Audio recorded at Buddha House Adelaide. Transcript auto-generated and AI-corrected; may contain errors.
About this talk. In this 43-minute teaching, Lama Zopa Rinpoche offers instruction on recognizing emptiness through visual meditation and analysis. He explains how the “I” is merely a mental label, yet we perceive it as truly existent—the core confusion driving saṃsāra. Ignorance leaves imprints on the mind, projecting false appearance onto the simply labeled self. Liberation requires recognizing that this mistaken perception doesn’t exist. Rinpoche walks through an innovative meditation method: observing colors and objects to see how they appear as more than merely labeled—training the mind to recognize what this false perception is. He addresses the critical challenge practitioners face—fear and seeming dissolution of self upon touching emptiness—explaining why this distressing experience is actually the correct sign of progress, not nihilism. For serious practitioners with foundational Buddhist understanding.
File metadata (for organising)
File: 06 1991 08 08 E.mp3
UUID: 8bb121af-fe2c-4748-b850-46cff7821876
Teacher: Lama Zopa Rinpoche 1
Collection: y Emptiness (Lama Zopa Rinpoche 1)
Date: 1991-08-08
Recorded at: Buddha House Adelaide
Duration: 43.1 minutes
Words: ~4,341
So the I is merely imputed, merely imputed because not aware, you see, that is that I is merely imputed by the mind. You see, by one’s mind, not aware The I, you see, which is eating, walking, sitting, sleeping, so forth. That is which one which one has a label. I’m sitting and now going back home now. As in, say, now I’m tired and I’m you see?
All this is what we label and doing these various activities. It is is it is a reality. It is merely imputed by the mind, but we’re not aware. We’re not aware in that. And, you see, not aware in that so that it appears it appears the I appears after after, anyway, so after the eye is merely imputed, it appears as it exists from the outside.
How that so how this appearance how does that what creates this appearance? How this appearance happens? So that is it. That is the past ignorance concept of true existence. You see left imprint on the mind on the mental continuum.
So this imprint, imprint decorates. This imprint decorates, projects, like the feeling, the feeling that which has, you know, many pictures of people or countries playing or enjoying, things recorded, then put in the machine and with the electricity like this. So with all this together, then this, what is on the ceiling, it is able to project on the curtain, on the white, you know, on the curtain, able to project or ever, you see, able to project the through a TV screen. So like this, able to decorate. So this imprint that was left in the mind, the past concept of true existence, and this decorates or it projects the true existence, you see, on true existence on the mere mere level I.
The on the mere level I. Then the mere level I. Then still you see has a still the still the mind. So therefore, you see, the mind that which labels I, mind that which imputes I, that is not — that’s not — that’s not the — that’s not the — that’s not the cause of saṃsāra. Even the even the thought that the thought that even the after that, even the thought that which you know, or whom the appearance of the truly the I appears appears truly existent.
In I appears as truly existent. Still that’s not still that, and that is not the root of saṃsāra. Same that same continuation that same thought, the the same continuation thought, but a previous thought labeled I. But but later, the same continuation of the mind, the previous continuation of mind, you see, labeled I. But the then appear as true existence to that mind.
Then after that, this mind so whenever whenever it start to whenever so the appearance happened. So whenever you start to believe this is true, for that time, then the continuation of that thought, which wasn’t before, which labeled I, which merely imputed I. So now now the the later continuation, you see, which is which is believed, oh, this is true. You see? So then at that time, this becomes the root of saṃsāra.
This time, what appears there’s an what appears, you see, that it that it is an existence from the side to say, there’s something, there’s something, something additional than what is merely labeled. There’s something from the side. So believing that’s true. So that then that time that time then this thought then becomes root of saṃsāra. So this is the way so this is the way how we create how we create ignorance.
And this is the way this is the how ignorance, the root of the whole entire saṃsāra, is the dependent arising. You see, you can see now clear, very clear how this is the dependent arising. So now, by knowing this ignorance that which creates the whole saṃsāra, by knowing how this is the dependent arising, how is the dependent arising, band of cause conditions that it happened, you see, then then, you see, now you can see how you can eliminate. Now you can now, you see, you can get a — you can get a faith. Now you can get a faith.
How you can eliminate the ignorance? So the the way to eliminate ignorance, they eliminate the whole entire — as you see, the so-called suffering, cause for the whole, true suffering — is by realizing, by recognizing, by recognizing the object, this object of this concept of true existence, you see, that which is a hallucination, you see, to to recognize that that which is a hallucination, you see, is is a hallucination. So to recognize that refuted object that it doesn’t exist, So then by recognizing the refuted object, by recognizing the refuted object, which means that this appearance, that this eye was something more than what is the middle level, you see, it is a false. This is a false, know, complete hallucination. Then through this, then one sees, one sees the I is empty.
Through this, one sees the I is completely empty. Completely empty. So you see, completely empty. Completely empty. So so that so when you wanna realize completely empty, that this I is completely empty from its own side, then how say, it it eliminates the wrong concept concept, you see, of true existence.
Concept is that I exists from its own side. So it eliminates that concept. So so this is the after having realized emptiness, only then, you see, then one has found definite faith that that I’m able to achieve liberation, that I can achieve liberation. It is a hundred percent. It is definite that that one that you can be completely free from the whole entire you see, the whole entire saṃsāra that, you see, that you can be completely free from the whole entire saṃsāra.
You see, that this is definitely possible. So how you want so So like this. So however So however, it needs that has a one needs like Lama Lama Tsongkhapa, for example. That is the practice of guru yoga. You see, Mañjuśrī and say, inseparable to guru and Mañjuśrī.
You know? And the guru practice very, very strong. They say it’s a hard practice. So inseparable in guru practice, the inseparability. Look, you see, looking at — is it looking, looking and seeing, looking and seeing. Looking so looking at, and training even you don’t see it now, but you’re training the mind in that way.
So you look at look at you try to look at that way. Even you don’t see, but you try to, you know, see that way, look at, train the mind. Look at that way and see in that way inseparable. And then doing extensive. And so by doing extensively, you see, the practice, practice, extensive, you know, purification.
They’re doing many doing so many mandala offerings every day. And then prostrations, so many hand thousands many many many hundred thousands of prostrations done in those caves where Lama Tsongkhapa saw thirty five Buddhas in the cave, the whole thirty five Buddha, where he did a prostration to thirty five Buddha. But with his prayer, you know, there’s so much purification. And then there’s still stone still the stone one can see. But, unfortunately, I didn’t make it.
And some people in our group went there. So I went to the Yamdrok Lake, you know, that part. So we were so kind of a so got caught there for a few days. Going to the lake. The lake that which predicts, you know, predicts your life, you know, whatever question you ask.
So and then most people, you see, they see. And busy at the monastery, the. This this will replace monastery. So busy to the initiation of five four, five. One day, four hundred people, then another day, three hundred people.
The normal sound like that. So how you go? So waited for the other group to come, the majority of the group to come, and so we planned to go together to see Lama Tsongkhapa’s place. But they never they there were a lot of obstacles. Could not find vehicles, and the robes were bad.
And even when we are going, even myself and and the Geshe Lama Konchog, one of who is at Kopan, who is teaching Kopan. He and another, Indian lama from who drives the jeeps, who drives jeeps. The lama who does a lot of work that fix electricity. So one one who is regarded by some as Shangpa Rinpoche, but who, you know, yet he is very highly realized realized his past life. Anyway, that he is very highly realized.
So, however, normally, maybe maybe because of that maybe because of that anyway, he doesn’t he doesn’t study much. But anyway, he’s very busy, very busy working in the monastery. He knows many things, fixing electric how to fix electricity, many, many things. Kappan, They say they run-in the government ministry and the driving jeeps and so forth, all that services, you know. So he and Lama is his Lama’s brother, and the one one who translated long time, the generation stage for a long time.
So few hours we went, the Bandhakarmo, it’s protection on all sides. The road is road is very bad. So there was water and the you see, very bad. So so everybody had to put had to carry the car. See?
Not not not carry the car, but exactly. So I think I’m so lazy, but others all others in the they had to pull they they pulled that jeep. That jeep that we got in Lhasa. They had to pull the jeep on the water and the road. There’s a storm.
So I think main main person who was pulling the jeep was Lama Konchog. Just symbolic. Symbolic. You know? As you put the rope on on the shoulder, just to signify.
Also, not not not so perhaps mentally not so strong and maybe physically not strong as well. Anyway, so this was the main person who put all the effort to pull the jeep. So that was a it was a long kind of a So first, we made a mistake, the road to go to, you know, Bandhakarmo place. So we met some Tibetan in the bridge. So they they sent us they said this is the way.
So then we went very, very far. Very far. And one place called Peking, same as the Peking in China. So we went there. And so the benefits of going there was, you know, to give some healing blessings to the people and some some bless blessings to the people who are there earlier.
And so we found out there’s a wrong road. From there, takes seven days something. It takes a long long time to reach the lake, so we have come back come back to the main road and to the shortcut. So, however, so we where we made mistake, the road, the Lama Tsongkhapa for the place near by that. So on the way back, say, due to not having enough time, so it didn’t make it.
But went to see some of the practice, they say, where the holy place of the I think, however, the Lama Tsongkhapa, extensive purification, then, and then third, you know, meditating on the path. So by doing like this by doing like this, as as Lama Tsongkhapa was advised by Mañjuśrī, and to do these two things together, then can, you see, achieve realization. So by doing this by doing these two things together, then have found a mistaken — realization of emptiness, the person gets a view. So, however, one one has a very strong good devotion. That is Buddha.
And then so while the while the mind is in such a state such a state, it is in such a state, which means receiving blessing, you see, in one’s heart. Then then during extensive purifications, you know, purification with the Vajrasattva or Kālacakra or Vajrasattva, prostration and so forth. Then, you see, with Jorcho, comes a lot of merit. And then then when the when the mind when there are all the necessary conditions that you put together like this, then that time, then even you don’t even one doesn’t do meditation, you see, for analysis, or those seven-point analysis, even one doesn’t do very extensive analysis. For the during those time, then when the when the mind is is all these things gathered happening.
When all these things are gathered, you see, the strong good and strong guru practice, good devotion, pure, say, intense strong purification, power of purification, immense accumulation of merit. Then that time, even the prayers that you recite, even the even those you didn’t don’t feel much before. You don’t feel much before. You know?
There are no special feelings. You just recite the words. Then now and now then one, see, when you those many of those words, one feel one, say, one can see that they have deep meaning Or one one gets very strong feelings. Even their normal prayer, but now, you see, one has very deep feelings in in those prayers. However, you see, suddenly suddenly one suddenly one gets a very deep feeling of understanding of the meanings, very effective, very moving to one’s own mind.
However, Then that even even one stanza, even two two two, three words. You see what it means? What it means? Describing the refuted object. Describing the refuted object.
Even one or two words from the teachings. There’s an eye, There’s I on the I. Appearing, you see, there’s an I on the I. Mhmm.
So, you see, there’s a there’s a and there’s a house, you know? And there’s a house on the house. Appearing, you know, there’s a house on the house. And then even such a words like that.
You see, even one or two words like that, you see, describing what is the refuted object is. Then then you see then if you look at if you look at the the, you see, You see? Even if we if you look at the colors, you know, color, the side of the thangka. You see? The different colors.
Then also, you see, you can see that there’s a blue above the blue. Is it there? There’s a blue. If you want to look at the blue brocade, there’s a blue, let’s say, from above the blue, which is which means which means blue above the blue.
Appearing means, you see, it means that bluism is a blue the blue that was merely imputed. Then you see blue that which is merely imputed. Then you are seeing, then you are seeing the refuted object, the true existence. You see, the refuted object, the true existence that which is projected projected by the projected by the, say, ignorance. The because ignorance left imprint, you see.
So So then then if you look at the house, so you you look at the ceiling. The ceiling also appears. The ceiling also appears. Actually, there’s ceiling on the ceiling. So you so you look at the whole so you look at the whole house.
Everything is everything is different than before. Everything is different than before. How you used to see before. You see? Then sudden, then after that, then you look at your I.
You see? Then you then then you look at your I. Then the eye also, you see? The I, the I existing, you see, and there’s I on the I. You see, I feel like that.
Then suddenly then suddenly, you see, you’ll recognize, you’ll see, come to the point, oh, this is — or this is what means — this is what means refuted object is. This is what means the refuted object is. Suddenly, you see, you come to, you see, you come to recognize. Then then when when you come to when you come to that point, then you then you see then you want then you say one pointedly, one pointedly concentrate. One pointedly concentrate, you see.
You don’t say without without losing that, you see, repeating object here, that repeating object, you see, that you see. So there is appearing above the I. Then you see, while you have one pointedly, when you while you have one pointedly concentrated on that, then then you see, this is a false object. So this means it this means it doesn’t exist. This means it doesn’t exist.
So then so then you you think then you think more the meaning, more then you concentrate. You’re looking at it, but you concentrate more awareness. You see, the the reality of that. The reality of that is is empty. So so when you put more when you when you when you put more awareness in when you put more awareness in that, you see, there’s a there’s a eye and the eye is appearing.
So when you put more awareness, that is it. This is a appearing object. Oh, this means, oh, this is appearing object. Oh, this means it doesn’t exist. So when it so when you put this awareness that it doesn’t exist, the real reality is that empty.
Then then it’s a then then it’s just a second. Then it’s just a second. And that just a second. Just a second. That you see?
That you see? All of a sudden. All of a sudden, they’re starting to hold on. You see? You see?
All of a sudden, the eye the I going somewhere, there’s not, there’s no such thing, the I going somewhere. It is nothing. But right but right there but right there right there that that right there that you are hundred percent, the hundred percent that you have been believing, that you are holding. See, that you’re holding hundred hundred percent that you’re holding. You see, precious.
You see, kind of kind of like, without holding that, how can you see, without holding that, how you can live the life? So we see, how you can exist? So that, you see. So suddenly, right there. Suddenly, right there.
You see? You see? Losing. You see losing. Nothing there’s nothing to hold on over.
See? Self is the the self, the I. So that for that time, it is it is extremely important. It is extremely important that you see very, very important that to be — I say, to be careful, to be careful in the sense, to be careful in the sense, you see, to know, very, very important, to know that you have to go through this fear. That is it.
It doesn’t mean everyone gets fear. The low intelligent ones get the fear, and the the high intelligent ones, they’re unbelievably happy as they found jewel, precious jewel which they never found so far. So like that, it’s extremely happy, joyful. Then, you see tears coming. I see the hairs, the hairs of the pores, the pores are rising up.
So like this. The but the right intention once it’s the then, you see, fear rises. Fear fear rises because thinking, now I’m I see. Now I’m going to be lost. And then, you see, something happened to this I, losing this I.
It looks like it looks like the, you see, that yourself, that you that you is going to be that you’re going to become nonexistent. Looks like that. Looks like that you’re going to become nonexistent. That you’re going to become nonexistent. Looks like that, but it’s not.
The reality is not. So because of that, you know, because not having not having heard, not having heard, not having heard, you see, teachings from experience, from the complete teachings on emptiness. Complete teachings of complete experience of the complete experience of you see, the about emptiness. Complete experience of the about emptiness, not having heard. You see, then, you see, knowing, having known having known some part of the teaching, but some part didn’t as you want, didn’t hear, one didn’t know, didn’t hear complete experience, about complete experience.
So then there’s the danger that when this experience comes, then you see that you see that I’m going to become non existent. You see? I’m going to I’m I’m going to cease to non existent. So then this what makes the right fear. So the reason why this experience is happening is because that why this is happening is a proof that is a proof that the truly existent, which is appearing to oneself, you see, from above the, you see, merely imputed I.
That so that this extra thing doesn’t exist. This this this additional thing on the mere level I, it doesn’t exist. So it proves that this experience is a proven that it doesn’t mean it doesn’t mean in reality that you are going to become nothing. It doesn’t mean that. But the first time the experience happens, then you become nothing.
You see, nonexistent. So that’s what right next to fear. Also, because one doesn’t know doesn’t know that this experience that this experience, you see, happens. One doesn’t know. One haven’t heard.
Then, see, that was how one has to go through. So if one didn’t know then, then this can become blocked. So you start to feel fear. Fear very inside of your heart. And then you see, suddenly you think you’re maybe going the wrong way.
It’s an illusion or something. Then you see that? Then you stop. Then you see it’s possible that it’s possible that you see then you don’t want to meditate. You’re so scared that you don’t want to meditate for months.
You see, on emptiness. Don’t want to think about emptiness. Don’t don’t want to do analysis, you know, of the eye. So that — it’s Candrakīrti who says that it’s like — so this is like, you see. You see?
This is like riding — I see, riding, putting a child on the horse, know, putting a child on the top of the horse. Child is not well trained in riding horse. Child is not — is he trained in riding horse? So let’s see. So let me just use this example.
So it’s like that. The child is not used to riding on the horse. Not trained. So however, they’re not knowing the whole experience of it. So then it can, you see, it can interfere to oneself to realize emptiness.
So one has to know that one has to go through one has to go through this here. So now one has to know that the experience happening that the eye is becoming this eye, the self, eye, the mental I, becoming nonexistent, you see, which you might think that you’re following nihilism. So there’s no danger to one through this experience. Once this real I, that which appears real, once you feel there is nothing to hold on, then that’s the right experience. That’s the right procedure, you see, to see emptiness. So therefore, there’s no danger to form nihilism this way.
But even this one, this will through this, only through this, by completing the experience — by completing the experience, when you don’t see at all the I existing from its own side, so that’s completely empty, complete empty. Then that one as a that one as a cause. That one as a cause as a cause. Then the result. You see.
Result that you see. And that I exist. That that you get definite under that you that you that you get in the mind, that you get to see the definite understanding, definite understanding that how do I exist, that I exist, definite understanding, And you see, that I is existing. However, definitely, they get definite faith, the definite understanding that the I is existing. Then as a meditators, as a then meditators, they say then one one understands the subtle the subtle the dependent arising subtle the dependent arising.
The the eye exists in you see, the I is being merely labeled by the mind. So then that time, one realizes before one is realizing absolute truth. Now, one is realizing conventional truth. When one comes to realize, you see, definite faith is the understanding that I exist and being merely labeled. So that is realization of the conventional truth.
So as the as I explained in teachings, so first one realizes absolute truth, then comes realization of conventional truth. Then after this out of this, then once then once the one realize the intuition, then one should continue again to the analysis, then try to one-pointed concentration on that. Then one has a last concentration, one point of concentration is on that emptiness. But I again, again, but it it it goes away. You see, the I see.
It goes away. But then again, do analysis, then I can try to reach that point. Then again, try to hold concentration longer, longer. And then you see, then why you have to use those, you see, the methods from Shamatha, that which cuts off gross subtle sinking and excitement, getting excited. So like that.
So this is from emptiness, they’re doing meditation. from emptiness, then doing meditation. The other way is from meditation, then seeing the view, the actual emptiness. After achieving Shamatha, actual emptiness. Then this here, this one is after achieving emptiness, then it’s during meditation, one-pointed concentration.
Then then by achieving this, then one achieve then one can achieve the special insight, you know, by after achieving Shamatha. How you are? By by by doing the analysis, extremely refined the body, mind, you know, bliss, you see, ecstasy, one is able to experience perfect analysis in emptiness. For that, this great the insight as is explained in the lam rim.