Section Two: Lectures 5 - 8

LECTURE 5: 28 NOVEMBER 1992 PM

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS Maybe, before the discourse, if there’s one or two questions?

Question:
We have been talking all this time about how things don’t exist, and I would like to, I mean, we were talking a little bit about emptiness and how we are hallucinated, how we think we see things....

Lama Zopa Rinpoche:
How things don’t exist?

Question:
They don’t exist as the way that we perceive that they exist. That’s what we were saying. So the question is how things a actually do exist? For one enlightened mind, for example.

Lama Zopa Rinpoche:
Well, things exist also for ordinary mind too, not only enlightened mind. There are three things that, first of all, do you think you have parents or not?

Question:
Yes, I have.

Lama Zopa Rinpoche:
You have parents, mm?(RL) Your parents exist? (RL, GL) Your parents exist, how? (GL)

Question:
I think from all these talks, I can make the conclusion that they exist for me in a hallucinated way. I mean, I perceive it in one way but if you take the teachings, that’s not the real way they exist.

Lama Zopa Rinpoche:
Why they, the way they appear to you, why it doesn’t really exist?

Question:
They appear to exist for me as truly, but from the other side I have all these teachings about emptiness that somehow it’s showing me that the way I perceive it is just not the way that they really exist.

Lama Zopa Rinpoche:
But there is parents existing, no? Why?

Question:
If I wouldn’t have met the teachings about emptiness, maybe I would never have this question. [GL, RL].

Lama Zopa Rinpoche:
So parents do exist? Even though the way it appeared to you, the way they appear to you, even though it’s not correct? Right? What is the reason that they exist? What makes them to exist? What it is that makes you to decide, that causes you to decide the label, parents, this particular label, parents? Father, mother? Do you label father, mother to everybody?

Question:
No.

Lama Zopa Rinpoche:
So, you don’t have a father, mother, you don’t have a father? You don’t label everybody father or everybody mother, right? And every man you don’t label father, every woman you don’t label mother. But what is it that makes you to decide this particular label? What’s the reason that makes you to label father, mother, on that particular object?

Question:
When I was a small child, they said to me, I am your mother [GL], I am your mother, I am your father, and I believed them and I accept that label as true, and that was all right like that.

Lama Zopa Rinpoche:
So, the reason is, why you don’t give this particular label on others, father and mother, why you decide this particular label on this, that these particular base, the aggregates, did the action, did the function that gave body to you, right? This particular base which gave you this present body, that made this body, no? Is there more reason than this? Is there more reason than this to decide? What makes you to decide label the parents, father and mother? Is there more than that?

Question:
That they have been taking care, and they have been very kind, and they have the same name, family name.

Lama Zopa Rinpoche:
You have the same name? (GL) Including that they gave you chocolate? I’m joking! (RL, GL) So anybody who has been kind, took care of you, you don’t label parents, do you? (GL)?

Question:
There must come a lot of factors together, like all this.

Lama Zopa Rinpoche:
From a lot of factories?

Question:
Like name... [GL]

Lama Zopa Rinpoche:
No, I’m joking.

Question:
Like name, like taking care, like giving chocolates (RL, GL). If all this circumstances come together [end of sentence inaudible].

Lama Zopa Rinpoche:
That anybody who take care of you, anybody who took care of you, who been kind to you, who gave you chocolate or icecream, doesn’t mean they are parents, doesn’t mean that they are parents, right? So, the parents is that who gave this body, no? So anyone who gave this body, that man is father, and that woman is mother, right?

HOW THINGS EXIST
As I told this morning, actually I mentioned every time the way how things exist, how things exist also I mentioned this morning. Every time when I talk about emptiness I mention also how things exist as well. That there is no, that existing these aggregates, that which did the function, the person there is who gave this body, the man and the woman who gave this body, these is no other, that’s all, the reason that the parents are exist, that you have parents, is if there is the base, this person, the man, the woman who gave body, there is no, reason is finished, just by that. There is no more reason than that. Reason finished by that. Just existing the base. Just having the base to be labeled father, mother, having the base itself is the, that’s all the reason why the parents exist, there is no more than that. The reason of existing parents is just because the base is, the base, the man who gave body, the woman who gave body, exist, that’s all the reason the parents exist. Because there is this base existing, so the label, father, mother it exists without choice, because the base existing, the base is there. So the father, mother, the label father, mother without choice it exists.

So the way it exists is, because the base is there, the father, mother, the man who gave this body, the woman who gave this body, it is existing. Because of that, because that reason, then the mind merely impute father, mother, just believing that, just satisfied with that. That’s all. So nothing more than that.

So the way that father and mother exists, how they exist, because of the reason that there’s this base, the man who gave you your body, woman who gave you your body, because, the reason is because of this base, then mind merely impute father and mother. Then, you believe in that. So that’s all how this, there’s nothing more than that, how the parents exist, the way the parents exist. So like that.

The mind which doesn’t know ultimate nature of the I, that the I is empty of existing from its own side. Because having this mental factor, being hallucinated or not knowing the nature of the I, ultimate nature of I, that the I is empty of existing from its own side, so this is the base. Because this base is existing, so the label ignorance it exist without choice. The base is there, so the label ignorance it exists without choice. Because of the reason of this, base, this mind not knowing things, not seeing things that which exist and not understanding karma, not understanding things that which exist, not seeing the ultimate nature of the I, the emptiness, how the I is empty, then so because of the reason of this, depending on this reason, depending on this reason, then mind labels ignorance. Mind merely imputes ignorance, then believe in that. So this is the way how the ignorance exist. Because the base exists.

The mind that, by using reasons that that person’s body is slim, that person’s nose is like this, that person’s hair is like this color like this, this means good, then that this color means good, this shape means good. So all that, so the mind that exaggerate the object and then feeling, like water absorbed in cotton, mind sinking in that object, or like the oil that got on the cloth or paper, that is so difficult to separate, so the mind so difficult to separate from that object. One exaggerates this and that is good, beautiful, then so difficult, like oil on the paper or cloth, went inside, so difficult to separate. Like that, mind so difficult to separate from that object, so this base, because of the reason of this base, the label attachment exists, without choice. As there is this mind which is in that characteristic, mind which is, as there is this mental factor which is in this characteristic, so the label attachment it exists without choice, because of the reason there is the base. Base. So depending on this reason, this base, then mind merely imputes attachment, and believe in that, just satisfied with that, the attachment exists, nothing more than what is merely labeled, how the attachment exist.

So now, the same thing, when the mind which is angry, the mind which is in nature of ill will to hurt. This base is there, the label anger exists without choice and, how that happens, reason, depending on this reason—the base then one’s mind merely label anger, and believe in that, so that is how the anger exists.

The same thing with virtue and nonvirtue. Action that which, as I mentioned this morning, action which brings result happiness, this base is there, so the label good karma or virtue exists without choice. What makes the good karma to exist? The label exists is because of the base, the action which does the function to bring, causing happiness. So depending on this base, reason, then also mind merely imputed, virtuous action or good karma or Dharma, so that’s how Dharma exists or good karma exists. Then, the action that which causes sufferings, depending on this reason, this base, no choice, nonvirtue, negative karma, it exists, the label exists. Depending this reason, the base, then the mind merely imputes negative karma or nonvirtue. That’s how negative karma exists, like that.

Then suffering, how suffering exist. Any feeling that these aggregates, that this body and mind experiences, if it is what you are experiencing, what the body and mind is experiencing, if it is something that you don’t like, if it’s undesirable, then there is the base, that is the base, the undesirable feeling, that feeling that which is undesirable for you. The base is there, so you label suffering; it exists without choice. The label suffering exists, because of the base. That feeling, that experience which is undesirable. So the reason is depending on this base, then one’s own mind merely imputes the problem, suffering, like that. While the mind merely imputes the problem, suffering, like that. This is how suffering exists. Because there is the base, this, the feeling that one doesn’t like, or that it is unbearable, it exists.

There is experience, feeling, of the aggregates, which is desirable, that you like, so this base, because this base exists, this experience exists, so the label pleasure, happiness it exists without choice. Depending this base, this experience, this reason which is the reason, then the mind also merely impute pleasure, happiness, so believe in that, so that’s it how pleasure or how happiness exists. Nothing more than that.

DEPENDENT ARISING
You can see all these things—ignorance, anger, attachment, negative karma, suffering, then, the positive, the motivation, positive attitude, renunciation of samsara, or bodhicitta, thought of enlightenment, or the thought of emptiness, even these positive thoughts, and positive actions, result happiness, temporary, ultimate—all these things are dependent arising. All these things exist by depending on the base and thought and the label. By depending on these things—the base, mind, the label, therefore all things are empty. Empty means, it doesn’t mean the ignorance, anger, attachment is empty; it doesn’t mean the ignorance is empty of ignorance, it’s not saying that. Anger is empty of anger, attachment is empty of attachment. Nonvirtuous actions are empty nonvirtuous actions; negative karma is empty of negative karma; suffering is empty of suffering. It is not saying that. If suffering is empty of suffering; it means suffering doesn’t exist. If suffering is empty of suffering, it means suffering doesn’t exist, the suffering is empty of suffering means the suffering is not suffering. Negative karma is not negative karma. If you put it this way, emptiness—suffering is empty of suffering then that means, suffering is not suffering; it is the same. Negative karma is empty. If you think empty in the sense absence of negative karma, then you are saying that negative karma is not negative karma; it’s the same. It is like that.

If you say, if the friend is empty of friend, what happens? Is the friend empty or not ?

Question:
Then there’s no friend.

Lama Zopa Rinpoche:
Is the friend empty or not?

Question:
Empty of what ? (RL, GL)

Lama Zopa Rinpoche:
Now you understood.(RL, GL) Only now clear that. (RL, GL) I am glad only now when you come to the point of friend, you are not clear that (RL). The what exists, before we talked, before, the difference what we’re talking before, what exists, and what does not exist. Right? Now you understood on the friend, on the object friend, what exists, what doesn’t exist, right?

If the friend is empty of friend, then friend does not exist, right? So if the friend is empty of friend, then it has to be an enemy or stranger. (RL) It is a being, it is a living being, that is a person. So if it’s empty of friend, that has to be a enemy or stranger. If it’s not friend, it has be one of those.

What about yourself? Are you a friend to you? (GL, RL)

Question:
I’m a dependent arising.

Lama Zopa Rinpoche:
No. Are you a friend to you? Yes, are you a friend to yourself? (GL) You are a person, so are your friend, so what are you to yourself? I am joking. (RL, GL) Maybe it depends on the occasion.(GL) Maybe when you are having good time, maybe you are friend to yourself (RL); when you are having bad time, you are enemy to yourself.

So it’s not like this, the suffering is not empty of suffering; happiness is not empty of happiness; not in that way. So you can see, if you think that way, then this mistake rises that they don’t exist, then experience has to be something else. So, all these things are empty—positive, negative actions, happiness, sufferings, all these. Because they exists in dependence, depending on the base, mind labeling. Maybe, probably might be simpler this way. All these things exist by depending on the base and the mind which labels. So therefore all these are empty of existing from their own side, all these are empty of true existence; all these are empty of independence, opposite to dependence. We went through how they are dependent arising, so they are empty of independence.

This is what his Holiness the Dalai Lama often mentions, that the view of the Buddhist is dependent arising. Because I, action, object, everything, every existence is a dependent arising, including the self, the I. Everything is dependent arising, by depending on the base and the mind labeling it, by depending on those, including the I, all phenomena exist. For example, the I, the self, depending on the base, the aggregates, mind which labels. Depending on these two, depending on these things then it rises; depending on the base, the mind which labels, thenit a rises. Depending on those two, it exists. The I is a dependent arising—depending on those two, it exists, so it is a dependent arising. So like this, action, object, all the phenomena, samsara, the sorrowless state, nirvana, hell, enlightenment, everything, everything exists by depending on the base and thought which labels. So therefore, including the I, action, object, everything are empty of existing from their own side, empty of what doesn’t exist, empty of the I that doesn’t exist—the inherently existent I. So everything is like that, everything is empty of inherently existent phenomena.

So now, the concept of truly existent I, this one is the root of the whole entire samsara, the whole entire suffering realm, the whole entire sufferings, and all the rest of the disturbing thoughts and karma—the actions motivated by them. Because the I is dependent arising, depending on the base and thought which labels, therefore this I is empty of existing from its own side, the independent I, that the I is empty of independent I. So by realizing this emptiness of the I, ultimate truth of the I, that I is empty of the independent I, truly existent I, the existing without depending on the base and thought labeling.

EMPTINESS CUTS TO THE ROOT OF SAMSARA
By realizing this emptiness, and by developing this wisdom, you can eliminate, you can cut the root of the samsara. Now you have to understand, this point is very important to pay attention at this point, if you don’t pay attention to this point, then we don’t know the reason why, what is the importance of talking about emptiness, why it is so important, the importance of this topic, talking and meditating on emptiness. Then, you have no purpose other than just talking as a philosophy, just analysis, just like science analyzing objects and finished by that reason; you have no other purpose, just like scientists analyzing the atoms. So it’s very important this point, even though I did mention other times; but very important to pay attention at this point. Otherwise just like scientist analyzing the atom. It may appear like this—you analyze the atoms, how these atoms look like but then when you have a problem in your life—you have relationship problem, you have disease, you have so many problems. Analyzing the atom, you become an expert in analyzing the atoms—what can that do for your life? You become very high scientist, are able to explain so much about the atoms, but when you have problems, what does it do? [GL] So if we do not know the purpose, if you don’t pay attention to this point, then you lose the whole point; so it just become learning philosophy, or something like scientific analysis, just develop intelligence, that’s all, nothing else.

Here the point why, talking about how everything comes from the mind, those two different ways I explained, how everything is to do with the appearance, how they came from, they are view of one’s own mind, how they came from one’s own mind. However, talking this emptiness. This concept not knowing ultimate nature of the I. This ignorance, not knowing the ultimate nature of I, the reality of the I, that the I is empty of the non-existent I, the truly existent I, independent I, the real I in the sense existing exists from its own side. This becomes the root of all those other emotional minds—attachment, ignorance, anger, so forth, all those delusions, which creates actions, karma, motivated by them. From there all the human beings’ sufferings, worldly gods those who are living in the higher planets, all their sufferings, desire realm, form realm, formless realm, then hell, narak, pretas, hungry ghost, animals, all their sufferings, all these come from the very root. All these sufferings which one experiences, all comes from one’s own root, the mind, the ignorance not knowing the ultimate nature of I, not knowing that the I is empty of the inherently existent I. The I which doesn’t exist means that there is a I which exists, it implies that. So therefore there is no other way how to free yourself, how to liberate yourself from the whole entire sufferings of samsara, the hundred thousands of human sufferings or the worldly gods, those living beings living in other higher planets then the hell, so forth, all those unimaginable sufferings, for so many aeons they experience. However, all those things, there is no way to completely liberate oneself, to make impossible to experience all these, no way to this, unless we eliminate the root of the whole entire cause and all the sufferings this ignorance, the wrong concept of truly existent I.

So now how we can cut this? How we can eliminate this? Only no other realization, not even bodhicitta. What can directly cut or eliminate is only by your wisdom realizing emptiness, the ultimate truth of that I, that that I is empty of inherently existent I. So this, the path that which directly, that which become direct remedy, directly eliminate the ignorance, root of the whole entire sufferings is only by this wisdom realizing emptiness of the I.

EMPTINESS AND DEPENDENT ARISING
Why are the I, action, objects, everything empty? Because they are dependent arising. Everything are empty. Why? Empty of existing from its own side, independence because I, action, objects, everything is dependent arising. You can see the Buddhist’s view is dependent arising. You can see the depth, you can see the reason, you can see the usefulness of that. It has very deep meaning. That it is dependent arising, it is talking about the reality, it is talking about how things are, how the I exist—dependent arising. Because they are dependent arising so that they are empty. Now you can realize, by thinking how they are dependent arising you can realize emptiness. Then you can cut the root of the samsara, then all the causes of the sufferings, then one can cease all the whole entire suffering of samsara.

The Buddhist view is dependent arising and conduct is not to give harm to others. The view is dependent arising is not talking about something nothing to do with the reality, some kind of faith. It’s not talking that. It is just talking about the actual nature of the phenomena, including the I. So, dependent arising, and conduct is not to give harm to others. The reason to not give harm to others comes out of emptiness. Because everything is empty of existing from its own side, so the way that things exist is only by depending. Therefore, if you give harm to others, depending on that you get the result of suffering, you experience the result, suffering. By giving harm to others, this cause has the result which is suffering. So then it circles on yourself, you experience the result, suffering; and then also it causes others not to have peace, causes suffering to other sentient beings. If one gives harm to others, oneself has to experience the result of sufferings and also no good for others, bring unhappiness to other sentient beings. Therefore the conduct is not to harm others. The basic reason not to harm others because everything is a dependent arising. So because of that, everything is empty. So basic reason comes from that—to not give harm others. Of course the attitude is compassion, but basically comes from these reasons, because everything are dependent arising.

By planting rice, rice comes; by planting the seeds of poisonous plant, poisonous plants come. By planting raisins, then raisins comes. Whether you actually plant raisins, buy raisins and plant in the ground, but not that [RL], anyway, by planting that seed that which is the same continuation, that which brings that result that is sweet; so you get that. However, how these things are working is because they are empty, empty of independence, dependent on the previous cause and also the continuation which comes after. That depending on cause, conditions, base and mind which labels, depends all these things that they exist, that they function, that they grow. By depending on cause, conditions, base, mind labeling, all these things, depending on all these then how these things function. By planting then produce stem, then similar, whether it’s sweet or it’s hot or whatever, this the similar fruit comes.

That it is the nature of phenomena, from nonvirtuous actions, suffering arises; from virtuous actions, happiness arises. Why this is happening? As I mentioned before, because they are dependent on cause, conditions, base, mind labeling, by depending on all these things, then they are functioning this way. The virtuous actions causing happiness, the nonvirtuous actions causing suffering. How they are functioning like this? It’s because their nature is, because they are dependent on cause, conditions, base, mind labeling, so all these are empty. They are able to function all these because they are empty, empty of independence and also it is the nature of the phenomena that they are functioning in this way - from positive action the result is happiness; from negative karma, the result is suffering, this is the nature of the phenomena, how that is working is the nature of phenomena.

It’s the same as, scientifically, by putting two batteries, one negative, one positive, then able to produce light, then able to function light. So all these things—having negative and positive battery then there is light. So same, from negative karma there’s the result happiness [RL, GL], so I think it’s time to stop there! [RL, GL] I think the mouth become crazy. [RL, GL] Or the mind! Mind is already crazy. Anyway, so like this example, by having two batteries, negative and positive, then the light. So, same thing, when the positive action that which depends on many cause conditions, the base, mind labeling, which exist by depending on many things then there is the result of happiness. Same thing, negative karma which exist by depending on many things then when this happens, then there is the result, suffering. So this is the nature of phenomena—how the two batteries positive and negative, not the dead batteries! (RL) But the living battery (RL) When all these things together, then it’s able to produce light; it’s the nature of phenomena; how it works, it’s just the nature of phenomena. Because there are cause and conditions gathered, so there is the result, light. So everything words by dependent arising and that is because everything is empty. So like that.

For example, from that one tiny seed how does it happen that this flower grew like this. Again this happened, such this incredibly design flower (GL), that each petal in unbelievable shape (GL). So it came from that piece of tiny seed. From that seed, how this incredible designed flower grew with all its leaves is the nature of phenomena. The reason is not only because of the seed—that is the external cause. There is internal cause. The internal cause what makes to grow these flowers in such a design incredible like this, seed is not the only answer. Now, there are more reasons. Now what makes the seed to exist, what made the seed to happen, seed of this flower, there is more reasons, not only the seed. After the seed, this came from the seed, that particular seed, so it grew this particular design of flower. But then what causes the seed to exist? Now that question is very important. That question is very important. Now that question, what makes the seed to exist?

The living beings who enjoy, who see this flower, so this enjoyment, as I mentioned before, this sense enjoyment, what we here describing is appearance, the appearance how we see this flower; it describes that appearance. So this sense enjoyment, the desirable object; or in case there’s somebody doesn’t like this flower (RL, GL), somebody hates to have this flower; anyway, so this sense enjoyment, way we describe this flower, how we see its appearance, talking about describing our appearance of the flower, so this came from, since it is desirable object so it came from positive imprint left by the good karma, positive intention left imprint on our mind by the positive karma, intention. So the karma, our positive intention, is the main cause, is the inner cause of this flower, is the inner cause of what makes to exist, just relating to one object. So seeds are not the main reason; what makes these flowers exist, what caused the seeds of these different flowers to happen is the inner cause, the karma. We who see this flower, who experience this flower, that is related to our karma, the inner cause. So that is the original reason what makes these sense objects to happen, to exist. So soil, seed, that is only talking physical cause.

The main reason what makes all these things, for example, this one, this one is unbelievable (GL). It has its own beauty, comparing to this, it’s so small, it has incredible design, and each flower has its own leaves, each flower has its own stems, leaves which exactly fit. Each flower, according to the flower, how it looks, it has the leaves that exactly fit with that. (GL) According to my view, I could not find any complaint. (GL, RL) Could not find any complaint that this leaf doesn’t fit with this.(GL) When I look at the flowers, it’s very, very interesting that, it is like somebody decorated perfectly, but however that is our mind: all these such fine details, such incredibly extensive, fine (RL) for example, if you just think of the leaf, it has decoration, it is incredible design, the leaf (GL, RL), I think that is insect (GL, RL); those green insects which comes in salad. (RL, GL)

When we look at our sense object, we find it very interesting but actually it is our mind which creates this, from where it comes is our good karma, if it is beautiful object, it’s our mind, the positive intention. Our mind is the one that created the positive karma, the good karma which left imprint to see, to have this, the imprint manifesting, by experiencing ripening imprint then seeing those each different flower which has unbelievable design.

Actually the very interesting thing is our mind, that the mind which is incredible phenomenon that, you cannot see the mind, it doesn’t have shape, no color, no shape, which has no hands, no legs, no nose, (RL) anyway, the mind which is colorless and shapeless but which nature is clear and perceiving objects, but what it can do, what the mind can do, this is the power of mind. All these things what we can see here is the power of mind, due to our power of mind, all this came from the power of mind.

So the conclusion of what I’m talking is, all these happened due to cause and conditions. When there’s cause and conditions all together, these things happening, each of these flowers grew like that. So it’s just the nature of phenomena, happening that way. Depending on the good karma if it’s desirable object, then depending on the inner cause good karma, then external cause, then these things happened.

Now same thing the wind blowing, going in the different directions, those also by depending on cause and conditions it functions that way. Wind blowing, moving around, all those functions because they are dependent on cause and conditions, many things—base and mind that labels, depending on all these things so they are existing, they are functioning; so it’s nature of the phenomena how the wind is moving, the cyclone or whatever; even those big typhoons. So however how everything is working is by depending on cause and conditions because they are dependent on many things—cause, conditions, base, mind labeling, depending on all these things they are functioning in that way. There is a cause and there is a result. There is a cause like this and then from that there is a particular result.

So like that, the first atomic power, the atomic bomb, by putting many atoms together, by depending on many cause and conditions, then it is able to have the power to destroy, even the size is not significant but it can destroy the earth so much, the world. So by putting together different elements or atoms that you produce the result, all this, how it works is based on the nature of phenomena, by depending on many cause and conditions then it gives that effect, that result.

Now similar in the sense of karma, how karma works is exactly the same. From virtuous, from good karma, result is happiness; from negative karma, result suffering. It is the same, it is the nature of the phenomena. Yeah, I think maybe I stop here. (GL, RL)

Okay. You have tea. [Audience: No, we sent it back.] Oh, I’m sorry, I’m sorry. (GL, RL) I think I have a lot of karmic debts, tea and [RL, GL], I don’t know, anyway, so much of times.

UNIVERSAL RESPONSIBILITY
Yeah, then maybe we do meditation, short meditation.

We will meditate on darkness. (GL) Now I am joking. (GL, RL). I am joking, that I am joking. That I am just teasing. So think: I am responsible, sentient beings who are around me—human beings, animals, living beings who are around me—I am responsible for their happiness, their peace. How I am responsible the sentient beings around me, their happiness, peace, success? If I look at them with negative thoughts, ill will, anger, jealous mind, selfish mind, only concerned of me, no feeling of others, need of others, their happiness, their problems. If I look at them with negative attitude, then the actions my behavior is also negative and negative vibration, so that affects them, makes their mind unhappy, sad, depressed, unpleasant; it creates unhappy, depressed environment and causes others, so with negative attitude, negative behavior, disrespect, harm toward others, so it causes to arise anger, negative thoughts in others, causes others to create negative karma, to harm me, by harming me, other sentient beings. Destroys the peace, happiness what they have.

If I look at them with loving compassionate thought, thought of cherishing others, bodhicitta, positive mind patient, peaceful mind, patience, with these positive attitudes, it creates warm feeling, gives warm feelings to others. There is respect, there is positive behavior, respect, kindness, kind action, no harm, and on top of that, one give help towards others. So it gives peace to other sentient beings, it causes peace in the heart of other sentient beings, gives happiness, brings harmonious relationship. As one helps others, doesn’t harm, interfere to others’ wishes, so bring success for others. So with the loving compassionate mind, there is loving compassionate smile toward others, kind face towards others and that also brings happiness in the mind to others.

Depending with what kind of attitude, behavior I do toward others, it brings happiness in others’ lives, in others’ minds or brings unhappiness, problems in others’ lives, in others’ hearts. Therefore I am responsible for the happiness, peace, success what they receive from me, that is my responsibility; happiness, peace what they receive from me in my everyday life, all the people, animals, all other living beings, we see and we don’t see, however, all those who are around their happiness, peace, success which comes from me, that I am responsible for that.

Now feel this: in everyday life anybody who is around at home, in the office, at the Dharma center, in the shop, wherever one is, that you are responsible all those living beings who are around their happiness, peace, success, so now, keep the mind in this state, keep the mind continuously in this state of feeling responsibility of other sentient beings’ happiness and peace, success. Just keep on thinking, I am responsible all sentient beings’ happiness, peace, success. Just keep on thinking this.

One feels that I am responsible for happiness, peace, success of everybody here at this place, not only human beings also the creatures, insects. So feel this responsibility.

Then, not only temporary happiness, I am responsible for their ultimate happiness - cessation of the whole entire sufferings and causes, ultimate happiness, the sorrowless state and the peerless happiness, the full enlightenment. I am responsible to cause these things, this ultimate happiness for these sentient beings. So try to feel this.

I can be, depending on my attitude, depending on how I do with my mind, depending on what I do with my mind toward other sentient beings, I can cause other sentient beings to create negative karma, rise anger, dissatisfied mind attachment, ignorance, all these things and cause them to create negative karma and to reincarnate, to fall down in the lower realms, to continuously experience sufferings of samsara; or also I can cause them to cease the anger, dissatisfied mind attachment, ignorance, self-cherishing thought, cause them renunciation of samsara, wisdom realizing emptiness, bodhicitta, I can cause them to experience this, to actualize this path and them to achieve ultimate happiness, especially peerless happiness, the full enlightenment. Depending on what I do with my mind towards them. So there is danger and there is also benefit, there is great danger to cause great harm to them, there is also great benefit I can offer for them, towards other sentient beings. By this reason that I can do this, that I have potential to do this, by this reason, I am responsible; by this reason that I have this potential to offer greatest benefit toward other sentient beings, by this reason I this responsibility, because I have the potential to do this.

Second reason, I have received perfect human rebirth which has the opportunity to practice Dharma; have met the virtuous friend who revealed path of virtue, who revealed the cause of happiness, cause of temporary happiness and cause of ultimate happiness, the path to liberation, full enlightenment. Not just one, I have met many qualified Mahayana virtuous friends who can reveal complete path to enlightenment. I have met or I have the opportunity to meet; even one has not met yet, one has opportunity to meet, or one, have met not just one but have met many.

So have met the unmistaken path to the peace, not only temporary happiness, especially ultimate happiness, especially the graduated path to enlightenment, so therefore I have all the opportunities to help them. By having received perfect human rebirth, meeting virtuous friend and this unmistaken path to peace, so I have all the opportunity to cause others, all sentient beings to cease, by revealing the path to them, to cease all their sufferings and causes, bring ultimate happiness, liberation, especially highest enlightenment. So by this second reason, that I have all the opportunities, I am responsible for all sentient beings’ happiness, especially ultimate happiness, enlightenment, I am responsible.

Okay, thank you so much. Tea is missed, but I am responsible you have dinner. (RL)

[Short mandala, dedications]

LECTURE 6: 29 NOVEMBER 1992 AM

SEARCHING FOR THE I
So yesterday I didn’t finish. One side I finished, but one side I didn’t finish to, the merely labeled I, the I that exists, the merely labeled I, that part was explained but that the I, the self, the merely labeled I, which means the merely labeled I, that you cannot find on these aggregates, the base, but the I itself can be found in the hall. Even though it cannot be found on this base, on this aggregates, if you analyze where it is, from the tip of the hair down to toes, anywhere, it cannot be found, but it can be found in this hall.

There is no other reason why the I, the self, exist in the hall except only the aggregates, the base, the association of the body and mind is in this hall during these hours. That is the only reason. So that part I already explained yesterday, what is the reason, all that thing, but now the differences, the reality of how the I exist, what the I is, the reality of the I, the self is like that. But now we analyze this I which we believe is inside the body, which we believe on these aggregates, existing on these aggregates, the I which we believe is in the particular location of the body. So when it rises, in the situation when one is about to have a car accident or about to fall down or when other person is provoking you, when you are afraid somebody is going to say something bad about you in public or something or whatever or when you have success, maybe get degree or something that you wish so much, that success so when you have big excitement. So during those times which becomes very clear, at other times not that much clear, which is called normally in the West that, emotional I, that you feel something inside the body; not outside the body, but inside the body. Now, we will talk about that.

So this one, if you search, cannot be found, this I in the sense real one, if you use the ordinary terms, what appears to us, what we believe, real one in the sense existing from its own side. If it is made commentary then what is says in the philosophy, in the teachings; if it is explained, if it is expressed out, made clear, then truly existent, independent I, that unlabeled I. The independent I because when this I appears to oneself, it does not appear to us as merely labeled by the mind; it does not appear to us according to the reality; it appears to us something completely opposite to the reality, so not merely labeled, even though the I, the self, that which experiences happiness, suffering, creates the cause of happiness, creates the cause of suffering, which does walking, eating, sitting, sleeping; even though that self is what exists, what does the activities, harming others, helping others; even though that is merely labeled by the mind but appearing to us as not merely labeled by the mind, which means existing from its own side. So, however, existing from its own side and above, appearing there’s something like this, real I, above these aggregates or inside this body.

So now this one, if we search, cannot be found anywhere, cannot be found anywhere, and, now, important thing to understand is this: it cannot be found anywhere on the aggregates it’s the same as the merely labeled I. But now the important thing to understand, to analyze, to realize is that, not only that, this, the I that which appears to us not merely labeled by the mind, the real one in the sense inherently existent, that it exists nowhere on this.

THE FIVE AGGREGATES
So there are five aggregates —aggregates of form, the physical part, then, feeling, cognition, compounding aggregates, means, there are fifty-one mental factors, mental factor is not exact translation but it’s translated that way, the fifty-one mental factors that rise by accompanying the principal consciousness, so sem-jung, the term is sem-jung, like that. So from those fifty-one mental factors, there are six principal consciousnesses. For example, the consciousness of the eye [RL], I’m not talking about here the I, the self, but, so depending on the form and the basis, the physical sense basis, then it does function that perceiving or understanding the essence of the objects. Then the mental factors which accompany with that, then that which discriminates the qualities of the object, the differences or qualities. So there are different mental factors which does different functions, by accompanying with the principal consciousness then does different functions. For example, memory has the function to not forget the object; so each of them does different functions on that same object, relating to that, does different functions.

So however, that there are fifty-one mental factors, from those that feeling and cognition, these two mental factors you don’t count, then all the rest from the fifty-one mental factors, all the rest go in the section, all the rest are called, labeled “compounding aggregates.” All the impermanent phenomena comes in three divisions, three different types of existence. So one goes in the substantial phenomena, then one is mind; in general terms—body and mind, so mind or cognition, so she-pa, just to get simple idea, normally you say body and mind, so then it goes in the section of mind. Then there are phenomena, such as living beings, there are other causative phenomena, there are other impermanent phenomena, that which are living beings, and other phenomena which are not living beings, neither the mind, nor the substantial. So, like the time, year, all those phenomena goes in the section, such as imprint, so forth, so, other than living beings, all those other phenomena go in the section of the compounding phenomena. So that general title - compounding phenomena is imputed on this, from the fifty-one mental factors by taking out the cognition and feeling, then that label is put on those mental factors.

That is what Geshe Sopa Rinpoche, who is also one of my gurus who has been professor in the Madison University of Wisconsin in America, who has been professor maybe more than twenty years, I am not sure, a long time. This is what Geshe-la explained.

Anyway, why that label is put on these, why that general label—the compounding phenomena, why that general title labeled on these mental factors, that I am not sure, the reason I don’t know. Maybe same as the reason why we label table. Maybe probably same as we label table, this thing that is made of whatever material, with whatever material that is made of. However which does the function to put things on the top. So we label table. Probably might be the same reason why we labeled, why we put this label table, why we give this label table.

So, aggregates of form, feeling, cognition, compounding aggregates, the consciousness, so none of these is that, that this real I that you feel inside the body, that appears to us not merely labeled by the mind, which appears to us like this. So, the aggregate of form is not this I that which we feel inside, within our body. Form is not that I, feeling is not that I, cognition is not that I, the compounding aggregates is not that I, aggregate of consciousness is not that I; even the whole group of these is not that I which appears to us not merely labeled by the mind. Real one in the sense, inherently existent. Even the whole group is not that I. Even the whole group, the five aggregates however the association of the body and mind, even that the whole group is not this I, this I which we feel inside the body, if I put it in a simple way, the I which we feel inside the body, is not that I, this I that which appears to us not merely labeled by the mind, inherently existent; the whole group of the aggregates is not this I.

SUBTLE DEPENDENT ARISING
Now we have to understand how this group of the whole aggregates why this is not I, we have to understand, that is very important. If you know this clearly, then one can do effective meditation on emptiness. Why? That subtle dependent arising, from the four schools, I don’t remember the Sanskrit term for each one, cheta me wa, do depa, _________, u-mapa, so there are the four schools like this. So the fourth one is Madhyamaka school, Middle Way school, so that has two, Svatantrika school and second one Prasangika school. So, according to the Prasangika school, the dependent arising that which is subtle dependent arising, as I mentioned, when we analyze the I, how it is so subtle; when we analyze the I, it comes to the point that it is extremely subtle, unbelievably subtle, that, it is not that it does not exist but it is like it does not exist, extremely subtle how the I is. However that is extremely subtle dependent arising according to the Prasangika school; so according to the reality how things are. So in other words, according to the reality how things are. So it helps to understand that.

Then the more we get finer understanding, the more subtle understanding of this - how things exist, then it becomes clear the subtle refuting object, the Prasangika’s view the subtle refuting object, the I which appears to us something more than what is merely labeled by the mind, so that which is empty and only by realizing this emptiness, this particular emptiness, only then you can cut the root of samsara, the root of the whole entire sufferings, the problems, and able to cut that direct, that root of samsara.

ENLIGHTENMENT
I mentioned already before one or two times. However that, so by actualizing this wisdom, by developing this wisdom, then one is able to cease all the delusions, all the emotional minds and karma, even the imprints, even the subtle imprints left by delusion, concept of true existence, this ignorance, not only that one can achieve sorrowless state, the ultimate liberation, cessation of the whole entire suffering and causes. Especially one can achieve, by ceasing even the subtle imprints left by the delusion, the concept of the true existence, this ignorance then one’s own mind becomes enlightened mind; one’s own mind becomes omniscient mind that able to see all the past, present, future, all the existence, able to see everyone’s mind, every sentient beings’ mind at the same time, able to see all the past, present, future existence, everything at the same time.

While this mind sees all the present existing phenomena, able to see at the same time all the past, at the same time able to see all the future, able to read everyone’s mind, able to see at the same time, while that mind, able to see constantly without break even a second, able to see all the time. So when you become enlightened, so your mind, while you are seeing constantly, without a second break, not seeing that one sentient being’s mind, so while the mind constantly, without break even one second, continuously seeing that person’s mind, reading that person’s mind, able to read every sentient being’s mind, their level of intelligence and their karma, how much merits they have, level of merits, their characteristics, different personalities, can see everything.

Not only having this wisdom or this omniscient mind knowing everything; there is perfect power. Also the omniscient mind able to see every single method to bring them in the happiness, to lead them in the happiness by freeing them from the sufferings, different levels of sufferings, to free them from the sufferings and to lead them in happiness. All the methods to lead them from happiness to happiness, then gradually to the highest happiness of the full enlightenment, cessation of all the mistakes of the minds, having all the qualities of the realization.

Able to see your mind, able to see every single method to reveal to them, you have also all the two obscurations, disturbing-thought obscurations—the gross one and then the subtle obscuration, the subtle imprints. Having completely removed, completely ceased, therefore, also the power, also the capacity to help others is develops, the potential to help others, to reveal various methods to other sentient beings is also that time fully developed, fully developed the capacity to help others, power to help others is fully developed, nothing is missing, because you are free from all the obstacles. Your mental continuum becomes completely free from all the obstacles that which interferes with you to have perfect power, complete capacity. There are no obstacles; you are free from that, so you have all the power, all the capacity. Therefore your mind becomes an omniscient mind able to reveal all the methods whatever it fits, even to guide one sentient beings, you need so many methods to bring them in happiness, from happiness to happiness, to develop the mind and to gradually lead in higher and higher path, to enlightenment.

The need to reveal various methods, then especially in different times as the person’s level of mind is different, characteristics is different that even one sentient being, you have to reveal different methods. All the time just one method, just one meditation cannot develop, cannot bring them from happiness to happiness to enlightenment, cannot do that. Even to guide one sentient being, you have to reveal so many different methods to be able to perfectly guide. So you need to know every single thing, the person’s karma, what the person’s cause having created in the past, gross karma and subtle karma, one has to know everything, so according to that then you can reveal the methods, then you don’t make the slightest mistakes in guiding other sentient beings. So everything fits.

Even to guide one sentient being, even to free one sentient being from whole entire suffering and causes, one has to know all these various means, methods, especially to bring them to enlightenment. However one has to know so many things about that sentient being and then all the methods that fit them. Even in one life, so many different methods, then especially life to life.

So only by having omniscient mind, then one can do perfect work for other sentient beings, without slightest mistake without any slightest confusion, without obstacle from your side, without any ignorance, without any hallucination, without any limitation of power, capacity from your side. So no obstacle from your side, can perfectly guide. So with the omniscient mind, then also one has complete, perfect power to guide other sentient beings.

Then, the main reason that you use your omniscient mind to help other sentient beings, sentient beings who are numberless, every single sentient being that who wants happiness, who do not want sufferings; while they wish happiness but they devoid of happiness; they don’t want suffering, but they constantly experience sufferings. However, the numberless sentient beings that you use your wisdom, omniscient mind and your power only to benefit for other sentient beings. Without, perfect power to be able to reveal every single method that according to the levels of minds of other sentient beings, according to their characteristics, their wishes, so using the perfect power to free all other sentient beings from all the sufferings, to benefit other sentient beings; the main reason is because that time you have completed the mind, the compassion is fully developed, toward every sentient being. So mainly because of compassion, there is no cheating other sentient beings, by having all this wisdom and all this power.

THE PATHS WITHIN BUDDHISM
All these things are achieved, from the very beginning, when one starts to follow the path, even before actualizing the path within one’s mind, so they are like this: as regards path, there is Lesser Vehicle path, the Hinayana path, to achieve the cessation, to achieve the sorrowless state, the ultimate liberation for oneself, the cessation of the whole entire suffering and causes, to achieve this for oneself. There’s path or teachings that Buddha has revealed according to the sentient beings who have different capacities of mind; so those who have lower capacity of mind for whom the Great Vehicle, the Mahayana path, to reveal that teachings don’t fit; so then the kind, compassionate, skillful, Guru Shakyamuni Buddha skillful in guiding, skillful in revealing methods, skillful in guiding sentient beings, doing the works for sentient beings, so the kind, compassionate, skillful Guru Shakyamuni Buddha, so revealed, those whom the Great Vehicle, the Mahayana path, don’t fit, those very brave mind that renounce oneself, to cherish other sentient beings, to take the responsibility of all sentient beings work or happiness, to cause happiness to all sentient beings, to bring them liberation to the highest enlightenment, to take all this responsibility on oneself, for whom these teachings do not fit, for whom, who don’t have the capacity to practice these things, for whom the Mahayana path, the Great Vehicle do not fit; then Buddha revealed the Lesser Vehicle path, the Hinayana path to achieve liberation for yourself, to work for yourself, who only has that capacity of mind.

Then the Mahayana, the Great Vehicle, within that, there are two: Paramitayana path, the gone beyond path, and the Vajrayana, the path of secret mantra. Then those whom such these teachings of bodhicitta, whom it fit, who has potential, who has karma, who has capacity to practice bodhicitta, to take the responsibility to work for all sentient beings, then who has that karma or potential to hear these teachings, and to practice these teachings, to develop this path then the kind, compassionate, skillful Guru Shakyamuni Buddha revealed this path, the Mahayana path.

Then those who don’t have that merit, good karma to hear the teachings of secret mantra, the Vajrayana, the path to achieve enlightenment in one lifetime, the path to achieve enlightenment within a few years, short life, within a few years. So this quick path to enlightenment, the tantra path, the path of secret mantra. So who don’t have, they have karma to receive Mahayana teachings, the Great Vehicle teachings, to practice bodhicitta, and so forth but they don’t have the higher teachings, the teachings of secret mantra, the quick path to enlightenment, then for the time being, just reveal only the Mahayana Paramitayana teachings, the path, for the time being. Then when there is more merit, there is karma, the potential, karma, to receive, it created, it ripened to receive the teachings of secret mantra, the quick path to enlightenment, then Buddha revealed the teachings of secret mantra to those highly intelligent, to those who have most merit, most good karma, extensive merits, those whose karma ripened; then revealed to them teachings of secret mantra, quick path to enlightenment. So just general idea, so Buddha has taught the teachings in three levels like that, according to the three different categories or levels of other sentient beings’ mind. So I lost the point why I am talking this.

So even one hasn’t generated any of these paths, when one begins to practice Dharma even without talking about realizing the path, any of the lower path ,the Lesser Vehicle path, the Great Vehicle, the Mahayana, then the Mahayana, the secret mantra; without talking about these, actualizing any of these path; even from very beginning when one begins to practice Dharma that means when you begin to practice Buddhadharma, that means to not give harm other sentient beings, that is the basic thing.

COMPASSION
Why practice Buddhadharma? Why is not giving harm to others the main practice of Buddhism? Why? To any being, any sentient being, whether it is enemy, whether it is somebody who gives you harm, whether it is somebody who does not love you, even including whom you call enemy, even strangers—to everyone, not only human beings, any living being, any sentient being who wants happiness, who does not want suffering—to not harm others, that is the major, that is the fundamental practice of Buddhism. Why? Because Buddhism is differentiated, the nature of Buddhadharma is compassion towards every single sentient being; that is the nature, that is the essence of the Buddhadharma, that is the heart. So therefore, to not harm others, the essence is compassion toward every sentient being so therefore, to not harm others is the very fundamental, so that become, to not harm others that became the very fundamental practice, that becomes the very first practice, to not harm others is the very first practice to begin with.

Then on top that, one develops one’s own mind how to benefit other sentient beings; one develops one’s own mind in the path how to offer perfect service or benefit to other sentient beings, without mistake. To do that, to do perfect work for other sentient beings, to free all the sentient beings from all the suffering and causes, all the obscurations, to lead to peerless happiness of full enlightenment, then you yourself have to be perfectly qualified, knowing everything, the omniscient mind, perfect power, able to reveal every single method that it fits to other sentient beings, their karma, their level of mind. Then you have to complete your mind training in compassion. So like that.

Therefore, it’s not sufficient, even if you actualize the five paths, by actualizing renunciation of samsara then you enter the Lesser Vehicle path, the Hinayana path, then you achieve the path of merit, path of conjunction, the right-seeing path, path of meditation, the path of no more learning. So by achieving these, by completing all these paths, then one achieves the cessation of the whole entire suffering and causes on one’s own mental continuum, what is called nirvana or the sorrowless state.

Therefore, it is not sufficient even yourself completely free from the whole entire suffering and causes. It is not sufficient, that you have to enter the Mahayana path, the Great Vehicle path, one must actualize bodhicitta, enter in the Mahayana path, then practice the bodhisattva’s deeds, the bodhisattva’s path, the six paramitas; then achieve enlightenment by completing the Mahayana path, the method and wisdom practicing together. Again, the Mahayana path has five paths: the Mahayana path of merit, conjunction, right seeing path, meditation and no more learning. So, by completing these, then one achieves full enlightenment.

THE POWER OF THE BUDDHA
Only then, when one become enlightened, only then that one can do perfect work for sentient beings. For example, when one becomes enlightened, that even one beam emitting from the holy body, from the pores of the Buddha’s holy body, even one beam, even a minute, second, even one beam that frees, liberates so many beings from the sufferings and lead in happiness. There happened a story that when Buddha was in India, at that time there was one couple, a husband is a Hindu, the wife is a Buddhist. Her name is Baghada. She told her husband that she would like to invite Buddha. She wanted to offer a meal. Her husband said it’s impossible, Buddha would not come. She said that Buddha would come; so she prepared the meal and swept, cleaned the place; and then outside of her house, outside the door, she held incense and she invoked Buddha.

This prayer that we chant in the preliminary practices invoking Buddha and bodhisattvas, inviting them, so this prayer: Please be here the destroyer gone beyond, means Buddha himself, destroyed all the two obscurations, disturbing-thought obscurations, subtle obscurations, all the mistakes of the mind, so who destroyed everything and who destroyed others’ obscurations, cause of the sufferings, so the destroyer and gone beyond. You who is the savior of every sentient being, every and all sentient beings, who is the divine being completely destroyed the host of all the maras. These maras or devils, this means inner maras and devils, means all the delusions, all the anger, ignorance, attachment, all the 84,000 delusions, all these negative thoughts. You, the divine being, who destroyed completely all the hosts of all the devils, the maras. So, there are gross devils, there are subtle devils in the mind. So, subtle evil or devil is the subtle imprint which produces the hallucination of true existence. So all these are devils, subtle devils.

You, who are divine being who destroyed all these devils, hosts of maras, with the surroundings, please be here. So she chanted this prayer by holding incense outside of the door, outside of their house. Then, when she did all this to Guru Shakyamuni Buddha, with the husband outside. First of all the disciples came, arhats, all those, each one came by riding on, through the psychic power in the space, came from the far place wherever Buddha was, with all the disciples, arhats—arhat means those who achieved the sorrowless state. So when each one came, they all looked so glorious, so magnificent, riding on lions, and so forth, so magnificent, so glorious, so her husband thought, he husband asked her, when each disciple came, is this Buddha? Is this Buddha? Is this Buddha? [GL, RL] Because they are so glorious, so magnificent. So she said no, no, no. Anyway, at the very last Buddha came from that very far place to her place, even though it’s very far to go and to travel, very far, which takes six days or something, I don’t remember clearly. Even though it’s very far, however Buddha came to her place, that duration that is like this, that stretching arm, it took that much time; during this duration such a short time, Buddha arrived; Buddha came to her place.

The point is this, during that time between the mountains, when Buddha walks, Buddha doesn’t touch feet on the ground, does not step on the road; something this much height, that four fingers or something however, without touching, then when Buddha walked like this, any creature or any insect there in the road, their mind is in a state of, if the Buddha crossed over the insects in the road, their minds is in the state of great bliss for seven days. However during this duration came through from where Buddha was to her place, so all the insects, all the animals in the forest, so as Buddha came through, the sentient beings who are around, so many of them, uncountable numbers of them were liberated from the sufferings, even during that duration coming through her place.

However, so each pore is able to manifest numberless forms for other sentient beings, each pore of the holy body; so numberless manifestations of the holy body, holy speech, holy mind working for other sentient being because there is no limitation in the power, because you completely ceased all the obscurations, the obstacles, gross and subtle. There is no resistance; nothing blocking.

THE ACTIONS OF BODHISATTVAS
Even before Buddha, the bodhisattvas, even those who did not become enlightened yet; so there are ten bhumis, when the bodhisattva actualizes the third path, the right-seeing path, then from there started to actualize, the ten grounds or ten bhumis, the ten levels. There are ten bhumis, starting from the right-seeing path; after completing the ten bhumis, one achieve enlightenment. So that during the Mahayana right-seeing path and the path of meditation, so the first, the arya bodhisattva who have actualized the wisdom directly perceiving emptiness, so this bodhisattva is called arya bodhisattva or transcendent bodhisattva—transcendent from the ordinary level. However, that the first bhumi bodhisattva, even that one is able to transform one hundred different bodies to work for other sentient beings, to practice Dharma and to work for other sentient beings. So one hundred, then able to go to one hundred pure realms, to make offerings to Buddhas, then able to give different teachings with one hundred different bodies. So there are about eleven different things, different concentrations, eleven different things.

Then the second bhumi bodhisattva is able to manifest one thousand bodies, and to go to one thousand different pure realms of Buddhas, make offerings to Buddha and again one thousand different concentrations, and so forth, to do practice, to do the prostration practice, to accumulate extensive merits so that one can achieve enlightenment for the sentient beings, so that one can do perfect work for other sentient beings.

There are more wisdom and more power, more skills and compassion is more developed; so get developed more and more like this, so, get developed, the wisdom, the power, the compassion, get developed more and more. This ninth, tenth bhumi bodhisattvas, I don’t know how its translated, that I don’t remember, something unimaginable, something like that anyway, so many number, uncountable number, so much power how they can manifest, to do practice, to make prostration, to make offerings to Buddha, in order to achieve enlightenment for all sentient beings.

THE QUALITIES OF THE BUDDHA
What I am saying, one cuts many different plants from different countries, different places, cut very tiny pieces like sand grains, very tiny pieces, make a kind of powder, like that then you put in ocean and stir for one hundred years or something [RL], put in the Atlantic Ocean, [RL] then stir it for one hundred years, mix everything; then you take each tiny piece and ask Buddha each piece from where it came. Because Buddha has achieved omniscient mind, he can tell exactly from which place each part came, this small piece from which tree and which part of the tree, every single thing without mistake.

In India there happened, I think maybe one of Hindu religion, called ?kuntu ju, I think they have a ritual and they have some kind of philosophy, they believe that after somebody died they do ritual and can hook the consciousness back into the body. Normally when the person’s consciousness left the body, when the person’s consciousness is in the intermediate stage before taking another rebirth, due to karma cannot recognize the body. After the consciousness has left the body when a person dies, that separates the consciousness from the body due to karma and delusion. The continuation of these aggregates is stopped. Due to karma cannot, even the intermediate stage being see the body but it cannot recognize that it’s your body, that’s your past body. Due to karma cannot recognize.

This religious people believe that that through ritual they could put the consciousness in the body. So Buddha wanted to tell the people that’s not true, that’s not what is happening. So what enters back into the body and talking is a spirit not that person’s consciousness. In order to show, in order to prove this then, people to believe what Buddha said is true then Buddha asked each family to bring grain and wrapped by cloth. Then piled up on the ground. So after they piled up, each family brought the grain wrapped by cloth. Then after they piled up then Buddha gave, then they invited Buddha and then Buddha gave each of these package that wrapped with cloth, each of these he gave back, from where gave away by explaining from which family came and what kind of grain and how many grains it had in it without opening. How many grains and what type of grain it has inside the cloth. So proved everything to the people. So then after that people found faith what Buddha said is true because he has the knowledge to see these phenomena, what’s right or wrong.

There are so many stories. However there are infinite qualities of Buddha’s holy body, holy speech and holy mind, that Buddha’s actions working for other sentient beings, qualities that which do not fit, all those inconceivable qualities and actions, unbelievable actions how they work for sentient beings, it’s like do not fit to our, hard to grasp, hard to comprehend to our ordinary mind, to our limited ordinary mind, very difficult to comprehend, to grasp. Just like all those machines in the airplane, so many machines, where the pilot, there is so many thousands of things that, buttons, or how the computer is working. Those who have studied, those who fully understand, those who have done complete study, how they are manufactured, or how they are made, for them it is easy to understand. However I don’t understand how it is working [RL].

For the primitive people, people who haven’t learned how these machines are working, what it has, by depending on each other how they are functioning. People who haven’t studied these things find it hard to comprehend, difficult to understand. It’s hard to comprehend to their knowledge, to their mind. So similar, so the Buddha’s unbelievable, Buddha’s the secret action, the Buddha’s actions, which are secret, even arhats those who have completed, those who have incredible psychic power, clairvoyance, those who have completely eliminated all the delusions, even the seed of delusion. So even the arhats, they cannot see, even the whole entire Buddha’s actions don’t fit to them, they cannot comprehend completely, cannot see them. Even the bodhisattvas who has unbelievable, even the tenth bhumi bodhisattva who can manifest uncountable numbers of forms, so much unbelievable, much greater the qualities, the powers, the wisdom, the powers, far more greater inconceivable than arhats, but even they cannot the Buddhas, all the holy actions, qualities, all, every single one of them does not fit, they do not see everything. The secret actions of Buddha they cannot see.

Here we are talking about how Buddha is able to do perfect work for, how there is perfect qualities to, understanding, power, completed compassion to do perfect work for sentient beings. Like, there is only one sun that rises, but this one sun is able to, when this one sun rises, in the world wherever there is water as long as the water does have not cover, rocks, other things, rocks, trees, as long as it doesn’t have cover, the reflection comes. Even the one drop of water dew, even one drop of water, as soon as this one sun or one moon rises, the reflection is even in the water dew, in the ocean, the river, every water there is in the world, the uncountable numbers of reflections just appears. The sun and moon, it didn’t have motivation to, I will manifest in all this water, but this naturally happens. So like this, as long as it doesn’t have cover, as long as the water does not have cover, obstacle, to rise the reflection. So exactly like this that when one becomes enlightened, without any effort, without any thought, effort, just like the one moon and sun manifesting, the uncountable reflections happens in the water. So like that, when one becomes enlightened, then without effort or thought, because one is completely free from all the obscurations, all the obstacles, so naturally the working for sentient beings becomes like that naturally, naturally manifests. So to the numberless sentient beings so naturally manifests, naturally guiding, working, revealing various methods, guiding sentient beings from happiness to happiness to enlightenment.

To explain that the Buddha’s holy body is everywhere, that the whole existence is covered by Buddha’s holy body, at the moment that is difficult to explain, that is highest tantra explanation, how whole existence is covered by Buddha’s holy body that is from highest tantra, maha-anuttara explanation, so cannot be explained now. But I put it other way around. That the omniscient mind, the actual way to understand how all the existence, how there is no place where Buddha doesn’t exist, there is no place where there is no Buddha, the way to understand that actually comes by understanding Buddha’s holy body, that which is subtle. By understanding Buddha’s holy body, that which is explained in tantra, not in sutra, not in the sutra teachings, in the highest tantra teaching. By understanding that, then only then can you understand how Buddha’s omniscient mind, how all the existence is covered by Buddha’s omniscient mind, Buddha’s holy mind. Only then can understand, you get the idea, only then can get clear idea how all the existence, all the places are covered by Buddha’s holy mind. Buddha’s holy mind is everywhere. Only then one can get a clear idea. If one doesn’t understand how all the existence is covered by Buddha’s holy body, if one doesn’t understand that, there is no way that you can understand how all existence is covered by Buddha’s holy mind. There is no way to understand that through the sutra. There is no way to understand that exactly, even though in the sutra often talks, There is no place where there is no Buddha.

So however at the moment, so I put it this way. So the Buddha’s omniscient mind sees all the existence, like that all the existence is covered by Buddha’s omniscient mind and so, as the Buddha’s holy mind is everywhere, covers all existence, so with that there is Buddha’s holy body. Because it’s not talking about a body like this, made of bones and flesh, not like that, here talking about the subtle body. So the point is, whenever sentient beings’ karma to receive guidance, whenever sentient beings’ karma, the imprint, whenever the positive imprint left by the past positive action, whenever the sentient being’s karma is ripened, without delay, it doesn’t matter wherever the sentient being is, without delay even a second, because all existence, all, Buddha’s everywhere, whole existence is covered by Buddha. So wherever the sentient being is, whenever that positive imprint created by past actions, positive actions done by that sentient being, her or himself, whenever that karma, that imprint, is ripened without delay even a second, not like my coming for this course [RL], half hour late. And longer afterwards. So not like that. Without delay, even a second, Buddha’s guidance, manifestation or guidance is right there, the imprint has ripened, or karma, the person’s karma has ripened from the side of the sentient being, without delay of even a second, guidance is there. Manifestation according to the level of the sentient beings’ mind, how much mind is pure or impure, according to that. Whether it is guiding by conversation, sentient beings, by talking, or material help, or Dharma, whatever method that it fits, that it needs. It doesn’t have to be only teaching meditation, there are so many other methods. Only when the mind has reached the level that karma to receive teachings, to hear path, then reveal path, then, only then, otherwise there is no use, otherwise it doesn’t benefit. So like that.

COMPASSION
From the very beginning, even before we actualize the path, even without talking actualizing Hinayana path, the Lesser Vehicle path, even from the very beginning when we begin to practice Dharma, because essence of Buddhadharma is compassion, it starts from the very beginning, the compassion starts from the very beginning. Before I was talking when we become Buddha that time you complete your mind training in compassion. I mentioned that, so I’m saying from the very beginning, even when you begin to practice Dharma, the very essence is compassion, because of that then to not give harm others, to not harm others comes in the action. So that is very, towards all sentient beings, towards any sentient being. Not like this, Oh you don’t harm, somebody who harmed you, you can give harm. Even somebody who destroys, even somebody who harms Buddhadharma, who destroys the Dharma, you cannot harm with anger, you cannot harm back with anger, even who harms, who destroys Buddhadharma, even who destroys monasteries, burning scriptures, so forth. Destroying the Dharma practitioners, the Sangha. However even who harm the religion, you cannot harm with anger, with negative thoughts. So that is the Buddhadharma practice, the practice of Buddhadharma. So if one harms with anger that is not Dharma, that is not Dharma practice, even somebody who harms, who destroy Buddhadharma.

It is not like the thought that gs and so forth are put here by God to help humans by giving us their bodies to eat. It’s not like that. Pigs and fish are given by God for you to eat. So help the people but not help the animals, pigs and fish and those things [RL]. Not like that. However, coming down [RL] to the point from where I started was the sentient beings, also I mentioned yesterday, the benefits of realizing emptiness, came from there. So I just ended this, what I wanted to say, the very aim, to clarify, then stop there.

THE AGGREGATES ARE NOT THE I
None of this five aggregates are the I, none of this is I, even the whole group is not this I that we are feeling inside the body, the not-merely-labeled-by-the-mind I, this I existing from its own side. Now if these aggregates were the I, the details there are four, in order to realize emptiness, there are four logics, reasons, analysis of the four important points. If you meditate, if you go through this, first one has to recognize that I which doesn’t exist, the I which we feel is inside the body, not merely labeled by the mind, which appears like that. First recognize that, then, if it exists, then it has to be either one with the aggregates, or it exists separately from the aggregates. Then if you analyze, whether this I is one with the aggregates or not. Anything which exists it has to be either one with the aggregates or exist separately.

For example this clock exists but how it exists, one with the aggregates or separately, exists separately. So anything which exists, it has either exist one with the aggregates or exist separately. So therefore if this I is true, this I appearing as not merely labeled by the mind, then if this is true, then it has to exist one with the aggregates or exist separately.

Then you try to check whether it is oneness with the aggregates or not. Then there is all the logic. If it is oneness with the aggregates then there many mistakes which arises. Then if it exists separately from the aggregates, there are many mistakes arises. So there are analysis of four points, four important points. After going through this meditation then it comes to a conclusion, that this I which appears truly existent or real is not in the view of the wisdom. Here we are talking about truly existent I or real I. You see, in the view of the ignorance, that which doesn’t exist in the reality. We’re not talking about in the view of wisdom. In the view of wisdom there is no such I. There is no truly existent I. There is no real I in the sense of existing from its own side. In the view of wisdom, in the view of correct mind, in the view of Dharma wisdom, in the view of wisdom realizing emptiness of the I, it sees the I, merely labeled by the mind, nothing exists from its own side. This is what wisdom sees. So therefore the I which appears not merely labeled by the mind, existing from its side, something real in that sense, that’s what we are talking about, the view of the ignorance, in the view of the hallucinated mind. That is the view of the ignorance, what ignorance believes.

There are many shortcomings, if the I existed separately from the aggregates, then many shortcomings. However after all this conclusion then one realizes that this I which appears to oneself not merely labeled by the mind, that it is completely empty. Then at that time then when one experiences that, that this I, self, the meditator, who meditates, which appears real one, not merely labeled by the mind, completely lost. There is nothing to hold on. All of a sudden there is nothing to hold on. Then, you have been holding from birth time, every day from birth time, from beginningless rebirth, so suddenly now through meditation, meditating on emptiness, doing analysis, all of a sudden you have nothing to hold on, you have no I to hold on, to cling on, to cling in the sense of hold, nothing to hold on. So then that time then when one experiences this, then one realizes emptiness, one entered, one realizes, then one see the Middle Way, Middle Path.

Then also it is mentioned that if one has realized emptiness, then you don’t get born in the lower realms, in the hell, preta, animal realms.

However, I think stop here. That this I which appears to us not merely labeled by the mind, inherently existent I, which means inherently existent, I existing from its own side. Now this, anyway the conclusion is that, what I was waiting yesterday to finish, so this one cannot, by doing analysis this one cannot be found anywhere from tip of the hair down to the toes. First of all, none of those aggregates is this I, even the whole group is not this I. Then this I, that this I which appears to us not merely labeled by the mind, as truly existent, which appears us this, this doesn’t exist anywhere. First of all, aggregates, the group of the whole aggregates is not that, not this I, and this I is nowhere it exists, nowhere it exists on these aggregates, become clear.

SEARCHING FOR THE TRULY-EXISTING I
Now this last thing. This I which appears to us not merely labeled by the mind, as real one existing from its own side, now this you cannot find even in this house. That I have been waiting a long time to tell [GL]. This was the point that I was waiting for a long time to explain but somehow got distracted always. So this one you cannot find even in the house. Not only you cannot find in these aggregates, cannot find even outside, cannot find even in this hall now, cannot find in this world, cannot find anywhere. That this particular I, which appears as not merely labeled by the mind, real in the sense of existing from its own side, cannot be found neither on this nor anywhere, nor anywhere, not even in this hall, not in this world, nowhere. Therefore, this I cannot be found anywhere. So this I which appears not merely labeled by the mind, is completely empty, it’s completely empty which appears to us within our body is completely empty. The I is completely empty of the I existing from its own side, not merely labeled by the mind, because the I is, what is merely labeled by the mind. So therefore, so this is the conclusion, this is the ultimate conclusion, logic.

I stop here. So it’s very important to see the differences, these two differences, merely labeled I and the I which appears not merely labeled, the differences. So that’s very important.

[Dedications]

We dedicate the merits to generate bodhicitta within one’s own mind, in the mind of all sentient beings, those who have, to be developed

Due to all the past, present, future merits accumulated by oneself, by buddhas, bodhisattvas, due to all this merit which is merely labeled by the mind. May the I who is merely labeled by the mind achieve the Guru Shakyamuni Buddha’s enlightenment, that which is merely labeled by the mind and lead all sentient beings who are merely labeled by the mind to that enlightenment as quick as possible.

[End of Sixth Discourse]

LECTURE 7: 29 NOVEMBER 1992 PM

THE PURPOSE OF LIFE
Question:
How can a beginner to Dharma, beginner to meditation, best understand, get on the path, how can they best learn?

Lama Zopa Rinpoche:
Best way to learn as a beginner?

Question:
There’s a lot of information. It’s very complex.

Lama Zopa Rinpoche:
I think it is very important that, I think it is very important generally speaking that, to get the whole idea, first to get a general idea of the whole path from the beginning to the end. There’s a very extensive way to learn but the essence, the essence how to go about. If one is going from here to New York, how to make, some rough idea how to go there. Otherwise, anyway you need somebody to show how to get there. It is like that, similar. For example, from here to go to Kathmandu, so the main point of road, there is a main point of road where you have to know, so then it keeps you in the direction to Kathmandu, to have some ice cream [RL]. I’m joking! [RL] So the basic guidance that you need to know, the basic guidance from here you go down then, you take this road then, then you go there, then there are many roads but you take this road. So like that, so this way you have some idea how to go to Kathmandu, how to make possible to reach yourself Kathmandu. So like that. Even though there are many villages, so many things on the road, even without telling everything what is on the way but the basic guidance, so that you are not on the wrong road, wrong track [RL, GL]. So it’s like that.

So if you are explained without showing the whole thing, if the person is introduced just how to go down the hill then if your aim is to go to Kathmandu then you won’t make it. This is an example. So only you know only from here to Kopan Monastery down to the hill [RL]. So therefore just learning one meditation is not sufficient. No, first of all that, one thing is that I didn’t reach much at the discourse, so that’s probably more talking about concept, more talking about how things came from the mind, right concept, wrong concept or right view, wrong view. See that fundamental suffering, introduction of fundamental problem, how we create the problems of life. So putting it in simple way. So fundamental wrong concepts, introduction of fundamental wrong conceptions, wrong views. Because of this then, by trapping, be being trapped in these things then, then on this basis then we experience so many problems, we get involved in many problems of life and then so much harm to other sentient beings, with all these wrong views and wrong concepts.

So, as I explained this morning about quality, how, in order to do perfect work for all sentient beings, you need to have omniscient mind. To do perfect service, perfect work for all sentient beings, to free them from all the sufferings, to lead to enlightenment, one need to have omniscient mind, knowing everything, and perfect power to reveal the methods and completed mind training in the compassion. So now this point is very important in regards to the question. First of all we have to understand what is the purpose of life. Then we know why we have to learn all these subjects. Why one meditation technique is not enough to spend whole your life, that is not enough to develop your mind and to benefit for other sentient beings, why it’s not enough. Just knowing one meditation technique to calm the mind, one method which somehow to bring some calmness, peace in the mind, why that is not enough, why one has to learn from the beginning to the end of the path. First of all it has to be clear, the purpose of life.

The purpose of life is not just to obtain happiness for, is not just to solve only one’s own problems and to obtain happiness only for oneself. That is not the purpose of life. That is not the purpose of living.

First, this body that we have, this precious human body, first the parents in the past they created the karma to give this body to oneself. Because by their kindness having given this body, this precious human body, so we have the opportunity, as I explained yesterday, this gives, because by their kindness that they have given this body, this precious human body, so that we have the opportunity to have all these enjoyments, even this temporary happiness, so much more than, so much as one wishes that enjoyment, temporary happiness, so much more than which the animal beings or the other, those preta beings, the hell beings that they don’t have, they don’t experience, no opportunity. That they don’t have the opportunity.

THE PERFECT HUMAN REBIRTH
And, not only that, by having this perfect human rebirth that we have opportunity to understand Dharma, to practice meditation, to understand the meaning of the teachings and however to do listening, reflecting, meditation practice on the path. So, through this, then one is able to actualize the path, method and wisdom. However that one can, by actualizing the path, method and wisdom, by completing this that one can achieve ultimate liberation, the cessation of the whole entire suffering and causes. So even if one wishes to achieve ultimate liberation for oneself, one can achieve with this perfect human body. And besides that, even one wishes to achieve the peerless happiness, the full enlightenment, cessation of all the mistakes of the mind and completion of all the realizations, the full enlightenment. So even if one wishes to achieve this for the benefit of, to be able to do perfect work for all sentient beings. So even if one wishes to achieve this, the highest goal, one can achieve with this precious human body. Besides that whatever happiness one wishes to achieve life after this, in the future lives, whatever one wishes, happiness in the future lives, that to receive deva, human body, to have perfect surroundings, people to help you whatever one wishes, as one wishes. To have perfect surroundings, to be wealthy, whatever one wishes the happiness in the future lives that one can achieve because with this human body, with this precious human body one can create the cause, can practice morality, the cause of the body of the happy migratory being. Then you see, practice charity, in the future lives, to not be poverty, to have wealth as one wishes and to have perfect surroundings, helper, in the future lives, to have perfect surroundings, helper, to help you as one wishes. Then with this precious human body one can practice patience, the cause to have perfect surroundings, helper, to help oneself. So in this life with this perfect human rebirth one can create the cause by practicing patience. So there an opportunity to create all the causes, whatever happiness one wishes to achieve in the future, in the long run, in the future lives. In the long run, happiness, the future lives.

THE KINDNESS OF THE MOTHER
So all these incredible opportunities, all the different levels of happiness that we can achieve, all these are due to kindness of the parents who gave this body, due to the kindness of parents who gave this precious human body to oneself. So that’s the first thing. You see, we receive this body by the kindness of other sentient beings, the parents. Then, if they didn’t give this body, if they didn’t create the karma for oneself, if they didn’t give this body, one wouldn’t have all this chance, all this incredible opportunity. Even all these temporary enjoyments as one wishes, to have all this enjoyment, one wouldn’t have. In order to have that you have this human body, this precious human body. So that is the first thing.

Second, if the parents, if they didn’t save my life, if they had an abortion when I was born to them, when oneself was born to them if they had an abortion, by now one wouldn’t have this precious human body which has all these incredible opportunities to achieve any happiness that one wishes and can cause, can benefit for all sentient beings, can benefit for numberless sentient beings, for all sentient beings, can cause any happiness what they wish, all the temporary happiness, the ultimate happiness, liberation from the whole entire suffering and the highest, the enlightenment, whatever happiness, all this happiness by having this human body you can cause all this happiness for all the, for every sentient being, for all the sentient beings. So what we can do, incredible things to benefit, extensive benefit to all sentient beings, so we wouldn’t have this body, we wouldn’t have now if the parents, if they didn’t save my life, if they did abortion. By now to meet the right path to the peace, the Buddhadharma, one wouldn’t have this chance to meet Buddhadharma if they didn’t save my life, that to meet many qualified virtuous friends who show virtue, the cause of happiness, the path to the happiness, to liberation, to enlightenment. So one wouldn’t have this chance and to do listening, reflecting, meditation practice on the path. All this wouldn’t, one wouldn’t have all these chances. So all this, by the kindness of, so all this by the kindness of the parents that they saved my life.

So even when, those nine months when you were in mother’s womb, the mother took care by abstaining from all the harms, food and so forth, conduct, anything which harms, she abstained from all those which harms to one’s own life. So like this. She saved one’s own life. So took care of oneself like her heart, during, when oneself was in mother’s womb and also outside. For so many years she took care of oneself like her heart.

When one was a baby, one knows nothing. What is harm, what is benefit, knew nothing. You see, like a worm, exactly like a worm crawling on the ground, knows nothing what is harm, what is benefit. Either the mother herself or hire somebody to look after oneself, pay money for somebody to look after oneself, constantly. If the mother did not take care, did not look after for even five minutes, if you are left out there without watching even for five minutes your life is in danger. You see, you the baby, didn’t know anything. So like what is benefit, what is harm, did not know anything, life is in danger. You see, if the mother didn’t watch, one’s own life, one who is baby, the life is in danger, immediately in the danger to fall down, to put harmful things in the mouth that which causes life danger. So even five minutes, even three minutes, even one minute, if one was not watched, not taken care of by the mother, suddenly one’s own life is in the danger, to be killed or to be eaten by animals or to be killed. So like this, suddenly the life is in the danger.

Every day, even one day the mother saved one’s own life from many hundreds of life dangers. In other words she gave life, she gave so many, she saved the life from many hundreds of dangers. She gave life hundreds of, even one day, hundreds of times she gave life to oneself. So like this.

If she didn’t do that we wouldn’t have survived now. We would be unable to live so far. By now we wouldn’t have the opportunity to know what is the meaning of life. By meeting Dharma, by meeting the teachings of the graduated path to enlightenment and to know the definition of the meaning of life and then to make the life meaningful. One wouldn’t have this chance. So this is completely by the kindness of mother that we are able to have all this opportunity and to be able to live so far like this, having this perfect, precious human body.

I am just talking about one day. So each day, saved from many hundreds of life’s dangers, saved one’s own life from many hundreds of dangers. So it is unbelievable the kindness, and that kindness that you cannot bear, unsurpassable. When you think of the kindness, here we are just talking about kindness in this life. We are not talking about past life, how they have been kind in the past life. We are not going very far. We are not talking even how they have been kind to us, to oneself, from beginningless rebirth, we are not talking about that. We are just talking about this life, how they have been kind to oneself. You see, even just the kindness how they been to one’s own life, it is unbelievable.

She taught us how to walk, mother taught us how to walk, how to speak. Our mother put oneself in the group of the human beings, put oneself in the line of the human beings who is able to walk, who is able to speak, communicate. Like this. Then she send us to school, with much expenses, then send to school, college, university, like this. Without talking about that we have opportunity to practice meditation, to develop our mind, opportunity to practice meditation, to practice Dharma, so that to completely free yourself from the whole entire sufferings and causes, then make it impossible to experience again. So without talking this, if mother didn’t give the education, didn’t teach language, didn’t send to school, college, university all this, didn’t give education, if mother didn’t put all this effort and material expenses and all these things, trying to get education for oneself. So however if she didn’t do all this, which is called leading in the path to the world, so if she didn’t help in the education, we wouldn’t have now all this education, to be able to read and write. Besides Dharma book that which plants seed of liberation, enlightenment, all this, which plants seed of liberation from the whole entire suffering and highest enlightenment, which makes it possible to achieve by reading the Dharma books by planting seed, imprint on the mind.

Even without talking about this, without the education, if she didn’t give education, if she didn’t help in the education, then we wouldn’t be able to do jobs, secretary to do reading, writing, so forth. So even one wouldn’t be able to do these jobs which we have been doing which give money, the needs, the food and clothing, house, so forth, enjoyments, the needs were able to have all this enjoyment is due to the kindness of the parents, the kindness of the mother.

Then, no question about Dharma being able to write, read Dharma books, then even become unbelievably kind when we think of that kindness that came from her, she become unbelievably kind, the parents. When one feels hungry, thirsty, gave food and drink, hot and cold, gave clothing. So like this, saves life, like this, saved life. With so much material expenses, all these things, food and clothing since one was born, since from the time even from the womb. So even when one was in mother’s womb, the food, the liquid, due to her body, liquid and so forth then survived. [GL, RL]

That’s good idea, excellent idea. This is Tibetan style, serving tea in the teachings.

When one is a baby in the mother’s womb, this, food goes through, that what you cut when baby is born [Student: Umbilical cord.], so food goes through that, no? Right? Umbilical cord. The essence of, even when we were in mother’s womb, the essence of her body, so much of her energy goes into, absorbed, the essence of her body, that one survived by depending on that.

Even when one gets sick then she gave medicine. However like this, saved life from so many danger by giving food, clothing and medicine like this. Even for this, so much unbelievable, so much material expenses she did. All the clothing, all the food since one was born from the mother’s womb. How much she spend, material expenses. It is unbelievable. It is so much. If all those were counted. So, like this, unbelievably kind, mother has been unbelievably kind.

Then the other thing is, she bore so much hardships for oneself. She suffered so much for one, to take care of oneself, that in the womb, while one was in mother’s womb, she suffered so much. When one came out, there was so much pain, unbelievable pain she had to experience. Anyway, as an introduction I’m just telling a few words but actually here those who have been mother, I think those who have given birth to a child, those who have experienced being a mother, you can use your experience. How incredible, difficulties, hardships you went through. You can use that to remember your mother’s kindness. How difficult the life one has gone through. No rest day and night, so much confusion, so much difficulties to take care of them and things, so much worry and fear, exhaustion of the body working so hard for them, mind worry and fear, physical tiredness, exhaustion and all these things. So all what one experienced by being mother, all this, one can use this as an example, how my mother have also gone through the same, I gave all these troubles to her, so much suffering to her, instead of giving peace, relaxation, rest, always screaming, making clothing wet, making bed wet with pipi, kaka, so only screaming. One child this side screaming, one child in front screaming, one child back screaming, [GL] wanting this and that. Even the mother came back from the work, there is no rest, no quietness. So hard life.

So however same. Then also I did the same thing to my mother and my mother had gone through all this hard life, suffered so much for me, beared so many hardships. So one should use, all the difficult experiences you should use the same to remember the kindness of mother. Then it’s very good. Then this way you are using to develop bodhicitta, compassion. In this way, if you use this experience, the sufferings, the hardship life, things that my mother, my parents went through were the same. Then this way your experience becomes, suffered so much with children, in the womb and out of the womb, after they come out. Then this way becomes useful to develop compassion for the parents and to quickly develop bodhicitta, thought of enlightenment, which makes possible to achieve enlightenment for the sake of all sentient beings.

For example, I find very useful that when I see other parents, how the mother is taking care of children, so much hard work, unbelievable hard work, so much unbelievable sacrifice. Whole life, energy, time, all the precious human body, so many years have gone with children, has completely gone for the children, so many years of her precious life, suffered so much. It makes me to think that these parents who are taking care of these children so, bearing so many hardships, suffering so much for them. They also did the same, they also took care of me in the past. These parents also took care of me in the past, similar way how they bear so much hardships, how much they suffer to take care, work so hard. They also have did the same to me in the past lives - this is very helpful. So you see that really very hard life, unbelievable hard. So then think that they have been kind, that they have been also taken care of me, suffered for me, in the past life. Then, it is very effective. Then you feel very close to them. So this way, you can feel them in your heart. Rather just some people taking care, they’re suffering, having hard life with the children, so rather than that, so you feel connection with them. [GL]

[Blessing the tea]

So the mother is extremely kind, having given this precious human body and then saved life, even one day saved us from many hundreds of life dangers. So that is extremely kind. Then led, third, led in the path of the world. So, gave all the, helped, and the education, how to walk, how to talk, how to speak. Then sending to school, college, so forth, so that is extremely kind.

She suffered so much. The mother suffered so much for one’s own life, bore so much hardships for one’s own life, to obtain happiness for one’s own life. There is so much worry and fear, worked so hard, exhausted the body, working so hard at home, and doing job, all these things. One disturbs, one never leaves the mother quiet, bothers her so much and making dirty the bed, all the clothing that she has to clean. However she had to bear all these hardships. All these things what one did towards the mother so she has to bear all these hardships. She has to go through all these things. She suffered so much for oneself starting from the womb and also created so much negative karma by telling lies to other people, other sentient beings, telling lie, in order to take care of me. So with the attachment, ignorance, anger, then created so much negative karma, killing other sentient beings, telling lies, stealing and so forth, so many things. And oneself caused the parents to create so much negative karma.

The mother is like an object of meditation, day and night, so all the time what she thinks, what she has in her heart is oneself. Oneself she remembers day and night even if she is at home or far, so all the time wishing happiness for oneself, all the time taking care like jewel, cherishing like jewel. Always holding with hands very gently, with much love and compassion, with heat of the body then keeping warm, carrying backside. However cherished so much, like a jewel, like her heart is outside, like as if she is holding the heart, her heart. Like this she took care.

Anyway, birth is given by the father and mother. Even childhood, even baby-time, after the birth, even somebody took care, even if somebody, not the father, not the mother, even somebody else took care of you, raised you, took care of you and send you to school, college. Even if somebody else took care of you, however there is still the kindness gave the body and saved the life when you yourself were in mother’s womb, didn’t have an abortion, all these things, saved life, this was done. Even if somebody else raised you or took care of you, gave food and clothing, education. Here the main point is that how other sentient beings have been kind to oneself, how all these things received by the kindness of other sentient beings. That is the main point. Whoever took care of oneself.

If the mother left and the father, and only the father took care or if somebody else took care from childhood, the main point here is how other sentient beings have been extremely kind, that so far we are able to live, to have this precious human body and having incredible all these opportunities is because by kindness of other sentient beings, by these sentient beings, mother, father, all these things. Those who took care, those who took care of oneself. So how kind the mother is, inexpressible.

Just only thinking this life, how this mother has been kind in this life. That is inconceivable, unbearable, the kindness. So this is without talking as it is meditation on bodhicitta, the seven techniques of the Mahayana cause and effect. This one way of developing bodhicitta, one way of actualizing the thought of enlightenment, bodhicitta, that which is source of all the happiness and success, for oneself and for all sentient beings. Without talking as mentioned there. So like this, this mother has been kind, this mother has been one’s own mother numberless times, not only being human mother but also by being birds, every day fed many hundreds of worms. You were born countless times. This time with this mother, this past life mother has been, in one’s own past lives, one was born as a bird, chickens and so forth, this life past, the continuation, the past life of this mother have been one’s own mother, bird. Then every day fed, took care of oneself, fed with many worms, so many worms, by killing so many worms, fed oneself with so many worms, took care of oneself. So like that.

There are so many other different types of animals and so many other different types of sentient beings that one is born to this life mother. The past life mother has been, in the past life this mother has been mother, oneself was born to her and that type of animal or the beings. For example, how much they suffered to take of oneself even in other lives. The past life this mother has been one’s own mother with a different body. So like the South Africa, I think showing on TV I think, those animals what are cow, this big cow, so, they go for miles, getting water or they move from one place to another place, groups of them, they go so far to get water or to move to another place. However then on the way there is many other animals, tigers and many other animals, especially tigers attacking them. So the baby, the cow or whatever, the tiger is about to attack, so the mother, the animal mother runs round and round and round, then to protect the child, then the tiger attack the mother. It gets eaten, the whole, so normally one tiger jumped, then another tiger come. It seems they jump up from the neck or from the bottom, from the backside they jump and then they bite. There are usually two tigers, one tiger on the neck, then becomes no choice, then the whole family, then when they cannot go any more, cannot walk any more, then the whole family, the whole children, the family tiger’s children, they come, they just eat. Without taking much time, in just very short time, make empty the whole, just many bones left.

Like that, the mother tiger takes care of the child, eating, in order to take care of the child then sacrificed, eaten by tiger, by other animal, tiger. So like that, that oneself was born, then this life mother, this past life of this mother being also mother, no different, like those animals or different animals, different other beings. Then tiger protects one’s own life, tiger protects one’s own life from enemy, but they get eaten by other birds and by other birds and by other animals. So like that, numberless times happened. Not just only this life mother, past life been mother and kind but all sentient beings have been mother and kindness in this way because continuation of consciousness, because one’s own continuation of consciousness does not have beginning, did not have beginning. As we did not become free from samsara, so consciousness always migrates due to karma and delusion, being under the control of karma and delusion, the disturbing thought, then consciousness has been constantly migrating, taking different body, samsaric body, the samsaric aggregates.

Many of these bodies are dependent on being born from mother’s womb, dependent on mother, on having mother. So like this all sentient beings have been one’s own mother. All sentient have one’s own mother and kind, these four ways in numberless times. You cannot see the beginning of kindness. Just this present life mother, her kindness that she’s been mother and has been kind, that she’s been mother in other lives, so if we think back her kindness being mother, it has no beginning. There is no such thing in the beginning from this, this many centuries ago, this many eons away. There is no such time. There is no beginning. Before, never happened. From this century or from this eon that she has been my mother and she has been kind, there’s no such time, that even Buddha’s omniscient mind cannot see, even the fully developed mind, fully enlightened, even Buddha’s omniscient mind cannot see the beginning of the kindness of the mother, cannot see the beginning of the kindness of this present life, that this present life mother that she has been mother and kind numberless times in the past, these four ways, as I mentioned before, four ways, kind, how many times she has been kind, been mother and kind, even being mother with human body and the four ways kindness, this is not the first time she has been one’s own mother, been four ways kind. She did numberless times, without talking, being animal, oneself being animal and that this life mother past life have been animal mother, how much suffered, how much that have been kind, saved one’s own life, all this, without talking all that, without bringing up all that, without bringing other lives, other than human being, kindness, without talking that.

REPAYING THE KINDNESS
This is not the first time she has been a human mother to me and showing kindness in four ways. She did like this numberless times from beginningless rebirth. So when we meditate, when we analyze like this, when we meditate like this, even if one sacrifice in order to repay kindness, in order to repay kindness to the mother, even if one sacrificed one’s own life for the mother, for this mother, that equaling the number of atoms of this earth, even that much, even one sacrifice one’s own life for this mother still it is nothing repaying the kindness. We still cannot finish repaying the kindness. Still this is nothing. Even if one gives one’s own life equaling the number of the atoms of this earth, still it is nothing comparing to her kindness, this is nothing. So like that.

Even for each of the kindness, gave body, precious human body, saved life from hundreds of dangers in each day, then led in the path of the world, and suffered so much and bore so many hardships for oneself. For each of the kindnesses that she did numberless times, to repay kindness for each of these, even for one, even to repay for one kindness, have given the body, this precious human body numberless times that which in the path that which we were able to practice Dharma, able to practice morality and charity. So that’s why we have received this human body, precious human body this life because we practiced morality in the past life. We practiced Dharma.

We have all these enjoyments due to the mother, then gave this body. So however, even to repay for one kindness gave precious human body numberless times, even to repay for that kindness, even if one sacrificed one’s own life for the mother equaling the number of atoms of this earth, still it is nothing, not enough, that is nothing.

It is unbelievable how kind she is. There is no choice, we have to do something, no choice that this life, in one’s own this life, one has no choice without doing something, without repaying kindness, without doing something meaningful, without benefiting something back. There is no choice, there is no way to ignore, no way to relax in life without doing something, without benefiting, without repaying kindness, without doing something there’s no way to relax the life. In other words when you think of all this kindness, there is no time to work for oneself. There is no time to only be concerned oneself. There is no time for that, except only others, this mother, sentient beings who have been kind, mother and kindness numberless times.

Impossible, because of all these depthless kindnesses of the mother, even one sentient being this mother the depthless kindness, it is so unbearable to cherish, to only cherish oneself. It is so unbearable to only work for oneself. It is so unbearable, it’s kind of something very painful. So concerning the depthless kindness of even one sentient being, this life mother, all kindness what she, been mother and kindness what she did in past lives. It’s kind of impossible to cherish oneself, to work only for oneself.

ALL HAPPINESS COMES FROM OTHERS
All sentient beings have shown the same kindness, have been our mother numberless times, have been kind numberless times in the four ways like this, exactly equal, everyone exactly equal. Even the enemy who is giving now harm, has also been our mother, have been kind numberless times in the past. So everyone is exactly equal being mother and kind, kindness, this way. So that is one thing. So there is no way to live the life, so there is no way to concern only oneself and to only to work for oneself, except only to work for others, except only to cherish other sentient beings.

Beside this, even when we drink that small one mug, one [RL] cup, so that you have tea from that container, so even that drink, to have enjoyment, our having enjoyment of that drink, that small glass of water or when the water that is boiled to made tea. In the water there are so many insects, there are so many sentient beings there we can see, and we cannot see. We can see only with the microscopes. There are so many in the water, they have to die, for us to get this enjoyment one glass of water, this tea, so many of them they have to die, they have to suffer.

Then as I normally mention, so one bowl of soup, one plate of salad, in the vegetable garden, when the garden is made, when it is fertilized, so many creatures have to die, so many other sentient beings who want happiness, who do not want suffering, so many of them to have to die to plant, to grow this vegetable. Normally there is spray to kill all those insects. So many of them have to die for other people, for our enjoyment, to get this food for our living so many sentient beings, not only in the field, even on the vegetable, which are living on the vegetable, they have to die, which are living on the vegetable as their food, also as their food. They are born there. So they have to die. Other people have to kill them, they have to die, so involves other sentient beings creating negative karma. So many others sentient beings they have to suffer, die.

As I often mention, this one grain of rice came from a field. This one grain of rice came from the field and when the field was fertilized, so much work is done. I think here in Nepal for example they have to do work three times, fertilize then plant, then when it is growing they put water, when the stem comes up, then again they have to move, split and then plant separately. I heard that they have to do three times work at different times in the field so for each rice people have to work, the rice plant, that. So for this one grain of rice, many, many creatures have died, when the land is fertilized, planted, when the work is done in the field, so many, whether it is done by people or by machines. There are many ants, many worms, sometimes also mice. There are many sentient beings there who also want happiness like oneself, who also wants happiness, who is also looking for happiness, who doesn’t want to suffer. There are numberless of them they have to die, have to suffer, then other sentient beings, human beings, so forth, other sentient beings have to create negative karma killing them.

This one grain of rice came from another grain of rice, again, then, even for that so many sentient beings suffered, created negative karma. Then that one came from another grain of rice. So if you think like that, all the continuation of this one grain of rice that we eat, all the continuation, this came from another grain of rice, this came from another grain of rice, all the continuation, then uncountable sentient beings then if you think like this, then it is unimaginable how many sentient beings suffered and died and created negative karma for this food.

Now this one plate of rice how many sentient beings, creatures, human beings how much they have created negative karma and suffered and died for this one plate of rice, one day’s one meal, this plate of rice. How uncountable of them they suffered and died and created negative karma. How dare we eat this and only cherish oneself, only think of oneself and only work for oneself, only concerned oneself, one’s own happiness, only working for one’s own happiness. There is now way that one, even if all these sentient beings suffered for this one meal, we’re just talking for the one meal, how much sentient beings suffered and died and created negative karma. We have no choice, we’ve got to do something. We’ve got to use this life, we’ve got to make this life most beneficial, most meaningful, that beneficial, something practical, beneficial, at least these sentient beings who suffered for us, who died for us, who created negative karma for us, for this food, for this enjoyment, from whom we have received this enjoyment which made us to survive the life, which made us to survive this day.

Then, it’s same thing, clothing that keeps us warm from the cold and so forth, the hot and cold, which protects us from those harms, which protects our life, which protects our body. So much of the clothing is silk. So it came from those animals’ bodies, the cocoon is the body, no? What is the name of the animal? So, silkworm, so what I heard they put in hot water and then after some time what leaves is the cocoon, leaves the empty thing. They normally how they do is put in hot water then somehow the worm leaves then the body, left there something. So it is a very painful way, I mean, we can’t stand putting our finger in the boiling hot water for even a minute, even for a few seconds can’t stand, even just putting the top of the finger, just putting a little bit of the finger in the boiling hot water, can’t stand. So how much suffer there is no question. So then clothes made from animal, made, so animals skin, so they have gone through so much suffering. However so many sentient beings, however in conclusion, so many sentient beings suffered for every piece of our dress, they suffered so much, the human beings created negative karma, harmed others. So unbelievable, so many worked for this, bore hardships. Then this clothing finally actualized, so then one has this enjoyment, wearing this, feeling warm.

Same thing the place, that protects our lives from hot and cold, so this enjoyment, our enjoyment being in the house, for example, this hall where we practice Dharma, where we do meditation, where we do listening, reflecting and meditation on the unmistaken path to the peace, the graduated path to enlightenment, place where we plant so much seed of liberation, enlightenment, plant seed of realizations of the whole path to enlightenment, where we purify so much negative karma by reciting those mantras, by doing those visualizations of Buddha, by meditating on bodhicitta, meditating on emptiness, by doing prostrations, Vajrasattva mantra, with the Thirty-five Buddhas and Vajrasattva mantra, where we purify so many obscurations, negative karma, cause of the problems, that which is obstacles to achieve enlightenment, where we purify so much of this and where we accumulate so much merit, extensive merit every day in this place. Anyway we have the enjoyment, protection for the life, from hot and cold. However where as we have this enjoyment being in house, enjoyment of house. Again this enjoyment we received by the kindness of sentient beings. So many sentient beings again suffered when the land was, when the foundation of the house was done. So many sentient beings died, and then other human beings, many sentient beings they have to kill, they have to create negative karma. So however with so many sentient beings suffering, creating negative karma, died, then by depending on all these things, then so much of them they suffered, died and created negative karma. Then we receive this enjoyment.

The same thing with food, clothing, house, all these things, so there is nothing, there is no one single enjoyment, there is no one single comfort of life, enjoyment that we receive without depending on the kindness of other sentient beings. There is nothing. All these are received by other sentient beings, suffering, creating negative karma, being killed. So this is the way how we survive, every day our life by depending on the kindness of other sentient beings, all this enjoyment.

As I mentioned before, when we analyze like this, how everything came from the kindness of other sentient beings, even that by suffering, creating negative karma, being killed. Therefore now, even our survival is completely dependent on the kindness of other sentient beings. Each day, each minute’s survival completely dependent on the kindness of other sentient beings. So therefore now, it is impossible to renounce others and to cherish oneself, to renounce other sentient beings and only cherish oneself, only to work for one, it is impossible. No time to be concerned with oneself and to work only for one’s own happiness. Except only concerned to cherish other sentient beings, only except only the time, life or time is only to work for other sentient beings.

THE PURPOSE OF LIFE
The conclusion is, the purpose of life is not just to obtain happiness for self, to solve only one’s own problems. The purpose of our life, the purpose of our living, having this precious human body, is to free every sentient being from all the sufferings and to obtain happiness for all sentient beings, for every sentient being. As I mentioned all these different kindnesses before, everything, those kindness, mother like this present life mother, numberless times and been kind. Then also then, how the day-to-day life, our enjoyment, survival is completely received by the kindness of numberless, by depending on the kindness of numberless sentient beings. So the purpose of life is, the purpose of living, our living, every day, every hour, every minute, our living, the purpose of why we survive, the purpose of why we try to, why we live, why we put effort, why we put so much effort to live, the purpose why we live. Why? What’s the purpose of living? Why do we live? Why do we spend so much money to survive, to be healthy, to have long life? Why do we spend so many thousands and thousands of dollars? You see, that month goes, year goes. However so much money spent for house, so much money spent on food, so much money spent for clothing, so much money we spend on the medicine, so much money spent on checking, even if there is no disease but so much money spent checking, many times in each year. So however all this, what is it for, that keeping life so busy, making oneself so busy for these things. Then, what’s the purpose having all this education? What’s the purpose so much expenses on this education?

However, if we use all this enjoyment, all these expenses, if we use to make our life meaningful, beneficial for other sentient beings, to free them from all the sufferings, to obtain happiness for the other sentient beings. Then, all this work, keeping so busy to survive, to live long, however having expensive house, expensive food, expensive clothing. However all these enjoyments, expensive medicine. However all this, working so hard, working so many hours a day, day and night. However as the meaning of the life, if you use all these things to make the life meaningful, beneficial for other sentient beings, then as the meaning of the life is to free all sentient beings from all the sufferings, to obtain happiness for all sentient beings. As this is the meaning of the life, purpose of living, so if you use all these things to make the life most meaningful or beneficial for other sentient beings then it gave meaning.

In other words, if one lives life with this attitude, the meaning of my life is not just only to obtain happiness for me and solve only my problems, not just that; but to free all sentient beings from all their sufferings, to obtain happiness for all sentient beings. Living the life with this attitude, in the everyday, when one wakes up in the morning, when one gets up in the morning, so you remember, one generates this attitude. One starts the day with this attitude, with this positive attitude that, by remembering the purpose of life, purpose of living. That it is to benefit for other sentient beings, to free all sentient beings from all their sufferings, to obtain happiness for all sentient beings. You begin the day, when you wake up in the morning, you begin the day with this attitude, generate this attitude. Begin the day, life, with this attitude and then with this attitude then the work that you do, even if it is the same work, one is doing meditation, one is doing retreat or meditation, studying Dharma, doing meditation. Before, one is doing meditation just for yourself to get some peace.

Before, the motivation is the self-cherishing thought just for yourself to have calmness and the peace. You see, which is nothing much special that, just happiness for oneself. So now with this special attitude, with this special mind, new mind, awareness in the meaning of the life, purpose of life, to benefit other sentient beings. So with this same meditation, you’re still doing the same meditation but now the meditation is for others. Now with this attitude, this same meditation, but now the meditation becomes service for other sentient beings. The purpose becomes to benefit for other sentient beings.

You are doing the same job, before the job you were doing for your own happiness, to get money for oneself and for oneself to have enjoyment and all these things. But now with this attitude, you are doing the same office, same job, but now you are doing the work for other sentient beings. With this attitude, the work becomes service for other sentient beings. It is dedicated for other sentient beings, rather than dedicating for oneself, rather the focus of mind is for your own happiness. But now your focus, your aim of doing this work, is for others, to obtain happiness for other sentient beings.

For example, if one is working in the factory, a company, as I often mention these people who own, who employ you, the people who own the company, they need happiness. This is their, when the work gets done, they need help, they need the work to get done. So if the work gets done, if the work comes successful, they’re happy. And not only that, for the factory or company, whether in the factory making chairs or making cars, making toilets or whatever [RL, GL]. So anyway, these things, the materials what they produce, so many hundreds of thousands of people, so many people they use these materials what they produce from the factory. So many people get comfort, so many people, hundreds of thousands, so many people get comfort from this material produced from the factory. Whether it’s equipment to build a house or whatever it is. So, so many people get comfort from this. So this is what you are offering.

So this comfort, as I normally mentioned, even building houses, even if you are a builder of a house, so many people get comfort from your work. They get enjoyment, they get comfort, they get protection. Not only human beings, even the dogs and cats who live there. Even they get comfort by having this place. There is comfort, there is enjoyment, there is something what they get, there is something practical what they get. For them to receive this enjoyment, this comfort, this material is dependent, it comes from your effort, your work, your education. In the reality, there is something what benefits others they receive. So this is what you are offering to them. It is not just the motivation only.

Before, the work was done only for oneself, the mind was only focused on one’s own happiness, but now with this special mind, special habits, now the work is done for others. Now the work becomes a service for other sentient beings. And the employer, the owner of company, they need help. They need other people to help them. So you are there to help them. So even one do get money, but because you have this special attitude, the change of attitude from self-cherishing thought.

LECTURE 8: 30 NOVEMBER 1992

THE AIM OF A SPIRITUAL PRACTICE
Yesterday that my brother Ted, Ted asked question that [RL] as a beginner, how to begin, how to practice Dharma. Basically, so just to tell a little bit details on this point. That it depends on the, what it, it depends on the individual person’s aim, individual person, want to, individual person that who has, who has taken interest in the, to do spiritual practice, to practice meditation.

If the individual person, I mean there is a straight answer for, to that question but I’m just playing around [GL, RL]. That just to give you general idea because it is, I think it’s important point. So giving just general idea, even though there’s a straight answer to that question.

Generally, if the person’s aim to practice meditation, the spiritual, following the spiritual path or practicing meditation, if the aim is not clear, what you are, what is, if the aim is not clear what for you are doing this, your life is so busy and many, many distractions, many, many distractions around, so you want to have some peace of mind, some calmness in the life, then it is just short, just short term, some peace of mind, some quietness in the mind. And if it’s, if that is only the motivation, if that is only the aim for practicing meditation, just to have some quietness in the mind, kind of like little rest for the mind. In other words a little rest for the mind, relax the body, giving rest to the body, without working, just lying down, relaxing or at the beach or going to the, by going to the beach or wherever, either at house, however, like that. Just to have, if it’s, if the meditation is just to feel this calmness, this peace, only a short time, if it’s just for this then, then just breathing meditation, that’s enough. Then just something like that or just watching the sensation in the body, even watch, watching, I mean just the mind trying to focus on any object, breathing or just watching one’s, just meditating on the shoes [GL] or something [RL]. Just any object, just keep the mind on that for a little while then there’s peace, there’s some peace, that’s because mind’s not, some peace that because all those thoughts you try to stop, all those other thoughts you try to stop during those minutes, so there’s some peace by that.

It’s similar to a good sleep. When you have a good sleep, a deep, deep sleep, then also there is some peace there, because you don’t have those thoughts [RL]. Anyway, that, I mean, as far as not having those thoughts, not having those very disturbing thoughts, all sorts of thoughts rising, so not having peace, quietness of mind, in that case deep sleep is also during that time that is stopped for the time being. However, generally when your aim is not clear then your path is not clear. If your aim is not clear then you are not sure, then your path is not clear. It is similar, if your life, if the aim of your life is not clear then you don’t know how to make decisions in your life. You don’t know what is the best. If the aim of your life is not clear, and then, it become very confusing, regards making decision in the life, that then, whether it is right or wrong, the decision that you are making, whether it is right or wrong, then it is difficult to tell. If you are, if the aim of your life is not clear, what the life is for, if that is not clear then your decision, decision that you make in the life, decision that one makes in our life that becomes very confused. It’s difficult to discriminate what is right and wrong. Whether this decision is right or wrong. It is like that. Even without talking about meditation, without talking the spiritual path, just even any normal life decisions.

If the aim of the life is to benefit for other sentient beings, to obtain happiness for other sentient beings, if one’s aim of life is this, to benefit for other sentient beings, then one’s, now this is clear, this way it become clear, aim of the life. Now all the decisions that you make in the life, everything, then you analyze whether it is beneficial for that or not, whether it is beneficial for that aim or not. So everything is, you see, whatever you do, then it is easy to discriminate whether it is right or wrong. Then easy to discriminate, what it is beneficial for that aim or not. Then easy to discriminate what is right or wrong, whether it is beneficial or not. Otherwise before, beneficial for whom? for what beneficial? It is not clear. It is very easy to become very confused.

I think the best way is, as I mentioned yesterday, the quite extensively, why our life has to be, the meaning of life or aim of life is this, to free all sentient beings from all the sufferings and to obtain happiness for all the sentient beings. This is the meaning of life or this, the life has to be directed towards this. We have to make, we have to use our life or direct our life towards this aim. As this is the meaning of life we should, we must direct our life towards that goal, the happiness of all sentient beings. Not only temporary, then especially ultimate happiness of every other sentient being.

As I mentioned yesterday, this is the reality, how sentient beings are so precious, so kind and so precious and how each, even each day, each minute, our survival depends on the kindness of all sentient beings. Each minute, each hour, minute being human, that oneself able to be human being, having all this incredible opportunity is by kindness of all these, including the parents of this life, then all the rest of the sentient beings. So like that, so how they are so precious and so kind.

However, this is the reality and there’s no way to live life without working for other sentient beings. No way to live the life without cherishing other sentient beings. No time to work for oneself, no time to only concern one’s own happiness. By the reality, how sentient beings are unbelievable kind, so precious. So not just what we talked last night but there are, not just only what I mentioned last night but there so many, there is still much more deeper way to meditate on the kindness of the other, kindness of the mother, kindness, there are deeper way to meditate on the kindness of the mother sentient beings.

If in our heart, if the aim of the life, the purpose of life is to obtain happiness for all sentient beings, then whatever, the marriage or not marriage, traveling not traveling, studying or whatever, then everything we, everything we check on the basis of this aim, and whether it is beneficial for this or not, and how much beneficial.

Our goals can be categorized into three levels: great benefit, middle benefit, small benefit. This is for others, you know. So if one can, then one should do all. Even a small benefit one should do for, you should, one should offer, one should offer for other sentient beings. So if one can then one should do all, great, middle, even the small benefit.

Then if one can, if one doesn’t have capacity to do all, then one do the greater benefit. One do the greater benefit for other sentient beings. Then if one cannot do both great benefit and small benefit both, then one do the greater benefit, leave the small benefit, and do the great benefit. So like that. If one doesn’t have the capacity to do all, so then do the great, which has greater benefit and leave the small benefit. Because you can’t, because you don’t have enough capacity to do everything for others. So like this.

It’s similar concerning the meditation practice, the spiritual path. If one’s aim is not clear then your path is not clear, like that. Aim to practice meditation, for practice spiritual, follow the spiritual path, if the aim is not clear then also path is not clear. What one is supposed to practice, what path to practice, how much there is to practice, it is not clear.

Before giving a straight answer, the reason that I mentioned all these, all that subject last night and that, all the kindness of other sentient beings, those kindness of the sentient beings, then what they need. The meaning of the life is to obtain benefit for all sentient beings. To serve other sentient beings. Then, mentioned in regards serving other sentient beings, benefiting other sentient beings, causing happiness for other sentient beings, the more important happiness, that which is the long-run happiness, happiness of future lives, to cause them this, all the future life happiness, the long-run happiness, which is the long-run happiness, to cause this for other sentient beings, more important. This is more important than just day-to-day life, this, the short term comfort, happiness, towards others.

More important than even long-run happiness, happiness of future life, that which is the temporary happiness, even more important than that is the cessation of the whole entire suffering and causes, the ultimate happiness, for other sentient beings. The everlasting happiness towards other sentient beings. Then even, even most important. For example, when they go for shopping, if they know there’s a better quality food, clothing or material, the needs of the house, those materials, if they knew, if they hear, if they knew that there is a place to get better quality they would go there. If they didn’t know that, then according to their view whatever they think, if they didn’t know that, how best quality is available in that shop or that place, then according to what they know better quality then they will buy that. So like that.

Even if the sentient beings don’t know that there is such experience existing that you can achieve the ultimate, the everlasting happiness, the cessation from the whole entire suffering and causes, the peerless happiness, the full enlightenment, if they knew that there is such experience that they can achieve such highest, that, where the stage, by developing the mind in the path, the state of mind which one never have to experience suffering, which one never have to experience suffering again. Forever one doesn’t have to experience any suffering, any problems, by completely eliminating the seed of the disturbing thoughts. However, they don’t know that there is such a thing that they can achieve and that they have the potential in the mind, that their mind has the potential, that their mind has buddha nature, the potential, the buddha nature, buddha potential, potential to be fully enlightened being, to cease all the mistakes of mind and to have complete all the qualities of realizations. It’s just they don’t know. But actually this is what they need to experience, actually this is what they need to achieve. Similar the example the material, if they knew they would come to get, buy this, the best quality, same.

HAPPINESS IS CHERISHING OTHERS
Talking about the kindness of other sentient beings, and how they, how other sentient beings have been kind to oneself, so these different levels of happiness what one can cause other sentient beings, and that, that full enlightenment, this is the one that most important, that one most important one that they need to achieve. And this is the most important service that one has to cause, most important service to give or to do for other sentient beings.

This is to make clear, that all this subject is to make clear, first the aim of practicing meditation. First to make clear the aim. So if you understand this, then the same thing, not only meditation, from morning until night, however, twenty-four hours, our activities while, twenty-four hours activity doing job, and the walking, sitting, sleeping, whatever we do in our twenty-four, in our daily life, the twenty-four hours, whatever activity we do. So it is the same thing, also this all, this become also aim of all these activities. Not just meditation, not just that few minutes’ meditation, not just the half-hour meditation, in the daily life one hour or something. And that some minutes doing some practice, reciting mantra or doing some meditation, the, whether it is breathing meditation, whether it’s meditating on the sensations, the belly, belly moving up and down, the practicing mindfulness the stomach, belly, moving up and down, those meditations, trying to be mindful of some of the sensations.

Whatever meditation that one does, not only that, the whole twenty-four hours activity, that it is same that, whatever we do, we can do twenty-four hours activity, one can direct towards this, for other sentient beings, to bring all sentient beings into peerless happiness, full enlightenment, one can direct. So everything become service, everything become greatest service, including job, everything, meditation, everything become greatest service, most important service for all sentient beings. Like that, you see, become cause, in this way then become cause for all sentient beings to achieve enlightenment. It benefits for all sentient beings to achieve the peerless happiness.

So it become very, twenty-four hours, then how many hours, how many years, months, years we live, so same, one can direct all the actions towards that, to cause this, all sentient beings to achieve the peerless happiness, the full enlightenment.

This way you see you are making your life most meaningful, most beneficial for other sentient beings. And, so when you see your actions are dedicated, directed towards that goal, to obtain benefit for all sentient beings, especially the highest enlightenment, so there is enjoyment in the life. This is the best way to enjoy the life. There is happiness in the life. There is happiness, this way then one find happiness, satisfaction in one’s own heart. Because you see you are doing something worthwhile, the most meaningful thing, not just not just for one’s own happiness, but for the happiness of all other sentient beings.

So the best way to enjoy the life, the best way to find happiness in the life that is by cherishing other sentient beings. This is the best way to enjoy the life, the way to find, best means to find happiness in the life, that is by cherishing other sentient beings. So by cherishing other sentient beings, then, serving other sentient beings, working for other sentient beings sincerely from the heart it comes, it comes from the, with that attitude. So then happiness of life really starts. The real satisfaction, real satisfaction in the heart, the deep happiness then really starts.

We are responsible to cause all this happiness for other sentient beings, [to lead them to] full enlightenment. That is because first of all, the first reason is, that is because we have the opportunity, we are responsible, why? Because we have the opportunity to cause, to obtain all these happiness for other sentient beings.

THE MIND DOES NOT EXIST FROM ITS OWN SIDE
The first reason why I possess my body and my mind. This is my body, my mind, what the I possesses. When we think about mind, how does the mind appear to us? The mind appears to us that it is not merely labeled, that it is not merely labeled by the mind. That it exists from its own side, independent mind, inherently existent mind, real mind in the sense that it is existing from its own side. But the reality of the mind, what it is, that is, it is not like that.

What the mind is, the base, the cognition, the phenomenon that which is not substantial, not form, which doesn’t have form, color, which is not material, substantial, but which nature is clear, the perceiving object. Which has, the phenomenon, the base, which is formless, but which has this character, clear, perceiving object, which does this function. And this exists, this exists. So because of this, depending on this base, then one, the thought, one make up the concept “mind.” One make up, that thought make up, thought makes up the label “mind.” Depending on this base, phenomenon which is not substantial, which nature is clear, perceiving objects, then one make up the concept, one’s thought makes up the label “mind.”
That’s how the mind exists. So, what is the mind? It is nothing, nothing, it is nothing other than what is merely imputed by the thought depending on the base, this phenomenon which is formless, clear, perceiving object, and then the thought merely imputed “mind”. So that is what the mind is. That’s how the mind exists and that’s what the mind is.

Therefore mind exists in mere name. Since the mind is what is merely labeled by the thought, therefore, if you just concentrate in this meaning, what the mind is. The mind is what is merely labeled by the thought. When you meditate in this meaning, there is no mind, suddenly there is no mind, you can get some idea, even one doesn’t realize, but there’s some, you can get some idea, there is no mind existing from its own side. There is no real mind in the sense existing from its own side.

There’s no real mind that you used to believe in before, what appears to you, what you used to believe before, existing from its own side. Suddenly in the object, how to say, in the view of your mind, suddenly become empty, by doing this analysis, by doing meditation in this meaning.

Suddenly what the mind is becomes so subtle, extremely subtle. That is not that it doesn’t exist, but it is like, what the mind is, becomes so subtle, extremely subtle that, it is not that it does not exist but it’s like it doesn’t exist. Become so subtle.

There is no mind at all existing from its own side. That is completely untrue. Except what the thought merely imputed, “mind.” So this is what the mind is. So therefore the mind does exist, but the mind is completely empty of existing from its own side. The mind has no slightest true existence. However, that the mind is completely empty of existing from its own side, so this is reality of the mind. This is the ultimate nature of the mind. This is the shunyata of the mind. This is what is called clear light, the nature of the mind, clear light. And this is what is called buddha nature. Potential to become buddha. Potential that you can be completely free from all the sufferings and causes and to achieve liberation, to achieve highest enlightenment. So everything comes from this. That everything comes from this, this nature of mind that which is empty, that which is the emptiness. So this is what is called clear light.

So that is, even our everyday life experiencing suffering, happiness, all these things happening is all come from that. The having success, loss, whatever is happening, all these things, depending on how we use our mind. So all these things are, whether we use correct way or wrong way, so depending on that, then the life problem comes, the happiness of life or problems of life.

BECAUSE OF BUDDHA NATURE WE HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO HELP OTHERS
This ultimate nature of this mind is what is called clear light, this is buddha nature. This is what gives all the possibilities that we can develop our mind in the path. Possibilities that we can transform our mind from all those, from ignorance, anger, attachment, from all those things, from all those disturbing thoughts, that we can cease all those, including the seed, imprint, able to achieve the cessation of the whole entire suffering and the highest enlightenment, by developing the mind in the whole path.

Because of this, because in our mental continuum there is buddha nature, we have opportunity to cause all this happiness for all sentient beings. Therefore we are responsible. Then second we have this perfect human body that which gives all the opportunities to use this buddha nature, to make this buddha nature to function. That, perfect human rebirth that which gives all the opportunities. As I mentioned at the beginning, one of the days I mentioned, how precious this perfect human rebirth, how precious and what, so much what you can do with this perfect human body. So like that. So that is by using the Buddha nature, this gives opportunity to make it to function, the buddha nature, however, to develop the mind in the path to enlightenment.

Secondly, we have received this perfect human body, which has all the opportunities to cause happiness for all sentient beings, we are responsible to cause all this happiness for all sentient beings. To lead all sentient beings to the enlightenment.

Then thirdly, as I often mention, in this world, one person who has power and influence, because not practiced compassion, can kill many millions of people on this earth, who want happiness, who don’t, who are looking for happiness, who don’t want suffering. And that is without counting all the animals in the water, on the earth, all those who are killed, harmed, without counting so much of those. So now, if this one person who has power and influence practiced compassion, then all these millions of people would not receive harm, would not be killed, would not have been tortured, now would the numberless other beings, animals, so then all of them would have peace. So now you can see that one person in this world has responsibility of the peace, happiness of all these millions of people, human beings and other beings. However, responsible, this one person in this world has responsibility of a whole world peace, happiness.

So now similar like that, we can see clearly. The other way we can see is through great examples of world peace such as leader like Mahatma Gandhi-ji or His Holiness the Dalai Lama, so then again there are positive side, there are other examples, there are positive side talking, there are other examples that gives incredible happiness, peace in the world, to the sentient beings.

COMPASSION
If one practices compassion towards other sentient beings, if one has compassion towards other sentient beings, so there is no harm in the action towards other sentient beings. Starting from the family or starting from the sentient beings who are around oneself, animals, human beings, starting from there, those we deal in our everyday life, whom we live with, eat together, talk, work together, so starting from there, all the rest of the sentient beings, they don’t receive harm from oneself. If there is compassion towards all sentient beings, so they all receive, they all don’t receive harm from you. So that is the peace. That is the first peace what they receive from you.

And secondly, with this compassion, besides not giving harm, then one helps. As compassion is stronger then one is able to help other sentient beings. Action what comes out is, then not only stop giving harm but help other sentient beings.

Therefore, starting from the sentient beings who are around us in our daily life, from there towards all sentient beings, starting from the sentient beings who are around oneself in the everyday life, so they all receive help or benefit from me, from you, from oneself. So that is again receiving peace, they receive peace from you.

All this peace the numberless sentient beings receive from you—hell beings, preta beings, animal beings, sura, asura, all the human beings, all the sentient beings—by not harming and by benefiting them, this is dependent to you, dependent to your compassion. So therefore all this peace, all the sentient beings’ peace what they receive from you, from oneself, oneself is responsible. You are responsible. So all sentient beings peace, happiness what they receive from you, you are responsible. So like this, each of us are responsible all sentient beings’ happiness, peace.

If there is a compassion generated then causing them long-run happiness, future life, then ultimate liberation, then highest enlightenment, them to cause all this happiness towards all sentient beings, doing this service, if one has compassion towards all beings. Whether all sentient beings receive all this, including enlightenment, all this happiness from you, depends on what you do with your mind, what we do with our mind, each of us, how we do with our, what we do with our mind. Therefore each of us is fully responsible all sentient beings’ happiness, peace. So just one minute we feel this, then we stop there.

Without compassion, with the self-cherishing thought, one harms to all sentient beings, one harms other sentient beings from life to life, directly or indirectly one harms other sentient beings from life to life. But if one generates compassion towards all sentient beings, there is infinite benefit that we can cause, that we can offer, that we can give towards all sentient beings, infinite benefit. The benefit what we can offer towards all sentient beings is infinite. So like this. So I stop here.

[Dedications; short mandala]

Please dedicate the three times’ merits accumulated by oneself, by buddhas, bodhisattvas, may the bodhicitta, which is the source of all the happiness, success, may it be generated within one’s own mind and in the minds of all sentient beings. Those who have, may it be developed.

Due to all the past, present, future merits accumulated by oneself, and by buddhas and bodhisattvas, due to all these merits, that which are empty of existing from its own side, may the I who is empty of existing from its own side, achieve the Guru Shakyamuni Buddha’s enlightenment, that which is empty of existing from its own side, lead all sentient beings, who are empty existing from their own side, to that enlightenment, as quick as possible.

[Dedications]

Thank you.

[End of Eighth Discourse]