Mind Training, 11 May 1991

Sixty fifth of that part, that time of the word good, which existed for one fifty six one sixty fifth of finger snap, it would make no it would have no meaning for us. So this applies to forms, it applies to sounds, it applies to consciousness. That it’s it everything that’s built is functional, is is is a, built up out of causes and condition. It is necessary that it have a a exist over a duration of time built out out of moments. So it is it is a collection.

So everything whatsoever is a dependent arising, dependent upon its parts, its basis, imputation, language, and concepts. Whatever it might be, this applies to all phenomena whatsoever, results, causes, happiness, suffering, the Buddha, hearers, bodhisattvas, the world, the house, living beings, that they all are are a collection of these various parts and the basis of imputation, arising in dependence upon language and concepts. There is nothing which does not depend upon other, that nothing independently exists or that is to say, intrinsically exists. So what was meant by intrinsically existent or inherently existent is something which does not upon anything else. Something does not which does not rely upon anything.

And it does not rely if something inherently exists, it does not rely upon moments of time. For it’s it’s the duration of itself for existence. It does not rely upon causes and conditions. It does rely upon language and concepts. It doesn’t rely upon anything.

But in fact, everything relies upon these factors, upon something. Therefore, in these two, not reliant and reliant are mutually contradictory. And because and because things rely upon others, then they cannot be intrinsically existent. Intrinsically existence does not exist. So all phenomena whatsoever are dependent arisings.

They they are empty of existence. I think, you know, we can we’ll stop there, but I think maybe if you were to ask questions on this, it would be worthwhile. What was the last statement? When does Yeah. What was the last Okay.

So everything is merely imputed by concepts, through concepts. Everything is merely imputed or projected. But just because something is projected doesn’t mean it exists. It must must must satisfy three characteristics in order for it to exist. It must be able to function, perform the function or activity which we are attributing to it.

It must not be harmed harmed by an awareness realizing emptiness. That’s the second. And the third is, it must be renowned in the world. It must be known by that as popularly in the world. So it must be able to even even though everything is merely imputed, because it’s imputed doesn’t mean it exists.

It must be able to must satisfy these three characteristics. It must be able to perform that function, that particular activity that we’re attributing to it. It its existence must not be harmed by a an awareness realizing emptiness, and it must be known by that as a popular or renowned in the world as that. Yes. All products are dependent upon karma.

There there are non products. There are there are non products which do not rely upon causes and conditions, which their existence is not rely upon karma. For non products, it’s not necessary that their existence does not rely upon the aggregation of causes and conditions. Phenomena which do not rely upon causes and conditions. The the space in this room.

Yeah. So it’s really excellent to to have have gain a sense of what emptiness is, know, coming to think, well, this is emptiness and being able to understand it in that way, having some sense about what emptiness is. This is really excellent. But merely that sense of emptiness, what emptiness is not transformative or beneficial. It is only when we begin to meditate on it using analytic reason and we gain a realization of it that then there’s tremendous change takes place.

So until we realize it, there will be a great change will not take place. But still, even that’s gaining that sense of what emptiness is imprints beneficial predispositions for its eventual realization. In order to realize emptiness, it’s necessary that we gain a conviction with respect that we accumulate creative potential and we purify various negativities. It is necessary to gain a conviction with respect to karma as actions and their results. That is to say, what is to be adopted and rejected.

When this conviction with respect to karma is combined with us having gained a sense of realization of emptiness, then there’s a profound transformation takes place. So it is a combination of these two which brings about tremendous transformation. The conviction with respect to karma and the results and the realization of emptiness. Good? Yeah.

Yes? What was the question? Is natural body and lineage a non product? Yes. Is natural body and lineage a non product?

And the answer is yes. You want to know what naturally abiding lineage is? So, you know, that has to be The question has to be refined somewhat. The answer has to be refined somewhat. We have to say, well, according to what tenet is it, a non product?

According to the highest most tenet, that of the Consequentialist Middle Way School, natural abiding lineage is emptiness. It is a non product and permanent. According to lower tenets, for example, the Mind Only school, it is not a nonproduct. It is a product, a functional phenomenon. So what from from what tenet were you asking that question from?

So from what tenet were you asking? So the Middle Way school, the naturally abiding lineage is a emptiness. So a naturally abiding lineage is the emptiness of an ordinary being’s mind. Not not a Buddhist mind, but the emptiness of an ordinary being’s mind is naturally abiding lineage. So there are teachings, such texts as Uttara Tantra, called the Sublime Continuum, and the ornament for the Ornament for Mahāyāna Sutras, which teach that the Buddha abides with within the afflictive emotions. And by that the by removing this obscuration of the afflictive emotions, then the our Buddha nature is revealed.

So others interpret that passage where it says that the Buddha abides within the afflictive emotions to mean not the actual Buddha, but the Buddha Buddha nature or Buddha lineage. That is a factor which is which is transformable into a Buddha. That that it is the that we have we it is almost it is like calling it a cause of a Buddha, and we apply the result to the cause. We we give that name of the result, we apply it to the cause. So it is a factor the Buddha nature is a transformable factor with which is able to to evolve into a Buddha.

And since it’s therefore we apply that result, which is like it’s not actually a result. It’s like a result we apply it to the cause and it’s not actually a cause. That other that others interpret that passage in that way, not that there’s an actual Buddha there. Others say it is actually a Buddha. They take it literally.

So the Buddha taught in accordance with the the capacities and disposition of his students, whatever would benefit that student. If he thought that if he said that within their mind, there resided the Buddha, if they if would that would be pleasing and that would lead them to practice and to to try to remove the obscurations which which would obscure that Buddha, then that would be a skillful method to lead that particular student on the path. Once the Buddha even taught to King Ajatashatru that it was quite proper to kill one’s mother and father. King Ajatashatru had actually killed his mother and father, and out of a tremendous remorse which arose, he actually was going to kill himself, commit suicide. And as a skillful means, the the Buddha said it’s quite proper to kill one’s mother and father.

What what the Buddha was actually thinking when he said it is quite proper to kill one’s mother and father, what is is that one is to kill afflictive emotions and karma. These are what he was referring to as the father and mother, and that these that is to say that these two are to be abandoned. The Buddha said that that we should not take his words literally, that we should investigate them and examine them to see if there was any faults and and if necessary at times to interpret what he said. A there’s tremendous difference. So the emptiness of the Buddha’s mind is is a Buddha.

It is a a nature truth body. It is the body which abides within the abandonment of all the various afflictive emotions and faults. Whereas the the the mind of the emptiness of the mind of an ordinary being is not a Buddha and it abides within the afflictive emotions. It is it is it is abides within the afflictive emotions. I still don’t see why they should be different.

Like, one is realized. What? So natural natural abiding lineage is suitable suitable to transform into Buddha. The the emptiness of the Buddha’s mind has already has transformed into a Buddha. So a a a what is meant when we say that naturally abiding lineage is suitable to be transformed into a Buddha, it means that it is it is it has the potential to to move through the process of transformation to the achievement of Buddhahood.

A Buddha’s mind is not suitable to be transformed into a Buddha. It’s already achieved that. naturally abiding lineage. And then you you shape that clay and you make a Buddha out of it. So it may be better to to as a as a simile of Yeah.

I’ll stop there. So over the course of this teaching on thought transformation, or mind training, I, on my part having taught and your part having listened, we have meditated together, cultivated the awakening heart and said many prayers, that through this process we have accumulated a great deal of creative potential or merit, and that we should take this drop of creative potential we have created, and combine it with the vast ocean of the Buddha’s creative potential and to dedicate this skillful action, not just for ourselves alone, but for the sake of ourselves and all the sentient beings that they may attain Buddhahood. We are always reciting these first these two verses of dedication where it says, may I quickly become an awakened spiritual teacher and lead each and every sentient being to that enlightened realm. But you know, okay, it’s through these skillful actions. So these skillful actions, they are the skillful actions we have created through teaching, through listening.

But when it says, may I quickly become an awakened spiritual teacher, we shouldn’t think that I alone seeking to become an awakened spiritual teacher, but in fact, all living beings. And likewise, that when we we recite the the the second verse that may may the supreme jewel of the awakened heart that has not arisen arise and grow. May that which has arisen never diminish but increase more and more. That not for me this may occur not just for myself alone, that not just that I may generate the awakened heart, but but in the fact that may all living beings equal to space generate the awakening heart. If we were to think only in terms of ourselves, then this would be self centeredness, and this this would not be healthy.

But we should think in terms of other centeredness and include in all of these the sense that may all living beings achieve these ends.