Audio recorded at Buddha House Adelaide. Transcript auto-generated and AI-corrected; may contain errors.
About this talk. In this 137-minute teaching on Lojong, or mind training, Lama Zopa Rinpoche addresses how to transform adversity into spiritual practice by applying appropriate antidotes instantly. He opens with the core challenge: most practitioners forget their antidotes the moment anger or disturbance arises, a sign that training has not been actualized. The real goal is to reach a state where, one second before anger dominates the mind, mindfulness of patience remains vivid and stable, preventing the emotion from overwhelming you. Rinpoche then walks through practical meditation on antidotes when calm: developing strong conviction in the disadvantages of anger and advantages of patience through repeated contemplation, then meditating on detachment as an antidote to attachment by examining the impermanent and suffering nature of all samsaric desire. He stresses that regular meditation on these antidotes during peaceful moments creates mental habituation deep enough to function when real adversity strikes. He concludes with extended teaching on emptiness, pain, and the fundamental delusion underlying all samsaric experience: the instinctive grasping at inherent self-existence that affects even our supposedly enlightened meditations. Pitched at serious practitioners already familiar with Buddhist philosophy and capable of analytical meditation.
File metadata (for organising)
File: 05 Lojong.mp3
UUID: 3e7d90bc-6ddd-4e56-bcd8-3aecc512648f
Teacher: Lama Zopa Rinpoche 3
Collection: Mind Training (Lama Zopa Rinpoche 3)
Date: 1990 (exact day not recorded)
Recorded at: Buddha House Adelaide
Duration: 137.4 minutes
Words: ~12,725
At the same time, such as unanticipated, unexpected criticism, denigrations, you will stand the if this kind of circumstance arises then instantly one can ever reflect to the antidotes, comparable antidotes. Like you call comparable or comparable, which is suitable antidotes to each of these adversities, each of these disturbances, then that is the sign that one has trained, one has actualized certain degree that you have engaged in the mind training teaching. So like, let’s say that in our day to day life we so called that we practice Dharma. We practice patience. We learn from years and years, learn about patience.
Years, years learn about patience. We finished learning many different scriptures, varieties of scriptures, the teachings on patience. We understand what really means patient is, what patient really means, you know. And when the disturbance, when the object with anger is not that strong, we also kind of like can able to not simultaneously but can still able to like remind ourselves the practice of patience in some time. But most of time, when the object of anger arises, you are totally overwhelmed, you will totally forget.
And that the period of the antidote was supposed to apply could be just one second before the anger arises or could be two seconds or could be say one minute before the anger arises but five minutes before you already forgotten about the teachings on the patient You know because the circumstances to overwhelm with anger has already affected your nervous, physical level nervous, mental, you know, secondary mental factors are already affected and anger is already almost dominating the main mental factor which is the main mind. So, you know, so not about one to only five minutes or sometimes even one hour one hour before getting the real angry, the antidote is, like, far away. You you even you don’t don’t have a remembering it, you know, applying it, totally forgotten. That is the failure. That is the failure of mind training.
One is unable to, So that is the failure. That is a very clear sign that one has not trained the mind training teaching. One has not gained kind of realization in mind training teaching. So the person, the sign of the person is actualizing the mind training teaching in mental continuum spontaneously, which is the realization of mind training teaching. It’s somebody who is in a worldly life, who is in a samsaric life, you know, in somebody who always engage in the circumstances of the many anger, like the forces of anger, but who always vigilant, who always live in a vigilant the teachings on patient, is teaching on patient, is always alert, always vigilant in your thought.
The disadvantage of getting anger and advantage of being patient is true. If these two teachings in your heart means you are in the practice of patience. Always mindful vigilant, always alert, always lively alert in your heart. The disadvantage of anger, advantage of patience. If this mind training teaching is vigilant in your heart, at a time, at one second before the anger totally dominates the main mental factor, then one can regard that one has trained, one has gained the realization of mind training teaching.
So this is one example. So you have to be like say one second. So we just give one second. So let’s say anger is already like almost how to say, this anger is already there, already suffering, already so there, you know. But, and all the circumstances of anger is already attacking from every single aspect, physically, mentally irritating, you know.
But your mind is in total vigilant, total alert for getting angry is no good. Getting angry is harmful for you, harmful for others. Getting angry will destroy peace of your mind, peace of others mind. Being patient, such a wonderful you know, by being patient, I think it’s easier to solve the problem. By getting angry, it’s difficult to solve problem.
So when your mind is still in this situation, one second before the anger arises, it is ninety nine percent definite that you the anger will ninety nine percent is definite. Anger will unable to dominate the main mental factor. That means one will not overwhelm with anger. One will not get angry. Whatever to do that, that means one has gained the mind training teaching when adversity such as anger comes.
So how to actualize that? Because for us even before gather all entire factor for the anger we already start to irritate, know. We already like physically we start to bang the table and the the the word already like sound sour and the face already start to squeeze, you know. So So the only thing is like, you haven’t screamed yet. That’s it.
You know, already is happening, you see. So it’s very difficult, very difficult to actually to actualize this stage of practice. But but it is possible. So how to go about It’s through meditation, through practice, through meditation. So through meditation means through habituation in the teachings of the patient can able to achieve this stage.
So when to do the meditation? If asked a question, I should do this meditation one second before the anger arises? No. Too late. Or maybe about five minutes before, maybe also maybe quite late.
Maybe one day before, most likely also late. Know? Because the habituation in anger is fully obtained realization, you know. So it’s like full force any kind of like opposition factor comes it can able to handle to make sure the anger to win. We need to work hard until that our habituation of patient is a greater degree than the anger.
Then only we can able to do that. So when to do that? Supposed to do from a long time. Supposed to start from a long, long time. So anyway, let’s say, is past, cannot go back.
So now when do we start? Start from now. From now. It starts from this very session. And where is the best circumstance to start?
It’s when you are calm, when you are peaceful, when you are quite fresh, when you are not disturbed, when you are not encounter, when you are not in the situation of the factors for the anger. When you are in good condition mentally, physically comfortable, that is the time to be prepared. That is the time to do the preparation. To be able to actualize if anger is supposed to arise one second later that you can be able to have the mindfulness of the entire teaching of patience. The training should be started now when we all are very calm, when we all are relaxing.
And how to go about it? It is to familiarize and remind oneself, leave as strong imprint as possible in our deep mental continuum by expressing the disadvantage of anger and expressing the advantage of patience. Just these two. Just these two. Remind again and again.
Just tell oneself, you know, up to today, you know, whenever I get angry, at the end, it’s all about regret because it destroys so much, you know. So it’s never is the best solution. The only thing for me, you know, poor samsaric me, samsaric person me, you know, somehow that I cannot control only. But the fact is always wrong to get angry. But when I’m patient, you know, it is hard but always better result.
Know? So at least think again and again. Think again. Think ten times, twenty times. You know?
Maybe at least one year you always whenever you are calm you always think about being patient have so much good reasons, know, good qualities. Being impatient there’s so much a problem, so much a disadvantage. It could be maybe same same word, same kind of a meaning but you that remind again like chant mantra you know, like om mani padme hum like that you know being patient is you know wonderful, being impatient is terrible, being patient is wonderful, being impatient is terrible or harmful, harmful, harmful, harmful, being impatient is harmful. So when you go into meditation it helps to lead the stronger imprint in our subconscious mind. So that’s how it helps.
Just a worldly chanting, it leaves imprint but not very strong. So rather go whenever you are calm, you go into meditation. You you try to habituate through the subconscious mind. You know? In order to do that, we have to we have to leave everything aside.
You know, we have to give some holiday to all the samsaric world. Know, your job, one hour, put aside. Don’t think about it. Your mobile, switch off, put aside. Your computer shut down, put aside.
TV close down, shut aside. You know? Then, like in in our case, going to prayer room is one of the best place, you know, such as a practitioner, they go to do meditation in the cave because that’s one of the most conducive. Now why need to go to a cave? Why need to run to retreat?
Because that is the conducive place, kind of place where you can be calm and relaxed and not much factor of disturbance. So in that time they give full time to leave a strong imprint, strong karma. The imprint is that karma of the practice. So when they come into a Samsāra, when they come into a city, you know, they can able to handle, they can able to apply the teaching, you know even though there’s every single corner disturbed but they are able to handle easier. So that’s why retreat is very beneficial.
Especially going into a very strict retreat is very beneficial and especially finding a very conducive place, very beneficial. At least at home every day to day, find certain time to go into your prayer room. If it is possible, you create a prayer room, go into prayer room and, you know, even other family members, they do their thing, you at least like calm down yourself and, you know do some meditation which can overcome one of the most frequent disturbance such as anger. Such as anger, such as attachment, pride, jealousy. You know, those are the things that we always disturb in our day to day life and those are the things one of the most powerful factor to create heavy negative karma.
And we do purify through so many practices but yet we never fight with these forces. In other hand, we accumulate so much merit, but in another hand, we keep destroying the merit by ourselves. The meditation should be focused on meditation on the antidote of those delusions. So in order to know those antidotes we need to I mean if you don’t know it, I have study what are those antidotes like for patient For anger it’s patient, so what means patient? For attachment, detachment.
What is detachment? So then as an example for detachment, Like attachment to, let’s say, beautiful form. You know, beautiful form. Attach desire to the beautiful form. Then instantly, you know, when the moment you see the attachment, the object attachment, the beautiful form, if it is a person, immediately through your meditation, when you are doing meditation at home, there’s nobody there but the imprint comes in your mind, the beautiful form.
First you peel first you peel the skin out. First you peel it. Our teaching say immediately meditate on skeleton. What do call? Skeleton but it’s direct to go there and sometimes it’s not so relevant.
First you just peel the skin then look at the person. Now you still desire, you will still feel wow beautiful. How about just peel the forehead and leave rest of the skin. Put some makeup and nicely put that. Just peel the forehead, but just the skin.
You know? Put some numbness medicine so that she or he won’t no pain pain. So you slowly peel and look at look. So you watch. Oh scary.
It’s like disgusting. Know. I think from here also you can able to learn what means by true love. The Buddhadharma teach about true love. Buddhadharma teach about true love.
Loving kindness love is true love which has nothing to do about external beauty. It’s all about the innate quality of the person or the being. See, when you have that quality, mean it should have, everybody should have and that true love is unconditional pervasive to every single living being. It’s how wonderful that kind of love is. We all need, you see.
But the desire, the deluded desirable object of love or the love expression from the subject is total object of disturbance. That the attitude is totally disturbing. Know, when you cannot achieve what you’re supposed to achieve is pain. You know, when you gain pain, when you lost pain, it’s entire total pain. You know?
Because of the expectation of, like, like, the desires, the the taste of the desire, the expectation and the taste of desire could be faced. Peel, then watch. Look. You know? But if you have a picture, you have a sign paint, forehead draw with a red color, then let’s keep as it is, then look.
How about it? But in fact, it’s something like that. When you think carefully, grow old. Attracted to the smoothness, but the nature in the person is the wrinkle. It’s already there.
It will come, maybe tomorrow or later. Then are you going to change your mind from that time? And and some sort of being changes their mind. That’s why a lot of problem, relationship problem because of the problem started with a delusion. You see?
Like that. You see? Then you put the flesh out, not just put this skeleton, then then look at it. Instead of like the desire, you will be like, run away. You know, you will be immediately you’ll be you’ll be, you know, give up.
You know, don’t even want to think about it. Don’t even want to think about it. Don’t even want to ever keep a an imprint of it, imprint of that. The antidote for attachment is to meditate on the detachment. What is detachment?
Detachment to the object and how to go about it. To look into object undesirable into that person or that object. Because the desire comes only within samsaric world, not beyond samsaric world. As long as it s samsaric world, which only provides the suffering, it only provides the suffering because it s in the nature of the pervasive suffering, Only provides the suffering. Like say beautiful vase, if you hold too hard, if you grasp too much, if somebody breaks, it breaks your heart.
If you hold too hard, if somebody breaks, it really smash your heart, It really tears your heart. So painful. But beautiful vase, oh, it’s beautiful, know, wonderful. You should accept the beauty of it because it is beautiful. Conventionally it is really beautiful, but the only thing is learn to not to be grasped.
Same thing in possessions, same thing respect, same thing in relationship, everything. You know? Not to be to grasp. Once you grasp, if something happens, that brings so much negative karma. It brings about anxiety, it brings about anger, you know, and the desire even get worse, you know, then oneself throw into a deeper level of Samsāra and also one one bring condition to drag the person and other surrounding being also in the deeper saṃsāra.
So you see. So so now here. So when you are calm then you meditate on all those all those antidotes. Now and then, now and then. Then, whenever anger comes, whenever attachment arises, it will never affect.
It will never affect. You know? It will never affect. Even if somebody brings the object attachment, the goal, the entire standard for you. Have rejoice.
If you don’t have, never mind. If somebody just from partly, you know, take away, you won’t feel pain. You won’t feel pain. So the thing is that whenever the kind of desire, the kind of anger, adversity, even the pain, even a physical level of pain, you know mental level agitation it comes to you let’s give one second before all those teachings are still lively vigilant. That is ninety nine percent possible that you can able to overcome the adversity, the sufferings.
You know adversity or the sufferings. If we are not up to that, it’s impossible. Even you chant mantra, even you invite Buddha, it’s quite impossible to overcome the sufferings, overcome the pain, overcome the sufferings. Teaching definitely helps, you know the teaching, the antidote has the power to eliminate adversities definitely. The adversities, all the pains definitely can cease by the Buddha’s teaching which are the recommended antidotes what Buddha have taught.
But if we don’t do meditation it would be unable to help. It sounds very wonderful. When we are alright it sounds very wonderful. Oh, if I have a problem, I can apply this. Even you can remember the pages of the book, you can remember everything.
But when really thing happens, you’re lost. Totally lost. You know, like total loss. That is the lack of meditation. That’s lack of meditation.
So even Buddha taught one of the very powerful antidotes to cease the pain, immediate pain, is to meditate on the nature of the pain. So now here, if we accept the literal word, like say meditate on the nature of the pain, if I ask you what is the nature of pain? Let’s say what is the nature of pain? What is the nature of painful? I mean what is the nature of pain?
Okay, we discuss. What is the nature of pain? What is the nature of pain? Pain? Pain?
Ah and what is the nature of pain? I pinch. What is the nature of What is the nature of that? What is the nature of pain? Discomfort.
What is the nature of pain? Unpleasant. What is the nature of pain? Suffering. What is the nature of pain?
Unhappiness, what is the nature of pain? Agitation, what is the nature of pain? You know, many words, many there’s many words and try to gather and then what is the nature of pain? Anger, What is the nature of pain? Everybody wrong?
All answers wrong? All answers wrong. Nature of the pain is the lack of inherent existence. The nature of pain is the lack of inherent existence. The emptiness is the nature of the pain.
So now here, if you meditate on the lack of inherent existence of the pain, it is definite that you can see the pain right now. The lack of inherent, the empty nature of the existing pain from its own side is the nature of the pain. If you meditate on that, what I’m trying all of you, what you say, in a common word, you are right. Your answer is correct. But the Buddha’s own teaching say, if you have a pain or suffering, meditate, you know, meditate on the nature of that pain, that suffering.
That nature is referring to the emptiness nature of the pain. You The lack of inherent existence, lack of self independent existence from its pain, its own sight without any factor, own side. Lack of, you know, is called the nature of pain or or called emptiness of the pain. You see, in order to experience that pain, you need mind mind mental factor. You you need mind.
If you don’t have the mind, the mind won’t precede the pain. You see, you need that factor also. You need that, what you call it, the condition also, cause also, you see. Then even you have mind, even you have a limb, but this limb paralyzed, my hand, this is paralyzed, Chop everything, no pain. Chopping a human living life’s hand is supposed to be painful.
But, but there’s many factors are there, there’s one factor is not there. The one factor is not there, it’s a feeling within these knowers. It’s not there. Therefore, cut into pieces, I won’t feel pain. The mind, the person won’t suffer.
Even chop pieces you know I mean just look there and watch TV somebody chopping here. You know the person only feels the TV. There’s nothing about here. Don’t even know what is happening here. The numbness.
You see? So one factor gone, even if the light physical body cannot precede the pain. So you need all the cause and condition. If the pain exists from its own side, doesn’t matter whether you have numbness or not, whether you are lying or not, the pain should be there for forever from beginningless up to now will be endless pain. There’s no possibility to cure even applying medicine or whatever.
See? So that causes lack of inherent existence. That is the nature of emptiness of the pain. So I give you one example. Last year last year yeah.
Last year November. No. December. December. Last year December when I was in Kopan.
There’s one black man, what do you call it? Black black man. Yeah, one African, yeah. Very interesting hair. Very interesting.
And I see on his hand, you know, like a scar, you know, like so much pattern. So much pattern. Calf. And not a tattoo. It’s not even a tattoo.
Really use a knife to pat him. So I was so interested to know. So I’ve been seeing him, I went down, I went down. So one day I catch him, I said, Come, point out, can we have a chat? So he was very excited you know.
I said okay. So I said can I ask you a question, hope you won’t offend, you know? He said sure, you can ask questions. I said what is this? I said, oh, this is some kind of maybe like Jewish kind of like symbol or something something like that, but very interesting.
Then I said I said, it must be very painful. I said, this is you did it yourself? I said, yes. I said, it must be very painful. Then he started to tell a story.
One stage one stage in his life, he said that his life is flat, no excitement. Entire samsaric excitement he tried. One stage in his life all excitement finished. So he was wondering, he wanted to do something which excite him. So he was, oh, then he found I better cut my, you know, use knife, cut and make the simple pattern on my hand, yeah, cut.
He said it took about a month. It took about a month because he don’t want the excitement to finish within one day. He want to experience this for one month. He want to experience this for one month. So he carved today carved today.
He said, one of the most blissful in his life. One of the most blissful, you know. He he was like, moment he come, said what a bliss. Moment the bliss stand. Then the second day he got that day.
It took one month from here to here. Speak. He said, he enjoyed so much, so much blissful. He said, today, he said he regret like hell. He said, now, now he start to feel the pain.
Now he start to remember that day, the day, the month, the time, and the pain. He start to feel the pain now which is about, I don’t know, ten over years ago, know. He said today he feel the pain. Now he feel the pain. He been feeling the pain for some time, you know.
Sometime for, you know, lately only. Such a regret, such a painful, but that time, it’s so blissful. Now you feel pain. Okay. This one must remember.
I feel one of the best teaching that I’ve learned from this incident, my training teaching. And this is, I regarded from that period here, one of the best examples on Lama Tsongkhapa’s labeled merely labeled, mainly label, mainly mental projected. You know, whatever experiences, it’s just mainly mental projection, you know, based on the correlation of cause and conditions. So it really like make me to like go deeper and like make me feel about what really means about emptiness just because of this this story, this this person, just because on the carving on the hand, you know. So you see, now here if you if you label the pain as painful, as painful expressed from the word, oh, pain in the heart, oh, your pain, pain, pain.
Physically, oh, your pain, It made you more pain. You know? Yes, physically there’s a pain, but mentally it’s okay. Worth it, it’s okay right, it’s just a normal line. Yesterday also go back, why I need to it and it’s okay, it’s okay.
Mentally, mentally, mentally put a very interesting movie on TV. Put a most interesting movie which really can draw entire your attention there. Watch. Spend time. Watch the movie.
Suppress the pain. Oh, no. No. Can go all the way. Totally.
You know? But you need to have a full, you see, your focus because you are too much concerned. Your grasping is so strong there to make the small pain to be more painful. It could be maybe little pain. Or who knows, it could be like that man, blissful thing.
But you projected that it’s a pain. You projected that it’s a pain. That’s why you feel the pain and you over exaggerated, very painful. You know pain but you exaggerate. Oh very painful.
Then suddenly effect to the mind. Yeah, I really feel like very painful. Very painful, you see. So you know, we must experience it. We must we must analyze in our day to day life.
These are very very helpful. Small pain, but then we try to you know? Okay. And then another example, when I was in Sera, there’s a there’s a certain period of time I had to catch up, you know, certain homework and studies because I was going here and there. Daytime, whole day, classes.
So nighttime, I spent almost like till morning, three three four some four something. About four thirty, you they already bang bang and gong to go to Puja. So when you go to Puja, when they start to chant, you start to feel asleep. The moment you feel asleep, the disciplinarian will hit. You know?
Oh, very painful or feel. So so you have to leave, you know, alert. But at the same time, here pain because not enough sleep, tension, you know, painful here. At the same time, gastric pain. So what I do, I put my hand here.
I cover my like this. So like that. Squeeze until Puja finish. Squeeze until, you know, squeeze until my my both finger and thumb is like is so tired and so painful when Puja finish. Squeeze.
Somehow the tension is not there, pain is not there, yeah. Because this pain makes you very painful, it’s much more painful than squeezing your your toe, you know, and the gastric painful is also much more heavier than squeezing this toe, but it’s by squeezing the toe, somehow also feel quite good also. Sometimes. Squeeze, push up, finish. I didn’t get hit.
At the same time I’m, know, at the same time I can I can at least give ten percent of my concentration to prayer? Ninety and almost ninety percent already squeezing here. At least I complete my puja. It helps. It helps.
You know, it helps. How nice that I have something in how nice in the puja that I can bring my earphone music. Total, you know, the most exciting music put here, total destruction. Maybe no pain here, no gastric pain here. I can stay for six hours in the puja maybe.
That’s it. So we have to find a way when we we realize the pains which are occurring into our life, many of the pains are almost like cannot escape. It’s in our body. The sickness or pains is in our body. We have to go through it.
Death have to go through it which is even so painful but there’s no way to escape. We have to go through it. But we can overcome experiencing the painfulness. The feeling of painfulness we can overcome through applying this kind of meditation. Applying Dharma really can cease up to the zero degree entire pain.
It’s possible. It’s definitely possible. So you need to find, you yourself, even though teaching give you so many variety of antidotes, but you need to cultivate and analyze and think what is the most suitable for me to me to handle my anger. Using the teaching as a base then you need to find your you need to create your own kind of strategy. Whenever anger comes you can be ready there.
So you’re habituated this, habituated. You know now you’re healthy, know your mind is good, you have some peace. So put full effort to habituate, habituate, habituate. So when things go wrong you can able to overcome. Same thing physical level of pain also can overcome in this manner.
So it makes sense, it makes sense, it makes very much sense to me And please, you know, try. We must try. We must, like, and and we must put into a practical label, you know. So otherwise, we, you know, we want to eliminate, like unwholesome samsaric suffering. We say, we try, but we cannot handle this small small emotional problems, then we are failure.
You know, we we try to get big thing but end up, you know, not there, neither here, not there. So we have to we have to fight with all from the small, defilement or delusion or adversity or disturbance from the small to the big, You know? From the small to the big. From the small to the big. So then in our life, you know, day to day life will be happy.
You know? Really, one day that due to definite come out of the past, let’s say have to experience like very painful like cancer or whatever, you’re still happy. You’re still you still can cope with with with peace of mind. You still can go through the you know, with the peace of mind. And even death comes, you still can pass the journey with such a peaceful such a peaceful experience.
And we need this, you know. We really need this. Otherwise, like like like like like like like marvelous teachings are there but when problem comes into our life and we lost, then it’s like, you know, it’s a how to say if we cannot handle small problems, how are going to handle big problems? You know, the samsaric suffering, the pervasive samsaric suffering is a big problem, huge problem. And we always say, ah, I want to purify saṃsāra, want to purify saṃsāra, I want to fight saṃsāra, you know.
But when small anger comes, if you cannot fight, if you don’t put effort to fight, it’s almost the bigger picture is impossible. So you see, and pain, when small pain, you know, if we cannot overcome applying teaching, then when really big painful things experience in our life, pain of death, pain of like you know like kind of unbearable like pain then it’s too late to find a solution it’s very difficult and even we do so many puja also can help It just comfort you a little bit you know so many puja, so many you know all sort of thing won’t help much. So that’s why how important Dharma is and how important that we must practice from now on. So I think like that. So this the story is very, in my mind, it was based on this person’s story.
I always reflect to Lama Tsongkhapa’s teaching on emptiness. It’s every single existing is merely labeled. It’s nothing, not even a single substance is from its own side. But in Lama Tsongkhapa established there’s no no independent base. There’s no even one single independent base exist for its own site for us to designate the name or the labels.
You know, like, that’s why total empty. The person, total emptiness from its own side. You can even find out one single factor, one single atom, one single cell that exists from its own site for us to label this is Tenzin Zopa. No such thing. It’s just just merely labeled.
That’s why the word used merely labeled. The merely has a huge meaning Because Svatāntrika Madhyamaka, the highest view. The Svatāntrika Madhyamaka view on emptiness, yes, lack of inherence existing, but it must have one base from its own side. One base from the object then based on that base labeled as a person, labeled as a dog, as a densoba, then only the existing is possible. But if you establish one single base from from this object side, that means inherent existence established.
Once inherent existence established, you cannot differentiate permanent and impermanent. You will be taught a lot of differentiation between permanent and impermanent, virtue and negative karma and low coming low effect saṃsāra and nirvana nothing is like nothing there’s there’s so many fact theory will be lost. So many fact fact so many fact existing will be ceased just by accepting one single designated phenomena exist from in dependence upon its own side. Anyway, this one is will come more in the tenets in tenets and also the wisdom chapter in Lamrim, wisdom chapter in in Buddhist. So in future, we will do all these extensive classes.
But just to have a overall, you know, I mean, all of you have went through Lamrim. I’m sure you are very familiar with this. So so anyway, for me, from this, I feel this is very important because emptiness subject is like so difficult to catch. You need to find something to trigger you. Now it makes sense, you know, like that.
Oh, I see. Now only it really makes sense that you need to have such kind of trigger in your life about emptiness. You see? So so like that. Thank you.
Un unexpected adversities. Death is expected, but based on our own attitude of ordinary life, death also becomes unexpected. You know, the the death comes to our life, the experience is really unexpected. You know, even though it’s expected, even though it’s like it’s definite, but when the time occurs, the dead end to us, it’s shocking. Because we have an innate grasping of permanence in our life.
Again, of the very strong statement that Samsāra ordinary human being, one of the biggest problem to circle in Samsāra is innate kind of spontaneous grasping or permanent in life. Like even like torture with unbearable sickness now, we will still think I will live for ten years. I will live I will live beyond tomorrow. I will live at least beyond this moment. Even we practice Dharma.
We are talking about emptiness. We know impermanence. I have already planned to go back to my room and relax, enjoy. It’s also instinct permanent grasping. We have plan for tomorrow.
Think carefully. One of the biggest problem, the samsaric problem in us which pull back always to circle in saṃsāra, the innate instinct grasping of permanent in life. So that’s why many of the, you know, like true practitioners, you know, there’s no definite place to live. There’s no definite thing to do. It’s like it’s kind of like a no plan for tomorrow.
Their plan is present. Must do perfect virtue. Must take the full advantage of present moment in virtue. It’s the it’s the it’s the is the concept of the practitioner’s life and how they live a life. It is also antidote to fight the permanent grasping in a life.
The moment you start to plan, then you start to grasp on it. When you grasp, it’s more likely most of the experiences suffering experiences. Kyabje Lama Zopa Rinpoche, our most respected guru, you can see his time. You can say, for me, sometimes, you know, when a budget schedule goes on and on, there’s a danger of arising kind of like anger, know, why you just stop now and and just freshly start tomorrow morning? When we want to teach Dharma, people should be very fresh alert so that Dharma will go inside.
Otherwise, people are really exhausted, know, then let me say, you know, carry on and on. You know, know, start to feel negative. That’s it. You know, if you’re negative, it’s open. Then, you know, better start teaching in time, you know.
Just like like like almost a the the program is a certain aspect of program supposed to finish by one one o’clock, and you’re still already three o’clock, and you haven’t started. And you are somebody that very stubborn will make sure that must finish before you start the the seven o’clock program. And I’m like, oh, know, how you know, it’s so unrelevant. You know? It’s I mean, used to feel like that.
So when you think carefully, think of, like, selfless, think of the nature impermanent, think of karma, cause and condition. When when put all the teaching together, then you start to feel, yes, that one of the best way to live a factional life is like Lama Zopa. You know? Whatever the best come, present moment, just full force. If the present moment, the continuum of the present moment is so beneficial, so beneficial.
Do that. Continue that. Because who knows, there’s maybe no karma to to able to adopt that seven seven o’clock program. You know? Or maybe he’s in or maybe through his omniscient already think that, oh, sure will happen, but only happen in midnight.
So then it’s a different case. But I interpret it differently. Present moment is so precious, so meaningful and why need to rush? Why need to you know make so much kind of difficulty to rush to catch the seven o’clock appointment? Rather maybe this could be the most beneficial maybe we might not have a karma to even run up to six o’clock so you know he focus you know so he complete then he start the next one So until you know even his journey performing even flight cancel also never mind.
Carry on. You know carry on. I think last time I mentioned you some stories of him, Lama’s story like that. Carry on until flight delay just because of his purpose for five, ten minutes also. Until cancer, everything, return by the back.
Continue. Continue. Ten, twenty hours. You know? Then he still laugh, smile, you know, and like that.
There’s there’s no kind of really live in a life of lack of the permanent grasping on time. Just just actualize the best achievement at the present moment and continue like that. And if the life is for for long, well, every single moment is meaningful. If the life is only up to this moment, well, it’s worthwhile. You know?
As as as as as Śāntideva said, it can be changed, it can be, you know, modified, then what’s the point of worry for tomorrow? If cannot be changed, if cannot be modified, then also what is the point of worry for tomorrow? So if we understand karma, okay, if you have karma even you think impossible might happen tomorrow. If no karma at all without creating the condition and cause, even hope so much until like, you know, like full force hope for tomorrow also won’t be tomorrow. You know, but this is teaching, say.
But when we when we let’s say about especially the the developed country like like like KL, if you start to advise the common lay people, don’t worry about tomorrow. Just live life for today. You have to think twice to advise that, you know? Because if you don’t plan for tomorrow, even for job then in case I survive till tomorrow then how? Then spend everything today then tomorrow in case continue how?
So it’s also is a very very complexity, know. But again Buddha said, again Buddha you know, for ordinary life might find not so relevant, but if we have a hundred percent conviction and faith in Buddha’s teaching, yes, even just live for today’s best life, never think for tomorrow, your tomorrow will be still the best, continue. You know, even about foods and wealth, even about foods in the western world. human beings must live with food. The Buddha said, as long as you, practice a sincere pure Buddhadharma, one will never encounter starvation.
So, you know, I think Maudgalyayāna was asked by Śākyamūni Buddha, one of the attendants, He’s like very diplomatic, you know. Yeah, but it sounds whatever my guru Buddha teaches, it sounds correct, but sometimes we have to be very relevant, you know. So he has certain doubts. The Buddha says, it’s okay. You know, you don’t rise.
You know, like calm down. And his mind is rolling like us. Yeah. Teaching says so, but how about if this goes wrong? Not full conviction, not full faith in the teaching.
So Buddha asked him do. Okay, go and find the dead body bone of a practitioner and also go and find the the bone bone dead body bone was a bone of the businessmen who die die with starvation. You go to find. So Maudgalyayāna went to find every single corner, you know. So he couldn’t find even that one small near size of a bone of of who on the size of bone of practitioner who died with his starvation.
But he find mountain of stack of skeleton, a bone stack of skeleton, who died with the starvation of businessman who died with the starvation. Big businessman, you know, with the starvation. So then he returned to convince Buddha, come back and one hundred percent faith and devotion then, you know, and full time dedicate because he started to like like a monk, some of the monks, you like you renounce home and and and you know live a life with alms. Don’t worry about this and that. It’s supposed to be like that, know.
So he’s saying, he’s a monk. He’s supposed to renounce home and don’t worry about you know this and that you know financially like a place. So Buddha found out that he actually all the time think about home, concerned about you know, all his relatives, his brother, his sister, know, like always financially concerned, like worried that if I don’t take care of my family was it if either family don’t take care of him or he don’t evolve to sustain the financial to take care of him He might die with his starvation. One who knows one day nobody give arms and I will die. Who knows Buddha you pass away first and I live there and nobody will give you nobody give me alms because now I get alms because of you, my guru, together.
But when I’m alone go lost you know but he had all sort of like like worries so Buddha through his omniscience he find out that so that’s the reason if you practice truly if you’re fully dedicated to the practice of renunciation or bodhicitta or emptiness teachings of the Buddha or I mean if you hold hard to practice like we call Namgyal then you’ll be all the time alright you’ll be financially or any aspect you’ll all the time alright so that’s the the teaching that we can understand from this story and also this story one can understand how importance of faith, how importance of conviction in Buddha’s ability. Faith and conviction in Buddha’s ability. You see here again in many of the teachings stated the foundation of all the goodness of enlightenment is faith. As is in the foundation of all the good qualities of the good devotion factor. But it’s also said in many teachings, the foundation of all the goodness after enlightenment is faith.
So if we don’t have faith, we have many, you know, a great amount of knowledge, then you cannot establish the hundred percent conviction. So important about the conviction. The hundred percent conviction and conviction is like belief in Buddha’s ability, Believe in his approach to us through his advice. Believe that following his advice that one hundred percent that will actualize the purpose. If we don’t have that, then it’s almost sound this teaching sound that enlightenment is not possible.
The happiness is not possible, know. So so like that. So anyway, here, from this paragraph, you should understand that apply appropriate, instantly apply appropriate antidotes. So we have to learn what are the appropriate antidotes for different adversities. It’s huge teaching.
It’s a huge analysis. It’s a very vast teaching. You’re gonna like, let’s say, appropriate antidote for anger, renunciation. Yes. Renunciation is antidote for everything, but not appropriate antidote for the anger.
And we we we go into debate. Is renunciation is appropriate? Is renunciation is antidote for the anger? Yes. Correct answer.
Is the renunciation is appropriate antidote for anger? No. Why? Because it’s not direct antidote. Why renunciation is antidote?
Because it it is the it is the Why it’s not direct antidote? Because it is not the opposite you know not What you call? That’s a word how to say not at the opposite opposite. Yeah, it’s not not a that’s a Galwa. Correspondent.
Correspondent. It’s a total opposite. Correspondent. You got correspondent? Opposite.
It’s like like cold and hot opposite yeah okay it has to be direct opposite what is the direct opposite of cold is hot what is the direct opposite of cold is hot but but is this opposite of cold? Yes. Is me opposite of cold? Also yes I’m not cold isn’t it? I’m something different from cold but the direct opposite have to be total like I say ignorant and emptiness wisdom realizing emptiness the direct antidote for ignorant is the wisdom realizing emptiness renunciation is an antidote for, ignorant?
Yes. Is renunciation a direct antidote to ignorant? No. Why? It’s not not the the in it open opposite of open on in it opposite is not a not a not a opposite in indefinite nature.
Okay, maybe something like that. So we have to go and we have to research in the teaching. What is the exact antidote direct antidote for different different adversities let’s say if you have a kidney pain yes it’s a pain but it’s a kidney pain it’s a kidney pain you know since Buddha’s teaching is eighty four thousand teaching for all sort of problems all sort of suffering I’m sure within eighty four thousand teaching there’s a specific direct antidote to apply to cease the kidney pain. Maybe that antidote not necessarily can be antidote, direct antidote for the heart pain. So you see so much analytical the study and meditation involved so then from here we see okay now now realize suddenly oh not enough study and not finish this study yeah We need to have a direct like what is the antidote for anger?
Yes, patient. What is the end of attachment? Yes, it is detachment. But you know, like when you go for IQ test, the imprint until then, until that much, you know, oh, this is this is this. So then any sort of adversity comes.
At least the remembrance of the antidote is immediate you know so that I can able to apply and able to overcome. So otherwise it’s difficult. So then a delusion twenty-six root delusions twenty secondary delusions then there’s a secondary and secondary of you know the secondary of secondary delusions. It’s almost like numberless Right present moment. Every single momentary of thought unless you are Ārya being, unless you already realize emptiness directly or unless you are really in even you haven’t realized emptiness directly but you are on full meditation single pointedly on emptiness then then it’s what you call it excuse otherwise every single momentary thought even we are discussing Dharma all are delusion.
All are delusion. So it’s very shocking isn’t it? To make this statement is a very big shock. Unless I’m not in meditation anyways, I’m definitely not realizing emptiness directly. I’m definitely not in emptiness meditation.
Know? I’m not I am being. Of course not Buddhism. I am bodhisattva, of course not Buddha. But I’m I’m I’m expressing Dharma from my speech.
You know? Yes, I had good motivation to to to go through this text. But I still make a statement that every single momentary of this present thoughts are all delusion thoughts. So again this is one of the big subject to debate to understand how that happens. How?
This is shocking. I thought I’m in, I thought I’m totally in, you know at least right now I’m beyond I’m out of delusion but I found out that I’m totally in delusion I’m totally in delusion so how? So why make so? Big question why make so? The moment you wake up, the moment we wake up until sleep, sleep until next morning you wake up, twenty four hours.
The moment the day that you conceive in mother’s womb until the day that die until the day die or until the day that you become until the day that you realize emptiness directly or unless that you are in full force of single pointed meditation emptiness otherwise even you are overwhelmed with the bodhicitta still in delusion. Your every single momentary thoughts are all overwhelmed with delusion. So why? Why so? And what that delusion?
What really makes that every single thought is delusion when we are not in emptiness meditation? When we are not realized emptiness directly? Or even when we are meditating in bodhicitta, even when we generate bodhicitta, why is it in delusion? Okay, this one is a question for us to discover, for us to discover, for go home, to discover. And if we can able to discover the answer for this, if we can able to discover the answer for this, it makes a big summary on understanding of dharma in our life.
Big huge summary. Then we start to really learn to fight delusion every single moment. Until then we are only fighting with some gross delusions. When anger comes we fight with anger. When attachment comes fight with attachment.
Otherwise it’s kind of like a numbness. Yet we are continuously live a life with delusion. It’s creating negative karma isn’t it? So you see so that’s why in the Lamrim it says the optimum of this precious human rebirth it can be like maybe only only this time. The reason why put this statement in Lamrim is because of realizing, the state of our life is almost like like a hundred percent if not at least ninety nine percent is committing action forced by delusion.
And if that’s so, it’s like really no chance. No chance at all to to actualize enlightenment to actualize you know almost like you know almost like no chance you know so serious this is like so serious you know this is this is so serious. When you when you see also delusion involved because it is the the the spontaneous spontaneous perception of the spontaneous perception on inherent existing. That is delusion isn’t it? Whatever we think, whatever we meditate also, whatever we meditate also, is the instinct, the thought on meditation, the mindfulness is the mindfulness or the instinct perception of the meditation on meditation object is the inherent in the manner of inherent in existence.
So even when we pray to Tārā, visualize Tārā, our instinct meditation on Tārā, instinct meditational perception on Tārā’s image or Tārā’s quality is a perception of inherent existing from its own side. So even meditation, meditating on lack of inherent existence is now here. It becomes more exciting. Meditation, meditating, Meditating Meditating Meditating on Meditating lack of inherent existing on vajra and Bell that perception, the instinct that perception also in the instinct of in the the in the perception of inherent existence. So unbelievable.
So even when we do meditation emptiness, the delusion, the grasping mind or the grasping towards the inherent existence is there. It’s almost like we are hopeless. It’s almost like. Put aside. Put aside.
Woah. Just just leave. Just leave practice. It sounds like like that now. It’s so discouraging like that.
No. It’s so so discouraging like that. So it’s a alright. So yep. It’s not discouraging.
It’s so inspiring. You know, so inspiring when you listen to the dharma. You must listen dharma. You must have dharma discussion always again and again now and then go back home also with Dharma discussion come to center of Dharma discussion see if you know the Dharma discussion look at the books also Dharma book all the time about Dharma It’s so inspiring that we know this problem and Buddha have taught the solution to overcome. And if we don’t find the solution now and solve this problem now, we will there’s no way that we can solve this problem next life if when we’re born into a lower realm.
There’s no chance at all. It’s almost like one hundred percent no chance at all like that, you see. Or almost, you know, we cannot say one hundred percent but almost ninety nine percent nine no chance at all like that. But here at least we have some wisdom. At least we can least we can reflect the teaching.
The only thing is we need to put slightly more effort. We need to put some effort, we need to study well and the moment that you realize, the moment that you know the antidote, again here, the moment you know the direct antidote because we already discover the problem. So the only thing is we need to make sure we discover the right antidote then you habituate the right antidote. You apply the right antidote. Buddhahood is possible within this time, not even have to delay for three countless years.
So direct antidote for the to to to rid of this delusion, to rid of the inherent existing the perception of inherent existence is to realize emptiness. Is to realize emptiness, is to realize lack of inherent existing. So again for that to realize that you need you need to help with so much accommodation of merit you know so again we went through so many stories like how Lama Tsongkhapa coming to practice of mandala you know to realize emptiness So we in fact obtained all the good conditions to accumulate merit and we know exactly what the antidote is but yet we didn’t put enough effort to realize the antidote and to overcome as soon as possible. It’s just the only matter is effort is not enough yet. The effort the level of effort only.
Lack of effort. Only level of effort. Other than that, we we obtain everything. We obtain okay. What is the problem?
The the instinct grasping of inherent existence which is you can call department, you can call deluded, creation of karma and what is the antidote the realization of lack of inherent existence another word realization of emptiness or dependent arising and what are the conditions or accumulation of merits you know sometimes it’s very tiring like let’s say like in the center so much activities so much activities again light offering Again light offering. Tomorrow also night offering. The other tomorrow is a night offering. You know? Again, wonderful offering.
How come just just fill up and live for one week? Again, one new statue come. Again, more works. You know? Need to need to need to complete the gold leaf on the throne.
You know? Need to you know? Like, you know? Why why why why need it’s already very carving, but why you need to put again gold leaf on the throne? Like, already so much works, activities there, then then again the guru give you more and more activity.
Guru already said do hundred thousand Vajrasattva. Then before finishing hundred thousand Vajrasattva practice, say do make sure also do hundred thousand Lama Chöpa Guru Yoga. Okay? Before finish that, both are halfway and say do hundred thousand Mandala offering. Then suddenly, happen to see Guru hundred thousand Mandala offering, hundred thousand prostration, hundred thousand water bottle offering, one hundred thousand tsa-tsa and try to finish as soon as possible okay.
It’s almost like why Guru is like giving all the time burden you know like that job more and more. Know? Vesagde, again candlelight. Buddha’s this, this, that, again candlelight. You know?
Again, flower. You know? If we if we don’t understand the real fact of that, real purpose of that, it’s like quite tiring. And whoever like volunteer, whoever work, it’s like very tiring job, very exhausting. You you already drained out your, you know you’re so tired from your work your family then again rush to the center and then you know then when you come instead of finishing job put more extra work you know already already like so many water ball, then I can create another new water ball section.
The candlelight is enough and maybe ten roll, but then again more candlelight section. Alright. You know? So there is all other opportunities, all other opportunities to accumulate merit. All this is, all this you call the opportunities and Dharma opportunities.
Dharma means accumulation of merit purification of karma. That’s called Dharma. Because it’s all related this action is it is either related to Buddha’s or either related to benefit of sentient beings. The object is only two things. Even you know the center Dharma works.
One is all about offering pleasing and doing work for the buddhas another side of action is all about like taking care of all center you know like you know helping needed you know people and like including like educating you know young kids with the Dharma all are related to sentient beings these two activities, whatever activities involved for this two purpose, it’s all an accommodation of merit. Even though one might not feel that one is accommodating merit, but it is recommended practices by the Buddhas to accumulate merit and naturally accumulate merits, know, so like that you see. So we have all the conducive conditions. So I say we know the negation, we know the antidote, we know the help to actualize the antidote to ever overcome the negation. So we have all the factors, you see.
We have all the factors. So that therefore so inspiring, not discouraging. It’s so inspiring. Therefore, it’s so inspiring to discover we are in big problem. This is so inspiring to discover without too late.
Yeah the antidote is like actually I do understand at least some you know like certain degree of understanding emptiness already got everybody you see why it’s good and already why it’s so inspiring you know so then I have so much opportunities and inspire even more I think so so so you can see that actually it’s very inspiring isn’t it? Very, very inspiring. So like that. Yeah. So so anyway I think I already answered my and I asked the question.
I accidentally already answered. So so I have the question now I realize I already answered the question. So then maybe why not? The hormone can be what really what really I mean, the answer from the previous question is can you read what you read? The the the Oh, the the the the the negation, the exact the answer for the It’s because That’s, you know, that one phrase so that everybody can Inherently existing.
Oh, perceived as an inherently existing. Everything. You know, even when we meditate on emptiness also, the perceived, our mind actually is is is in inherent existing. The perceived inherent existing. So what I say is shocking, we never knew that, we never realized that you know.
Maybe we heard but we never realized that our perception is like totally in that. We thought when we’re meditating on emptiness, we are doing we thought when we are doing meditation of bodhicitta is totally beyond delusion but in fact it’s still dominated. It’s still dominated, you see. So perception inherent existence is the biggest problem that we have. So now that our homework including me, homework is now what is really is the perception of inherent existence.
Know, and please do analyze that within your physical form, within your aggregate, and also within your aggregate. Form, aggregate, feeding, you know, mental aggregate, you know, composition aggregate. So please do analyze in every single aggregate like form aggregates also from toe to the crown to the toe. Analyze. Preceiving inherent existing means the independent existing from its own side of my head is the perception of inherent existence.
Naturally even I’m not you know my new natural thought is always I never realized my head is never in an existing and opposite of that thought actually always instinct of perceiving existing from its own side independently. So how that happen? So you check your crown, first you check with your hair, then you check with your eyes, nose, you know check you know then you know the person, you, whether Tenzin Zopa can really, as you perceive always the inherent existing form is on-site. Is it really there or not? If it’s really there where?
So you got to search. Is it on my head? If it’s on my head then Zopa should be on head. And this is my head subject object, my subject object, you know, my my head otherwise you put cup this put aside you just put this one people want the Tenzin Zopa people will say only Tenzoba’s head there he won’t say it’s me you know well I put my head here my body this side here limb put there people will be confused which one turns over you know which one or otherwise there’s a danger of coming Zopa three, three Zopas, turns over Again we call it we call in analytical meditation occurring false so you have to find the false so that’s about debate also In analytical debate, in analytical meditation, oh but the Tenzin Zopa should be on the head and my belief you know my assertion Tenzin Zopa is here. Oh, I see.
And then I I have to I have to check whether it’s really, definite assertion or not. So then how about I put this one here and put this one here and I ask myself, now where is Tenzoba? Oh this is Zopa’s head is not Zopa so I encounter false so you you see I encounter false so it’s not valid. Now I start to doubt maybe Zopa is rest of the body. So check, you put the limb aside you also find a fall.
What is the fall? You put a limb here, you put your head here rest of the body here the fall is fall of finding one person into three. Know fall of the fall is one person become three which is invalid which is invalid totally invalid conventionally also invalid you know so ultimately definitely invalid so you see now you can’t find your limit then yet exist Yeah if you don’t exist then who create a karma? If Buddha don’t exist unbelievable you know rebirth also exists, Buddha also exists, you exists, I exist that’s why we can communicate, that’s why we can eat food, that’s why you know we drive. That’s why a car exists, airplane exists, everything exists.
But everything is non exist from its own side. Yeah? So that’s so you couldn’t find person in any physical aggregate so now you go to check inside how about the heart because normally you point who is the nurse about me me me here me you know always point around here because the the what you call the life force is residing around here. Me, me, me.
Me, me, me, me. You know, it’s kind of an instinct nature. Never go to find me me here you know if people think you’re crazy you know but before you know me here me here people accept. You see? So it’s around here.
So if that’s so you should go and find inside here. So right inside here wherever point inside here maybe it’s lung. You pointed here lung. Is your lung is you? Is your lung is you?
Of course not. It’s so easy to discover lung is not you. And how about the heart? Heart also not you. The intestine also not you.
Mindfulness, you couldn’t find yourself but yet you are still there. Okay. Ah see maybe the mind could be me. If the mind is you, if the mind is you, then there’s so many minds. Which mind is you?
Like just this very moment, started one mind is in Nepal eating Momo, want to eat Momo, the Momo and dumpling, yeah? They’re very delicious dumpling. One mine is already in the in the there’s one called in Boudhanath area. There’s one restaurant. It’s like kind of like a local restaurant called the Shottam Momo restaurant.
Short men Momo. I think they put a lot of Ajinomoto and whatever, but but but the taste is so good, know. Some or everybody go there and eat. I confess, Miss Gen. You know, during your group last year during your group last year, I bring you all to the Boudhanath Stūpa.
Suddenly, I lost. I myself alone lost. Actually I went to eat Momo. Alright. And this.
Go around. Make three rounds. Sit up. Make three rounds. Otherwise, we are staying in the high end.
Never get chance to test that moment. If I bring all of you there or so few, you know, I don’t think you will take it. But that’s the target that we all go so the only way to escape today is make sacred circumambulation three times with a big circumambulation I can manage to take two plates I just from the main gate, just close the road. Call short man Momo. Momo, know.
We’ve been eating there, you know, since I think little boy up to now. No changes. I still feel it, but the taste, you know, we know it’s so much of Ajinamoto and the things that chili, you know, we like the chili. We like the the taste, you know. So when there, I take quite faster.
Two plates and one plate is very big, you know, ten Momo. I took twenty Momo. And I said, when to Hyatt? Tonight dinner, just individual take care. Like that.
Okay. So now I I I don’t have any more cigarette. Why why I said that? Oh, the emptiness. So is it So already one mind there?
One mind is already upstairs. One mind is here. One mind is, like, still, like, rolling inside, you know? Some of the make sure that I say the right thing. You know?
At least there’s there’s there’s eight or at least ten minds already, like one mind going over certain texts oh make sure this I still have a court in case if anybody question I still have I still have a back support. I said this I still have a back support here you know so just in one second I have about ten minds more than ten minds even the very forceful mind already ten not forceful mind is a hundreds of villains. So which one is you? Which one is me? And those are those that that is the mind that the mind that what we have.
If you put if you say, oh, put all together then it’s you. You put together, then it’s you. Then why not put all together the physical body also that is you then? That that don’t solve the problem. So you search in the mental mental fact, mind, physical level.
At the end you really can’t find you. But yet you are still there and you have to accept that you are there. That’s why I said there’s another homework is, another question is to to to another answer is please go and find please go and discover the existing eye and nonexistent I. Please go and discover. Yeah.
Please kindly go and discover until next class. Maybe it might take one month, I don’t know. And to discover the existing eye and non existing I, in monasteries, serious philosophy practitioners even take twenty years to discover and so important to discover otherwise no way one can understand emptiness. Not possible. As long as we don’t understand emptiness no way end of saṃsāra.
Cannot not possible end of saṃsāra. If we can if we cannot understand emptiness, if we cannot realize emptiness, saṃsāra is in to see saṃsāra is impossible. So please go and find it’s a big homework You know. Please go and find what is existing I. Who is the creator of our own karma?
The existing I is the creator of our own karma. Existing I is the I that which came from beginningless up to now and follow beginningless follow all the way up to enlightenment and that I continues up to Buddhahood That I I travel even to Buddhahood. That I. You know? So that is the existent I.
Please discover that. And then the non existent I which which is like always alert, always there in our life. Now, right now, in our mind, non existent I is in life. The non existent I is the one who is in person now, who who act like I am, who act like me, who act like like like like kind of he’s the creator of karma, who act like, you know, or if somebody, you know, like tease me, I will get angry. You know, he’s so alert.
You know he act like I’m the one creating merit. He act like I am the one that want to become Buddha. Wow. So smart. The non existent eye, my goodness.
The smartness, the wisdom, that non existent eye is unbelievable and the sharpness is unbelievable. So here, there is non existent eye, yet is live with our life and act like living our life and we confuse and he that non existent eye is the one who confuse us, who drag us down. How much we want to climb up, we drag down. So please go and find including myself, please go and find what is non existent eye yet is there and try to capture it and please present either you can write down on a paper and say oh I found non existent eyes like this like they described. Existence eyes like they described and how they act you know how they live in a part of our life.
Try to analyze it’s very good very good homework very good homework Yeah. And nonexistent I kind of, like, confuse us to feel that is the the the the runner, you know, runner. Actually, there’s no such thing as actually as a you know, the pre it’s something else is is handling this with the the force of the grasping of non existent eye as existing. So like that. Then then after this review this this composite this this this analysis, then we will start to feel some taste and emptiness.
We start to feel, oh, I think emptiness, it makes sense. You know? It is is empty but existing. It is existing but empty. So so so then then start to understand, you know, and will not fall into will not fall into the two folds nihilism and eternalism and also I think it’s good to put as a question also what is if what happens then fall into nihilism in what circumstances fall into eternalism and in what circumstances fall into nihilism in what circumstances fall into nihilism means you if you if you assert in order to in order to establish in to establish order to establish lack of inherent existing in order in order to establish lack of inherent existence and asserting the need of substance from the object’s side is fall into one of the extremes.
Means like Prāsaṇgika, Svatāntrika Mādhyamika, the lower class, Svatāntrika Mādhyamika assert in order to establish lack of inherent existence, means in order to establish emptiness, from the object side must have one substance. As an example, in order to establish a person, the aggregate must come from its own side. Then on that collection of aggregate, label as a person. Then But Prāsaṇgika, like lama Tsongkhapa. Prāsaṇgika might make a view say you already fall into a false one of the one of false.
I don’t know if it’s nihilism or eternalism. False. One of the false false false faults of of false in that you are you are are are asserting independent self-existing from the object’s side. Because it’s not supposed to have any existence on its own side. Why is it like that?
If there’s non existence from its own side, a certain substance, Svatāntrika Mādhyamika cannot establish existing phenomena. Must in order to establish existing phenomena must establish sub existence from the object. Otherwise otherwise have to accept nothing is exist Buddha, Dharma, person nothing should be nothing exist so so these are the faults you know one is falling so I have to arrange the word so you know this is how it fall into two extremes and also very necessary to know or learn about these two faults so that one will able to establish the middle path or middle way. So the research you can do in Lamrim teaching in the wisdom chapter in the Bodhicaryāvatāra you can also you know Buddhist way of life also in the later you call wisdom chapter in later part, you know. So then I think there’s many books from His Holiness the Dalai Lama also talks about emptiness.
And there’s also you know, the contemporary, different great scholars have teachings on emptiness. From there also you can research. I don’t know how good it is, I never read, you know Emptiness Yoga from Jeffrey Hopkins. Think also I think it might it’s some sort of discussion on emptiness. I never read, you know, just for your your research you can explore in all these different different, different books.
You can borrow from, you know, DC library. You can log into a website, you know, website, you know, and the most reliable log in to Dalai Lama’s teachings, you know, the website. There are all sort of explanations by everybody, know, sometimes it’s so confusing until that, you know, make you not understanding zero, you know, you search too much also, it becomes zero, you know. So focus on Dalai Lama, the Dalai Lama and there’s from the FPMT website I think Lama Yeshe’s teachings on on emptiness very easy to understand and and also there’s a lot of books and a lot of kind of notes, you know, in the app and the website. Also, it’s quite reliable, you know, so so that then then, you know, whatever it is, we need to put some effort in emptiness.
You know, whatever whatever it is, how difficult it is, it’s worthwhile to put some effort in emptiness, to to learn about emptiness, to understand emptiness, and so that then our life will makes our life easier in Dharma practice. And and it will it will bring some hope. You know? So like that. Okay.
Thank you very much. Thank you very much. K. Thank you.