Audio recorded at Buddha House Adelaide. Transcript auto-generated and AI-corrected; may contain errors.
About this talk. Ven Jampa Gendun uses a striking image in this 6.5-minute segment: finding the inherently existent self requires a “spy” — a part of the mind that watches the I while another part is caught in emotion. The session covers the first step in Buddhist emptiness analysis: determining the object of negation. He clarifies that the self under investigation is ontological — the way a thing exists from its own side — not psychological; even a table can be conceived as having such a self. To make the search experiential, he guides listeners to relive charged moments — terror before a car crash, the pain of a broken relationship, the joy of passing exams — so a strong sense of I arises naturally. That solidly appearing I is the object to identify and eventually negate in meditation. A guided practice on this technique is promised for the following week.
File metadata (for organising)
File: 15 HoM 1993 11 17.mp3
UUID: 1c63fe97-673a-442f-b590-5c99015507ef
Teacher: Ven Jampa Gendun
Collection: The Heart and Mind of Awakening (Ven Jampa Gendun)
Date: 1993-11-17
Recorded at: Buddha House Adelaide
Duration: 6.5 minutes
Words: ~791
So what we are trying the self that we’re trying to ascertain is what we call is an ontological characteristic. Ontology means the way things exist, the being of things. We’re not looking at psychology of the self. It would make no sense to talk about the self of a table since we do not attribute psychological attributes to tables. So we’re not talking about the psychological attributes of the self.
We’re talking about its ontological attribute, the way that it exists. So when we’re searching for the self, the I, I, I, you, we’re not discussing whether it’s a good self or a bad self, whether it’s a nice self or an unkind self. All of those possible psychological traits that this I may appear to have. But the way the I exists, that self exists, way it exists, the way it’s being, not its psychological attributes, because a table can just as equally be conceived of to have a self as a person, some entity which it is from its own side objectively. In order I’m I’m almost finished.
We’re almost finished. In order to identify the inherently existent I within our own experience, we This is what we’re going to try to do. This is the first essential: determining the object of negation. The object of negation is the inherently existent self which appears to us. We have to identify that appearance.
The intrinsically existent I with self which appears to us, have to determine what does it look like. You know, we’re trying to get it as various qualities, but we want to more than, intellectually, which we’re going over some characteristics in terms of reasoning, but also in terms of our own experience. How do I actually experience that appearance when it arises? What does that inherently existent eye What does its appearance look like? First we begin by calming our mind.
Then we have to analyze the way in which this self appears, is apprehended, the way it appears to us. So to do so, we have to activate a strong sense of I. Within our own experience we remember a great fear that we felt maybe just before having an accident or the pain of a broken relationship or the joy of when you passed your exam. The joy you felt when you just finished your matriculation or when you had your first child or something. You know, try to remember that.
Experience that feeling, these emotional events in your life. You know, the the pain of the broken relationship or the joy of that first child or having passed your exams. So, you know, we try to relive these emotional experiences vividly. So we don’t try to analyze them as whether they were good or whether they were bad, whether they were right or wrong. We just try to keep feeling the emotion, you know, the fear, the depression, the joy, whatever it might have been.
So we’re we’re activating a strong emotion such that these will cause to rise a very strong sense of I. You know, I I’m scared. I feel terrible. I’m so happy. You know, underlining I.
There’s a very strong subjective aspect to this these experiences. And just before you’re ready to your car is ready to hit that tree, there’s a very strong subjective aspect, but we don’t notice it. We’re trying to notice it. We must now observe precisely how that eye appears to us. This eye is the object of negation, which is to be ascertained, which is to be determined.
We must identify it as clearly as possible. This observing is carried out by a part of the mind, different than the one which is apprehending the pleasant or the unpleasant experience, the pleasant or unpleasant thoughts. It’s like a spy. In the process of observing the I Okay. Okay, they will.
We can go through this next week because we’ll do some meditation on it next week. So let’s stop there. Let’s get into the dedication. Dedicate this creative potential that we’ve accumulated through really some good meditation and from your side at least, hopefully some listening, some kind of personal strength, some kind of potential, some positive potential arises through these methods, these means. We dedicate that positive potential.
May I quickly become an awakened spiritual teacher and lead each and every sentient being to the enlightened realm through these skillful actions. May the supreme jewel of the awakening heart that has not arisen arise and grow, and may that which has arisen never diminish but increase more and more. Those of you who would like to remain for the discussion, you might like to get a cup of tea. Thank you.