Audio recorded at Buddha House Adelaide. Transcript auto-generated and AI-corrected; may contain errors.
About this talk. In this 115-minute Lam Rim commentary, Geshe Pema Tsering takes on a persistent misconception: that scholars practice only analytical meditation while yogis do only placement meditation. He shows both are always required, walking through why — tracing how the three wisdoms arising from study, contemplation, and meditation build on each other from the path of preparation to enlightenment. Along the way he unpacks what “wisdom” (sherab) actually means, including its afflicted form, and explains why topics like bodhicitta, impermanence, and emptiness must first be ascertained analytically before the mind can rest on them single-pointedly. A vivid passage argues that sentient beings are, at our current stage, more precious to us than the Buddhas themselves. The session ends with audience questions on meditation terminology and on whether ignorance can be considered a seed of enlightenment.
File metadata (for organising)
File: 19 2008 06 05 BP.mp3
UUID: a134f0ea-bb8e-40c3-85d9-9f396e2f5c16
Teacher: Geshe Pema Tsering
Collection: Lam Rim (Geshe Pema Tsering)
Date: 2008-06-05
Recorded at: Buddha House Adelaide
Duration: 115.1 minutes
Words: ~6,546
Geshe-la is certain to give us a good motivation. We need to accomplish the Dharma. The reason we need to accomplish the Dharma is because we all wish for happiness because we do all wish for happiness and and and do not wish for any suffering, then we must we must train ourselves. We must meditate in order to accomplish the enlightenment of all sentient beings and of both ourselves and others. And we meditate on the on the meditation series of the path to enlightenment in order to accomplish goal of all sentient beings happiness and free all sentient beings from suffering in.
And then we start with the preliminary praise. We start with the with the Heart Sūtra. At that time, the Bhagavan was abiding in the concentration and the categories of phenomena called profound perception. Also, at that time, the bodhisattva mahasattva Ārya Avalokiteśvara looked upon the very practice of the profound perfection of wisdom. On the profound meaning of the wisdom gone beyond and recite the profound words in daily recitation.
In that same way, I also reflect on the profound meaning of the great Maha Prajñāpāramitā and recite the profound words in daily recitation. May all diseases, possessions, bad conditions, all the negative directions, that which happens due to past karma and mere conditions, may all these be dispelled. Oh, yeah. So then we continue where we stop how to apply this to the intervals between all meditations and teachings and teachings and teachings and teachings. That being so, Geshe-la was going through the text, apart from the uncommon ways of sustaining meditation during the actual meditation, these indications as to what should be done in preparation during the actual meditation and at the end and in between sessions should be applied to all observed objects, all objects of of of meditation and aspects being sustained from here on up to especially special insight And Geshe-la is explaining what what what is what is referring to.
Geshe-la is a part of the of the sentences become apart from the uncommon ways of sustaining meditation during the actual meditation. Geshe-la was saying. So apart from that which is the main object of meditation, be it meditation on emptiness or or bodhicitta, then everything else that has been that we have been told to do as before the meditation, during the actual meditation, and after the at the end of meditation. Everything else that does not pertain to the main object itself, to the main to the to that which is referred to as the uncommon. We shall do as have been explained as as we have been instructed here in this text.
So then, again, what if you in the case of meditating on on on emptiness, Geshe-la was saying, so, again, we go through all the preparatory practices and and taking refuge and the mandala the seven-limb prayer, the mandala offering, and so forth. Then we set up we set up the place and everything. Then set up the motivation and everything. Then we go for the actual meditation on on emptiness. And after that, we dedicate the merits at the end.
So then from these points all the way up to especially special insight, from here on onwards, from here, which is this instructions, this meditations and teachings and teachings and teachings and teachings on how to rely on the spiritual teacher. So then from these meditations on how to rely on the spiritual friend all the way up to a special insight, we rely on these instructions. We rely on on the instructions on preparation, what to do before on the actual meditation, and then what to do at the end. Let’s move on to the next topic. The reason why meditation needs to be sustained by means of the two modes of sustaining it.
So then first of all is what what are the two modes of sustaining? The two modes of sustaining it. So the reason why both analysis and the placement, both analytical meditation and placement meditation are necessary. Then first of all, identifying both analytical and and placement meditation. So as for the reasons why we need both meditations and teachings and teachings and teachings and teachings, and we read from that quote from the ornamental sutras here.
First of all, proper mental attention arises in dependence on study mental attention also refers to mental engagement and from proper mental attention again the exalted wisdom with the meaning of pure reality as its object arises The perfect meaning of of reality arises. This that is that is to say that from proper mental attention by means of the wisdom arising from reflection, reflecting on the meaning of what has been studied, the wisdom arising from meditation directly realizing the meaning of pure reality arises. So Geshe-la is explaining the intention so we have been told that we need what is the reason we need both analytical meditation and placement meditation. In the context of listening to the teachings or studying the teachings and contemplation meditation, we already said the three studying contemplation and meditation. We need first of all to develop the wisdom that arises out of studying the teachings, then the wisdom that arises out of contemplating the teachings and reflecting upon the teachings, all the way up to the wisdom that arise out of meditating on the teachings.
All the way up to the moment where we do where we start developing that where the wisdom that arises out of meditation arises, then there there is all like I was saying, all that is analytical meditation. So when we are practicing listening or studying, that is analytical meditation. When we are practicing reflecting and contemplating on the teachings, that is analytical meditation. And then all the way up to the point when the wisdom that arises out of meditation then starts to to arise then then all all of that is analytical meditation. And from that point onwards, then we we practice placement meditation.
Does that make any sense? Then this this one. Yeah. You can see. Is wisdom used to be distinct from knowledge and learning in uses or what you translate?
It’s How can I say just how can I make this distinction between mere knowledge as as we understand the conceptual knowledge and then and and what is meant here? Is is it different? Is it the same? How how we make that distinction in Tibetan? I never learned how to translate that because the word is sherab.
So then and this is something that we it’s for each one of us to to to make this clear in English first. But Geshe-la was explaining. So I was just what is that wisdom? What is called wisdom that arises out of listening to the teachings or hearing the teachings or or studying the teachings? So Geshe-la was gonna say, so when we listen to the teachings and we study the texts and so forth and then Geshe-la was saying literally and then we finally comes it comes to us we finally realize oh this is what it means this means this and that.
When this happens this is what is called the Töjung Sherab. Tö is listening or studying. Junge is arise from and then Sherab is usually translated as wisdom also intelligence. If you use other words in Tibetan like rikpa or shepa in this case that’s the same so it is acquiring knowledge proper right knowledge And then, again, as Geshe lah as Jampa was noting, this wisdom that we’re referring to here is that mental factor of wisdom. So is the is the is the mental factor wisdom is the mental factor that, how to say, analyzes and or analyzes and investigates or analyzes its object of observation.
And then you have again, I was saying there are two and this is this is the trick with the the English translation. We call it wisdom. We think it’s something good. But as as Jampa-la was noting, there is a which is which is afflicted afflicted wisdom, which is so many other people just translate as discriminating awareness. So you have a discriminating awareness which is afflicted and a discriminating awareness which is non afflicted.
And that’s why I was asking what you give us please give us an example of of such an afflicted wisdom. This this wisdom is not discriminating awareness. I guess I wanna say so. Suppose we are motivated by a distorted distorted mind, and then we superimpose qualities on on an object which it does not has, and then we develop attachment out of that. And then out of that attachment and and that grasping to that of that mind that does not wish to be separated from it, which is a mind of attachment, then we start analyzing that that object, in in that it becomes then clearer and clearer to us, to our awareness.
And and that analyzing that object, engaging that object in analyzing it in by this distorted motivation of attachment, that is in afflicted discriminating awareness. So wisdom is a tricky translation. Yes. But the same word is used in in in in specific context and referring to the seminal factor. But because of the context, it clearly referring to something which is not afflicted.
And then again, so then that is the the wisdom that arises out of or the the wisdom that arises out of the knowledge or intelligence that arises out of studying the teachings. Then after you get that knowledge, that wisdom, and you think about it again time and again, you contemplate it again and again, reflect again and again, to the point you are able to develop what is literally translated as a meaning generality or a conceptual image of that thing or that subject or whatever it is that you’re meditating on. And then you attain what is called the inferential cognition of that, then you have developed the wisdom that arises out of contemplation, the wisdom that arises out of reflection, reflecting on on on the teaching. And then when you take that inferential cognition and all that called meaning generality, the conceptual image, and again and again you meditate on that again and again, eventually you come to a point where you can do without that meaning generality, and you directly realize your object of meditation in question, whatever subject it may be. And then that is then the wisdom that arises out of meditation.
So thank you, was just saying, so from that wisdom or I don’t know which way you you would prefer to translate it. From that knowledge that arises out of studying, then we develop we start engaging reflection. And then from the knowledge that arises out of reflection or contemplation, then we engage in in in the meditation. And from that knowledge or or that realization that arises out of meditation and when realize that then Geshe-la says then we practice placement meditation on that. It may be.
And it’d be emptiness for for example, and we place single point practice single point So then and then goes on for for the text in the ornament of direct realization to it says, and I’m gonna I I advise us to read both translations. The for for the four aspects of ascertainment, the path of seeing, in meditation, repeated reflection, assessment and certainty are the path of meditation. And then there’s another translation here at the bottom of the by the path of meditation is that which repeatedly reflects, assesses and definitely investigates that on the branches of definitive discrimination, the path of seeing and the path of meditation itself. And can you explain what is the meaning of what what that verses what those words are meaning. What what are they referring to?
And there is a an expression here. The the the branches of ascertainment. Geshe-la And ascertainment there is making reference to the path of preparation. And then you have a reference later on to the path of seeing, and then later on to a reference to the path of meditation. Repeated reflection, assessment, and certainty.
This is is telling us that what is it that is mainly done in each of those paths. So then, at the path of preparation, what what what the practitioner is mainly doing is developing the wisdom that arises out of contemplation. That’s the main thing. The principle thing that he’s doing. It’s not the only thing that he’s saying, but it’s the principle activity.
And then the path of seeing, the individual is mainly principally developing that wisdom that arises out of contemplation. And, again, the path of meditation, then it’s the wisdom that arise out of meditation. That’s Geshe-la says, so what mainly, principally, And again, that is to say, there are types of repeated reflection, assessment, and certain understanding or certainty that constitute the path of meditation of Mahāyāna Aryas. So again, so they also engage in studying contemplation and meditation. And and was asking what the meaning of certain Tibetan words here, which which I’m I’m also a person who wasn’t familiar with this with this words or this way of explaining them, but was explained that each one of these words is which is a different form of the word sempa, which is usually translated as contemplation.
It gives room to some misunderstanding. So that first word sempa is referring to studying, listening, and then gaining some understanding. Then you you engage in the second word, which is Jawa, which is, Geshe-la, is saying that which is translated as assessment here. So repeated reflection. And here in the text, we have assessment.
Geshe-la is saying this Jawa, just what what was translated as assessment refers to contemplation to the second of those three. Right? Study, contemplation, meditation. And then finally, a certain understanding or certainty, guess what was saying, that makes reference to direct knowledge, direct realization, which comes out of meditation. So I was gonna say, so did these three make correspond in their own in their own way to the to the to listening, contemplation, meditation, studying contemplation, and meditation.
Okay? And Geshe-la is saying so then a being in the path of seeing is a being who has direct realized emptiness. In the path of seeing, one realized emptiness. And we think then, so what what else is left for us to do then if if when we don’t realize emptiness, we think that’s that’s it. And that is not the case.
There is still a lot more wisdom to be developed because even though one has realized it directly and then we come to maybe different meanings in English of the word gompa, which gompa is is translated as meditation, but also refers to familiarization or habituation. So, again, Geshe-la was saying there is still a lot of familiarization to be done with with with that. Geshe-la was then giving you an illustration. There is take a car, for example. When we look at a car, then we we have a realization of the car.
There’s a car there. But through familiarization, we come to know all the final workings of the car and the parts and pieces and and so forth. And the same with with everything else, including our our meditation. So again, we don’t realize it, then we have to habituate or familiarize ourselves with it. And, Geshe-la was gonna say, and there’s a lot of wisdom to be gained by this familiarization.
There’s a lot of knowledge or or or wisdom to be gained by by this familiarization process and that goes all the way until we attain enlightenment and all the way up until enlightenment one is always engaging in studying contemplation and meditation. Only when one attains enlightenment then which is also referred to as the path of no more learning then one does not need to engage in the study contemplation and meditation anymore but all the way up until enlightenment one is always practicing the three: study, contemplation, and meditation. And again, we have another quote on the Compendium of Trainings. It also says, thus, you should practice meditation continuously giving away, guarding, purifying, increasing your body and merit in all kinds of ways. And Geshe-la previously said, so then all that all that makes reference to analytical meditation.
So all that is referring to analytical meditation. Geshe-la went on to read the next part of the text. With regards to the meditation that should be done according to the statement for all four activities giving away, guarding, purifying, increasing with respect to which of the three: body, possessions, and roots of virtue? And then so then, Geshe-la was explaining, so with regards to which one of those fields of activities. Again, one has to one has to give away one has to give away one’s body, one has to give away one’s possessions, one has to give away one’s merits, again one has to guard again one’s virtuous, how do you say, one’s moral conduct, and one has to guard one’s virtues, one has to guard one’s body, and that’s making reference to guard against the four physical non virtues and virtues of body, also guard against the non virtues of speech and non virtues of mind, so guarding against non virtues.
And then, And thirdly, tapa, and then again tapa which is was translated here as purifying the word tapa again be pure pure and one has to see also that all of this body and everything else they have to see them as pure and that means not conceiving them as inherent existent or existing from their own side and so forth seeing them as empty of an inherent existence and so forth and then again, increasing increasing one’s virtues and and refining one’s understanding one’s realizations, increasing real refining one’s virtues and so forth. Those kind. Mhmm. When we read the tree, it was talking about the body, the possessions, the merits. And Geshe-la was saying, and and we have these actions, which is to to give, to protect, to to purify, and to increase.
And Geshe-la was saying, respect to the body, how is it that we we increase it? We can increasing the body is is not does not mean make one turning one body into many bodies. That’s that cannot be done. So it’s not what is making reference to. Lus la.
Someone cannot increase the volume this way. What is that increasing, making reference to is is is is saying through the body via the body, we increase virtue. We engage in virtue. Through the body, we we increase the virtue. And what is that protecting, making reference to, or that guarding, making reference to?
Again, we guard against non virtues for the body also. And again and so again, Geshe-la was going through the commentary with regards to the meditations and teachings and teachings and teachings and teachings that should be done according to the statement for all four activities giving away, guarding, purifying, and increasing. With respect to each of the three body possessions and roots of virtue, there are both analytical meditations and teachings and teachings and teachings and teachings which are sustained through analysis by means of discriminating wisdom, discriminating awareness, and placement meditations and teachings and teachings and teachings and teachings, which are to to place the mind single pointedly without analysis. So then we fall to the next topic, identification. Identifying analytical and placement meditation.
So now if you ask what are the paths that are analytical meditation and what are the paths which are placement meditation? What is analytical meditation? What is placement meditation? And again, so then for meditation, such as the cultivation cultivation of confidence in the spiritual teacher, in the lama, we’re saying that, again, we have to contemplate the qualities of the teacher and and develop the faith confidence in the teaching and so forth. So all that is analytical meditation.
So then the the contemplation meditation such as the meaning, the great meaning of the freedoms and endowments and the difficulty of finding them, the present human rebirth. Again, contemplations on death and impermanence on actions and the and the results on the on the faults or shortcomings or cyclic existence and the cultivation of of bodhicitta. There are in all of those, analytical meditation is necessary. And then so then all of all of those, they are analytical meditations and teachings and teachings and teachings and teachings. So for each of them, minds of great strength and the ability to subdue the mind for a long time are necessary because if they are absent, their counterparts, disrespect and the like cannot be prevented.
Again, Geshe-la says, so just that just indicates that we need a very strong mind. We need very in order to contemplate each of those subjects, bodhicitta or impermanence and death or khorwa, the shortcomings of cyclic existence and so forth, we need very strong minds to contemplate that, and we need to to contemplate or to meditate on those topics for a very long for a very long time, Geshe-la. Oh, And, Geshe-la, then just make reference to the one must be able to subdue the mind. And, again, just to to set aside. And Geshe-la is explaining that expression which was the ability to subdue again from a more positive perspective, saying again, if one is meditating, for example, in the mind of enlightenment, then one has to have that strong mind, that that continuity, that perseverance, that that directs all of of of one’s being in in in the direction of of the meditation, for one’s meditation, bodhicitta.
Again, one turns all of one’s being, one’s body, speech, mind towards the accomplishment of that meditation. And, again, if one does not have that, again, this the counterparts, disrespect and so forth cannot be prevented. We will not be able to arrest those counterparts, those the disturbing conditions. Like I said, again, if one is meditating on the mind of enlightenment, for example, bodhicitta, then again one becomes distracted and turns away to other thoughts and so forth by not having these three strong mind, continuity, and this ability to subdue. And again, generating these minds again depends on nothing but the meditation analyzing them by means of investigating them individually time and again.
And again, we are giving an example just as intense attachment arises when you meditate on an object of attachment a lot while exaggerating its pleasant features. In Geshe-la is saying so take a car for example again out of attachment we keep on contemplating the car and we this attachment increases and grows stronger and stronger. And in the same way again intense aversion arises if you think of many unpleasant features with regards to that to enemy. Again, if you think of of somebody that you don’t like, an enemy and so forth, and you’re contemplating that. Again, anger and aversion arises.
Hence, in regard to meditating this path on this path, these processes are similar whether or not the aspect of the object appears clearly. But the mode of apprehension of the mind must be intense and long lasting, which is why you should do analytical meditation. This one. And again, the context practicing calm abiding, enables one to place the mind on whatever single object one wishes, since someone whose mind cannot stay on a single object will not be fit for mental quiescence, if he analyzes again and again, it is necessary to practice placement meditation on that. So then we our main goal is is liberation and enlightenment.
So because we wish to attain liberation, we we have to realize emptiness. We have to meditate on emptiness, but we do not have and we do not have any realization of emptiness. Now in order to realize emptiness, we need to practice a lot of analytical meditation. We need to we need to engage. We need to meditate on emptiness.
In order to do that, we need to develop that wisdom, that knowledge that arises out of contemplation. Again, that that needs to be developed in dependence on having acquired the knowledge or the wisdom that arises out of studying. And that’s what we are doing right now. We are developing that wisdom or the knowledge that arises out of studying, of listening to the teachings. That’s what we are doing right now.
And Geshe-la was saying now, how is it that we how is it that we go about developing this wisdom that arises out of studying or listening with respect to emptiness? Again, we have to attend the teachings, and we have to study the texts and the books that teach about emptiness. And then we have to contemplate what the reasonings and the sayings that there are on the books, on the teachings on emptiness that we have available. Again contemplating, thinking about them, engaging them, and and and thinking. So the text says that phenomena do not exist the way it appears to exist.
And, we we contemplate is that really so how does it how is it that phenomena exist? How is it that phenomena does not exist? Does phenomenon exists? Does phenomenon not exist? And how how we we we go how do say?
In this way, we we reason about we reason about the the teachings which which we are studying in case of emptiness, the text on emptiness and the teachings on emptiness that we have acquired. And again and again, we also need to realize enlightenment. In order to realize enlightenment, we cannot do it without developing, without giving rise to bodhicitta. And, again, bodhicitta is, again, something that we have to meditate on by means of analytical meditation. Then after having gained ascertained it through analytical meditation then we can do single placement meditation on it.
But until that point of ascertaining it, then we need to it developed through analytical meditation. And Geshe-la was saying so because placement meditation is a mind that is a is a meditation that places the mind on a single object to the exclusion of other objects. Again, if you do not have that object of observation clear, you cannot practice placement meditation. So that’s why it is necessary to ascertain the object of meditation with analytical meditation. So if one has not not ascertained the object through analytical meditation, one cannot practice placement meditation.
So again, we have to contemplate the mind of enlightenment, but we have to ascertain it through meditation. We have to think what is the mind of enlightenment. Again, we contemplate this preciousness, the greatness of the mind of enlightenment is a very important mind because it’s contemplating all sentient beings trying to relieve wishing to relieve all all sentient beings from suffering, establishing all sentient beings in happiness in order to accomplish that one myself must accomplish. And then again, one has to understand in order to be able to produce that mind of enlightenment, one needs to pray because one needs to develop, one needs to gain an understanding of the kinds of other sentient beings, and not only the kinds of all sentient beings, but how understanding how all the sentient beings are more precious than oneself and more important than oneself and so without understanding how all sentient beings are more precious than oneself we will keep on holding on to oneself is more important and precious than others and one cannot then develop And one has to contemplate how One has to contemplate, one has to think how every happiness that we have comes entirely in dependence upon other sentient beings.
Because I was saying even if we contemplate the the happiness that we have experienced in life, all of them come about solely in dependence on the kindness of other sentient beings. Again, not only that, but the happiness of all past lives and future lives all the way up until enlightenment. All of that comes about on the kindness of other sentient beings. In this way, come to understand how all of the sentient beings are so very precious, very important. All the way up.
And the the sentient beings are even more more precious and more important than the Buddha than the the Buddha himself. The Buddha is very kind, but as it is to us, sentient beings are even more kind than the Buddha. So again, appreciate the Buddha, we think of the Buddha as being very precious and important because in dependence on the Dharma that the Buddha gives us, can attain happiness, we can attain enlightenment and so forth. And also through the Buddha’s enlightened actions again we experience every happiness that we have so that’s how we we think develop this sense of preciousness towards the Buddha. The sentient beings, on the other hand, they do not lead us to enlightenment, but or or we say that they do not lead lead us to enlightenment.
Because I wasn’t saying it is without without there being sentient beings, cannot develop bodhicitta, we cannot develop great compassion. So then all of these great minds of bodhicitta and great compassion and so forth, they come in dependence on all sentient beings. Without them, this is what they give us. And guess I was gonna say also every happens that we experience in this life, all everything that we eat, drink, wear, so forth, all these comforts, again, come in dependence on all those sentient beings. So then, together, all sentient beings and all the Buddhas, again, they are together.
They are very precious, very important. Guess last thing again we cannot see the Buddhas. See directly experience the sentient beings. We see all the sentient beings. And then in the situation that we are right now very poor, we’re very miserable due to the force of our actions and our karma of course we are presently in a very miserable situation and the only beings who help us directly, who benefit us directly, are all the sentient beings.
The Buddhas cannot do that right now. Only when we when our situation improves, then we can start perceiving other beings and Buddhists and so forth. We can start directly benefiting from them. But as it is right now, then we only benefit we can only benefit from all the sentient beings. Giving that saying that as a as a as an illustration.
If if if we were very poor and destitute without food or means of obtaining food, again, if somebody then in that situation gives us a hundred dollars or so, then that’s that’s very kindness, a great kindness. On the other hand, if we were if we were already wealthy with thousands of dollars or or or however much money, and somebody gave us a hundred dollars, that that wouldn’t be that we wouldn’t regard that as as as kind or anything like that. We wouldn’t regard that that as anything special. If correct me if I’m wrong, but, Geshe-la is then saying, so, again, in the situation that we are at, again, we we depend on the kindness of other sentient beings. Geshe-la was saying, it’s only here and at this stage, we we cannot rely directly on on the on the kindness of of the enlightened beings of the Buddhists.
And if someone say, only up when we fulfill the path of preparation and we attain a certain type of of concentration, then we will be able then to actually perceive the Buddhas or enlightened beings or other beings and then benefit directly from from them. Is that correct? Is okay. That that was basically what what Geshe-la said. Do are you following?
Is this is that making sense? Mhmm. Sounds good. Sounds right? Yes.
Okay. Indicating that all sentient beings are very kind to us, how precious indicating how very precious and kind all sentient beings are to us. So all the happiness that we experience now, all the happiness that we have experienced in the past and will experience in the future, again, all of that is is due to the kindness, the great kindness of all sentient beings. And so then all the way until we attain a definitive realization of of of this great kindness of of all sentient beings, a very strong realization of the kind of all sentient beings, we have to engage in analytical such analytical meditations and teachings and teachings and teachings and teachings. So all of that is all analytical meditations and teachings and teachings and teachings and teachings.
So analytical meditations and teachings and teachings and teachings and teachings are necessary. And we’ll follow on to the next topic, which is a repetition of this misconception that although they are both analytical and placement meditation, one single person does not practice both śamatha and vipaśyanā. In English, was reading through the the first few lines of the of the text again. Although some who do not know this approach claim that if you are a scholar, you should only do analytical meditation while while kusalis, sadhus, should only do placement meditation. And this is not so because it is necessary to do both of them one by one.
I just thought we’re going through the rest of the text again this is because the learned ones too need to achieve calm abiding and sadhus, or kusalis, actually the word is written is kusalis, so the yogis, the very strong practitioners and meditators too, they need to achieve strong confidence in the spiritual teacher and the like and and all the other teachings of analytical meditation. Therefore, the understanding that repeated analysis by means of discriminating wisdom belongs to the context of listening and reflecting and not to the context of practice is inadmissible. So that is it is wrong. Want to stop here today so we have time for questions. Did you say placement meditation?
Placement. Placement meditation. Yes. It’s a single pointed meditation. Concentration.
Concentration. Or or contemplation? Contemplation is different. Something else. Concentration.
What what what’s the difference? So contemplation is translation of the word the Tibetan word tsampa, which contemplation comes in the in the context of talking about listening contemplation meditation or study contemplation and meditation. And contemplation is when you engage in the in the knowledge that you have gained through studying, and you contemplate that again and again. You reflect on that again and again until you develop a a you gain what is called an inferential cognition and develop a meaning generality and on top of that then you can start engaging in single pointed concentration. Placement meditation which means to place your mind single pointedly on that object of meditation now if you want further clarification between concentration and contemplation in english then you should definitely look in the dictionary because they sound a little bit like the same, but they they have different meanings.
Dictionary will certainly help you on that one. So that’s but in the on the same path but a different stage? So then, and this is it’s a way to translate the same word in Tibetan that depend depending on the context, it could refer to different things. So the the word that is translated in English as as stage It’s it’s and Geshe-la was saying so then in in in this context, Geshe-la is saying so is referring to main, let’s say, main stages of practice. For example, a a a main stage of practice would be like meditation on emptiness that’s a stage of our practice and then we engage in the process of realizing emptiness it comes through first we engage at studying about emptiness then we engage in contemplation on emptiness and then we engage in meditation on emptiness and then I try to convey the meaning of that being a stage process but yeah in a way it is it is a process and one has to go through listening first and then go through contemplation and then finally through meditation.
Clarifying his take on the word rimpa in this context saying, so again, when we meditate on emptiness, we have to not only realize emptiness but realize that stage of emptiness. That stage of emptiness is comprised of listening, contemplation, and meditation. We first study about emptiness and you contemplate about emptiness, then you meditate on emptiness, and that is that comprise one whole stage. Again the same goes for impermanence and death. First you start with studying impermanence and death and contemplating and meditating.
Again that comprises one whole stage. And again the same goes for bodhicitta and every other path, every other meditation. Legs so. Then that’s what Geshe-la is explaining as stage. Stage.
Stage. E. Yeah. But stage is a place somewhere. I don’t know.
Maybe you want to you really want to type it down a different area. Any more questions, any more questions? You want to explain that? Has doubts, In that case, I was wondering, worldly desires and ignorance itself is enlightenment, that is to say, ignorance is the seeds of enlightenment. Essentially, I was wondering.
I love to hear Geshe’s opinion. Ignorance is the seed of Itself is enlightenment. That is to say, you know, they are the seeds of enlightenment, essentially. Seeds of enlightenment, essentially. Essentially.
Well Fundamentally, I mean. You mean like as in ignorance brings suffering? How can I sorry? Can you give me a hand, please? How can I how can I say that?
How’s So then, no. They are not the seed of enlightenment. They they are actually what obstructs enlightenment. But, you know, without worldly understanding or realizing worldly desires or, you know, ignorance, there’s no such enlightenment. Without realizing, you know, worldly desires and ignorance.
There’s no such enlightenment. Without realizing. You know? It’s so we have to understand them we have to understand all the desires and the ignorance and then we have to abandon them and then by giving them abandoning them then eventually we attaining enlightenment yes What? No.
No. I didn’t I didn’t I wasn’t following us. But but, Geshe lah, so what you said is right in the sense that you have to understand that there is suffering. You have to understand that there is ignorance, and then you get rid of them. So in this in this regard, what you said is right, in this way.
Is that okay? That’s you have to own that, really. You have to own that. Because, you know, if there’s no such ignorance, do we have to remove? He just he just told you that you are right in the sense that you have to understand that there is ignorance and that there is suffering, and then you have to abandon it.
I understand the path. But maybe you do not understand what I was going to talk. Did you? Maybe. But that’s okay.
This one. One and this one. Turn this one. Okay.