Audio recorded at Buddha House Adelaide. Transcript auto-generated and AI-corrected; may contain errors.
About this talk. A hammer-smashed vase — once destroyed, the mind holding “vase” ceases with it — is Geshe Pema Tsering’s illustration for concealer truth in this 44-minute session on Jetsün Chökyi Gyaltsen’s tenets text, a core Sera Je Monastery curriculum text. After motivating students through precious human rebirth and bodhicitta, he introduces the text’s structure: defining a Buddhist tenet-holder as one who accepts only the Three Jewels as refuge, classifying the four philosophical schools, and outlining the seven-part framework applied to each. The session then focuses on the Vaibhāṣika (Great Exposition) school — its definition (asserting truly established external objects while denying self-cognition), three geographic sub-types, and etymology — before turning to its method of asserting objects: phenomena as permanent or impermanent, and as concealer or ultimate truths, with partless particles and briefest moments of awareness as ultimate truth examples, closing on a verse from Vasubandhu.
File metadata (for organising)
File: 01 Tenets 2001 10 16.mp3
UUID: e030cd47-b543-4dc2-a7b7-c6fcd95f9686
Teacher: Geshe Pema Tsering
Collection: Principles of the Tenets (Geshe Pema Tsering)
Date: 2001-10-16
Recorded at: Buddha House Adelaide
Duration: 43.6 minutes
Words: ~3,225
So at present we have the potential to develop whatever we seek to develop. We have this opportunity of precious human rebirth that possesses all manner of features and so forth. This we have at present. And by putting this precious human rebirth to work, to actually engaging in virtue with the basis of this precious human rebirth, then in future we can attain a precious human rebirth again. We can attain a human rebirth or even a divine rebirth and so forth.
It’s all up to ourselves in the present. So not only can this precious human rebirth be used as a basis for attaining good rebirths and higher rebirths in future, by conjoining it to the path, by meditating on the path itself, it’s possible that we can attain liberation itself, the state beyond saṃsāra, the state beyond rebirth as well. So also, above that, if not only we unite this precious human rebirth with the path of renunciation or of definite emergence from saṃsāra. But also we unite this precious human rebirth with the correct view of emptiness, the view of selflessness, and also with the mind of bodhicitta, then this precious human rebirth can act as a basis for developing, the state of a Buddha. And not only is this precious human rebirth capable of attaining or establishing the causes for Buddhahood, if we enter the four stages of Tantra, and then in the fourth stage of Tantra, we actually enter the generation and the completion stages of highest yoga Tantra, then it’s possible on the basis of one body and in one life to attain the state of a complete Buddha.
And also it’s possible through our activities in this lifetime to also attain pure lands such as Sukhāvati or Dewachen and various other pure lands that exist and receive teachings on the Dharma. So forth. So these also are possible on the basis of this precious human rebirth. So therefore we should have the motivation not to waste this precious opportunity that we have, this precious human rebirth, that we should in fact engage in virtue so that we’re, properly utilizing the current time that we have, so that we are developing positive imprints for the future. It’s easy though, even though we possess a precious human rebirth, to fall into the habit of being lazy.
In being lazy then we lose much of the opportunity we have at present to actually establish the nature of virtue and the causes for our future development. It’s a little bit like if, a person came across a lump of gold, and then they went to the ocean, they threw it in the ocean with a wish that may they have the gold again in future. So in fact, we shouldn’t be like that. We should employ what we have at present. So whether it’s dharma or not dharma depends on the motivation we have.
So, really, it’s by our motivation that our actions become dharmic or not. And in fact, there’s three basic motivations. The motivation, the least level of motivation, is to attain, say, a precious human rebirth in future or a rebirth in future or a higher rebirth. Then a greater motivation than that, the second motivation, is to attain liberation from saṃsāra altogether. And then we have the great motivation, which is the motivation to enlighten all sentient beings.
And through those motivations, then, different results are attained, and so forth. So in fact, the the greater motivation of of greater value So in fact, here we have, three motivations and the greatest motivation is that of bodhicitta, which is the, the mind aspiring for enlightenment. In fact, as is stated in, the text by, Maitreya, the mind of awakening is for the purpose of all sentient beings aspiring to attain enlightenment. So it’s that is bodhicitta is the type of motivation that we should develop that is the great motivation. So in fact, we should then also develop the strength of our motivation so that we can under take or we can bear any, adversity, on the path that we may experience.
And by doing this then, we’re able to increase and develop our virtuous motivation to the type of motivation that we really do require. So then by having the motivation of bodhicitta, whatever we do then becomes a cause for attaining the state of Buddhahood. So for instance, so far in the session we’ve recited refuge in bodhicitta and then the seven-limb prayer and then the long mandala offering. These actions will become a cause for attaining the state of a Buddha if they’re united with great compassion, if they’re united with bodhicitta, the motivation of bodhicitta. So here, here, in fact, we need to, develop a very strong motivation, virtuous motivation.
Also, we realized that we’re studying this particular text, the text on tenets. And so also if we have the motivation to, of bodhicitta when we engage in the study of this text, it becomes a cause for attaining enlightenment. So in fact, this type of motivation we should try and apply to all our actions so that they all become, causes for our attainment of the state of enlightenment. So we really need, right in the present moment, this very strong present motivation that may I attain the state of enlightenment for the sake of all sentient beings, may that be at the forefront. So now we’re gonna meditate on this in order to bring it to the forefront of our mind and make it strong and stable.
And we’re gonna meditate on this for a minute or so. So did you meditate well on bodhicitta? It’s definitely a great benefit to us. This mind of bodhicitta has the potential, the capacity, to benefit us. So having developed this mind, this motivation of the great scope, then we should hold it in in the forefront of our minds and retain it and not be distracted from it.
So here we’re dealing with the text by Jetsün Chökyi Gyaltsen, and it’s, the text on tenets called tenets. In Tibetan, the term is drubta, and that term also has the meaning of accepting or asserting. So whether it’s called those who advocate assertions or those who advocate different tenets, both in fact mean the same thing. So here we’re discussing this text, is the assertion of tenets. So this text is studied in the Sera Je Monastery, and it’s studied after, the preliminary texts which are the collected topics and then Lorig and Tarik once they’re finished, then tenets.
This particular text is studied. So in fact, here the the meaning of the entire five divisions or the five topics that are studied at the monastic colleges is included within this text. So in fact, the meaning, that’s taught in this text is is very profound. So initially at the beginning of the text on page number three, have tenets. And then I pay homage to those noble pure beings indifferentiable in nature from my guru and protector Mañjuśrī.
So here in fact, this expresses the homage and there are many needs or many purposes for expressing homage here. So there are many purposes for expressing that initial homage such as for the composition of the text, success of the composition and so forth. Then secondly, here he states, here in explaining the principles of tenets, I will explain the following. So here he is accepting or making a pledge to compose a text on the following topics. So in fact, the three topics that the author will deal with in this text is firstly the definition, then the classification, and then three, the meaning of each classification.
So firstly, a definition is given and the definition here is, of a person who advocates Buddhist tenets and the definition is a person who advocates tenets, who accepts the Three Jewels to be the correct abode of refuge, and who doesn’t assert an abode of refuge other than them. So in fact, here for a person who advocates Buddhist tenets, fundamentally they accept the Three Jewels to be a correct refuge and no other refuge than the Three Jewels. In general, a Buddhist is defined by whether they take refuge in the Three Jewels or not. So is the definition okay? Is that understood?
So in fact, the main point here to be understood is that, a person who advocates Buddhist tenets is one who does assert that only the Three Jewels, the Buddha, Dharma and Sangha, are a correct abode of refuge. So then a person who advocates Buddhist tenets is classified then into four. The first one is the advocates of the great exposition or the Vaibhāṣika, then the advocates of Sūtra or the Sautrāntika, the advocates of mind only, or the Cittamātra, and the advocates of the Middle Way, which is the fourth division of Buddhist tenets. So these four are all persons. It should be clear that here these four types are four types of persons. Here in fact we’re talking about four different types of persons.
We need to be clear on this in the beginning otherwise it will be a little bit confusing. Here we’re talking about four types of persons, four types of advocates who are definitions of persons who are advocates of Buddhist tenets. So again, the first two are also called the two sects who are advocates of objects being externally established. So that refers to the advocates of great exposition and the advocates of sūtra. So here, particular advocates, these first two assert that the ultimate is truly established.
So then the third, division here is the meaning of each classification. So these are explained as, firstly, the great exposition system and then the Sautrāntika system and the mind only system and the Middle Way system. So there are therefore four systems that exist that ought to be explained. So then on the top of page four we have the first one, explaining the great exposition system. So that also has seven divisions.
So therefore we have definition, classification, etymology, method of asserting objects, method of asserting object possessors, method of asserting selflessness and explanation of the principles of grounds and paths. So these seven divisions exist for the first. So again, as we go through these, we notice the division there is the one on definition, then secondly we have classification. Then after classification and the etymology, the meaning of the term, itself, then we have the method of asserting objects, then of asserting object possessors, then the method of asserting selflessness, and then the seventh and last is the explanation of the principles of grounds and paths. So these seven exist in all the presentations of the different systems.
So previously we did the definition of an advocate of Buddhist tenets. So that was given on the previous page. Now the first one here, have a definition of an advocate of, great exposition. So, so that’s the first definition that’s given. So the definition there is a person advocating lesser vehicle tenets who asserts truly established external objects but does not assert self cognition.
So that is the definition of an advocate of the great exposition. So here in the definition itself, the last part is, but does not assert self cognition. Now self cognition is something that the Vaibhāṣika or the Advocates of Great Exposition do not accept. Self cognition itself is a type of awareness asserted by some Buddhist schools This type of awareness does not view external objects, but it focuses on the nature of awareness itself. It’s only focused on awareness.
By focusing on awareness, it has the capacity to later remember or to act as the condition for the memory of awareness later on. So this is asserted by some, but the Vaibhāṣika or the Great Exposition School do not assert self cognition. So here we have also in the definition they assert truly established external objects. So this particular assertion really reflects that the awareness that’s holding form and form itself are substantially distinct. That the objects that, for instance, sense awareness takes and sense awareness itself are substantially distinct and not of the same type of substance.
This asserting truly established external objects, initially is referring to that. And also the other part of the definition is lesser vehicle, a person advocating lesser vehicle tenets. So in general within Buddhism there’s two vehicles. There’s lesser vehicle and the great vehicle. So this particular system or this particular proponent or advocate belongs to the lesser vehicle, to the small vehicle.
Is that have you understood the definition there of an advocate of the great exposition? So then if classified, there are three. First, we have the Kashmiri advocates of the Great Exposition and then under the eastern advocates of the Great Exposition and then thirdly, the central advocates of the great exposition. So there’s three different types of person who advocate this. So these three types.
First, we have the Kashmiri. The term in Tibetan there is khachi which refers to Muslim. So in fact it’s referring to this region of western India. So Earlier on there were many advocates of the Great Exposition that lived in that particular region. They are called Kashmiri advocates of the Great Exposition.
Then the eastern advocates of the Great Exposition refers to other followers of this system, who lived in India, but not in the central region of India, so more in the outer regions. And then the third one is the central advocates and those are the ones that lived in the central region of India. So therefore, in the region of Magadha or, say, Bodh Gaya, that region is regarded as central. So they lived in different regions. These three refer to different regions.
So far we’ve dealt with the, first two divisions, the definition and the classifications of the, Great Exposition advocates. Then the third one is the etymology. So the question arises why are they called advocates of the Great Exposition? So here there are actually two reasons that are given. Firstly, they are called advocates of the Great Exposition either because they advocate, tenets through following the Great Exposition of Buddhist tenets.
So Great Exposition there to a text that was composed, in India, quite early on, maybe four hundred years after the passing of the Buddha. The followers of the presentation of tenets given in that text are therefore called followers of the great exposition of that particular text. Or because another reason why they’re called, advocates of the great exposition is that they advocate that the three times are subsets or particular instances of substance, but the three times are are substance. So there are two reasons given there for why they’re called followers of the great exposition. So here, they, then the text continues with the fourth, the method of asserting objects.
So in fact, in general, there’s objects and there’s object possessors. Firstly here we’re dealing with objects themselves. So in terms of objects, firstly we have phenomenon and the definition of phenomenon is that which is capable of function. So this is the definition of something which exists as a phenomenon, which is generally distinct from those things which are permanent. So under that then we have, these equivalents are given.
So in fact, phenomenon existent and object of awareness are equivalent. In other words, if it exists or if it’s an object of awareness, it must be a phenomenon. And so anything which exists therefore is also capable of function. And these then phenomenon, are then divided into two, permanent phenomena and impermanent phenomena. But if it exists in this particular school, it must be a phenomenon.
So then we have, this division into two, permanent phenomena and impermanent phenomena. And then the first, there are some examples given, for instance, uncompounded space. So uncompounded space is an example of permanent phenomenon. Then also we have analytical cessation. Analytical cessation there refers to the truth of cessation or to liberation or emancipation.
So that also is permanent. It’s a permanent phenomenon. And then also we have non analytical cessation also as an instance of permanent phenomena. Then the second one there is impermanent phenomena. And the examples given are those things which are generated, produced, or impermanent.
So those are instances of impermanent phenomena. So again, there’s a further division of phenomena into two. So we’ve classified there are two: concealer truth or relative truth and ultimate truth. So firstly we have the definition of concealer truth or relative truth. So firstly, it states: a dharma
Here, a dharma means any existent object. A dharma which when broken down or when its parts are differentiated by discernment, the discernment holding it is destroyed. So here it talks about any existent entity, which when it’s broken down here when it’s destroyed, in other words, like for instance a vase. If we had a vase and we took to it with a hammer, the vase itself would be broken down, it would be destroyed, and so forth. That’s what broken down means here, to physically destroy something.
When it’s destroyed, the cognition holding it no longer, exists. It also is destroyed. Similarly, when we take a particular object and differentiate the object into its parts, so to at that point the discernment holding that object is destroyed. So if object if it is an object which is qualified by that by those two features, then it is in an object which is a concealer truth or a relative truth. So the instance there given to the first of concealer truth are really two: a vase or woolen cloth.
So as it states here in the text, those two are concealed truths because when a vase is broken by a hammer, the discernment holding it is destroyed. And when the threads of a woolen cloth are individually differentiated, the discernment holding the cloth is destroyed. So is has everyone understood the definition of a concealer truth or relative truth here? So then we have the definition of, ultimate truth. So a dharma which when broken down or when its parts are differentiated by discernment, the discernment holding it is not destroyed, is definition of an ultimate truth.
So then on page number five at the very top, here it states the instances of, ultimate truth. So firstly, we have partless particles and then partless moments of awareness and non compounds. So initially when we talk about partless particles we’re talking about particles which do not have directional parts, that is like an eastern part and a western part and so forth. They’re so minute that they cannot be differentiated in that way. Then we have partless moments of awareness, which are very briefest moments of awareness that can exist.
And then also we have non compounds. Non compounds there refer to permanent entities such as uncompounded space and so forth. And then we have, to substantiate those statements, we have a quotation out of Abhidharmakośa by Vasubandhu which states: That which when broken down or when differentiated into something other by discernment, it is not engaged by that discernment, exists as a concealer truth like vase and water. Other existent entities are ultimate truths. Yes.