative states of mind, their nature is still clear and knowing. So for example, if what it’s talking about in terms of an angry mind is, the clear bit is that it sees the object clearly. Right? It’s the object of that mind, yeah.
The object of that of the consciousness is is perceived clearly. So for example, it can know the eye consciousness can know the the pot. Right? It sees it. Yeah?
Or it hears it or it thinks it. Yeah? It has that ability. That’s where the clear comes in. The knowing is that yeah.
Once the object is being perceived, it’s known. Yeah? So there’s the perception and the knowing. That’s what clear and knowing means. The difference between a negative mind and a positive mind is this.
The base of the negative mind is ignorance. So therefore, because it’s ignorance of knowing the true nature of something, any perception based on that ignorance is going to be incorrect. So that means it is unreliable. So the more that you focus on that, then the more negative the mind’s going to get. The basis of positive states of mind is understanding the true nature of reality.
So it has a true base. So that means that they any meditation focused on that with that as a basis with true understanding of reality as a basis, can become more subtle and broader exponentially. It doesn’t have to have a limit to it because it has a true base. So the the idea is to use a true base for our understanding or try and develop a true base for our understanding as opposed to a base that we can’t rely on. And it’s similar to if you call someone a friend, then they’re a true friend, then no matter what your situation, they’re going to help you.
And that’s like their true understanding of reality. If you rely on that, you understand things properly. If someone’s not a true friend, and you ask them to help and they don’t help you, then that’s like our ignorance. We can’t rely on that as a base for our understanding. Oh, he reckons because there’s lots of people.
Someone’s gotta have a question. Yeah. Not him. Sorry. Yeah.
Okay. So did you say in Buddhist philosophy, is mind and consciousness exactly the same thing? The word that’s usually translated as consciousness is a is a little less broad than the word that’s usually translated as mind. Neither of those necessarily link up with what we think is mind and consciousness. Mind is divided into two different types.
They talk about main minds and mental factors. So main minds are something that take the main object is So so the so one of the So so main mind is, for example, an eye perceiving a table. Right? And and a mental factor would be the mind that says, I don’t like that table. Yeah?
So and then you can but you can have mental versions of this. If you’re concentrating on something, then that’s a mental main mind, and the mind’s coming along with that. The smaller ones are called mental factors. Yeah? So the the the combination of those is called mind.
Yeah. And it’s and the mind is every every split second, there’s a different mind, and the mind stream is a continuation of minds. And that’s a broader concept than consciousness, which is one of the six consciousnesses, the five sense consciousness, the mental consciousness of perceiving an object. Right? So consciousness doesn’t take into account mental factors that may come along with it, like ideas or judgments that may come along with the main mind.
Yeah. Right. Okay. So Hang on. I’m gonna try and think of how to rephrase it in in English for the tape as well, and I’m not quite sure.
If so you’re saying if since beginningless time, we’ve had beginningless mind, does that mean that there’s a finite number of minds? Mind. You mean mind streams? Mind. Yes.
But, like, from life to life. Uh-huh. Uh-huh. Okay. So none of it is cancelable because for each mind stream, say, each each being’s consciousness or mind stream.
Oh, that’s the wrong use of consciousness from before, anyway, each being’s mindstream has existed since beginningless time and goes on until Buddhahood. Yeah? So if we tried to count the number of lives that mind stream would be in, it would be uncountable. Right? That one mind stream.
Then on top of that, if we tried to count the number of what are called minds or states of consciousness, that that one being experiences in one lifetime, it will be uncountable. Right? Uh-huh. Uh-huh. This is difficult because the concepts in Tibetan don’t quite fit with what you’re saying.
Okay. Okay. So this what’s called is is literally translated as wind mind. Right? But it means a very subtle mind.
Yeah? For every sentient being, is one one very subtle mind. This very subtle mind is what’s called the merely labeled I. Right? And that’s what travels from lifetime to lifetime to lifetime.
Right? And that’s been the same one one person has one merely labeled person has one wind mind or subtle mind. Yeah. And the consciousnesses, the the different states of mind are dependent on this subtle mind being coming into conjunction with other elements. Yeah.
And then as a result of that, they experience different states of consciousness and different different minds, if you like, or mind states, and they are uncountable in one lifetime. Right? So so it’s not recycled. It’s one mind continuing on. Yeah.
Or one very subtle mind continuing on and having different experiences at different stages and having different states of mind coming into contact with this, yeah, this subtle wind mind. Now if there is no wind mind or and this on this wind mind is this concept of a merely labeled eye like a concept of an eye. Yeah? If there is no that, no body comes into being. No birth takes place.
No. There’s no there’s no cause for rebirth because that is held the karma, it comes along with the subtle wind mind. So Uh-huh. So the question was, does this mind stream we might have have a beginning? Yeah?
It doesn’t have a beginning in because it’s been in existence since forever. Whatever that means. I still don’t know what it means, but it’s since forever. It continues takes on these different rebirths because of the karma and delusion that’s within this subtle wind mind until it achieves liberation or becomes a Buddha, gets completely rid of the delusions and therefore the karma. And then it has no cause to take another rebirth and to take on the body of another being. So this subtle wind of mind, it carries on it the imprints of positive and negative karma and the imprints of negative emotions.
So because it’s so it’s very subtle, then these these imprints cause this mind to go towards different rebirths yeah and create the conditions for that next rebirth is going to take. It’s because of the the habituations that form imprints on this subtle mind stream. And so are there yeah. I’ve I’ve gotta repeat everything so it goes on the tape. Are there a finite number of sentient beings?
Okay. So hang on. We’ll do the first one first. Right? There’s no such thing as you can’t count how many sentient beings there are.
It’s immeasurable. The number of lifetimes you’ve had are immeasurable, and therefore, the number of connections that you’ve had and then mother number of times that people have been your mother is is is immeasurable. Right. Now what was your question? If there’s no sentient being, is there a mind?
Okay. If there’s no if there’s no mind, right, we’ve gotta follow this carefully. Okay? If there’s no mind, if there’s no sentient being, there’s no mind. Right?
But that doesn’t mean that when all sentient beings attain Buddhahood, that there’s no sentient beings because they are ex sentient beings. Right? And therefore, they become Buddhas. So therefore, there’s mind that was once a Buddha once a sentient being and is now Buddha. Alright?
So because there was sentient beings, because they are are in existence, that means that there’s an enlightened mind at the end of that sentient being’s path. Alright? So if all beings become Buddha, there’s still the concept of a sentient being, so therefore, is still sentient beings. They just have all become Buddhas. Yeah.
The sentient being He said, no. The lack of sentient beings is nonexistent, and therefore, that’s not a permanent. It’s nonexistent. The the mind of a a Buddha isn’t permanent. No.
It’s not a thing. A thing. It is mind of a Buddha, and she sees all phenomenon, and therefore, it has to be perpetually changing. Therefore, it can’t be permanent. Because permanent is static.
Yeah? Because the mind of a Buddha is It’s not permanent. But it doesn’t become a sentient being ever again. It’s just it’s in perpetual state of change because it it is comprehending all phenomena, and if something’s comprehending all phenomena, the phenomena in a perpetual state of change, it has that’s an he said that in three words sent three words, but yes. Yes.
You’re all right. And he said, don’t have to worry then. Yes. Well, yes. The potential of a clear and knowing mind is that it can do anything.
On the one hand, a clear and knowing the clear and knowingness of mind, this mind is clear and knowing, can get caught up in karma and delusion. It can get caught up in negative emotions and create more suffering and pain on the one hand. On the other hand, this clear and knowing mind has the ability to generate virtuous thoughts and thoughts that cause happiness and to continue this path and become a Buddha. So it has the potential to do anything. Each no, there is no sort of no concept of the mind that springs forth all other minds.
But what happens is mind springs forth itself. So one instance of mind is a cause for the next instance of mind. And if that consciousness is concentrating on positive things, then it becomes a cause for positive action, for positive results in in for itself and other beings. Yeah? And if it’s concentrating on negativity, then it’s a cause for suffering.
So when someone achieves Buddhahood, is that is this that that that or omniscience, then is that mind connected to all the other minds that have achieved Buddhahood? Is it one mind? Is that what you’re asking, or is it connected? Sorry. Put you on the spot.
Yeah. I’m not sure what the difference is. So okay. So when these beings achieve Buddhahood, yeah, and they have this this this mind, does that become one mind with all other Buddhas? Is that what you’re saying?
I’m saying that that’s not permanent. So is there is the mind that the the nature of mind is clear or not? Mhmm. It’s omniscient mind. Mhmm.
Is that a oneness? Is that I know you’re getting at something, and I’ve stuffed you up completely. But I’m just Yeah. I’m just Okay. They are the same mind.
No, hang on. They are the same has two meanings. They are exactly the same, but they’re not one. Does that make sense? So the mind of a Buddha and of one Buddha and the mind of another Buddha is exactly the same in qualities and understanding and but they’re not the same mind.
Okay? So they all became one, then by us achieving enlightenment, we would become another being, and that’s not possible. So for example, if we were Śākyamūni Buddha, we would become Śākyamūni Buddha, and that’s not possible because he’s another being who achieved enlightenment. So when we achieve enlightenment, it’s as an an another Buddha, but the minds of the Buddhas are the the same, but not the same one.