Audio recorded at Buddha House Adelaide. Transcript auto-generated and AI-corrected; may contain errors.
About this talk. Opening with a verse by Je Tsongkhapa — that without wisdom realizing how things exist, renunciation and bodhicitta cannot uproot cyclic existence — Khensur Rinpoche turns to the third principal aspect of the path in this 49-minute commentary: the wisdom realizing emptiness. After recapping the first two principals, he explains why neither can produce liberation or Buddhahood without this wisdom as partner. The central image is a tree: ignorance, like deep roots, continuously regenerates all other afflictions and karma; only emptiness wisdom can sever it at the base. He outlines three stages for developing that wisdom — hearing, reflection, and meditation — then shows how renunciation paired with emptiness wisdom leads to liberation while bodhicitta paired with it leads to Buddhahood. He closes by introducing tantra as the speedier path and tracing this entire framework from Atisha’s Lamp for the Path through Tsongkhapa’s Lamrim.
File metadata (for organising)
File: 43 3PA 1994 02 08.mp3
UUID: a1fa2542-1b9a-474b-9217-112ad23b5d9b
Teacher: Khensur Rinpoche
Collection: 3 Principal Aspects of the Path (Khensur Rinpoche)
Date: 1994-02-08
Recorded at: Buddha House Adelaide
Duration: 49.0 minutes
Words: ~3,362
The great master of the late fourteenth century, Je Tsongkhapa, has said in a verse — if one does not have the wisdom realizing the way things exist — on page five of the handbook — one will not be able to uproot the origin of the cyclic existence no matter how long one may familiarize with definite exit and enlightenment mind. Therefore, strive towards realizing dependent arising. Now so far in this series of teachings, amongst the three principal aspects of the path to enlightenment, the two that were finished were the definite exit, or what is interpretively translated as renunciation, and the second, bodhicitta, the altruistic mind aspiring to attain enlightenment for others’ benefit. And now here this evening, we are on the third principal aspect of the path, which is the correct view, the understanding of emptiness.
Now by renunciation or definite exit in its literal sense, what it means is it is the trained thought or thought which has been correctly trained in practices, and the thought is one that is not attached to any pleasures of the cycle, any samsaric pleasure. And being not attached to samsaric pleasures to the pleasures of ordinary existence, this thought wants to achieve liberation, freedom from suffering, and the origin of suffering. So such a thought is called renunciation in the alternative translation, whereas the word literally means definite exit. The thought definitely wanting to exit out of sufferings. And then the next principal aspect of the path to enlightenment which we covered was the bodhicitta, the mind of enlightenment.
And this mind of enlightenment is a thought thinking firstly in this way: that the I to which I cherish myself, to which I am so attached, is just one person, whereas others are countless in numbers. And not only that, others have been kind, beneficial helpful to me in the past they presently are beneficial helpful to me and in future these countless beings as well will continue to be kind and beneficial to me therefore it is important and correct that I instead of cherishing, instead of considering myself as dear, I should cherish others dear. And by such a motivated mind, thinking about others’ welfare, this mind of enlightenment or bodhicitta wishes to attain the state where one is complete with all excellent qualities and freed from all weaknesses of mind, a state of enlightenment. So it is in brief such an excellent thought wanting to achieve that state in order to remove all these countless kind sentient beings sufferings and in order to lead all these kind countless sentient beings to unchanging ultimate happiness. So that was the second thought in the three principal aspects of the path, the bodhicitta, mind of enlightenment.
So if you don’t mind, most of the terms have been what’s called defined in the glossary in the handbook for your easy reference. Now these are extremely precious thoughts developed on the path to enlightenment. For example, let’s look at the first, the definite exit or renunciation. Now how precious how precious it is is we can look in this way that if a person has developed that renunciation, the thought of definite exit, then by the very power of having that thought, whatever even even very minor virtuous or meaningful action the person does would would would make the activity extremely significant. Now this in the context of path to enlightenment, it means even if a person does very minor virtuous action but because of having renunciation or thought of definite exit as the foundation that very activity even though how minor it may be that very activity becomes an activity contributing to the person’s liberation.
So whatever merits the person accumulates through such even minor activity becomes merit directly contributing to the person’s liberation, to the person’s freedom from all sufferings and their origin. So that’s one way to look at how precious, how powerful such thought can be. Similarly, the second one which is bodhicitta the mind of enlightenment, again, by the very by the very foundation of having such thought trained, whatever activity, whatever virtuous actions one does would contribute towards one’s attaining of state where there’s no weaknesses at all and where there there is all excellent qualities, a state which we are very well aware of and which we look forward so much, state of Buddhahood becoming a Buddha. So such is possible through having such foundation, the foundation of enlightenment mind. And again here, like the previous case of definite exit, with enlightenment mind, with bodhicitta, again no matter even if the practitioner and the person does very minor virtuous action, that very minor virtuous action would make the person accumulate merit contributing directly to the person’s attaining of enlightenment, attaining of Buddhahood in future.
Well, then we can ask the question: what is so great about attaining enlightenment, about Buddhahood? Well, the thing is, when one attains enlightenment, Buddhahood, then that is the very state of attainment through which it is possible then that one can very actively and very successfully or accomplish others welfare. Accomplish others’ welfare. But still, although these two thoughts amongst the three principals are very precious, unless a practitioner has the next principal aspect of the path, the wisdom realizing emptiness, which is synonymous or of the same or is of the same or meaning when explained also as the wisdom realizing the way phenomena exist. And as well it is as well as well it is called by other similar phrases such as the wisdom realizing suchness.
Anyway, the point is unless a practitioner has such wisdom, the wisdom realizing emptiness, wisdom realizing the way things exist, the manner of phenomena existence, then unless one has such wisdom it is not possible just merely with those two previous thoughts, the definite exit and mind of enlightenment with those with merely with those two thoughts is not possible to attain the state free of all weaknesses and complete with all excellent qualities. It’s like a very classical phrase those two. So referring to Buddhahood, it’s not possible. So it is then necessary one must as well try to acquire the wisdom realizing emptiness. Oh, well, the reason behind the need to have such wisdom is because for oneself to attain that state where one is free of all weaknesses of the mind and where one is complete with all excellent qualities.
Firstly, to attain such state, firstly, there are some major obstacles, some major some major faults to be interpreted as weaknesses, some major weaknesses with the mind which needs to be cleared, removed. So unless one removes those major obstacles towards liberation, towards enlightenment, it is not possible to attain those states. Well, as we can observe, we have so many unwanted things being experienced by us, such as the sufferings of birth, aging, sickness, and dying. Well, all the well, these and all other unwanted experiences do come from certain origins. Now, if we ask where do they come from, what type of origin do they come from, well, we say they come from, in Tibetan popular expression, karma, which then would mean the non virtuous actions or actions based on based on either not understanding or misunderstanding of reality.
And the karma itself as well is rooted in impure thoughts. What literally is called afflictions because they are source of afflictions. So in brief, those two are non virtuous actions and the impure thoughts are the origins of all our unwanted experiences. So we see that all of our unwanted experiences originates from non virtuous actions and the actions themselves originate from impure thoughts. And amongst all impure thoughts, the basic origin of all other impure thoughts is the ignorance, ego grasping, which is a thought completely understanding wrong ly the way how phenomena exist.
So it is a thought which is totally opposite to the very existence of phenomena which is emptiness. So it is a thought completely in opposite view about emptiness or completely opposed to the way of phenomena exist. That is the not understanding that phenomena are in the state of emptiness. So it is ignorance which needs to be completely chopped off as we can see in examples such as tree. As long as the very roots are firmly firmly established, then each year, you know, although time goes, each year there will be new branches staying standing forth, there will be new leaves blossoming and the trees whole tree, its structure, the flowers, fruits, so forth will continue to continue to regrow year after year because as we know in the example, the very roots of the tree are very firmly established.
Now here the reason is similar because of the reason that ignorance is the the very root of all our unwanted experiences. For example, or to elaborate for for to elaborate, let’s say out ignorance, there comes about all other impure thoughts as well along with ignorance and other impure thoughts one engages into all distorted act activities and virtuous actions through which all the consequences are experienced in the form of unwanted experiences, sufferings. Now if ignorance ignorance in that way is the very origin of all these unwanted experiences, then it is correct that we need to chop off the ignorance as if in the case of the tree the roots being chopped off to get rid of the others and this then would as well have the clear this would this as well would have the clearance for one’s progress in attaining liberation as well further in attaining the state of enlighten enlightenment again where one is freed of all weaknesses of mind and one is complete with all excellent qualities of the mind. Well, then we ask how are we to chop off ignorance or the very root of all unwanted experience. Well, the very means which directly can remove ignorance from its very base is the wisdom realizing emptiness, or wisdom realizing reality — the same as the expression wisdom realizing emptiness. With the wisdom realizing emptiness, it can evolve in the process of training in three levels: the wisdom arising from hearing, wisdom arising from reflection, and wisdom arising from meditative familiarization.
Now what these three means is firstly, one needs to in the classical period, one needs to listen to, one needs to hear about instructions on reality and through that way develop the wisdom or through hearing, which now would mean wisdom or reason or attained through learning. And whatever in that way of wisdom which one understands about emptiness through learning needs to be stabilized further by doing strong, intense reflection, contemplation, and through that way the wisdom can intensify progress and it becomes the wisdom on emptiness or reason from reflection. And then one further progresses it through repeated meditative familiarization. So through so through these three ways of wisdom, gradual development, one can directly one can directly overcome ignorance, directly chop off ignorance from its base. Now we can look at examples to illustrate this point.
For example, in order to chop off tree, one to chop off tree well, to have no further growth at all, one needs needs to have a sharp means such as a sharp axe in the old days. And these days in Australia, you might have a chainsaw which really chops them right. Very, good. That’s right. So you need to have such things, and then you can chop it off.
Because that is the way to in the case of tree, that is the way to chop off the tree. If you apply some wrong methods such as hitting your fist again and again on the tree, it wouldn’t work. And also if you just keep on being angry with the tree, that also wouldn’t help. That also wouldn’t help. So in the same way, one can look at the way how to overcome ignorance through the direct method of wisdom realizing emptiness.
In the case of tree when it is chopped off from its roots then there is no further growth of branches and leaves and so forth. Similarly, if here in one’s practice one chops off ignorance, which is to be as well understood as being of similar meaning as ego grasping, not realizing ego grasping as well, not realizing the way phenomena or things exist, and not realizing the way the manner of the existence of things. Now if one has chopped ignorance which is in those meaning, if one has chopped off ignorance then one will as well would have chopped off all other impure thoughts such all other impure thoughts which originates from the ignorance, impure thoughts such as attachment, hatred, pride, jealousy, so forth. And as the impure thoughts are are chopped off, are overcome, no more given opportunity at all to rise again. Therefore, there will not be any any karma or non virtuous actions or distorted activities one would engage into and because of that, there will be no unwanted experience at all in future happening to oneself.
One will not have to reborn in all those all those deprived re births, are what are called as the three bad migrations, three bad re births, one would not have to experience those and as for a whole lot of other, what’s more unwanted experiences, which we normally can relate more more quickly, such as anxiety, fear, insecurity, and so forth. So all these would stop. And that’s how it would happen by having stopped by having overcome ignorance in the very first place. Of course, earlier we came across our renunciation port of definite exit and we observed how precious that thought is and as well we observed how that thought can contribute towards one’s liberation, one’s freedom from suffering and the causes of suffering but it needs to be clarified because although one may have renunciation and through that although one may accumulate merits through doing virtuous actions, but that doesn’t mean and through that way, one would would accumulate courses to attain liberation, but that doesn’t mean one would attain liberation by those merits alone. So in that way, the clarification is through renunciation alone, liberation cannot be attained.
So to go along with that would be another partner of one’s mind to to attain liberation and that partner is the wisdom realizing emptiness and in the format of the path, that wisdom becomes wisdom criteria of the path and the renunciation or the thought of definite exit becomes the method criteria of the path and through these two or as a combination of method and wisdom, it is possible then one would attain liberation where one gets liberated from saṃsāra, where one liberated from where one gets liberated from the cycle of continuous suffering. And then we again apply the similar similar understanding with the bodhicitta, the mind of enlightenment. Again, with our mind of enlightenment by itself alone, it is not possible that a practitioner would attain omniscience, the state of Buddhahood, because that mind alone does not have the capability to overcome all weaknesses of the mind and to attain all excellent qualities of the mind. And here with the mind of enlightenment, like with the renunciation, one else would need the wisdom realizing emptiness, the wisdom realizing the way things exist. And the two become like one whole integrated criteria of the path of the mind mind to attain enlightenment and in the case and in that case the mind of enlightenment becomes the method aspect or the criteria of the path and the wisdom realizing emptiness becomes the wisdom aspect of the path and if and this in in the case accumulation of merits and accumulation of transcendent wisdom it means through bodhicitta through mind to enlightenment one accumulates the merits and through training on the wisdom realizing emptiness one accumulates the transcendent wisdom accumulation which to interpret means through bodhicitta one attains the merits, also through bodhicitta one accumulates merits necessary to attain the physical state of a Buddha and with the training on the wisdom realizing emptiness one accumulates merits, so to be termed, one accumulates merits which which becomes the courses to acquire the invisible, the truth body aspect of a Buddha.
So in brief, then the point is in brief then through bodhicitta mind of enlightenment along with the training on wisdom realizing emptiness, one attains Buddhahood, the state complete with all qualities and free of all weaknesses. Oh, well, that approach of the training where one combines both each other and the mind of enlightenment along with the wisdom realizing emptiness, that approach of the method would would make one able to attain enlightenment. But that method, it takes extremely long time. Of course, eventually one would attain enlightenment but it would take time. Therefore, the Buddha Śākyamūni taught additional instructions through which based on that basic method or taught additional instruction which through which based on that of of foundation one would attain attain enlightenment very speedily and that and that whole that whole group of instructions is what we now came to recognize recognize as the tantric path, the secret mantra instructions.
And how how speedy such method can be? Well, one can attain enlightenment within one lifetime on the basis of one body, on the basis of one one physical one physical basis. So it is possible even to attain that state of enlightenment within one lifetime on the basis of one body. So in this way then we have those levels of approach to attain enlightenment. Well, this can be understood, say, with example, if we are to go to Melbourne by car, one would eventually arrive there in Melbourne, but it would take time instead if one catch a plane.
I was going to translate as fly over, but somebody might mysteriously interpret it. You interpret it wrongly. And so instead of flying over, catch a plane. So catch a plane, that would be much quicker than going by car. So in the same way, then to achieve enlightenment with bodhicitta along with the wisdom realizing emptiness one would eventually attain enlightenment but it would take time.
Therefore, the speedy method, based on having that foundation, is to have an additional practice called the practice of the secret mantra. So all the teachings given by the Buddha can be grouped into the two necessary criteria of mental development: the wisdom and the method. Now these two — all the teachings of the Buddha which fall within these two aspects — were all summarized into a very clear and brief presentation by the great eleventh century Indian Buddhist master Atisha, who came to Tibet. And he wrote the very clear presentation in a text called the Lamp of the Path to Enlightenment. And then whatever was contained in that text was further explained by the great Lama Tsongkhapa in a series of texts and teachings called Lamrim, the Stages of the Path to Enlightenment.
And then he himself later on summarized the essence of all the teachings into this present text of teachings, where the whole training to achieve enlightenment can be included into three principal trainings called the three principal aspects of the path: renunciation or definite exit, and the second, mind of enlightenment, and the third, correct view or the understanding of emptiness. Well, we can look at how very essential these three are with this example: the whole teachings are like the body of a person, and the three principal aspects of the path are like the vitality of life within that body. Although the person has a body, what ultimately would count would be the vitality of life on which the life’s survival depends. And this also is not separate, in the understanding of Buddhism, from the mind.
So it is as a part of the mind. So that in a person’s case is the vitality of life, and we can look at the three principal aspects of the path to enlightenment in the same way. While although there are other teachings,