Audio recorded at Buddha House Adelaide. Transcript auto-generated and AI-corrected; may contain errors.
About this talk. In this 44-minute talk, Lama Zopa Rinpoche uses “mother” as an analytical tool to show how the mind labels and imputes identity onto things with no inherent existence. He walks through the process: first we perceive physical aggregates; then the mind labels them “mother”; finally we believe this label refers to something real. He extends this same mechanism to all concepts—father, friend, enemy, self, loss, and gain—and all phenomena we perceive. Each appears solid and independent, but analysis reveals it as merely imputed by mind. He connects this to the nature of mind itself and the concept of true existence as ignorance. For practitioners with some Buddhist philosophical background.
File metadata (for organising)
File: 02 1991 08 05 K.mp3
UUID: 48ee4f7c-9a3b-46c2-ad7c-53d6e0703035
Teacher: Lama Zopa Rinpoche 1
Collection: y Karma (Lama Zopa Rinpoche 1)
Date: 1991-08-05
Recorded at: Buddha House Adelaide
Duration: 44.2 minutes
Words: ~3,426
You see, the reason makes you to decide the particular label mother. So now, you see, so now, what is the reason? Reason is before you label, you see, be before you label, you see, you have seen these particular aggregates, the particular character, shape, form, which is the female form at a birth. So this so, you see, this this appearance happened first. This recognition happen first.
You see? So this so this happened first. So this this what you see, this what appears to you, what you see first. This becomes the reason. Then this next to the side, the letter mother.
So so therefore, mother, therefore, who comes first? Who comes first? The the who you see the who you see first? Mother? Mother?
Or the aggregates, the base to be labeled mother? Which one you see first? You don’t say mother first. You see the aggregates first. The aggregates, the base to be labeled mother, you see that first.
You see that first. See? Then after you label mother, you see, after one label mother, because the reason, then seeing it first, then one one’s mind, you see, decide the label. You see? And that label was infused by the mind.
Then, you see, after after believing in that after believing believing in that, then there’s the appearance. Then there’s the appearance, you see, of the mother. Then there’s the appearance of the mother after that. So there is a whole evolution. So there is a whole evolution.
You see? The you see how the mother comes in. You see, how it comes in existence. There’s a whole evolution. So the point what I was trying to describe is now you can see clearer.
Now you can see clear. First, you have to see the basis of the mother. And then after that, then you see the mother after only you see, the label. You see, after you put the label. So therefore, You see, if you are if you are seeing the mother first if you are seeing the mother first, then, you see, that that if you see the mother first, then you see, that has to be labeled.
Before you see the mother, you have to label. You you see you you see, it has to be labeled by one’s own mind. You see? So then so then what what is the reason? What reason you have?
What reason that you see, you have what makes to decide the mother. That’s that’s my mother. You see? Young girl. There there’s no reason.
If the basis is a mother, that means you that you see the mother first. You see? The very first time you see mother. Then that means that the mother, what is called mother, is name, and that has to be labeled with the mind. So therefore, what so is it?
What what makes you decide? Is it that’s my mother? So that’s the reason. You see? You see?
What makes you to decide? You see? They look particular level, mother, depending on depending on this. What makes you do? You see?
Then you see, oh, what make say. So so same thing. You see, there wouldn’t be reason why you call father to this. There’s no there wouldn’t be any reason to you call why you call this brother. And there won’t be any reason to you.
And you see, why you call this sister? You see? So all these things. You see? If you are seeing the the what is the label?
You see? The base to be lay the base to be labeled and the well labeled, if you ever seen the or, you see, the way from very first and the that lay that label, you see, mother, father, say all these things. You see? Then there’s there’s no reason what makes you decide that particular name to, you see, to create. So, also, you see, then, you see, those these names these names, you see, won’t because there’s reason, so these names won’t happen.
And, also, there’s also, then one then you see one might call father, you see, Say, is it to everyone? You know? Father. Is it everyone? Is it?
Everyone, father, even mother. Then everyone husband, everyone wife, you see, they’re like that. You see, if you are if it does not you see, if it didn’t have if it didn’t have reason, if it does not have reason before, then you see. You see? Could there could be mistake like this?
You see? If one if one’s or if one’s them, you see? You see? The other the other mistake is then if one can be called a husband or even come call, you see, wife or something like that. However so therefore, now so the basis, the aggregate the aggregates, the basis, you see, that that is, you see, that particular aggregates shape, you see, that which give shape both to oneself.
So that is the that is the base. So that is not the that is not the label mother. That’s the best. There’s not a liable mother. That’s the base.
You see? That’s not the label matter. You see? But the label of what is imputed. You say, label mother, what is imputed.
That’s not that. The the base, you know, is not that label, which is, you see, which is imputed. So so you see, now now concentrate. You see, because of reason of that base because of reason of that base, you see, that appearance that appearance that particular appearance, you know, you see, then the mind then the mind, you see, decide the label mother, You see the concept. It creates up to it creates up concept it creates a concept of mother.
You see? You see, decide to label, decide, is it the label of mother and then, you see, creates the concept. You see? You see? Believe in that.
That see, that idea. So now so now you can see so now you can see mother is not mother doesn’t exist there. Mother mother is not there, not not on the base. There is no mother on there. From the tip of the head down the toes anywhere, mother is not there.
You see? Mother is not there. Is not there. You see? Not there.
You see? On that base. On that base. Mother is not there. There, in the sense, is the the base.
Mother But that does not but that does not mean mother doesn’t exist Because you cannot find you cannot find mother on that base doesn’t mean mother doesn’t exist. Even even, you see, bottom line, I say, even the five five aggregates, you see, the form, feeling, cognition, discriminative cognition, formation aggregate, consciousness, all those things. However, you have to see the body mind. Even each of these things is not mother. Even the whole group is not mother.
Mother is nowhere there. It does it doesn’t it doesn’t It doesn’t mean mother doesn’t exist. Mother exists. So first of all, So mother exists. Mother exists.
Mother is here. Mother is here. Mother exists. But but what it is? But what it is?
But what what it is? If it if it’s not the base, if it’s not the, you see, the ideas and the association of bottom mind, then what is? Another bottom or mind, even the whole group, then what is? So that is is nothing. It is nothing.
It is nothing except except what is merely imputed what is merely what is merely imputed by the mind. So so therefore so therefore, you see, It is nothing except merely imputed by the mind. So so, you see, so what is mother? You see, extremely subtle. Extremely subtle.
It it is not it is not is not that it doesn’t exist, but it’s not that it doesn’t exist, but it’s life doesn’t exist. It’s not that it doesn’t exist, but its life doesn’t exist. So subtle. What what it what it is? Is it so extremely subtle?
So it’s a choice in the in though even though everyday life, you see, we talk about mother. We talk about we think. We say mother. We say mother. But, you see, the it is something else.
It’s something else completely. That is it is never to it is never the reality. It is never the way, you see, how the mother appears, the way the mother appears in our everyday life. Do you see inherently existing something real one? And you see apprehending apprehending there is a you see, apprehending that is true.
What we believe, you see. So something you see, something there. Something there. You see, mother, mother on there’s a mother on there, you see, on the base. You see?
That which is that which is, you see, complete hallucination. You see, there’s a mother on the base. You see? That which doesn’t exist at all at all. You see?
So now from this from this, you see, what what the reality of the mother, you see, how the mother exists. So from this one from this, you can see the hallucination. From this from this meditation, from this analysis, you can see everyday life. You see the hallucination and the wrong concept. You see?
Now this, you see, shows clear. You see? On the on the on the base, there’s there’s a you see, there’s real mother. You see? We you see?
On the base, on that, you see, there’s a real mother. You see? On the base, there’s a mother. There’s a real mother. So so that you see, that is a So you can see from the analysis that from this analysis, one can see that is, you see, a complete hallucination.
And you see complete hallucination, and you see the concept. The concept of believing it is true, is a wrong concept. So now so like this like this so like this exactly same, the enemy. When we think enemy, when we think I see. Enemy that we get angry, whom we get angry, whom we whom we we don’t love, as we don’t like.
You know? So that is reality like this. The friend, by whom we are so that we cling so much. So that, you see, these two objects, they realize strong anger and attachment that which makes say, the life crazy. So the reality the reality, you see, what the what it what it is, what what really it is is this.
It’s extremely subtle. You see, extremely subtle. Completely empty. So this is the mother is completely empty. It’s so you can see now the mother is reality.
The mother is completely empty. You know? You see, existing from its own side. And then in the friend So like, so light is the lightest example. It is like, you see, the water — mother is.
You see? What it is? So it’s extremely subtle and just complete empty. You see? It’s complete empty.
You know? You see? Existing from its own side. The real one from its own side. So like this like this, the eye like this, you see?
Like this, you see, the whole, like this, the health, what is called health, enlightenment, you know, saṃsāra, nirvana, you see, saṃsāra, the liberation, and, you see, the life problems, relationship problems, what we what we what we problems, what we believe. Problems the life problems, what we believe. And, you see, life problems, what we believe. And, you see, which we think we gained, I win, which we think I lost. So everything in the reality, that looks like a real loss, real gain.
You see? And then because of because of believing because of the the believing in this hallucination, they will gain a real loss from the other side. Then that makes mind so upset. And there’s a there’s a emotional emotion. So, you see, attached to also, you see, upset.
So so reality so reality, you see, they are completely empty. The loss, what we call loss, what we call gain, and what we call problems, is a completely empty. You see? There’s no real there’s no real there’s no real one, as it appears, from inside. You see?
As it appears. Similar also and that similar also what one label oneself. You see the what’s I I’m hopeless, or I I’m you see, I’m hopeless. I’m weak. You see?
I’m weak. I’m hopeless. I’m bad. You see? I’m evil.
How’s it? All this, you see, all these things, you see. So these things also, you see, we we impute. We like so we we like on you see? It it is merely me it is merely imputed.
You see? Bring bringing oneself down, you see, as a hopeless or, you see, incapable incapable thing. You see? So all this, you see, that once on once on mind, once on mind, you see, once on mind, you see, merely imputed, merely imputed. You see, one’s own mind made the label.
So, however, however, you see, the so here, all are all these five all the five all the objects of five senses all the objects of the five senses here, is it form, sound, smell, taste, the whole I see. The whole thing here, you see, all are even though though they are appearing even though they are appearing something real, You see? Something concrete or something real. You see it from its own side. Something real from its own side.
You see? You see what this person’s object what here around here is something concrete, real, you see, from the inside. But in the but in the reality, if you analyze like the mother, you see everything here, including the eye including the eye, you see, the body and mind, you see, the other what’s including the eye, I guess, the whole sense object is like that. They’re like the mother, how subtle it is. You see?
How subtle it is. Everything like this. You see? Complete that everything are come in the reality, everything are completely empty from the inside. And what what exists is is nothing except only except, you see, only what is it, you see, merely imputed merely merely imputed by the mind.
So so as I said before, you see the real mother on the base, on the aggregate. You see? There is a mother on the base. There is a mother there on the base. You see?
On the base. On the aggregate, there’s a mother. Oh, you see? You see? Real one from some side.
So, like, so how that is a hallucination? How that how that one you cannot find there? You know? You see? Anywhere.
You see? From the tip of the head down, to the toes anywhere, you cannot find. That is complete empty there. So like that so like that, all these things here, you see, reality in in in in the fact, all this, what appears real, you see, from some side, all this, you see, like that is a is a complete hallucination. You see?
So what what what all these are empty. What exist? All these empty of the real one from its own side. What exist? What exist?
Do you see? The the extremely subtle one, the merely imputed that which is merely imputed by the mind. So like this. So so there’s big huge differences. Do you see our you see, by analyzing these, you can see huge differences.
What’s the reality and what is the what is the reality and what is the, you see, the way it appears in our everyday life and we believe. So it’s completely something else. It’s a complete complete hallucination. So one one create one’s own. One create is a complete hallucination.
So like having taken so the you see? So having this ignorant having this, you see, having, you see, having this ignorance concept having this ignorance concept concept of true existence concept of true existence, you see, and that which, you see, that which having, you see, having this having this concept of true existence, this ignorance, believing, you see, concept that which believes all this, you see, the thing that which appear inherently existent or, you see, the there’s a real one from your side. And the the and there’s something on the base. However so, you see, believing that’s true. So this concept of true existence, this ignorance and imprint left by this.
So So this is like this is is having taken drug of, you see, Like like having taken drug. You know? Then having taken, let’s say, Having taken the drug, The hallucinate mind hallucinate mind is ignorance. You see? And that it leaves, you see, the imprint, imprint, whatever is left on the mind.
So due to the drug, due to the drug of the, you know, concept of true existence, then, you see, the imprint, then seeing the you see, then this hallucination this hallucinations are happening. You see? You see? That that everything everything what exists, even, you see, merely labeled by mind, but it doesn’t appear that way. Doesn’t appear merely labeled by the mind.
It appear real one from the other side. Independent. So so the same thing. So all this so you see hallucinations, all these are empty. So same thing now, the mind.
Now going back to the mind. The mind, when we think mind, when we talk about mind, you see, within one’s body. You see? In the body or however, there’s there’s real mind. There you see, the where the mind is appearing, there’s a real mind.
You see? Existing from its own side. So, you see, there there is real mind existing from the side. There’s, you see, there’s There is a real mind existing from the side, real one from the side. You see?
There’s mind. There’s mind on this base. There there’s mind on this base. The you see, this phenomena. You see?
Formless phenomena that which nature is a clear, perceiving object. So as I mentioned, I used an example, how the mother is not how the mother is not on the base of the mother. So you see so that so that is a phenomena, you see, that formless phenomena, that is, you see, that that is that is on a base of the that is on a base base of the, you see, the to be labeled the mind. So so that that that is not that is the base. That that is the base and, you see, not not the label mind.
That’s the base, and that’s not the label mind. And like like the mother like on the on the base of the mother on the base of the mother, you see, nowhere there’s mother, cannot be found from the tip of head down the toes. Same. On this formless phenomena, clear, perceived object, the mind is nowhere on that. You see, mind that doesn’t exist on that.
Doesn’t exist on this base. Doesn’t exist on this base. And what what exists is nothing else that which is, you see, merely imputed by the mind. So therefore so therefore, what usually appears a real mind that is completely hallucination, a real mind from its own side is completely hallucination. Oh, that’s completely empty.
So that is completely empty. It doesn’t exist. That’s completely empty. So so this is the clear light, nature of the mind, clear light. This is the ultimate nature of the mind, and this is the clear light.
What’s you see, what’s what’s called clear light. So this this is The, say, the Buddha nature. You see? So like this. So when you so you see, this for this mind, say, this mind not, you see, not this mind appearing as a, you know, as a truly existent, as independent, and then, you see, believing in that believing in that is true.
So that is the, you see, obscuration. You see, the appearing appearing independent, the mind is appearing independent, and then believing that is true. So this wrong concept is obscuration. So you see, so this mind is this mind is obscured. This mind is stained by the concept by the concept of true existence.
So therefore, so the the the concept of true existence is an obscuration. This which this which becomes