Audio recorded at Buddha House Adelaide. Transcript auto-generated and AI-corrected; may contain errors.
About this talk. In this 14-minute teaching, Lama Zopa Rinpoche explores the origin of suffering through analysis of the self. He begins with the analogy of mistaking a rope for a snake on the road — an illustration of how wrong conception grasps at something that doesn’t exist. He then examines the “I” as merely imputed (labeled) by thought on the aggregates, explaining how this perception itself is not ignorance. The problem arises when the mind grasps the “I” as truly existing from its own side, independent of the label — this grasping is simultaneously-born ignorance, the root of all suffering. Only by realizing the emptiness of this false independent “I” can the root of suffering be removed and liberation achieved. Lama Zopa emphasizes watchfulness: each moment, protecting the mind through virtue and remedy.
File metadata (for organising)
File: 08 WWNN.mp3
UUID: 56e17bee-8d1a-4587-aacd-69d165b063a5
Teacher: Lama Zopa Rinpoche 1
Collection: y What the World Needs Now 1987 Audios (Lama Zopa Rinpoche 1)
Date: 1987 (exact day not recorded)
Recorded at: Buddha House Adelaide
Duration: 14.4 minutes
Words: ~850
On the road, you see, when he checks, he cannot find the snake. From the top from the top of the road down the Because object snake, we see clean, doesn’t exist there, cannot find anywhere. So therefore, that’s wrong conception. It claims that is, you see, that on the appearance of snake, and that’s hundred percent true, whereas complete hallucinative. Similar now, similar like this.
So thought First, by looking at the aggregates, looking at the aggregates, depending on aggregates, the association of the body mind, then one level, one thought level, are. So not like, I want go back home. By looking at the aggregates, pinning one label, I want to go back home. So one label, I want So want the aggregates. On the aggregates.
So the thought which is the the the thought which merely imputes I on the aggregates, that is the thought of mere I. Now, after this thought, That is not a wrong conception. This is not hallucinating mind. If this is a hallucinated mind, then that means Because if this hallucinate mind, then you see, then that means object, the I doesn’t exist. It is part of the mere I, it is which labels, it is hallucinated mind.
It means object what the thought thinks. This is, you know, or this doesn’t exist. So that is not true. That’s contradictory to our experience. If no I, then there won’t you see, there won’t be suffering, there’ll never suffer, no happiness This is what is I.
Then you see, there’s there’s no saṃsāra, no liberation. No saṃsāra, no liberation. There is no Nirvāṇa. No reason to reveal teaching. You know?
Then then then then you see, it becomes whole thing. Then then it becomes whole then it becomes, you see, it makes whole thing in your life. Anyway, so you see, if there’s no I, then if there’s no I, you see, there’s no need for food. There’s no need for it. There’s no need for a house.
You know? They don’t need friends. If there’s no I, why they need friends? No need friends. It is not I.
So, yeah, so it’s a completely contradictory completely contradictory to the everyday life experience. You see? So there’s an I. The I, that is the I, that is immediately imputed on the object by the thought. The thought.
So the thought is merely imputing the I, However, the I which is merely imputed on the aggregates, you see, which is merely imputed on the aggregates,, then appears something more on the top of that. Not of the near not only the near name, mere label, you see, but something more, something extra on top of that, something existing from its own side. So then this continuation of that thought, now this time, you see, before the thought of the eye, now this time that thought is transformed. One of the thoughts so one of the thoughts is it clings, grasps, you know, that this I existing from its own side is hundred percent, this is true.
So then that time, thought, you see, which was a mere I before, now the continuation of that thought is transformed into the ignorance. Simultaneously born ignorance. Simultaneously born ignorance. You see, grasping, you see, this truly exists, the I, which appears as complete truth. So this is hallucinative mind.
This thought is a hallucinative mind. So this thought is the simultaneously born ignorance. It’s the root of all saṃsāra, the whole whole the suffering. The root of all the disturbers of karma, the whole suffering of saṃsāra. Therefore, now, how so this is so that’s how this is dependent arising.
So such a characteristic of thought, on that one, is labeled as ignorance. The hallucinative nature of the I, you see, not knowing the nature of the I, you know. What perceives is complete contradictory to the reality of the I, which exists as merely named on the aggregates. So, therefore, this is called the ignorance on this level ignorance. The eye.
The object of ignorance is false, is empty, that truly exists, the I. truly existent, which truly existent is the focal object of the I, that merely imputed on the aggregates. So that’s completely empty. So by realizing that emptiness and developing, then one has removed the ignorance even the seed of that or the disturbance of karma or the suffering by eliminating the, you know, the root ignorance in the seed. I think that’s how it’s possible that one can achieve the cessation of suffering, the liberation, the ultimate happiness.
Therefore, once our mind is the creator of all the sufferings, this way you can see the creator of all the suffering and the originator of all the happiness. So that’s why Buddha said, Don’t commit any non-virtuous action. Enjoy the practice of virtue, subdue one’s mind. That is the teaching of the Buddha. So so dependent on this, also each day, each hour, each minute, you know, watching the mind and protecting the and practicing the remedy.
When they disturb the