Audio recorded at Buddha House Adelaide. Transcript auto-generated and AI-corrected; may contain errors.
About this talk. In this 45-minute session, Geshe Pema Tsering traces the lineage of the view of emptiness from Nāgārjuna’s prophesied appearance in India through to Tsongkhapa’s hard-won realization and his composition of the Praise of Dependent Origination. The heart of the talk follows Tsongkhapa’s years of frustrated research: consulting existing texts, receiving teachings through direct visions of Mañjuśrī, undertaking a lengthy retreat in the Olkha region accumulating merit through prostrations and mandala offerings, and finally — by studying Buddhapālita’s commentary on Nāgārjuna’s Fundamental Treatise of the Middle Way — breaking through to understand emptiness directly. A Q&A closes the session, covering the key doctrinal difference between the Autonomy and Consequentialist Middle Way schools on how phenomena exist, and why studying all four tenet schools in sequence matters — each level sharpening the mind for the next. Part of the 2002 Lam Rim series; assumes familiarity with basic Madhyamaka vocabulary.
File metadata (for organising)
File: 14 LR 2002 09 24.mp3
UUID: f7c5d6c9-db51-4e12-932c-85a6464c6cc2
Teacher: Geshe Pema Tsering
Collection: Lam Rim 2002 Bodhisattva Deeds (Geshe Pema Tsering)
Date: 2002-09-24
Recorded at: Buddha House Adelaide
Duration: 44.9 minutes
Words: ~3,293
Oh, yeah. So there have been a prediction, or set forth by, yeah, prophesied prediction by the lord Buddha in his in the volumes of the sutras or the treatise of the bodhisattva’s teaching that set forth that because for for a time being, the the the Buddha Śākyamūni set forth all these profound teachings on emptiness and so forth. And what happens is, so Buddha Śākyamūni entered parinirvana and so does his direct disciples in the sense. Those disciples who are present during the teachings and the lord Buddha Śākyamūni was also passed away. So and and then it happens that and hardly for a while, there’s no disciples who understand the profound views properly and were set forth.
During that time, after a while, that there will a disciple called Ārya Nāgārjuna who is from the the south called the Vidarbha region. And so for the South in the Vidarbha region in South India, there will be a great Bhikśu. And yep. The Vidarbha region in South India, there will be a the Bhikśu, the fully ordained monk called Ārya Nāgārjuna who will come after five hundred years after Buddha’s parinirvana and who will set forth or spread the the the teachings on emptiness or view of emptiness. And then and then the the great master Ārya Nāgārjuna set forth the teachings on that profound view of emptiness.
And when he set forth and he set forth in his the root the the fundamental treatise of the middle way school, therefore, the the verses goes that there is no such phenomena that is not interdependent. So does. So the set forth, there’s not phenomena which is not interdependent. Likewise, there’s not such phenomena that is not empty or emptiness. This one.
This. This. Oh, yeah. That is. And so that particular verse from the fundamental treatise of the middle way school, which is set forth by the great master, Nāgārjuna.
And that is the key. And that particular verse can set forth the very essence or quintessential the most view of the ultimate view or the of consequentialist in terms of Buddhist teachings, the utmost view. And if we are the the consequentialist practitioner or or with and who who is suitable object to receive the profound teachings and the the on on the view of emptiness, then that really suits and we can people feel very comfortable hearing that verse. Those who are not can’t find it a bit unsuitable or uneasy Right. To accept.
Yeah. Got it. And so some people, do not understand quite the the unders do not quite understand the real meaning of the particular teach view of the consequentialist school. And because of this and and without understanding the proper, yep, meaning or the the main key points of the view of the consequential school or the Nāgārjuna system. And and in the past happens in the Tibet that the that the Tibetan masters, the the things that they are searching or teaching the view of the empty on emptiness in view of the consequentialist middle school.
But that is the wrong one. And the master, great master Candrakīrti, who is the disciple of Ārya Nāgārjuna, has set forth that those who go besides or in the sense do not go in the the schools or the path shown by the system of Ārya Nāgārjuna will not have a method to attain the solitary peace or Sorry. And the method a method to attain the the liberation because because because by by not going or in the system of Nāgārjuna’s path or school, the one lacks that one loses or lacks the understanding the both the both the truths, the conventional and the ultimate truth. But so by by not yeah.
Because of this, by not understanding or or losing those two truths, conventional and ultimate truth, there is no by losing them, therefore, there is no chance for one to attain liberation. Also the good master, Atisha, has set forth that and and where and how one can develop how one can develop the wisdom realizing emptiness or realize emptiness or in which which text or system one through which system or school one can develop it, one can realize the emptiness is that that the great master, the lord Buddha Śākyamūni has has set forth or predict has predicted that the disciples, the the by studying or traveling in the system of the the the studying in the text set set forth by the great master Candrakīrti who is the disciple of Ārya Nāgārjuna who has truly seized the the emptiness or, yeah, the true nature of the the the the phenomena or object. So briefly speaking then by studying in the text or text of Candrakīrti, one can develop or realize the emptiness. So and then there have been a numbers of disciples of the great master in tip yeah. Or follower of the system of the Candrakīrti in Tibet, many Tibetan masters.
But numbers of them had mistake or not fully understand the the the entire the viewpoint or views or assert views of the the great master Candrakīrti. And later, there comes a great practitioner called the great master his eminent Tsongkhapa, Lobsang Drakpa. And he did he did lots of research on that view of wisdom realizing emptiness. Emptiness view of emptiness set forth by Candrakīrti and been through the the had researched on a numbers of texts and the time the text during the time of his period as well as the earlier translations. The text, before his time and done numbers of research and had never been satisfied, with those scriptures.
He then decided that there is a great master, Nagabodhi and Maitripa in India at that time. And the thought that that that he will he must or he should go to India and meet with those two great masters in India and, you know, discuss about the view of emptiness in terms of Candrakīrti’s or the Candrakīrti system. And while during that time, the great master called Uma Pawo Dorje requested the the Tsongkhapa not to travel to India at that moment. And because he was emanation of Glorious Vajrapāni and set forth and he gave the teaching, the text called the Rosary of Nectar to the Tsongkhapa. So, yep, a bit of a recap here that as the the master Uma Pawo Dorje requested great master Tsongkhapa not to travel to India, and he then had a direct vision of Vajrapāni.
And Vajrapāni gave the teaching to Uma called the Rosary of Nectar. And and and and then then Uma gave that teaching to the great master Tsongkhapa. And then great master Tsongkhapa, then again, you know, research in that particular text called the Rosary of Nectar and then comparing them to the other translations or other texts during his time in Tibet as well as translation before his time. And he he developed even more doubt on it instead of, you know, bringing it into conclusion. So finally, then he made a petition and and yep.
To the the the Buddha Mañjuśrī. And then the Mañjuśrī advised him and he went in the practices of accumulation. Yeah. Yeah. Accumulating numbers of merit and purifying the the non virtuous or negativities.
Right? And finally, he had the direct vision of the great master sorry, Tsongkhapa had direct vision of Mañjuśrī. So in terms of having the visions of the Buddhist, there are diff many ways of having a visions or seeing or receiving teachings. Example, having a vision in one’s dream and receiving teaching or in the meditation and and yep. meditations and teachings and teachings and teachings and teachings.
And and and yeah. Having the visions also for the hearing, the direct voice of the great masters and so forth. So in terms of the Tsongkhapa seeing Tsongkhapa, that great master Tsongkhapa has a direct vision of the Mañjuśrī in the sense like us having a teacher and the disciples sitting next to each other in direct face to face. And then still So have received numbers of teachings direct in our vision of the great master manjushri and have direct received teachings like us with in front of our teacher. And then he still still the good master Tsongkhapa can’t establish that emptiness and do not develop and can’t realize the emptiness.
And then and had a you know, and have teachings from the Mañjuśrī and then have discussions with the the the master Umapa and and still fails to realize the emptiness and that and and finally, then great master, the Mañjuśrī has advised the the practitioners, Tsongkhapa, and to to be into the practice and the cultivation or cultivate numbers of merits, virtues and and the purification of the negativities learning. And then good master And then good master is set forth in the Olkha region or a place for the meditation in order to cultivate numbers of both the merits and purification of the negative non virtues. And been in the Olkha for many years and did prostrations, mandala offerings and so forth. And finally, had the vision of the great master so called Buddhapālita and then set forth to to study in the Buddhapālita text. And And then, yeah, though the has set forth that approach the Buddhapālita and then have discussion or teachings.
And then by meeting with the Buddhapālita at the end, then the great master finally find to fully understand the view of the emptiness through the system of Candrakīrti or Nāgārjuna system. So what’s that? The Buddhapālita is actually a tab text in a Sanskrit. Sorry. The the text.
Okay. And then who was composed by the great master Buddhapālita and who was or was the disciple of Ārya Nāgārjuna. So actually, the text called the Buddhapālita, that text is the commentary on Ārya Nāgārjuna’s text called the fundamental treatise of the middle way school. So by studying that the the text commentary on on the fundamental treatise of the middle way, so called text called the Buddhapālita, and then the great master by oh, yeah. By studying their text, commentary, they finally developed the wisdom realizing emptiness and now find the yep.
The emptiness. And by studying this, then great master Tsongkhapa has started hearing or having the visions of great master Pandits of the India and and receiving teachings and hearing their views, teachings on emptiness. So now it’s happening very frequently for great master. So all these visions is coming. And sometimes great master, it happens sort of like not taking it seriously.
Yeah. Yeah. That’s happening, you know. And then the great Mañjuśrī taught him, don’t ignore, you know. You should hear all the teachings and be careful and be attentive that by by all these visions and different types of teachings and all Yep.
By receiving those in future through them, you can benefit numbers of sentient beings. And then so by studying this and finally, yep, Understand the the teachings on understand the view of emptiness and and and realize the emptiness. And by developing realizing that emptiness, developing wisdom, realizing emptiness. And then the Tsongkhapa’s great master Tsongkhapa’s devotion and faith in Buddha Śākyamūni became even greater or even more reverence or or devotions in the Buddha Śākyamūni. And and and by seeing this and finally and the great master composed a text.
And and that is the the praise to Buddha Śākyamūni as well as the teachings of the interdependent or emptiness. And that text is called the Praise of Dependent Origination, which is teaching of dependent origination as well as that is the praise on the basis of the teaching of dependent origination, it makes praise to the Buddha Śākyamūni as well. The text is called the the Praise of Dependent Origination. And we’ll stop here. So it’s very good sign that we the times approach and we come to the very good point because master has composed the Praise of Dependent Origination.
Probably looks like it was taught for us. Yeah. Okay. Question and answers. Few questions, if you want.
Yes. The the explanation of the Middle Way school Uh-huh. That things don’t truly exist, but they do it to describe their own characteristics. Yeah. And then you gave a further explanation, which I didn’t quite catch.
Which was? You didn’t quite catch it. And then next. Yeah. Things don’t truly No.
Say that they don’t really exist, but they do exist by their own characters. Yeah. And then you get a further explanation. Still still off the autonomy or the consequences? Mhmm.
So, Yeah. This is the main The the key point, the key view of the autonomy middle way school. That the phenomena do not exist truly but they do exist by their own characteristic. So this is the only the key point which I don’t really remember what I said for. Yeah.
So what happens? See, they they set it different different different ways that They establishing the setting for the true existence differently saying that one part that do not exist truly and then goes to the different one but they exist with own characteristic. So they’re differentiating the true existent and the exist by their characteristics differently whereas in terms of consequentialist, it comes in the same. Because it do not truly exist, if we don’t exist by its characteristic, probably that’s the way it links. At least, you had to go on.
Oh, sorry. What’s that? Elaine. Yeah. Next.
Yeah. Yes. You know, I’ve heard how it’s good to learn Yep. It is very important to study those as well because because the the the ultimate view of wisdom realizing it and the of of emptiness set forth by the consequentialist middle school, it’s very profound and very hard to realize. So those the view on emptiness for the lower schools are like very conducive conditions, you know.
They are slightly easier to understand than the middle school, and it is very important to study from the very the different schools of tenets because by studying them, then one’s mental faculty or intelligence will grow and which they they will become able to fully understand, fully understand the view, the schools or the views of the consequential Madhyamaka. This is how it is important. That’s why we have we need to study because it’s very hard to understand. Directly going to the consequentialist middle school and try to realize it’s very it’s very profound and hard to develop. Because those teachings are set forth according to the mentality of the disciples.
And what happens is those disciples so by studying each and every the mental faculty, they grow higher and higher and then finally they reach into the consequentialist Madhyamaka school. This is the process they go. And for example, like at the very first stage, you know, when the if one set forth to the view of the wisdom, realizing, emptiness of the consequential school to the practitioner of the follower of the Vaibhāṣika school, then they will it do not fit in their head and and and they will say, no, no, it’s it’s I can’t accept that. It’s it’s it’s impossible because if you say this, then there’s no such things. There’s nothing exist at all in this world and which is not because because there are many things they do exist.
This is what they say. But by studying from the base, like in the lower schools of the tenets, then by studying their mental, the strength of mentality improves, increases, and then reach to the point where they can be consequentialist Madhyamaka view fits into their into the faculty and then finally realize the ultimate viewpoint. But it’s Yeah. This So it actually becomes the conditions to develop the ultimate view. So it’s it’s the the thing is that the the way the way of teaching all these schools of tenets, the view of the different tenets is because it’s to suit the person’s disciples, disciples’ intelligent and and speaking according to their men the ability of their, mentality, then they’re just upgrading up.
And then whenever they find, no, this is the right time. Now his mentality of the Sautrāntika school has reached into that level now. This is the time now you set forth the teachings of such and such and the which will which they can understand. For example, at the very first stage, the practitioner of the Sautrāntika, if you say that things do not exist by their own characteristic, which is the view of the autonomy middle school. They don’t understand it.
They can’t that that teaching will not fit in their mentality or in here. And then so at that moment, because they are Sautrāntika school, if you set forth the teaching by saying that things do not exist things do not exist self-sufficiently, this will fit their mentality because because when when they set forth do not exist self sufficiently and they will think, yes, is not because if the things exist self sufficiently, then it should not be they should not have any destructions, no changes within the the particular object. And because it is not, they do change and therefore they can’t self sufficiently exist because they changes, they don’t remain same. And by knowing this through the research or the the training or your investigation and then finally, by by investigating or analyzing on those emptiness of the self sufficiently lacking self-sufficient existence. Then the mind advances and reaches to the point where it is the right time to teach them that things do not exist by their own characteristic.
This is how it’s upgrading their knowledge. Got it. No. No. Well, it is the reason why there are four schools of tenets is because now these teachings of the lord Buddha Śākyamūni and the lord Buddha the Buddha Śākyamūni, the lord Buddha’s teachings always were very effective on the spot to the disciples.
It is because the Buddha Śākyamūni, the lord Buddha’s speeches, they give the teachings according to the teachings in in order to ripen the disciples’ minds. And to do so, so they teach according to the the the current mental state or mental the capability that what what teaching suit suits and is possible for person ripen a person’s mind and lead to the enlightenment or to the liberation. So therefore so when Buddha set forth, the Buddha does not have to in the audience, the the the hundred people with the hundred different mentality or different views. And Buddha does not need to speak separately to hundred people. He can set forth one teachings and and and which will fit the the individual necessities.
And not everyone does have them. This is called the unique one of the unique qualities of the Buddhist that the just by mere speech will help the disciples according to their wish. So if who is whose mental state is suitable to understand the view of consequentialist school, understand according to the consequential view of school, also emptiness, and to the other, like the Autonomy school, or Cittamātra, or the Vaibhāṣika school, or Vaibhāṣika school according to their wish. But for us, when we give teaching, we don’t really know what is your mentality or what is your capability. So the reason, whether it’s helpful or not, we just teach from each and every tenet.
So that that will this is how it happens.