Audio recorded at Buddha House Adelaide. Transcript auto-generated and AI-corrected; may contain errors.
About this talk. Whether animals possess Buddha nature — they do have the naturally present lineage, Geshe Pema Tsering explains in this 64-minute commentary, but lack the capacity to cultivate the evolving lineage through learning, contemplation, and meditation. Working through Maitreya’s Ornament to the Mahāyāna Sutras as a comparison point for the Sublime Continuum, he unpacks the Mind Only school’s nine-fold treatment of enlightening potential: why three vehicles require three distinct potentials; why the Mahāyāna potential outranks the Hīnayāna on four grounds — superior virtue, the full range of positive qualities, greater purpose, and inexhaustibility; and what it means that this potential exists in the continuum of sentient beings but not in the continuum of Buddhas. Suited to practitioners already familiar with Mind Only and Madhyamaka philosophy.
File metadata (for organising)
File: 03 2005 05 26 SC.mp3
UUID: e259babc-7d0b-4045-89d9-0221d67b30fe
Teacher: Geshe Pema Tsering
Collection: Sublime Continuum (Geshe Pema Tsering)
Date: 2005-05-26
Recorded at: Buddha House Adelaide
Duration: 64.5 minutes
Words: ~4,493
This in order to develop an understanding of this, in order to be able to awaken the Buddha nature and by integrating the awakening Okay. Sorry. I forgot. Thank you, hero. All right.
So because it was a bit difficult without the translation last week, we’re going have another quick look at the definition of the Cittamātra or the Mind Only School’s definition of enlightening potential. I figured you can’t say enlightened potential because it hasn’t happened yet. Alright? So I changed it to enlightening potential. Okay.
So their definition of the enlightening potential in general, the Buddha nature in general is: the uncontaminated mental seeds that rest in the mental source of cognition, which is among the six naturally obtained sources of cognition in the uninterrupted successive continua of sentient beings. Right? Right. So this this these uncontaminated mental seeds that are considered to be the enlightening potential have two diff they come in two different types. Alright. The first of them is called the naturally present lineage or the naturally present present This includes these mental seeds that exist prior to the cultivation of learning and so forth.
Learning and so forth is contemplating and meditating. Then, the learning, contemplating and meditating has started, then what comes into existence is what’s called the evolving lineage. Alright. So the reason that a distinction is made between these two types of potential, that is, the naturally present lineage of potential and the evolving lineage of the evolving potential, is that we need to differentiate between our inherent potential for enlightenment and the things that can generate a more evolved potential. So animals have the naturally present lineage, they have the pure uncontaminated mental seeds for attaining Buddhahood, but they don’t have the evolved lineage.
They don’t have the capacity to learn, contemplate, and meditate on the teachings and develop this potential. The way Geshe-la said it though is to make their understanding more subtle. So you can’t say subtle eyes, can you? To make their lineage more subtle, to make their potential more subtle in terms of that doesn’t work either. Either.
Right. Okay. So you said subtle means the same as getting better. Oh, so I didn’t have to worry about it. So, the the evolving lineage is the enlightened potential becoming stronger and stronger and better and better with a subtler and subtler understanding.
When it’s the naturally present lineage, it’s just this capacity, but there is no work being done on it, so it’s not improving. Okay. So this then the next part of this hang on. One second. Sorry.
Just making sure I wasn’t extrapolating, so I got Geshe-la to say it so I didn’t have to be extrapolating. Alright, so then the next part of the text gives the sources for this definition. So it shows where this definition comes from. It gives the quotes from a couple of sutras and a couple of commentaries that shows where Asaṇga got this definition from. So the first source for this definition is the Abhidharma Sūtra.
And in the Abhidharma Sūtra, the Buddha said, the specifically characterised or the specific sources of cognition that are naturally obtained. Naturally obtained means that they would be inherently existent if inherent existence was accepted. Right? So, you can’t say inherently because that means almost inherently, right? So, they naturally obtained sources of perception that have existed since beginningless time or without interruption are the Mahāyāna Buddha potential.
Alright, so that’s the first source. In this definition we have three different sections and this shows the first section, which is the part in the definition which says, is the mental source of cognition which is among the six naturally obtained sources of cognition in the uninterrupted successive continuum of sentient beings. Right? So that section comes from the Buddha’s quote. And then there’s a text that’s called the Stages of Enlightenment by Asaṇga.
And in this, Asaṇga says, the potential what is the potential? It starts with a question, a rhetorical question. What is potential? In conclusion, what is the potential? He says, it has two aspects.
There is the naturally present lineage, and there is the thoroughly established lineage. The naturally present lineage exists amongst the naturally obtained sources of exists amongst the six naturally attained sources of cognition as a successive, uninterrupted, intrinsically obtained or naturally obtained potential. When this has not been cultivated, it is the naturally present lineage. When it has been cultivated through the development of the root of virtue and habituating oneself with the root of virtue, then it becomes the evolving lineage. Yeah.
Did Geshe-la said, is that okay? Did that make sense? I’m like, well, from my point of view, did, but considering I just had to translate a sūtra and a shastra on the spot or bits of it. I’m not sure if it made any sense to these guys. Okay.
Okay? Oh, yeah. Okay. So that’s like a general overview of what the Cittamātra school’s presentation of the Buddha nature or the enlightening potential is. Then, this commentary we have here goes into more detail about this enlightening potential by referencing a referencing a text that’s called Mahāyāna Sūtra Alamkara or the ornament to the Mahāyāna Sutras.
This is another one of Maitreya’s five texts and it teaches from the perspective of the mind only school. So, main text that we’re going to focus on is the Sublime Continuum or the Uttaratantra Shastra and that teaches from the perspective of Madhyamaka School and it goes into the presentation of the Buddha nature from that perspective. But for the sake of comparison, this text now looks at the Mahāyāna Sūtra Alamkara or the ornaments of Mahāyāna Sutras, so we can get an idea of what the enlightening potential of the Buddha nature is considered to be from this perspective. Right? So in the Sutralankara, in the ornament of the sutras, it starts off this section that deals with the enlightening potential or Buddha nature with a verse that says the fact that it’s there, the fact that it’s superior, the fact that it’s defined, the fact that it has a sign, that it can be divided, that it has faults, that it has benefits, and that it has two analogies is how it’s explained.
This is done with four aspects. So what this means is that it goes through and first of all talks about the fact that the potential exists in the continuum of all sentient beings, that Mahāyāna potential is supreme or better than the other potentials, its definitions, its signs, its divisions, its faults, its benefits, and then gives two analogies. One analogy deals with the naturally abiding lineage and the other analogy deals with the what’s it called? Evolving lineage. Evolving lineage.
Right? So this is how the ornament to the sutras explains the Buddha nature or the enlightening potential. Then this one. Mhmm. Mhmm.
Mhmm. Mhmm. Mhmm. Mhmm. So from amongst these nine and I’ve only written translations of two.
So, hopefully, you’re well. It takes a long time to do this. Alright. Guess I was laughing at me. What do you mean to anyway, it’s better than nothing.
Anyway before. Pardon? I think you said all those excuses. I said it’s better than nothing, and he said yes. Alright.
So now the first of these then we’re looking at is the way that there are different potentials, and the the three different potentials I’m sorry. In terms of the three different vehicles. Right? So, So this says that beforehand, talked about how the it describes how we’re going to go through this in nine different sections. And the first of these is that is talking about these divisions and it says that from the perspective of the Cittamātra school you can divide the the Buddha potential, the enlightening potential into three groups according to the three vehicles.
Mhmm. So the first thing Mhmm. Yeah. So the first one, right, is the way that there are there are, right, in the original text, it says there are there is the potential, yeah, in all beings. Okay?
And then this ex extrapolates this in the first of these nine verses by saying there are three different potentials. Oh, close. One, two. Okay. Goodness.
Uh-huh. Mhmm. Right. What? Okay.
Muscle. Yeah. Yeah. Okay. Sorry.
I was just saying now I’m I’m wallowing in regret because I thought that I I’d just have to have a quick look and it’d be fine and do these definitions. Now, I realize I’ve probably made it harder for you guys by not finishing off these translations. But anyway, there’s nine. You’re getting the nine thing? There’s nine different sections.
The first one is the division, alright? That there are three different types according to the three vehicles, okay? The second one is that the Mahāyāna is better than the Hīnayāna, right? Now, the third one is, which isn’t on here, is that what its nature is. Right?
What the nature of their potential is. The fourth one is the signs that the Buddha, the Mahāyāna potential has been awakened. The fifth is dividing. Do you want me to say this slower? Yep.
Alright. Alright. Said, you can say them slowly so they can write it down because there’s no hurry. Right. That sounds ominous.
Okay. Now, so so the first of these was that there are three different potentials. Everyone’s got that? Yeah. Yeah?
The second one was that the Mahāyāna potential is better than the Hīnayāna potential. Yeah. Okay? The third one is the nature of the potential. We got that?
Okay. The fourth one is the sign that the Mahāyāna potential has been awakened. Alright? The fifth one is the divisions of the potential. Divisions of the potential.
Yes? The sixth one is the faults of having the potential obstructed until it has been awakened. What did they translate? Was it something different? No.
I think it’s called forced obstructed. Obstructing the potential. Yeah. No. Because that it’s that’s good that that’s good to have so what did they say again?
False obstructions of the potential that my friend here has got something different. Yeah? Is false obstructions to the awakening of the potential. Yeah. The awakening definitely needs to be in there.
Okay. So Alright. So what it’s talking about is that if you don’t have a clear, uncontrived sense of great compassion and great compassion and great loving kindness, yeah, then your Mahāyāna potential hasn’t been awakened properly and therefore, can be it has the fault of being able to be obstructed or weakened. Yes. So that that last one sounded good.
Okay. Yeah. Alright. But that’s good. Okay.
Number seven, the benefits of awakening the Mahāyāna potential. Is that what does that similar to what it Yeah? Yeah. Okay. Okay.
And then number eight, something that an an an analogy that illustrates naturally abiding lineage. Yes. Please tell me they didn’t have example written there. Now I’m fine. Okay.
Yes. Anyway and then the last one, I really shouldn’t have reacted that way. Just have a problem with every exam, because it’s not an example. It’s an analogy, you know, and they’re different. And if we can’t get English right, then what help have we got?
Okay. Okay, and then an analogy that illustrates the evolving lineage. It’s number nine. So we’re just discussing if there’s a way that you can differentiate them in Tibetan, and there is slightly, but that’s probably pointless. I just explained had to explain to Geshe-la why I pretend No.
Or or just shoot an author who’s not here. Right. So the first of these, the way there are three different potentials. Now this is described by saying that three different potentials have to be posited if you’re going to assert that there are three different resulting enlightenments. And the Chittamatran School posits this.
They posit the idea of three different types of enlightenment, which is different to the Madhyamaka School which says that there’s only one final enlightenment. Yeah? So the Chittamatran School has this idea of three three different types of enlightenment. So, because they have they describe three different types of enlightenment, then there necessarily has to be three different types of potential for these enlightenments. And so, this is described in the first of the nine verses from the Sutralankara.
Okay. So this first is the first one, the one I actually translated as opposed to the ones I haven’t. Oops. Okay. So this says, because of the elements, the convictions, the attainments, the divisions, the different results and objects, they can definitely be called the potentials.
So this means that there is different elements that that these beings are coming from different places places, but in a kind of metaphoric sense as opposed to a physical place. Yeah? Different convictions in terms of beliefs and faith, different attainments in terms of what realizations they develop, divisions in terms of the path that they’re on, differing results and differing objects for their meditations and teachings. And so because there is all these differing these different there’s different results, objects, and so on, then different characteristics, then they said then it says they can definitely be called in the plural. This one.
Mhmm. Mhmm. Mhmm. Alright. So because of the different elements, that means that it refers to the place that they’re coming from.
So, a word that’s usually translated as elements. Alright. There are elements. And so what this talks about is the Uh-huh. It’s it’s talking about in the elements, the things that make up a person, their their their disposition.
So this word is usually translated as elemental place. And so elemental realm, and it has these two different aspects to it that it can refer to a So, example, it’s the word that they use to That’s usually translated as realm when it’s When we’re talking about the desire realm and the form realm and the formless realm. Right? It’s the same word. But it’s also used as elements when it’s talking about the eighteen elements that make up our perceptions of things.
Yeah? So, it it has this idea. The word has this idea of the place where people are coming from. But place in terms of, in the same way that place can have a double meaning in English, as being a physical place and there is also being a disposition, then it also has in Tibetan this double meaning of being a, a physical place as well as being a like Geshe-la said, that’s for example, the elements within the body that make up our physical being. So our our wind element, our air element, our water element, and also the the way that they hang together is supposed to influence our disposition or be a reflection of our disposition.
And so it’s talking it’s it’s a word that sort of encompasses all of that, and it says says in one word. Yeah. Inclination. Yeah. But inclination, would think it has more of a the connotation of motivation involved in it, and this is more of the way it is as opposed to a a dry a driving force.
Yeah. But, yeah, it has that being inclined towards something. Yeah. Yeah. Just definitely.
Alright. So that’s the first thing, and then this means that there’s So that’s the first word. So this the elements to different people’s dispositions, inclinations, the way that they’re put together means that they’re gonna focus on different things, right? And there’s said to be three different types of those. So there’s three different When you come to the moments before you enter one of the three paths, or everyone has three different types of disposition.
Okay? So before you enter the path, you have the disposition or the inclination to become a hearer, a solitary realizer, or a bodhisattva. Okay? So that’s before you enter the path. Now the conviction is the stage when you’re entering the path, when you develop faith or a a kind of I’ve seen this word translated as respectful interest.
Right? A faith or a respectful interest in a path. Yeah? And so that’s what this conviction is talking about. So there’s three different types of conviction or interest in the the path when you start on the path.
And then when you are practicing on the path, the attainments are of three different types. This is from the perspective of the Cittamātra in terms of the realizations that you develop. And then, the divisions of the path are of three different types because the way that you progress on the path in one in one on one vehicle is gonna be different to the way you progress on the other two vehicles. And then the results are And results and therefore the object or the thing that’s being focused on is also going to be different, right? If you’re aiming for a different result, if your object is different, then the result you attain is going to be different.
So they say that because of all of these divisions, because of all these things being different, then we have to talk about three different types of potentials. This one. Is. Uh-huh. Right.
Now I forgot to say at the beginning that this was a very temporary translation because I did it in about ten minutes. Anyway, the next one, the way that the Mahāyāna is superior to the Hīnayāna. The first line is this says, because of the superiority of the virtue. So this talks about the positive results of the actions that are engaged in on the Mahāyāna. Okay?
The next this is where I made the mistake. It should be instead of the focus on all, it should just be all qualities. Qualities in brackets. I’ll do another thing for next week and hopefully get it right. The all qualities.
Alright. Now all qualities he’s talking about is that the Mahāyāna enlightening potential has the ability to develop all positive qualities in the being who has it. Whereas the Hīnayāna potential doesn’t. It has the ability to develop certain qualities, not knower of all aspects, all the qualities that involved in Buddhahood. The next thing is the greater purpose, because of its greater purpose.
The purpose of Mahāyāna enlightening potential is to attain Buddhahood for the benefit of all sentient beings, to lead all sentient beings out of suffering. So, this is a greater purpose than working for one’s own liberation. The next thing is by reason of its inexhaustibility. I’m not for any other word that can be a substitute for inexhaustibility, by way. So what this means is that, and they both go for their books, Mahāyāna potential never runs out, right?
Once someone has attained enlightenment after developing the Mahāyāna potential, the energy that is or the potential, I should say instead of energy, the potential to benefit beings is never exhausted. It’s constantly working for the benefit of others, right? But Hīnayāna nirvana by its definition is the extinguishing of something, the extinguishing of sorrow. Right? The the word nirvana means the extinguishment of sorrow.
Yeah. So it means that something’s something has ceased, but it doesn’t talk about anything being perpetuated. Whereas the enlightened activities of a Buddha are inexhaustible. And so, one is something that runs out and the other is something that is inexhaustible. Alright?
So this is another reason why the Mahāyāna potential is said to be greater than the Hīnayāna potential. Therefore, because of all of these reasons, it’s said to be the superior potential. What did they have? Not exhaustive. The only other.
Did you say limitless? No. Is this I have to think of there’s another word that means limitless, like no limit. So okay. Alright.
So Uh-huh. Mhmm. Alright. So I don’t know if you noticed it before, but we went through the four different aspects of the of why the there are three different potentials. Right?
So there was the elements, the convictions, the attainments elements, the convictions, the attainments, and divisions of the differing results and objects. Yeah? So here we have four as well. We have because of the superiority of the virtue, because of all the qualities, because of the the qualities, because of the great purpose, and by reason of its inexhaustibility. Alright.
So, the first of these then is the superiority of the virtue, of the, that is developed through the Mahāyāna enlightening potential. Right. Yes. And all it says about that and all that Geshe-la said is that the virtue of Mahāyāna is greater than the virtue of the Hīnayāna. I was trying to remember what I’ve forgotten, but there was nothing, I don’t think.
Now, the next thing then is the greatness of the qualities of Mahāyāna that are developed through the enlightening potential, Mahāyāna enlightening potential. So, what this means is that this Mahāyāna enlightening potential has the capacity or the potential, carries the potential or is the potential to develop all positive qualities. It’s called the base of all positive qualities, right? Hīnayāna doesn’t have this capacity. It only has the capacity to develop limited results because it’s only working for working to get one person out of Samsāra.
Right? Then the next one that is the purpose, the greater purpose. So the Mahāyāna enlightening potential has a greater purpose than the Hīnayāna enlightening potential in that it it has is working to attain the final enlightenment by creating the causes which are the two collections. Alright. So, the Hīnayāna enlightening potential isn’t doing this.
It’s only working in order to develop one of one of the collections which is the collection that gets rid of the afflicted emotions, the collection of method and it isn’t developing the collection that gets rid of the obscurations to omniscience or the obscurations to the knowable aspects. So, this is why its purpose isn’t as great as the Mahāyāna enlightening potential. And then the last of these is inexhaustibility. So, through the Mahāyāna enlightening potential, you develop the causes for a nirvana or an experience beyond suffering in which the roots of virtue continually manifest. They’re not exhausted.
Yeah? There’s nothing that’s exhausted. The roots of virtue are continually manifesting for the benefit of other beings. Where Whereas, with the Hīnayāna enlightened potential, you are developing the causes to have the roots of virtue extinguished. That is when everything is extinguished, all negative actions are extinguished, but also all positive actions are extinguished in nirvana.
Right? So there’s no activity that’s engaged in there that’s they’re they’re developing the roots of virtue. So in this way, because of the Mahāyāna having the Mahāyāna enlightened potential having this inexhaustibility and the Hīnayāna not having it, the Mahāyāna is superior. Sometimes translating is like unpacking something. Mhmm.
Alright. So the next one, which is the the nature of the the nature or the entity of the enlightening potential, says, by nature actually, I should rephrase that. I’m sorry. I’ll try again. Take two.
The next verse talks about the entity of the enlightening potential. And in it, it says, by by the natural abiding limit, by the evolving limit, by the base and that which it supports, by whether it’s there or not, by its qualities, and by you should know that it is working towards liberation. Is there something was it has it got a translation there? That’s the Yeah. Natural and developed by the.
And understood as the means And understood as the means of policies and liberation. Yeah. Maybe. Yeah. See, I didn’t even know the translation.
Otherwise, I wouldn’t have done this. But I’m not sure about the translation. But, anyway More the changes you’re gonna hear, Okay. So it’s talking about four different four different characteristics of the enlightened potential. So first of all, is there is the you’re talking about the naturally abiding lineage and the evolving lineage.
Right? And There is one is the and it so as Geshe-la said, one is the base and one is that which it supports. So this is like saying that the Buddha, the naturally abiding lineage supports the evolving lineage. And then when it says it is and it isn’t, right, all it says here is it is and it isn’t. Now what that’s referring to is that it is in the continuum of sentient beings, and it isn’t in the Buddha’s continuums.
Alright? So Buddha nature is said to be in the continuum of sentient beings and not in the continuum of Buddhas. Alright? And then it says all it says here is one word saying qualities, and know that they strive for liberation. Like your Mhmm.
Draw word Uh-huh. Uh-huh. Uh-huh. Uh-huh. Okay.
So it says, know it is know it is that which enables no. Hang on. Alright. Okay. So is the quality which enables sentient beings to get out of saṃsāra.
That’s what Geshe-la said it means. I don’t quite know how that means, what that says, but yeah, I trust him. It is the quality that enables sentient beings to get out of saṃsāra. Right. So we’re talking about the entity or what the entity of the enlightening potential is.
Right? So this means that we’re giving it a definition. And so, by definition or by describing its entity, there are two types of enlightening potential. There is the enlightening potential which is naturally abiding and the enlightening potential which is evolving. Naturally abiding potential is said to be a base on which evolving potential rests, rests, that’s how we say it.
Yeah, Obey so much it rests. Nature is said to be, therefore the nature or the enlightening potential is said to be the seeds of uncontaminated mind in the continuum of sentient beings. When these seeds have been cultivated through listening, contemplating and meditating, they are the evolving lineage and when they haven’t been cultivated, they are the naturally abiding lineage. These two different types of enlightening potential exist in the continuum of learners, but not in the continuum of Buddhas. So this is why they’re sometimes said to be existent and sometimes said to be nonexistent.
A sorry. This is why they’re said to be existent in some places and not in others. That’s a better way of putting it. Right. Mhmm.
Okay. Okay. This Buddha potential is said to be that which enables beings to be liberated from saṃsāra, and it is hang on So the Mahāyāna enlightening potential then is said to be that which abides in the continuum of sentient beings, which is the quality that enables them to be liberated from saṃsāra. It acts as a base, this quality acts as a base for the expansion or the evolving of these qualities until one attains enlightenment. Okay.