Tenets, 25 May 1994, part 1

By considering others more important than oneself, think about how others are suffering and how they have the causes of suffering, therefore wishing that all other sentient beings be free of suffering and causes of suffering. And as one think about their happiness and causes of happiness and wish that all other sentient beings have happiness and causes of happiness in this way, way. Firstly, one needs to develop compassion and loving kindness. Merely having the wish that others be free of suffering and causes of suffering and others have happiness and causes of happiness is not sufficient. On top of that one needs to have exalted thought or superior thought what is fundamentally translated as universal responsibility, a thought which thinks that I myself alone will take full responsibility that that actually happens.

One is not able to actually bring about such situation where all other sentient beings would be free of suffering and causes of suffering and they have happiness and causes of happiness. One presently don’t have that capability therefore at the moment, so far it is just a mere kind thought one has developed but not not able to bring about any any visible and concrete reasons. Therefore, in order to remove other suffering and bring them happiness one needs to have full capability which can be possible or which one will have only if one’s entire forms of mind are exhausted, terminated and all the excellent qualities of mind are actualized. Because of that reason one then needs to have a determined aspiration to achieve such state of complete elimination of all mental faults and endowment of all excellent qualities. And when such aspiration is put into pledge or kind of a oath, a vow, then that becomes bodhicitta enlightenment mind.

To be able to very well achieve such state meaning state of enlightenment free of all forms and complete with all acts and qualities, I will here learn reflect, and do meditation on the essence of the Mahāyāna, the great vehicle teachings. In this way please try to develop the motive in that process of thinking. Buddha Śākyamūni has said that in the path leading to buddhahood, there are three not four and there are five. Anyway, that’s the verse line. What in meaning it says, there are various multitudes of teachings given by the Buddha and they can all be inclusive from one perspective into the three pitakas, the three baskets, three all inclusive container or basket like teachings.

The reason for that is the topic or the content of these baskets or teachings comprises not more than three. They are the three fields of training morality, meditative concentration and wisdom. For instance, when a person starts morality is the foundation as the initial practice on that one does the practice of meditative concentration and wisdom. So the from one way of quotation of those lines, that those who follow the path leading to Buddhahood, there are three not four, means that Buddha’s teachings can be included can be inclusive to only three baskets. There cannot be a fourth basket of teachings.

There cannot be fourth category of teachings. So that’s one meaning. Now if we rectify the quotation then in meaning, the quotation exactly says, for those on the path leading to Buddhahood, there are neither four nor five as in accordance to the intention of the Buddha. Or to repeat, for those on the path leading to Buddhahood, there are neither four nor five in accordance to the teaching intent intention of the Buddha. So meaning of that line means there is not a fourth basket or pitaka category of teaching and the fifth neither nor five that part means there is not any fifth in Buddhism.

There are only four tenets. Regarding the four Buddhist tenets, they are the Vaibhāṣikas, Vaibhāṣikas, Sautrantikas, mind only and middle way. And so far, the tenet covered was the lowest one, the specific exponents. In popular English texts, it would be mentioned by its Sanskrit name, Vaibhāṣika, because to interpret if people are going to enter into examination perhaps it would be good to follow the terms used in other centers which necessarily may not be correct translation but what is popularly followed so so far covered was the Vaibhāṣika the specific exponents briefly and now we are on the second one, the discourse groups or the sūtra followers.

So from tonight, we start the discourse groups, what what is in other translations called Sūtra followers or it sounds like Sautrāntika, Sautrāntika discourse groups. It would not because there would be examinations in future. So it would be good if people can ask for only important points and outlines, take notes. So if So if you take note regarding the discourse groups when when it comes to explaining about it, we can have, say, the outline of the major topics covered under it. First topic covered is its definition.

Second, its divisions or classification. It’s divisions. Third, it’s etymological meaning or etymological explanation. And then on under the fourth topic are discussed about object as well about subject. Object and subject can be split into two parts.

The subject part becoming the fifth. What’s that? That’s not one. And then there is the sixth one about the selflessness, and then the seventh part about grounds and path, the realizations of the grounds and path. So there are roughly seven points or you can afterwards.

Was the fifth one then? Fifth one subject. So these seven topics can Similarly, we can look at middle way, the highest fourth tenet through these seven topics. Although on its mere mention or the denomination, the seven topics are uniform to all four tenets. But what each of the topic individually mean to each of the tenet differs.

Earlier earlier with specific exponent, found the definition of that tenant was a proponent of lower vehicle tenet who does not accept on lower, but accepts external actual actually existing things as truly existing or external actually think existing things as truly existing. Now here with discourse group, the definition differs slightly that here we have its definition as a proponent of the lower vehicle tenet who accepts both own and external, actually, existing things as truly existing. Regarding the second topic, which is the divisions or the classifications of the tenet into sub schools we found with the earlier tenet specific exponent that it could roughly from one point be classified into three sub schools the Kashmiri specific exponents and the local close by or its Sanskrit Aparantakas and then the middle area or middle middle area specific exponents. So in brief, those three. Now here with discourse groups, the classification of its sub-schools can be into two, discourse groups following citation and the second discourse group following reasonings.

As far as the next topic, the etymological explanation goes, we found with the earlier specific exponent that it was called, or it is called specific exponent because it espouses or it is follower. There are the exponents of the great treasury of specific knowledge. That text called great treasury of specific knowledge was a text written by one great Arhant in Tibetan we call Nyarbu. So that was the main reason because those tenets the followers of that tenet mainly followed that text as their valid reference. And now here with the discourse groups it is called discourse groups because they explain their assertions mainly by following the Buddha’s discourses.

And this explanation we went over in last Tuesday evening. Now with regards to the next the fourth topic about the object here within this course group it explains an existing an existing thing or an existing phenomena. It explains an existing phenomena as something something which is established through valid knowledge. Something which is established through valid knowledge is the definition or the explanation explanation of of any any existing existing phenomena. Phenomena.

And then with regards to the existing things, there’s also its definition being explained explained as something which is perceived by which is perceived by valid knowledge. Now what valid knowledge means what is meant by valid knowledge? Knowledge is an awareness which freshly, which for the first time perceives its object unmistakenly. Unmistakenly. Such an awareness is called valid knowledge.

Probably in other translation would be used as valid perception, valid perception, valid cognition, same. So an awareness which for for the the first time unmistakably perceives, understands, sees its object is called valid knowledge, valid cognition, valid perception. So whatever is perceived by such an awareness is existing phenomenon. So that’s another way of looking at what is meant by existing phenomenon according to this tenet, the discourse groups. In the same definition we cover any object, table, flower, book and any other object as existing phenomena.

Again going back to the definition why they qualify to be called as existing phenomena is because they can be perceived, they can be understood, they can be seen by a valid valid knowledge, valid cognition. For example, when you identify someone you know when coming in contact with you that this is this person similarly in any other situation when you are able to identify that this is this person and that is that person in that situation such recognition is called correct perception, correct knowing. So that would be what’s called a way of looking at what is meant by the valid knowledge perceiving or knowing its object. So in this way of explanation and looking at the different topics, they obviously include dialectical nature of inquiry where the purpose of such dialectical nature of inquiry is to make a person and in a learner understand the topics thoroughly, precisely. So that would be the benefit.

For example, this flower in the front is an existing phenomena because it is perceived by valid knowledge. So obviously you can see how it involves dialectical inquiry and dialectical nature of establishing effect by applying reasoning. For example, the very thesis that the flower in the front is an existing phenomenon is proved by putting forth the reasoning because it is perceived by valid knowledge, valid perception. Now if we put into debate form then, say, someone who claims claims to say it is a flower what the person is saying in the front, then the questioner can ask to the claimant why so it is a flower, saying it is an existing phenomenon if the person claims the flower to be existing phenomenon then the questioner can ask why and then in response the the claiming of the thesis can say because it is perceived by valid knowledge. So there is a debate format in there.

Now under the fourth topic, which is the topic about object, it again can have further classification. Firstly, about object, all object can be synonymous with the can be synonymous synonymous with existing phenomenon. And regarding existing phenomenon, we just had defined that it is something perceived by valid knowledge. Now within the