Audio recorded at Buddha House Adelaide. Transcript auto-generated and AI-corrected; may contain errors.
About this talk. In this 69-minute commentary, Geshe Pema Tsering works through a verse from the Mind Training text: all phenomena are like the centre of pure empty space, so the mind that causes harm and the mind that suffers it are equally without power to wound each other. He traces appearances of disease and obstruction back to self-grasping, quoting a sūtra that calls the conceptual mind “Mara”, the obstacle-bringer, and illustrates futile clinging with two analogies — tying a knot in empty space, or lassoing with a rope of turtle’s hair. Meditation guidance follows on resting in emptiness and re-absorbing distractions as the mind’s own projection. The session closes by mapping this view onto the Four Bodies of Buddha, concluding the section on taking difficult circumstances into the path through ultimate bodhicitta.
File metadata (for organising)
File: 21 2005 10 23 MT.mp3
UUID: 5d61a90a-9d60-4a68-9827-d443c8d56d65
Teacher: Geshe Pema Tsering
Collection: Mind Training (Geshe Pema Tsering)
Date: 2005-10-23
Recorded at: Buddha House Adelaide
Duration: 69.4 minutes
Words: ~3,473
So now we have to we should develop a proper motivation. And a proper motivation is the motivation to achieve enlightenment for the sake of all sentient beings. The motivation is the mind that intends on relieving all sentient beings from suffering and accomplishing all their happiness. And then thinking in this way, we should think now may I achieve enlightenment for the sake of all sentient beings. And then having done so, we engage in the studies of the mind training and text and so forth. So now we’re still in the part of the text that deals with how to take difficulties into the path while, I would say, through having through meditating on emptiness of phenomena.
And so the text says, all phenomena are, how do you say, primordially I mean, fundamentally, they are not truly established. And then the text goes on to say that just like the center of the purest empty space, So the all phenomena are just like this, just like the center of pure empty space. So in the same manner, also, one’s own mind is, how to say, insubstantial. And Geshe-la explains that this insubstantial is referring to the fact that the mind is also not truly existent. And also, the minds of those who are causing us harm, they are also insubstantial.
They also lack true existence. And that being so, us or those who are harmed. And those who harm, they are both, they are all not really established. And then I’ll just remind briefly that before, we’re talking about the harmers in general, and now we’re talking even about the minds. So we’re talking about the bodies and everything.
Now we’re talking specifically about the minds also. So everything is empty. So emptiness cannot harm emptiness. Okay? So, for example, the text put such as for an example.
So the space to the east cannot is not able to harm the space to the north of us. Okay? So they’re completely unable to cause any any harm. So that being so, no idea. So Geshe-la briefly explaining that the word that is used translated as insubstantial here is word that in Tibetan might be referring to another meaning that on the logical texts, it will be translated as a functional phenomena, functional thing.
And so, Geshe-la is explaining that, when they say that this word is a functional thing together with a negative, which will be negating the mind and the body and all phenomena to be functional things. So, Geshe-la explained that in this text, it is not referring to that meaning. So, the mind and the body and so forth, they are functional things. But here, what is being meant is that they do not have substance of their own, meaning that they do not they are not truly existent, truly existent.. So then Geshe-la is explaining that those who are harmed and those who cause harm, they are both functional things.
In this logical definition, they are both functional things. But they are both insubstantial in the sense that they are they depend on causes and conditions. They don’t have a nature of their own. So in dependence on causes and conditions and so forth, only in dependence on causes and conditions is that they appear to us. But besides that appearance, they do not have any true existence of their own.
So then we go for a on to say that so that being so, so all appearances, they are nothing but appearances of our own confused or deluded minds. Okay? And everything, I mean, those who cause harm, those who harm ourselves and diseases and everything else, they are nothing but our own conceptions, okay? And besides that, there is nothing whatsoever that is established by its own nature, okay? So then, Geshe-la is saying that all these appearances, they are just like, for example, the movies we see on the television.
I mean, all these appearances, rise out of causes and conditions. And if we look at them, we will see them. But and then we will think that they exist. We will actually we actually believe that they exist from their own side, but they do not. And just like in the movies, we will look into the television, and we see all these things happening, people killing each other or police and car races or whatever.
And if we see we look at it, we see all these things happening on the television, but we know that they are not real. And in the same manner with all phenomena, all other phenomena because, you can say, because they arise from causes and conditions. So then I was explaining furthermore that so if every phenomena arises from this deluded mind, this mind is being the cause of the arising of phenomena, then how do you say? But then, okay, then Geshe-la goes on further to explain that it’s not just the word that’s being translated as mind, it’s also translated as conception. Geshe-la explains also which conception, which conceptual mind is that, that gives origin to all this confusion.
And Geshe-la explains that it’s particularly the conception of inherent existence that gives rise to self grasping grasping that will lead on that will lead us to experience all the suffering and all the happiness of cyclic existence itself. So all these phenomena, all these appearances, these appearances come and have at their origin this deluded mind that is that imputes true existence to phenomena and to self and that leads to self-grasping and so forth? So then, Geshe-la is getting into more details, and he’s explaining that there is two kinds of reality, ultimate reality and relative reality. And then, as for relative there are again two kinds. And so, we have relative reality, and we have the pure relative reality.
And Geshe-la is explaining that erroneous relative reality reality refers to the to those beings who do not understand that phenomena are empty of inherent existence, okay? And then and the pure relative reality is referring to that those beings that understand that do not realize emptiness itself, but do understand that phenomena are empty of inherent existence. Okay? And then, all these deluded appearances arise from the erroneous relative reality, okay, or relative truth, good to translate that. Maybe we’ll be familiar, relative and ultimate truth.
Okay? You are following? So it’s a okay. I just the words are still the same, but I’m missing the meaning, okay? I’ll change one for the other.
So the relative reality is referring Okay. Okay. Is this okay. So is I’m mistaken. The unmistaken is.
Okay. The unmistaken, how do say, relative reality, which is the one that that, how do say, understands that reality is it lacks true existence. And then the mistaken relative reality, which does not understand, is the one that does not understand that phenomena lack true existence. So, this mistaken one is the cause of delusion and the deluded mind that gives rise to all these mistaken appearances and this confusion. So then, we went again through the text, and the text is saying that us, ourselves, and those who cause harm to us, and diseases and everything else is there is nothing of all those things, there is nothing there isn’t our own conception, our own conceptions.
And so whatever it is, it is not truly established. And Geshe-la again brings on that all those things, they arise out of the fact that we have self grasping, that we believe in the true existence of the self, and we grasp at the self. And then all these delusions arise because of that. But in truth, they are none more than appearances conceptual appearance, conceptually imputed phenomena. So then the text goes on to quote to quote a sūtra.
It doesn’t mention the name of the sūtra. It just goes on to say that it’s our own mind that acts as Mara. You’re familiar with this word? It’s a demon. It’s Mara.
It’s like an evil spirit that brings obstacles. So it’s our own mind that acts as is our own mind that obstructs brings obstacles to our lives. All obstacles arise from our conceptual mind. That being so, we should abandon this conceptual mind. So then, Geshe-la is mentioning, in particular, when you’re saying conceptual mind here in the text, and Geshe-la is saying that specifically referring to self grasping.
It’s that self grasping that we should abandon, that we should, how to say, completely destroy. And then that then, we will be able to put an end to all the troubles and whatever mistaken appearances as harmers or people being benefited or so forth. So and then also, is said that, likewise, whilst we hold our conceptions to be existence, to be truly existent, and Geshe-la explains as opposed to them really not being truly existent, as we hold things to be truly established when they, in fact, they are not, as we hold while we hold things to be different from our own minds, when, in fact, they are non different than our conceptions. So, holding all these mistaken faulty views, then all the sufferings of Samsāra, of cyclic existence come about? And that being so, there being nothing there is nothing external to our own minds, to our own conceptions, nothing conceptions, then the object of abandonment is only that conceptual mind.
Then if we investigate, if we analyze phenomena in this manner, then everything can be, how do you say, collected or assembled under the mind, okay? So, Geshe-la explains everything of phenomena ourselves and those who cause harm and the diseases and everything else can be posited under analyze the mind itself, then we will know that it is also empty of inherent existence. It is a mind our minds are in the nature of clear light and then which is an aspect of emptiness, okay? So, it’s the same as saying that it is empty. So, the minds of sentient beings are also in the nature of clear light.
And even mind of a Buddha, the wisdom mind of a Buddha is also not different from that in that sense, which is to say that they’re all in the nature of clear light and they’re also empty. So, okay. So then all phenomena are If all phenomena are only Dharmakāya, okay, they are only the Dharma body. And Geshe-la explains this Dharmakāya, this Dharmakāya, it’s the same as saying that they are empty, okay? If all phenomena are empty, then who is harmed?
And who harms? And how is harm done? So if ultimately, everything is Ultimately ultimately speaking, whatever there is everything is none there’s nothing that is not lacking inherent existence, which is there’s nothing that is not empty. There’s nothing that is not truly established, okay? So then, as as it was said, that, ultimately speaking, all phenomena lack inherent existence, all phenomena are empty, all phenomena are the or the the Dharma body.
Then relatively speaking, all diseases and all the harmers and everything else, they are nothing but, I would say, imputations from our conceptual mind. And Geshe-la explains that there being nothing but that means that they do not have an existence of their own from their own side, did not exist from their own side. Okay? Then we should think also that even our conceptual mind is also the dharma body, which is Geshe-la explains, it is to say, our conceptual mind is also empty of true existence. And then thinking in this way, we should not think of we should not put our minds, set our minds to think about anything else, just about emptiness.
And then in this way, how do you say, in a relaxed manner, settle down in this meditation on emptiness, about So then well, there is one word here in Tibetan that I’m not sure how to translate because I have looked in all the dictionaries I have, and I haven’t found it. So then you are saying that this thing, this word is just referring to harmful objects. So then the text is saying we should not think about harmful objects. We should not think about disease or death. I mean, not death, the word is corpses.
We should not think about corpses and diseases such as lepers and so forth. We should not put our minds to death. We should not think of an empty house whose owner is dead, it’s just like we shouldn’t think about it. In this likewise, we should not think of any phenomena because of they’re not being truly established. They are just like how do you say?
They’re just like knot. They’re just like a knot made of empty space. Okay? That’s just how it is written here. Quite quite difficult to so it’s like it’s just like think about all those things, it’s like trying to tighten a knot made of sheer empty space.
Okay? So then the next sentence is like, so it’s like, Geshe-la is explaining also referring to the text. Geshe-la is explaining that all this we ourselves and those who cause us harm and everything else, they’re just like, how do you say, tying a knot with a rope or a lasso made of turtle’s hair. Yes. So it’s everything.
Often, they’re just like this. You know, I think about them. Just like trying to tie this knot. Then we should think of those analogies of the rope made of turtle’s hair and so forth. Then we should understand that our minds, I’d say, Mara, those evil spirits or those harms, they come out of our minds that are by our own conceptual minds, we how do you say, we tie ourselves to this we tie ourselves up.
And how to say, we are confused. We are overwhelmed by sufferings. And in this manner, we should think, okay? And the text goes on to say, thinking in this way, and we should we should not, let’s say, we should have a mind that does not grasp at diseases or the harm harmful spirits or, how to say, even the hope of getting of being cured of diseases and so forth. Because everything there is how do say, all conceptions, be them affirmative or negative conceptions, which is, again, two very technical terms, but be them affirmative conceptions or negative conceptions, they are all in the nature of emptiness.
And so, we should set our minds in this this thinking and relax into the stay relaxed into the nature of phenomena, which is their empty nature. Okay? Is that making sense? So then, if by that alone, we cannot settle down on settle our minds on this meditation on emptiness, and then many distractions come forth, for example, fighting fighting outside or lights flashing or smokes or people calling out your name or trouble comes your way or whatever, many distractions will come while we’re trying to meditate and so forth. So even this how to say, even when these things come about, when these distractions come about, we should think, oh, this is my mind.
This is the way things arise because of my mind. And thinking in this way, should, how to say, investigate all these occurrences, okay? So then if one thinks, one realizes, one keeps on thinking that all these things are nothing but the imputations of my own mind and so forth, thinking in this manner, okay, then eventually, one’s mind will be able to relax and stay in this, how to say, undisturbed state of mind, yes, So then if one is able to meditate in this way, taking all these appearances and reflecting them in this manner, then one will come to a point where both one’s body and one’s mind will find some stability on this kind of meditation. And then, from then on, one will be able to recognize all these appearances as one’s own mind. And eventually, one will be able to have how to say, One will be able to have, how to say, a clear a strong awareness of emptiness of phenomena.
Okay? So if one does all these things, if one engages in all these meditations and meditations and reflections and so forth and so forth, then one will be able one will eventually see that diseases and those who cause harm and evil spirits and even oneself, they are ones, how do say, investigating, analyzing all these things I’m sorry, analyzing all these things, the diseases, the harms and oneself and so forth, analyzing all these things with a discerning wisdom, a discerning mind, then one will see that those phenomena, they are not born, okay? And that not being born we’re going to get a bit technical now, that not being born is it refers to the unborn dharmakaya, okay? So they’re not being born is the unborn dharmakaya, is the unborn dharmakaya, which is the dharmakaya which is aspect of emptiness again, as we said before. So then if phenomena are unborn, then there is no cause for them for their disintegration, for their coming out of existence.
And that being so, then remember that’s non disintegration, non coming out of existence is the non disintegrating, how to say, sambhogakaya or the enjoyment body, which is also another aspect of emptiness. And then, if in between the emptiness in between the berth and the disintegration, there’s not going to be an abiding of the phenomena, okay? And is that non-abiding is referring to the non-abiding Nirmānakāya or the emanation body, which is, again, another aspect of emptiness. And likewise, in the three times, whatever it is, it is not truly established. It is not established, and it is insubstantial.
And that lack of substance is the nature body of Buddha or the how do you call this? Svabhāvikakāya. Okay? So that lack, the lack of substance of all these three times, of all this, the Dharma body and the enjoyment body and the emanation body, all those three, they do not have substance of their own also. And that is the Svabhāvikakāya.
Okay? Or the nature body. Okay. A bit technical, but anyway. So then like this, the diseases and the evil spirits oneself and one’s mind, all these, if one the realization of their how do say, being mere appearances and not existing from their own side, that realization is the view is the view that sees phenomena as the four bodies.
That’s the meditation the four meditation that was we started explaining last Sunday, okay, which is taking, I would say, difficult circumstances into the path based on ultimate truth, and then he’s he’s seeing all phenomena as the Four Bodies of Buddha. So this is what is called this meditation on the Four Bodies of Buddha, the view of the Four Bodies, which is just going to say, it’s just same as saying, the view of phenomena as being empty of inherent existence, okay? So then like this, when conception arises, we will have we will know I say, we will have them like we will know their the knowledge of their emptiness like we will know them in the palm of our hands if we meditate like it was instructed before. Okay? So then we should know we should investigate all phenomena that arises.
We should investigate them and, I would say, understand their emptiness. So then knowing all this, knowing phenomena in this manner, then we can we we should think, we should see like the diseases and the evil spirits and everything else as having as being very kind, as having a great kindness towards us. And so yes, we should see them in this way. And this concludes the teaching how to say, the Dharma text. This concludes the oral instructions on on the meditation of phenomena as the Four Bodies of a Buddha, okay?
This also concludes the teaching on the part of the teaching on taking difficult circumstances, difficult conditions into the path based on, how do say, ultimate bodhicitta, okay? This is also the conclusion on that section of the text. So yes? Okay.
So yes, basically, Geshe-la is explaining, okay, we meditate on the emptiness of those who are harmed and those who harmed and so forth how do you say I lost track in order to understand that they do not actually exist the way they appear, and understanding that they do not actually exist the way they appear to exist, then we can actually put an end to attachment and anger and so forth. So, that’s the objective. Someone else, please? This one? It’s okay?
[unclear].