Audio recorded at Tibetan Buddhist Institute, Adelaide. Transcript auto-generated and AI-corrected; may contain errors.
About this talk. Khensur Rinpoche focuses this 46-minute session on ‘base knower,’ the defining characteristic that separates Buddhist superiors from ordinary beings: direct realization of selflessness conjoined with exalted wisdom. He systematically defines it, describes four types, and places it in the Buddhist continuum. The teaching then unfolds the architecture of the path itself: fifteen distinct paths across three vehicles (hearer, solitary realizer, great vehicle), each unfolding through five progressive stages. Rinpoche explains how practitioners move from intellectual understanding to direct insight into emptiness, then concludes by exploring why Buddhist texts metaphorically call paths ‘mothers’—because superiors are ‘born’ through practicing them. Pitched at practitioners with established grounding in Buddhist philosophy.
File metadata (for organising)
File: 1989-06-15 – Side 1 – KR.MP3
UUID: 9426c0fd-8779-4669-9bc2-c85e458904d0
Teacher: Kyabje Rinpoche
Collection: Ornament of Clear Realization
Date: 1989-06-15
Recorded at: Tibetan Buddhist Institute, Adelaide
Words: ~2,256
In order to establish all sentient beings equal to space and in perfect and complete bliss and happiness, I must attain the unsurpassed enlightenment of Buddhahood. In order to do that, I’m going to listen to this profound teaching on the great vehicle with such a motivation of the of the great awakening heart. Listen to this the following teaching. So we’re going through the the nature of the eight categories, the three exalted knowledges and the four preparations and the truth body. We’ve completed the we talked a little bit about the nature of of the first there was exalted knower of all aspects or omniscience, and then the path knower.
Today we’ll continue with the base knower. So the definition a base knower is The direct realization of the selflessness of persons conjoined with exalted wisdom, and is in the continuum. Of a superior’s continuum of exalted knowledge. Superior’s continuum of exalted knowledge. So, is it a direct realization of the selflessness of persons conjoined with exalted wisdom and is of the lesser vehicle category in the of continuum a superior’s exalted knowledge.
It is in the lesser vehicle category and is in the continuum of a superior’s exalted knowledge. I hope that makes sense. That what what what was just this base knower and a superior’s exalted knower in the category of a realization of the lesser vehicle is synonymous. Base knower and the superior’s exalted wisdom. The superior’s knower.
I can put it. The exalted in the category of the lesser vehicle, in the continuum of a superior’s exalted knowledge. Let me get to it again. A realization in the category of the lesser vehicle. A realization in the category of a lesser vehicle within the continuum of a superior’s exalted knowledge.
Within the continuum of superior’s exalted knowledge. If we divide those there are four. So those those four. So that’s right. So there are four base knowers.
So there are four. The first is four types of base knowers. The base knower close to the resultant mother. The base knower close to the resultant mother. The base knower far from the resultant mother.
Base knower far from the resultant mother. Base knower in the dissimilar class, and the fourth is base knower on the side of the antidote. On the side So the boundaries of base knower are that it is found within the continuum of all superiors. It is within the mind or the continuum of all superiors.
So amongst beings we can divide them into two, the ordinary beings and superiors. Superiors, there are four types as we mentioned before. There are hearer superiors, solitary realizer superiors, bodhisattva superiors, and buddha superiors. So these are what we mean by superiors. So if a being is the superior, necessarily possess base knower.
So this is the difference between ordinary beings and superiors, that superiors have the direct realization of the selflessness of persons. Superiors have the direct realization of the selflessness of persons whereas ordinary beings do not. So, we begin with the definition of path. A path is defined as an exalted knower conjoined with non-artificial mind of renunciation is the definition of path.
So what is being referred to by path here is what is being explicitly explained in the ornament, the various paths and grounds. And there’s a worldly path, that is to say, people walk. This is not what’s being referred to. This is the path to Buddhahood that we’re speaking of here. So then we divide the main division of paths is into greater vehicle paths and lesser vehicle paths.
Within great vehicle, within lesser vehicle, there are the two divisions into the hearer’s paths and the solitary realizer’s paths. Within the the hearer’s paths, there are five paths. There’s the path of accumulation, path of preparation, path of seeing, path of meditation, and the path of no more learning. Five paths. And likewise this applies to the five paths of the solitary realizers in which they are the paths of accumulation, preparation, seeing, meditation and no more learning.
Again, these same five paths apply to the path of the great vehicle, the accumulation, preparation, seeing, meditation, and no more learning. So we have three vehicles. Hearer, solitary realizer and great vehicle. Each having five paths making a total of 15 paths. So in general we can say there are 15 paths.
Now with regards to these three vehicles, of their five paths, the first two paths of each of these vehicles, that is to say the path of accumulation and the path of preparation of the hearers, solitary realizer, and great vehicle’s paths are paths of, in general, ordinary beings. They’re not superior paths. They’re not the paths of the superiors. In general they are paths of ordinary beings. They’re paths of accumulation and preparation of each of these three vehicles.
On the other hand, within each of these three vehicles, the latter three paths, the path of seeing, meditation, and no more learning, are the paths of the superiors. So there are nine paths of superiors. The reason they’re called paths of superiors is that the beings who abide on these paths are superiors. They’re not ordinary beings. Therefore they’re superior paths of the superiors.
So with respect to the hearer’s vehicle, the first two, the hearer’s path of accumulation and preparation, are the hearer’s ordinary paths of the hearer’s. And then the latter three paths, the hearer’s path of seeing, meditation, and no more learning are the hearer’s superior paths. The same applies for the solitary realizers. The first two paths of the solitary realizer, the path of accumulation and preparation are the solitary realizers of ordinary being path. And the latter three, path of seeing, no more learning meditation, no more learning, are the solitary realizer’s superior paths.
And then the same applies for the great vehicle paths. The first two, accumulation and preparation, are the great vehicle ordinary beings paths, and the latter three seeing, meditation, and no more learning are the great vehicle superior’s path. Yeah. So do have any questions? Exalted knower conjoined with non-artificial mind of renunciation.
Ngeyjung gi Sempa, Trulpa Mayin pa’i Sempa, Ngeyjung. They call it they call it Ngeyjung. So this term non artificial mind of renunciation, having considered the nature of cyclic existence from the point of view of the three types of suffering the suffering of pain, the suffering of change, and pervasive conditioning. Again and again meditating on this one develops a sense of repulsion towards cyclic existence. One develops an attitude of wanting to abandon cyclic existence on the one side, on the one hand, on the other striving for liberation from it.
So the awareness which strives for liberation and seeks to abandon cyclic existence, having developed a repulsion of the sufferings of cyclic existence when one is when one is in the striving toward liberation day and night, again and again, this arising in one’s mind, striving for liberation, seeking to abandon cyclic existence in such a way that it naturally comes. We don’t even have to think about it to make reasons. We don’t have to create reasons. We don’t have to make effort. It just keeps coming as if naturally.
This is what is meant by the term non artificial. That we don’t even have to use reasoning. It just comes naturally day and night, wanting to strive for liberation, to abandon cyclic existence. Then this is the non artificial mind of renunciation. This non artificial quality is much like a mother whose child is very sick, and that whatever she does during the course of her day, her mind is always turning toward the welfare of her child.
It’s constantly remembering the welfare of her child. And this is kind of non artificial. She doesn’t have to provoke it in any way. It naturally arises. And this is the quality of the mind of renunciation.
Tsongkhapa says in the three principal aspects of the path, when there’s not the slightest attraction toward the marvels of cyclic existence in the mind towards seeks liberation day and night from the sufferings of cyclic existence and then one has attained realization of renunciation. So we talked about maybe saving up some of your questions. We would go over questions today. So do you have any more questions? So So there’s no one cannot on the of seeing the hearer’s path of seeing, one cannot generate an awakening heart.
One can still generate an awakening heart, and what this would mean by generating the awakening heart that one would enter into the first path of the great vehicle. One could still do that on the path of accumulation of the hearers, but not on the path of seeing. In order to enter the path of the great vehicle one has to generate great compassion. And in general within the hearers continuum, because of their striving for their solitary liberation acts an obstacle to the development of great compassion. So the first base knower close to the resultant mother.
So this is the exalted knower within a Buddha and a bodhisattva on the 10 grounds. The exalted knower within the continuum of a Buddha, and a bodhisattva within the continuum of bodhisattva on any of the 10 grounds. This is because he is close to the mother. That’s because the resultant mother is the Buddha’s exalted knower. A Buddhist exalted knower is the resultant mother.
And these beings are close to that mother. They’re very close. As compared to the second, which is a base knower far from the resultant mother. And this is the exalted knowers within a here and solitary realizer’s superior’s continuum. The exalted knower within a here and solitary realizer’s continuum is a base knower which is far from the resultant mother because they still have a long way to go before they actually achieve the exalted knower of a Buddha.
But the but those on the bodhisattvas on the 10 grounds and the Buddhas themselves are close to the mother. So the first of these and a fourth of these are synonymous. And the second and third are synonymous. Base knower close to resultant mother, and base knower on the side of the antidote are synonymous. A base knower far from the resultant mother, and base knower in the dissimilar class are synonymous.
So in general there are two types of prime cognizers. Two types of prime cognizers. Or sometimes they were translated as valid cognizers, prime cognizers, ideal cognizer. So these are inferential prime cognizer and direct prime cognizer. Inferential prime cognizer and direct prime cognizer.
So emptiness is a hidden phenomena. A hidden phenomena. And the first time one realizes, that is to say has a prime cognition of a hidden phenomena, one must realize it in dependence upon a reason or a sign. The first cognition realization of a hidden phenomena is dependent upon realizing it through a sign. Therefore one realizes it through inferential cognition, an inference.
Having gained an inferential cognition of emptiness, one meditates, cultivates, habituates oneself again and again, meditating, meditating on that, and it becomes a subsequent cognition. A subsequent cognition. Then again and again it becomes clear, meditating, cultivating, understanding, realizing, realizing it becomes clear and clear, and then one has direct realization. It’s no longer inference, it’s direct realization. So here what is meant is that direct realization of the selflessness of person.
There’s a big difference between the realization, the direct realization of selflessness of a person and enlightenment. All the superiors have the direct realization of self as a person, but it’s not easy to attain enlightenment. So those beings who have possessed direct realization of the self as a person are Ārya beings, become Ārya beings. That is, they become a jewel of the superior community.
Jewels become the jewel of the superior community. Of the Three Jewels they become the jewel of the superior community, and they are said to be superior because they are superior to ordinary beings. They are superior because they are superior to ordinary beings, and they become a jewel of the Sangha, or jewel of the spiritual community. Because the mother gives birth to the offspring. So the the the reason this word mother is applied here, it’s taking a worldly term and using it as a designation in spiritual circumstances just as in the world.
For example, the Dalai Lama, his mother is referred to as the great mother. She gave birth to an offspring of the Dalai Lama and she gave birth to the Dalai Lama. Likewise, the mother is the exalted knowers and by practicing the exalted knowers a superior is born. A superior is born. Therefore the superior is the offspring of the exalted knowers.
And therefore, exalted knowers is simply termed the mother. They’ve given that nomenclature designation. By practicing the exalted knower, one attains the state of the superior. So in a way of speaking we can say that the superior is born from the exalted knower And therefore because the exalted knower as if gives birth to the superior, then the exalted knower is given the designation as the mother. So all of the paths are mothers.
All the 15 paths are mothers. And in dependence upon practicing these paths, one attains the state of the superior. So therefore it’s said that the superior is born from the path or that is the mother.