Audio recorded at Buddha House Adelaide. Transcript auto-generated and AI-corrected; may contain errors.
About this talk. Ven Jampa Gendun opens with a disarming thought experiment: what happens inside when someone calls you stupid? In this 46-minute session, that automatic ego-sting introduces the central argument as he moves from going for refuge into the third of Tsongkhapa’s Three Principal Aspects of the Path — seeing deeply into the nature of reality. Borrowing anthropologist Gregory Bateson’s phrase “pathologies of epistemology,” he frames all suffering as rooted in mistaken mental models, the deepest being belief in a singular, unchanging, independently existing self. Attachment, anger, jealousy, and pride are diagnostic signs this hidden model is running, whether or not we consciously acknowledge a fixed self. Pruning individual emotions without uprooting that core misconception, he argues, can never bring real peace. A Zen image of mountains closes: liberation transforms how we perceive this world, not which world we inhabit.
File metadata (for organising)
File: 02 3 PA 1989 05 05.mp3
UUID: 64ad29e4-aaf4-4a5d-9697-dad4613c97c1
Teacher: Ven Jampa Gendun
Collection: Three Principal Aspects of the Path 1988-1990 (Ven Jampa Gendun)
Date: 1989-05-05
Recorded at: Buddha House Adelaide
Duration: 46.4 minutes
Words: ~5,002
Later. In much of growth,, much of the Buddhist path, simply dealing with transforming our mistaken models of ourselves for the world around us. And it’s through meditation that we can best get in touch, become aware of, recognize, recognize, identify these mistaken models which act as the basis for our entire lives and therefore our experience and the way we experience the world. You know it’s as if it gives us an opportunity to be sane, The practice of sanity in the sense of simply knowing how things are even if only in a minor way. Even if it’s only knowing that we’re breathing in, that we’re breathing out.
Knowing one thing very clearly without any misrepresentation, without any distortion, without any misconception, without any preconceptions about what it is that we’re looking at. Simply knowing the bare facts of the situation and this quality of knowing the way things actually are, getting in touch with reality can carry over into our everyday lives, into our everyday situations, adding clarity and precision into whatever. So in this sense you know meditation acts as an opportunity to begin to uncover our layers of mistaken models, our mistaken paradigms, our misunderstandings, some of our what we’re going to call epistemological errors. It helps us simply most to become in touch with the way things are, with the present moment, the actual situation. Beginning to cut through our confusion.
So, in this sense it’s very much not to be thought of as an escape especially you know for example from pain. Escape in general from the world or some particular pain specifically. You know I want to meditate so I can just forget about the difficulty that I’m experiencing at the moment. This would be a misunderstanding of the use of meditation. Actually it would help us, it would be a means to help us understand that difficulty much better, to get in touch with that pain much better, to understand its quality, how it evolved and to perhaps gain some insight whereby it would not arise again.
So it’s definitely not an escape. If anything it’s an escape from illusion, escape from fantasy and into the real world. So, if we can just sit for the next five minutes as we usually do, you know, simply noting and counting with the object using the breath. One of the models that we’re working with. By models I mean something like a system of ideas or core assumption, a set of beliefs that we have probably unconscious that we’re not aware of.
And one of these models is the ego itself and we’re beginning to get a feel, develop an understanding of what this model, the parameters, the qualities of this particular model that we’re basing almost our entire conduct, almost our entire behavior upon which we have to get some feeling that any actions, any types of states within based upon this particular model are by their very nature dissatisfactory. If we can begin to get some feeling for this, some initial experience of the quality of ego in any state bounded by ego by its very nature, dissatisfactory. We begin to develop a yearning, a desire to go beyond beyond the ego. And this is an expression of the initial quality of going for refuge. This term going for refuge is reorientation, this reprioritizing our values that I talk about every week for a few minutes.
Going for refuge and what that means, what possibly it could mean. You know, it implies some sort of allegiance, right, say disallegiance to the ordinary values that we perhaps see about us or what is a meaningful life. Some disallegiance you know to the commonly held standards, to the commonly held systems of conduct which are expressions of this model called ego. Some disallegiance, some becoming disillusioned. Seeing that it’s not bringing the happiness that we’re seeking, no state based upon this model in fact can.
It doesn’t have the capacity, that ability. You know we’re beginning to question our values and our priorities. And we begin to sincerely entertain the possibility of awakening, of solving our problem. I think perhaps it’s difficult for us not because we don’t have Buddha nature, not because we don’t have the potential, not because we don’t have the teachings, but to a large extent this process hasn’t been made an integral part of our society as opposed to many Eastern cultures. And it’s difficult for us to see have models of people who we knew at one time who were just as confused and just as dissatisfied as we may presently be.
But through some method, through some discipline, we’re able to go beyond to a large degree their dissatisfactions and their confusion. We see for ourselves that there are many individuals within our society. Perhaps we don’t have that advantage. Many of us, it’s like a pioneering situation. You know the initial transmission of at least Buddha Dharma.
So there are an infinite number of dharmas. So there’s I think there’s perhaps some unsurety, some questioning whether it’s actually possible to change. You know we have very few examples to look at and to take inspiration from. So perhaps we’re at some disadvantage. I guess all pioneers are in that sense.
It takes perhaps more understanding, more wisdom, more courage to carry on your practice, question, you know to overcome the doubts, the uncertainties. But you know trying to Sincerely, you know, catch a glimpse of the possibility of an awakening state of actually solving your problems. Actually going beyond the constant struggle which constitutes most of our lives. Having to seek happiness again and again and again, having to eliminate our suffering again and again and again without end, without respite. Constant constant struggle that we’re very much involved in.
Developing the quality of a happy, healthy, sane, loving human being. You know it’s I think to actually go beyond the intellectual possibility to where you actually feel the possibility. This inspiration is the going for refuge. To the real possibility. The real possibility of awakening.
The attainment of enlightenment of your life. Taking refuge in Buddha and your own Buddha. Your own possibility to solve your problems. To go beyond ego. To go beyond the dissatisfactory quality of a ego based existence which is simply what we’re involved in at the moment.
Just simply the reason that we experience constant dissatisfaction. It’s not that overwhelming of an obstacle. It’s not beyond our call. Let me go for refuge to Buddha. To who it can become because we have the potential to become that within us.
We go for refuge to the Dharma, you know, the teachings and the experience of enlightenment. It’s very much important aspect of Tantra, the experience of enlightenment. You know Tantra is often times referred to as the resultant vehicle. They take the result into the path. That is to say, becoming aware of the sparks of enlightenment within our everyday existence.
Those moments of brilliant sanity breaking through and extending them. The word tantra means continuation, continuity, stream. Continuing those, becoming aware of and seeking to expand, to continue, to develop a stream of enlightened instances in our everyday life. You know it’s not as if enlightenment were something discontinuous from who we are now. Most of our qualities we’re completely unaware of are positive qualities, are qualities of basic sanity, are qualities of loving, compassion, qualities of spontaneous energy.
Beginning to promote these, become aware of them, identify them, and cultivate them, and extend them. You’re taking refuge in Dharma or teachings, the experience of awakening. Taking refuge in the Sangha. You know the teachers and the other practitioners who guide us and support us. You know I I don’t I’m not It’s easy for me because I don’t set myself up as a teacher to talk about the teacher from the point of view of Buddhism especially Tibetan Buddhism.
But it is said before the teacher even the word Buddha was never heard. And without a teacher there’s no hope. This is not to say that we should enslave ourselves to another person. That we should seek to give over, surrender our autonomy to another person. This is That’s not the question.
But it’s coming to understand that the relationship between teacher and disciple, between teacher and student is extremely important and I think to a large extent it goes unrecognized in our culture perhaps because there’s no precedence for it. That one is not to treat one’s spiritual teacher at least as one would an academic teacher at a university or whatever school. There has to be a different type of relationship or working together. Certain honesty, exposing one’s neurosis if you like. We don’t have to be perfect students.
We’re trying to actually get in to communicate who we are and on that basis the teacher can work with us. But there has to be an understanding that the teacher represents a station along the path that you have to reach. Perhaps they’re not a Buddha, it doesn’t matter. But they’re able to guide you to where they are and an opening up to that possibility. So from the point of view of Buddhism, solutions can only be found within awakening.
Coming to understand our situation, who we are, and our relationship with the world. You know understanding of ourselves. You know committing ourselves to to the journey on the path, to that internal understanding is going for refuge. Committing yourself to awaken. To commit yourself to transforming yourself, to transforming your mistaken models, to developing your love and compassion, to developing spontaneous activities and to benefit others is going for refuge.
And that’s the way we solve our problems. To give up the conviction that you can solve your problems and this is a real method to solve your problems and that there’s a real circumstance that the situation is workable and having this this heart, courage to make a consistent commitment. It doesn’t do much good when things are going wrong. When you’ve just broken up with a mate or whatever. Something bad has happened.
It’s all I’m going to change. To escape that particular pain, that particular difficulty. You know this is is not a great spiritual realization. Everyone has this understanding. But to be able to consistently commit yourself to awakening, to consistently commit yourself to internal transformation, to understanding, compassion, love, spontaneous energy.
That takes real courage, understanding. It takes a real inspiration. And it takes a real going for refuge, a real reorientation, a real development of priorities, a real disallegiance with all the delusions that we find about us. In this process of becoming disillusion as usually it’s considered very negative. It has negative connotations, becoming disillusioned.
But in Buddhism it has very positive state. Understanding that we’re involved in illusions and disillusioning ourselves from them. This is all becomes part of going for refuge. To the Buddha, the Dharma and the Sangha, I go for refuge until I’m enlightened. To the merit I create by practicing giving and the other perfections.
May I attain Buddhahood for the sake of all beings. To the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha, I go for refuge until I am enlightened. To the merit I create by practicing giving and the other perfections, may I attain Buddhahood for the sake of all beings. To the Buddha, the Dharma, the Sangha, I go for refuge until I’m enlightened through the merit I create by practicing giving and the other perfections. May I attain Buddhahood for the sake of all beings.
So we’re continuing the discussion of three principal aspects of the path by the fourteenth century Yogi-scholar, Tsongkhapa. The Three Principal Aspects of the Path developing the determination to be free, opening our hearts to others and seeing deeply into nature of reality, the nature of the way things actually are. Now we’ve we’re beginning the third of these three principal aspects of the path. See into the nature of reality. It’s very much the first step in a process of growth and a process of change is to begin to challenge our self perception, our experiences, our reality.
To to the degree that our notions of reality, that our models of reality, that our ideas, beliefs about reality do not are not approximate or correspond to the way things actually are. You know to what we deem as reality. What we deem reality to be, we’re going to correspondingly experience frustration, disappointment, and dissatisfaction. So in this sense, know we’re talking about a path, the three principal aspects of the path. That which takes us from where we’re at now to where we’re seeking to arrive, to our goal.
So the path consists of exploring our erroneous and distorted conceptual models. Beginning to become aware of, identify, explore, transform our erroneous and distorted conceptual models. This is I’m going to talk about this a great deal. Our our models of reality. And once, you know, once we begin to identify these models, then transforming these models, you know, call them paradigms, into more accurate ones.
So we have to become aware that we are persistently, you know, as if our life depended upon it. You know, like a dying person grasping at a straw, a drowning person grasping at a straw. Persistently holding on to wrong views. And we have to begin to identify them. And then begin the process of transforming them.
And this I think is what Buddhism would call growth. This is I think what Buddhism would call traveling the spiritual path. And there was one an anthropologist by the name of Gregory Bateson. And his idea what he called psychological misery, psychological suffering. He said it’s pathologies of epistemology.
Pathologies of epistemology. To put that more simply, what does that mean, pathologies of epistemology? Epistemology is the way we know things. Pathology is to know them in a distorted wrong manner. That all our psychological problems difficulties, suffering, all our problems that we have in our relationships and the way we experience the world stem from mistaken ways of knowing, mistaken models, beliefs, ideas, assumptions.
You know, we’re looking trying to begin the path of looking deeply into the nature of reality. So we have to begin to understand what is reality and our present view of reality. You know, if if a if a suffering human being ever expects to get rid of their suffering, to go beyond their problems, To end their misery. And they’re going to have to be prepared to let go of their mistaken deep seated beliefs which are which are erroneous, which are mistaken. You know about the world in general and specifically about their lives in particular.
You know, Our convictions are consistently being invalidated by life’s experiences. You know, we have all had the experiences, but we missed the lesson. Do you know what I mean? You know we don’t need any more suffering to learn from to need more lessons in the nature of suffering. We’ve had enough but we consistently missed the lesson.
So in many respects, the Buddha is simply pointing out in our experience in the hopes that we aren’t going to miss the lesson again. Buddhism is pointing out so we don’t miss the lesson again within our own experiences. And therefore not learning the lesson, never really become sincere about change. We really don’t see the absolute necessity to change. And without seeing the absolute necessity to change you won’t change.
And without change then your models, erroneous beliefs, mistaken assumptions are going to remain fixed, firm, and therefore the way you relate and experience the world is never going to change. And the quality of your life is going to remain very much the same no matter what changes may go on external to you. So the central assertion of Buddhism that we are all living our lives based on the basis of mistaken, on the basis of mistakes because we have not spotted these errors. We haven’t spotted our mistakes. Because we don’t spot our mistakes we are continually creating suffering for ourselves.
We create a world whose very nature is dissatisfactory. Because this world that we live in, the world that each of us individually create for ourselves is based upon varying levels of illusion. So you know to grow as I said means to become free of illusion. To become free of illusion, to begin to let go of our illusions, beginning to identify them and to cut through them of our illusions. You know with these You know we don’t even have to talk very deeply about many of our illusions, but they’re on various levels..
You know we’ve been talking all along about the various models and talking about the three principal aspects of the path and what it meant to develop the determination to be free, it meant to open our hearts to others. Constantly overcoming erroneous models, breaking them down and transforming, breaking down the model of ourselves as insufficient, as lacking. There’s something that we need outside of ourselves in order to change, to find happiness. Breaking down the model that we’re immortal,, that we’re going to live forever. Breaking down the model that we can find happiness at the expense of others, at the exclusion of others.
These are assumptions. These are beliefs that we hold very deeply, which we’re not probably aware of. But as we’re going to see, they’re still there nonetheless because we express them in our behavior. We have indications that such beliefs are there, but subconsciously. You know the effectiveness of self centered ego based way of life.
And ultimately the nature of ourselves. And this is what we’re going to deal with in seeing deeply into the nature of reality. The ultimate model upon which all the other erroneous models are based upon is like the linchpin. If we can remove this linchpin then all the other illusionary models begin to break up, begin to burst of themselves. You know we don’t have to transform them individually one by one.
Know we we we grow up with a model of the world which we put all our trust in. But in many ways we’re finding it constantly falsified. So you know it’s such a way of looking, know this world that we live in. We’re being constantly disillusioned by it. But this isn’t to say that we’re not taking a cynical attitude toward life.
There’s no question about that. We’re not you know this isn’t coming from some bitterness at the disappointments that we find in life. But a type of life, marked with frustration, disappointment, and dissatisfaction. A type of life which has these marks, these qualities that we’re becoming disillusioned with that type of life. But that’s not all there is to life.
If that was all there is then there’s no hope. But this is a particular type of life, particular type of world that we’re building up for ourselves. You know, they talk very much about the identity of saṃsāra and nirvana. There’s no other world than this. You know, when we achieve enlightenment It’s not as if we go somewhere else.
You know, in Zen Buddhism they say, Before you practice mountains are mountains and rivers are rivers. But while you’re practicing mountains are not mountains and rivers are not rivers. But after you’ve completed the practice mountains are mountains and rivers are rivers. That there’s no place else to go. That things are as they were before.
But there’s only one thing that’s changed The way you relate to these things based upon a more accurate, more appropriate models based upon more proper ways, of conduct, proper conceptions of how things actually are. You know this type of world that we’re building up, that we live within. You know each of us individually lives in a very in a world of our own making, in our own world of illusion. Buddhism is saying that peace only arises as we begin letting go of our illusions, through the process of becoming disillusioned. From the Buddhist point of view, a person suffers because they have an extremely limited point of view.
You have a point of view of the way things are. They ignore other levels of reality, other than those that they believe in, or other than those one is capable of perceiving. So we continue to suffer because we persist in a life characterized by a stubborn, closed mindedness about learning anything about ourselves, about the world, about the way we relate, which would disturb our present view of reality, the ignoring quality of ignorance. Anything which we feel that might threaten us, threaten our ego identity, or upset our sense of security, we tend to ignore. We develop we cultivate an unawareness towards that.
With respect to the third of these three principal aspects of the path, seeing deeply into the nature of reality, You know, Buddhism is not telling anybody that he or she should believe that a self exists or does not exist, that the I exists or does not exist, the ego exists or does not exist. It is saying that when one looks at the way one suffers and the way one thinks and responds emotionally, responds emotionally to life. It is as if one believed that there were a self that was singular, that was unchanging, that existed independently. Whether or not you believe consciously, intellectually that you have a self or not doesn’t matter. But the way you act, the way you emotionally respond to situations is as if you did believe that you have a self which is singular, unchanging, and independently existing.
This is a model that you have that you hold very firmly at the root of your being. Yet, you know, if we look upon closer examination, if we make analysis, then such a type of self can never be isolated. It can never be found. We have a model, we have certain assumptions, beliefs at the core of our very being acting as if there were a singular, unchanging, independent existing self. But upon analysis, upon examination, such a type of self cannot be isolated, cannot be found.
Now that a life based upon such a model, such a system of belief is associated with disappointment, frustration, dissatisfaction. Those types of life which are based upon models which take into account the selfless quality of the person are associated with experiences of peace, harmony, spontaneity, lack of suffering. Whether you believe in self or not doesn’t matter. Buddhism is just pointing out this fact. You know we may be unaware that we harbor a belief in such a type of self, But our emotional responses express indications that in fact we do.
You know our attachments, our hatreds, our spite, our jealousy, our pride are indications that though unaware we do harbor such a belief in such a type of self. That we have that model of who we are and we cling to it. Because all of these afflictive emotions attachment, hatred, spite, miserliness, jealousy all arise dependent upon such a belief, such a model of self, upon a singular unchanging independent existing self. These are indications, you know, just like we can use inference. There are two valid ways of knowing.
One is by direct perception, seeing through the senses, for example, and the other is through inference. For example, if you see smoke, one of the standard examples in Tibetan logic, seeing smoke on the mountain pass. That acts as a sign by which we can establish that there’s a fire on the mountain, even though we can’t see the fire. It’s too far away. But we can see the smoke.
The manifestation of attachment, anger, jealousy, pride are signs even though we aren’t aware of how that ignorance in fact exists, that it’s operating within our lives constantly, that these afflictive emotions are signs that indicate that in fact it does exist within us. Both animals and humans act as if they have a self to protect, preserve, and it needs to be fostered. So this isn’t an intellectually learned process because it’s also common to animals. We regard such types of behavior as automatic, It’s instinctive and it’s considered quite normal. It’s taken as the norm of our society, of our culture, you know our psychological norm.
You know when pain or discomfort arises, there’s an automatic response to try to remove it. We see the pain as extraneous to the self and to any object which is associated with that pain we develop anger and fear and seek to remove it from our territory to permanently have it outside of our self in order to gain security from having it not as part of our ego identity. We develop anger. We develop repulsion. There’s a feeling that if I could remove this pain since it’s not really a part of myself then I would naturally be happy.
That this pain is an obstacle to my happiness. That it’s not a part of me. That there’s a separation, a feeling of independence from the pain, that it’s being impinged upon you and you simply have to remove it from your throwing out something bad that you ate. And you seek to exclude it from your identity. You want to seeking to gain a sense of security, sense of comfort from not having it a part of yourself, not having it as in your domain, not having it as part of your ego identity.
On the other hand, if pleasure arises, we seek to incorporate it. Again, we see it outside of ourself, outside of ourself. So that pleasure is extraneous to ourself. And the implication is that we can incorporate that happiness, that pleasure into ourselves, then we’d always be happy. And therefore we react in dependence upon that with craving, with desire, with attachment to gain the object and to incorporate it in us into our ego identity, to make it a permanent part of ourselves in the hope of getting a sense of security and comfort from it. From having as part of ourselves, having it as part of our domain.
You know if know, if I if I say to one of you, oh, you’re so stupid. You’re really stupid. There’s a reaction, isn’t there? There’s some threat. Maybe some hostility comes out.
First there’s a feeling of regret. Perhaps the first is confusion. They don’t quite know how to react. Confusion is you don’t have enough information. Haven’t computed yet.
And then there’s an aversion, a withdrawal. And then there’s a feeling of threat. And then there’s retaliation perhaps. Fear and angered repulsion. But what have I done actually?
You know, I’ve said the word stupid to Stupid. Nobody likes to be called stupid, do they? You know? What does it do? It kind of puts a little nick in your ego model of yourself, your ego identity, doesn’t it?
So, you know, that you know, it’s a sound, isn’t it? The word stupid. I say stupid to you. And even if it’s taken as the to refer to some state of mental development, you know, it has some meaning. Applying it to yourself.
What you know, why is this reaction take place? This fear and anger and repulsion. Now, what’s the basis of that reaction? So all desire, hatred, all the various afflictive emotions have as their foundation the belief in such a type of self. We’re beginning at the initial level of coming and beginning to see deeply into the nature of reality.
Within this area itself there are many levels. We’re beginning at the initial level. The belief in a singular, independent, unchanging self. This is the initial level. There’s many levels beneath this we’re going to investigate.
But all the various afflictive so I’m beginning at this level. So what I say perhaps has to be qualified a little bit. But it’s good enough for the moment. All of the various afflictive emotions arise in dependence upon holding the existence of such a self. Having this model of the self as a core belief, as a core assumption within your psyche.
Even though it doesn’t matter whether you’re aware of it or not, you probably aren’t. But it’s there. All these afflictive emotions are indications or expressions of its being there. So we begin to see that such a type of belief is really very much determinative in our lives, our behavior, our relationships, our world, our experiences. And we have no control over this process.
You know, we can try to lessen our anger. We can try to lessen our attachment. We can try to lessen our pride. You know, it’s like pruning the tree. But unless we begin to cut at its roots, begin to transform the very basis of all these expressions of afflictive emotions, very basic model that we’re working from, then we can never actually ever hope to attain real peace.
Ever hope to go beyond the ego altogether, to cease the struggle. This is ultimately ignorance. This misconception is ultimately creating the type of world that we live in. This world we call saṃsāra, cyclic existence. It is dissatisfactory by its nature.
You know, it’s not that there’s another world. This world that we’re creating in dependence upon this mistaken model is the world we’re talking about when we talk about cyclic existence. By transforming this model, we transform our world. Samsāra becomes nirvana. If we persist in having a life characterized by ignoring others, other types of realities, is to live not only a frustrated life, but ultimately one that is inexact, incomplete and illusory.