Audio recorded at Buddha House Adelaide. Transcript auto-generated and AI-corrected; may contain errors.
About this talk. In this 46-minute teaching, Lama Zopa Rinpoche uses a butter lamp’s flickering flame to explain dependent arising—how all phenomena exist only through the convergence of multiple causes and conditions, not independently. He expands to the subtler Prāsaṇgika understanding: things exist only as mental labels, not from their own side. Using a magician’s illusion as metaphor, he shows how ignorance projects false existence onto all experience, creating apparent friends and enemies that don’t truly exist as we perceive them. By analyzing which mind creates these labels—not wisdom, not compassion, but the self-cherishing thought—he demonstrates there is no valid reason to consider oneself more important than numberless other beings. The teaching builds toward Śāntideva’s exchange of self for others, pitched at serious practitioners.
File metadata (for organising)
File: 20 2005 04 10 JANGSEMLING RET.mp3
UUID: 4bc3d650-017c-479c-9585-3380eb7bb8ce
Teacher: Lama Zopa Rinpoche 1
Collection: z Malaysia (Lama Zopa Rinpoche 1)
Date: 2005-04-10
Recorded at: Buddha House Adelaide
Duration: 45.9 minutes
Words: ~2,938
Same, you know, candle candle flame or so basically basically and butter butter lamp is it? It exists, you see, it exists but depends on conditions. I see some of the cause conditions that that we can I see that we exist? The person who makes, then their container and the bottle. So, I mean, see, they came from animals.
I mean, there’s so there’s so many cause condition. The wax, you know. So then, with the wick and wicking. However, there’s so many cause conditions. It came in existence.
It depend is it the existence of butter lamp depend on so many cause conditions here. And then also, the gross dependent arising, which is in the previous schools, they view dependent arising, the gross one. And also, it has the Prāsaṇgika school, Madhyamaka Prāsaṇgika school view of dependent arising. The because there’s the base, there’s there’s a base exist so that mind merely input it, you know. Mind, made up the label, Mind made up the label made up the label.
Name, mind made up the name, but the name. So existing dependent base and mind labels and the label, so that the phenomena, in short, the way, the the the way the the way the phenomena, the the way it is it is existing. Existing by name. So like that, the causative all all the causative phenomena are like that, depending on the cause conditions they exist. They’re so they are not independent.
Even though they appear the causative phenomena, they appear as independent to one’s own, see, hallucinative mind. It appear and believed believed it is independent. Whatever causative phenomenon we see, that the one see, believe is independent, existing without even cause condition, but that’s a total hallucination, total total wrong wrong concept. That is a total wrong concept. In reality, it’s dependent on it dependent on arising.
Existing by the way, so many past conditions. And it depends on base and label, mind merely imputes the label. So, so here, using the example of a candle flame, which exists by the way of so many cause conditions, then look at the phenomena to the nature of the cause of the phenomena is dependent arising. It’s the end of independence. Then illusion.
Again, here, magician person, with the mantra, the substances — the magician first, hallucinated, illusioned the audience, their senses. People who are there, the audience, their senses. Their sense of eye. Then, While there is no one single atom that jewel, you know, palace. Palace metal, palace metal diamond or gold or something of that.
You see, or silver or something like that. Seeing that what the audience see. Oh, beautiful man or woman or however elephant or however so many things that that that’s it. Wow. Wow.
There’s no in reality, there’s no such thing there. But the magician person with the mantra of substances illusioned the audience, the sense sense organs. It’s in it’s in the magician maybe how how how expert the magician person is maybe. It is that a magician person can, you see, can perform, can illusion the pupil, the sense of the the sense eye of the people. Even that’s it.
Even, like, you see, you know, even a city, even a whole city also. However, all sorts of things, you know, huge things, all sorts of things can say, make, you know, illusion the sense of eye and then to, say, make things to appear to illusion. All sorts of things. So in Delhi, in Delhi, I heard I heard a long time ago, Somebody did money change, or I’m not sure, money change for me. Anyway, this person got a lot of money, a lot of money from somebody, you see.
And then the person went back to home, you know, believing that they got all this money. But when he reached at home, is it there’s nothing there. No one’s there’s no one single money he didn’t have when he when he when he arrived at home. It’s not somebody it’s not somebody it’s not somebody’s still it’s not somebody, you know, stolen, you know, before you arrive at home. Not like that.
So he chose some money that other person gave, huge amount of money. But the time when he checked, when you arrived at home, when you checked, when you look, didn’t see one single. So like that. Magician per you see, magician can be person can illusion that their person’s sense. Right?
So This is one good way of meditating on emptiness. One of the techniques in daily life. So the city, your your ignorance is a magician person. Then the ignorance leaves negative imprint on the mental continuum. It’s like the magician person with the substances, mantras, you see, then illusion of the soul, like that, you see.
The ignorance is like magician person, leaves imprint negative imprint on the mental continuum. Then that that see. So you have some audience. Okay? People, the people are not.
The imprint, negative imprint left on the mental continuum, projects, you see, true existence. True existence, true existence on the mere level eye, true existence on mere level sense, level body, truly existent, mere level of mind, existence, mere level of action, existence, level of object. So, all entire phenomena. True existence on the mere level, saṃsāra, to make it real, you know, truly true existence. See.
And the, say, nirvana, liberation, level liberation, and projected true existence. Same, true existence, true appearance. Then same, mere level health, okay? On a mere level health, true existence is projected. Same, enlightenment.
Then mere level happiness, pleasure, then projected true existence. Mere level of problems, then they see true existence projected from that, they get imprint on that. Mere level of virtue, then truly existent projected. Mere level of virtue, truly existent projected there. The bad thing imprinted.
So, we see merely labeled a friend, merely labeled a friend, right after the right after the mind merely imputed a friend, then this, the negative imprint left on the mental continuum by the ignorance is projected into experience. So they made real, the friend to become, they made the friend, real friend, you see, something existing from its own side. Then the mere level enemy, then the negative imprint, true existence, is projected through the experience. You see, made a real enemy. So you see, the your view, You see, the hallucinate, the views, you know, the hallucination is the real enemy.
There’s a real enemy there, see, appear to like that. So you see. So here so here you see so here you see comes to a point. There’s no such thing there. There’s no such thing as a real friend or real enemy.
The in the real sense, existing real one from there. If you’re real one, there is real one appearing from there. There’s a first thing. It’s totally empty. Total non one’s total non existent.
Here’s an interesting point. Which mind label friend enemy? See, if you analyze. First we check which mind label enemy friend? Your wisdom Anyway, if you have wisdom, if one has wisdom seeing emptiness, is that wisdom labeling enemy friend?
No. Is the bodhicitta? Is the bodhicitta? Is your good heart? Your good heart?
Heart? Good and thought of benefit others, cherish others. Is that the mind labeling for enemy or friend? No. That doesn’t They thought of benefiting others, you know, that good heart doesn’t have expectation.
When it you see, that thought doesn’t have expectation. By helping There’s no condition. There’s no expectation to receive energy. By helping to get something back from that person, it’s not expecting. That thought doesn’t have that.
So it’s clear. That thought doesn’t discriminate. So So, now, it doesn’t discriminate. Patience, thought patience doesn’t discriminate enemy friend. Patience, you know, positive mind patience, doesn’t discriminate this friend. Patience, you see, patience, one who gives harm, patience regard that as a regard that as a it’s totally opposite.
Patient you see, the person who gives harm to you, that’s the most precious being, that’s the most precious, most kind one in your life. This is how you how your patient sees that person. So, doesn’t label enemy. The patient doesn’t label enemy. You see.
So which mind discriminate is is by is it by the wrong concept, negative negative thought. The wrong wrong concept, negative thought, you see. So somebody what is it? The self-cherishing thought. The self-cherishing thought.
You see, what the selfish mind, what you want is, you see, You see somebody to praise, you know, the say praise, you know, good reputation, mutual gift, give comfort, you see, You see? Pleasure. So this is what what is self-cherishing to want. You see? self-cherishing to do not like somebody criticize.
Somebody criticize or create bad reputation. Somebody see, I said opposite of giving, not not giving gift, you see. Do not do not like that. Or you see, cause discomfort or unhappiness. Don’t want that.
So this so therefore, the self-cherishing thought, the mind is cherishing I. And I say, I’m not I am so the mind is cherishing I. The eye, see, See. Most important. Most important.
Precious also is most important. And this self-cherishing thought, like that, how much it cherishes I? It never cherishes others. No other sentient being. There are numberless sentient beings.
There are numberless Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, you see, ordinary sentient beings. Numberless beings. Numberless hell beings, hungry animals, human beings, but this this self-cherishing thought doesn’t as it cherishes the I, it doesn’t cherish anybody. You see, among numberless sentient beings, all numberless Buddha, Bodhisattvas, Arhats, you know, all the other ordinary beings — numberless sentient beings — cherish only this cherish on this I, on this self, you see. I think the the thing is most important among everyone.
Doesn’t care about others. So that’s the nature of this thought. And there’s no one single, there’s no one single reason, single valid reason, logical reason to prove, to prove that this eye is more important than somebody else. That this eye is more important than this insect. That this eye is more important than this person.
You know, just one to one, you know. That this eye is more important than this insect, this ant. That this eye is more important than this person. There is no one single reason. Now, there’s no one single valid reason to prove why this eye is more important than this ant.
Same. This ant this ant crawled on the ground has has a mind. When you harm it, it gets frightened. You see? It it it want happiness.
The ant is also looking for happiness. This tiny ant also so this tiny ant is looking for happiness. That’s why keeping so busy. You know, this tiny ant is running around and keeping so busy looking for happiness. You see, so busy looking for food, looking for happiness.
You know? The I, the self, the I of the ant — the ant has a self. The end has and the end has consciousness, body and mind. Its body and mind, the self, the I is the same — has mind. So the self eye is looking for happiness.
Same. As we are looking for happiness, that ant is also looking for happiness. As you desire as you desire happiness, do not want suffering, exactly same, this ant. Also, desire happiness, do not want desire happiness, do not want suffering. Exactly the same.
Or person, you see, exactly the same. So, not one single, there’s no one single there’s not one single, not even a tiny reason, valid reason to prove that this I is more important. You see, I am more important than you see, that ant or that ant or that other person. You see, even a human being, you see. There’s no one there’s no one single reason at all that my happiness, my need is more important.
My need is more important than need of this person. See, then the happiness of this person or happiness of this ant. So there’s no one single, you see, logical reason. You can’t find that you can’t find the one. You see, a valid reason to prove that I’m more important than my I said that I need happiness more important than this ant or this person.
So therefore, so therefore, you see, while there’s no no valid reason at all, then you see, thinking that I’m more important than others. You see, my needs more important than others. My happiness is more that I need happiness more important than others need happiness. So here so here so here, it will become complete completely, you see, the dictatorship. The self-cherishing thought become dictatorship.
That’s why you call dictatorship. You see, there’s no special reason. You see, it’s just it’s a power trip. Okay. So, self-cherishing dictatorship.
Like like similar like similar the similar the leaders in the country, you know, who are leaders in the country, who dominate, say, who torture, the people didn’t do what he or she wanted to do. Torture let’s see. I see. If he or she didn’t achieve half of the thing, torture the people. So, doing all sorts of things, doing all sorts of things, which is not valid reason.
Doing all sorts of things, torturing people, all sorts of things, you see, to the people which is which is no valid reason. So that dictatorship, you see dictatorship. So exactly same. Exactly same like that. Many of those people call dictatorship, and you see people do not like.
Because that person is not giving freedom, because that person is that leader is not giving freedom to the people. You see, their happiness, their needs. So, people become unhappy. You see, become unhappy, angry, angry to the leader because they don’t get freedom. They don’t get happiness what they need.
So, like the exact same here, self-cherishing thought. You see, it’s just dictatorship. No reason. This this is more important than others. They need need to achieve happiness for this more important than need to achieve happiness for others.
So sorry about that. So that so that’s how it is the function of the heart, say. What is self-cherishing for that? That. So not so usually so usually, you see, when there’s election when there’s election in the country.
Mob will which person for whom there are more people, you see, elected. So, the less people, say, less smaller group of people, even by two, three, even less, you know, by numbers here, say, one, two, three less, or even one less. You see, even one less, one vote less. The other group which is there. So this this group which has one word less.
The one word to say. Anyway, the person, the person Oh, see. So those candidates, when there when there’s an election. The other person who has one more vote, the other one is one less. So the person who has one one extra vote.
So that person will be chosen as a president because more number of people, even even one even one more number, one more person, say, or two people, or even one more one more person extra, the vote to decide. One vote extra. Because of that, there’s more people who want this person to become president. The right decision is the right. The group where the group, see, the person who received, see, even one more vote.
So that person will be chosen to be president. And then the other one who has less, two, three, or even one less, so won’t be chosen as a president. So that because the other person is chosen by more number of people. Even there’s one more extra, you see, vote. So the other group which has one less, you see, the other person who has one less vote won’t get they won’t be chosen as a president, you see.
So, generally, how that is done? So, I say, the candidate, whichever most people choose, that’s the president. So that means because there’s more number of people, so you see that so that is more important. Their needs, you know, their needs. You see, more number of people, so more important.
So now, so now now here, do we use a similar reasoning? So here, this cell You see, so yourself is one, yourself is one person. You see? Even you achieve liberation, you know, ultimate happiness in liberation. You do one self, it’s nothing.
Even you’re born in the hell rhythm or whatever, how much problem? How much problem? You see, one self experiences. It’s just one. You’re just one.
However, nothing so to be excited, having achieved the ultimate liberation or being in hell or how much problem one experienced, nothing. The others are numberless. The others are numberless. So others are numberless. See.
So by number, by number, they’re the most important. They and to obtain happiness within is the most important. So obtaining happiness for oneself here, self one person is nothing. So obtaining happiness for others, for numberless, you see, is that is unbelievable precious or, you know, how important it is, you see. So they’re now here.
How precious comparing others who are numberless. How how important this eye is is nothing. So, it’s nothing. You see, total is lost. It’s nothing.
Not on that. Not on that. As it is mentioned in the Bodhicaryāvatāra by Śāntideva, as long as you don’t exchange self for others,