Tenets, 16 June 1994, part 1

Amongst all these countless aged and mother sentient beings, as countless as the limitlessness of the sky, there is not anyone who has not been my mother and dear ones in the past. Presently in my case I have encountered the teaching leading to enlightenment and overcoming of mental shortcomings. I have encountered lamas or the teachers who unmistakenly show the instructions therefore it is now my responsibility, right responsibility and right right situation that I should repay their kindness. As to repaying kindness what it would mean looking at their situation they are without happiness and they are destitute of it and they are full of suffering. So paying their kindness back in most meaningful way would be to make it and really make it happen that their sufferings are removed and they receive happiness.

With regard to removing their sufferings and leading them to happiness presently, I just have this kind thought on aspirational level only, so it is mere kind thought. Therefore I must really acquire the actual means by which I really can make that happen. The only means through which the removing of other sufferings and bringing them excellent happiness is by attaining firstly by oneself the state of Buddhahood. An example would be Buddha Śākyamūni who by attaining enlightenment is able even for the benefit of one sentient being to manifest in suitable forms through which give appropriate instructions, Dharma teachings and remove their sufferings and lead them or lead the sentient sentient being being to enlightenment that is how it is done likewise in our case if we attain the same state of enlightenment free of all mental shortcomings and acquiring all excellent qualities of mind, we also can be of similar maximum benefit to sentient beings. Therefore in order to be of maximum benefit to others we must attain at any rate the state free of all mental shortcomings and complete with all excellent qualities of the mind.

How would one attain the state free of all mental shortcomings and complete with all excellent qualities? Firstly, it is important and necessary to recognize what are the faults, what are the mental shortcomings and what are the excellent qualities. Having recognized the two, to each of the mental fault or mental shortcoming one needs to apply its respective excellent qualities, the counter measure, the excellent qualities of mind, and through that way gradually, gradually decrease, eliminate all mental shortcomings and increase the excellent qualities of our mind. To be able to do that as one firstly needs to recognize to know the two that means one needs to have extensive learning. Based on extensive learning then one would have extensive reflection and then perform meditation to follow.

So here too please think that I, because of such reason, would very well, at best of my ability, learn, reflect, and meditate. As explained ahead, in order to remove sufferings and the impure sufferings and the shortcomings of the mind one first needs to identify them. First, well in order to attain the excellent qualities of the mind firstly one needs to identify them. Therefore it will come to the point the natural asking of question which then would actually do the knowing of what is mental shortcoming and what is excellent qualities. Regarding that it is the valid knowledge, valid perception which knows the faults and which knows the excellent qualities.

Having Having known through valid knowledge then one needs to unmistakenly with effort put into practice what one has identified, what one has known. By that way one would be able to overcome all mental shortcomings and attain all excellent qualities of the mind. Through that way, one then attains Buddhahood, the state of omniscience. For example, if we have good and sound eyes then we can very well walk on the road and arrive destination safely if our eyes are not sound, say if someone is half blind or both blind then not seeing the road one would not reach the proper destination. Yet on the other hand, I eyes has limited ability to know about things.

Only the extent it would know would be visible objects that appears to it like other sense objects to do with form, sound, smell, taste, and touch. The eyes only can just know about what is visibly to be seen. It cannot precisely as well in variety know the multitude of phenomena that are out there. Liberation and state of omniscience we cannot access. Go with these eyes, the sense eyes, the ordinary eyes.

The eyes which we need for that would be wisdom eyes. The of wisdom by learning, such as firstly one would do learning of the teachings, the scriptures and so forth, and wisdom would be gained by that way. There is wisdom through learning and then whatever one has learned one ascertains whether it is reliable, factual and so forth through deep contemplation or through reflection, reflection, and through that way one attains wisdom of reflection. And whatever one has ascertained through reflection one meditatively familiarizes with that direction or topic to make it part of one’s mind through that way one attains wisdom of meditation or wisdom of meditative familiarization. These are the three wisdoms wisdoms with which one needs to go to liberation and omniscient state.

By nature these three wisdoms are inclusive to valid cognition and it is through the valid cognition, valid knowledge one has to traverse up on the path to liberation and enlightenment. The knowledge, in our last Thursday evening we looked at its two basic classifications, there is the direct valid knowledge and second the inferential valid knowledge. And we also went in last Thursday evening the definition of what is a valid knowledge or valid cognition. There we defined it as a fresh and infallible knowledge. We also covered the definition of what is meant by direct valid knowledge that it is defined as fresh and infallible knowledge free of concepts.

Now tonight we look into the classification of valid direct valid knowledge although one we covered last week was the sensory direct valid knowledge. Generally there are four direct valid knowledge, sensory direct valid knowledge, own knower direct valid knowledge, mental direct valid knowledge, and yogic direct valid knowledge. There are these four. What is own knower valid knowledge? By the way, as an interpretive note, on lower in popular translation is perhaps called as the self cognition, that is as a reference in case there are some other what’s called literature where the word is used in that way, self-cognizer.

So what is an own knower? Regarding it, first there is a description of it as an inward-directed mind, directed inward. This obviously makes us to describe what is meant by inward. Well, regarding in ward firstly what is inside that itself needs clarification and there’s two ways of describing what is in internal, inward, what is inward or internal. One way of description is whichever is subject to feeling is internal, whatever is subject to feeling is internal.

For example we have with feeling of pleasure, feeling of pain or suffering, and neutral feeling. So whatever is inclusive subject to such an experience is here from one way of looking at is internal. By this we would say table is not an internal thing because if we hit it and so forth it doesn’t feel anything at all, no experience of feeling at all. Whereas if we cut our finger or strike it with needle then there is a feeling of pain, burning and so forth, so that is a feeling. Similarly in the in those group where it is not subject to feeling we can have example the nail and hair which when cut don’t give any feeling of pain, pleasantness, so forth at all.

So that’s one way of looking at all what is meant by internal inward. Another is described as whatever is subject to consciousness, subject to mind, whatever is to be felt by mind that is internal. With regard to the description of own knower, there it starts with a inward directed mind. Now regarding though regarding how a mind is directed inward, as to that, the followers followers of of the the theory believing there is a consciousness called own, knower explain that the mind or consciousness has two parts, one which knows external things only, and that is directed outward, outward part of the mind, and within that state of mind there is a part of the mind which knows itself only, and in that way it is directed inward toward the mind itself only. We can look at an example like if the consciousness of the mind observing flower to say an example then one portion of the mind only views that object, the flower, yet other part of the mind looks at the mind itself.

So it only looks at itself and that is the inward facing part of the mind which is called the own knower by the followers of that theory who believes in that. And together when we put that part into the definition of own knower valid knowledge then it would be a fresh and infallible knowledge where the mind is directed inward. That would be the definition Now because own knower is own knower valid knowledge is a division of a direct valid knowledge, so the definition together would mean a fresh and infallible valid knowledge free of concepts which is directed inward. How we can relate the definition of direct own knower valid knowledge in terms of a particular context or example. Well let’s say when eye consciousness sees a form then the very first moment of that eye consciousness seeing the form first time directly is one such case where we call it as the direct own knower knowledge.

Similarly the ear consciousness when it perceives sound the very first moment of perception is called the direct own knower, direct valid knowledge. Like that with every consciousness by those who assert that there is an own knower part of the mind would say that every direct valid perception the first moment there is a part which is direct own knower valid knowledge. Let’s look at an example if suppose yesterday we went to a garden and if we did see beautiful flowers as well beautiful lawn, then today if we happen to recollect the beauty beauty of flower and the lawn, the grass, then there would be the memory, the recollection today thinking, yesterday I saw such a beautiful flower, the grass was so good and so forth. Those believe in the theory that there is a part of mind called own knower explains that to be able to recollect events of past is caused due to the mind having a portion called own knower. How that is explained is yesterday when at the time of seeing the flower by our consciousness there is part of the consciousness which sees or perceives the mind itself.

So the very fact that the mind was able to look at it and perceive it or what it was doing at that time was able to make the mind able to recollect its perception later on in future and that’s how it is explained. So to conclude that point it would mean that those who accept own knower attributes the cause to be able to have memory and recollection to own knower, a consciousness called own knower. So that is one of the direct valid knowledge. The direct valid knowledge of one or or to put it thirst to put it thirstly one or direct valid knowledge. The second is the sensory direct valid knowledge.

Regarding what is a sensory direct valid knowledge, well it is direct valid knowledge of each of the five senses. There is a direct valid knowledge perceiving form by eye, so that is direct valid knowledge by eye consciousness, that is direct valid knowledge of the sense of eye. Similarly of ear perceiving sound, that direct valid knowledge of the ear sense is the sensory direct valid knowledge. In this way with each of the senses we can say there is a direct valid knowledge. Regarding its definition what is a sensory direct valid knowledge we can define it as a fresh and infallible knowledge which is produced by its exclusive cause, sense organs.

So it is defined as fresh and infallible valid knowledge which is produced by its exclusive cause, the sense organs. What that part clearly indicates is only the part which is exclusively produced by exclusive cause sense organ that is to be attached to the previous actual definition of direct valid knowledge. So together at the end we put free of concepts. Regarding the sensory direct valid knowledge, what in context, I mean, giving giving example, what what they would mean is perceiving form fresh directly by valid knowledge is sensory direct valid knowledge perceiving form. Likewise, perceiving sound fresh for the first time new, by valid valid knowledge is a sensory direct valid knowledge.

So with each of the five objects or the five senses when they are perceived for the first time correctly, validly, that is a sensory direct valid knowledge. Next is the mental Next is the mental direct valid knowledge. It is the definition of it is that its definition exclusively has the part like earlier which is produced by its exclusive cause mental sense. And when attached with the direct valid knowledge part of definition it would be fresh and infallible direct, infallible knowledge free of concept which is produced by its exclusive cause mental sense and this becomes the third direct valid knowledge number three. Mental direct valid knowledge would be the first moment of knowing others mind.

As generally there would be a clairvoyance power attained by one’s mind where one would be able to read or know other’s mind. So in such case the very first moment when other’s mind are perceived, understood by one’s mind that is one such case. So that would be enough on the third and would be good if we just go by just one example each. Next would be the yogic direct valid knowledge and here the definition part is bit long so firstly maybe it’s better to have it like a whole and then write it down, and it is a bit long and it is defined as wisdom directly knowing subtle impermanence or selflessness of person through the meditative concentration having the combination of calm abiding and special insight produced exclusively by such causes and which is fresh in fresh and infallible valid knowledge, free of concept is the definition. So if we go back yeah, if you don’t mind.

The wisdom which directly perceives or knows subtle impermanence or selflessness of person through the through the meditative concentration where there is the combination of calm abiding and special insight produced by such exclusive cause if it is a fresh and infallible knowledge free of concept is the end. So the other part is to be attached. A In way to paraphrase it would be good as although in Tibetan it goes backward like in English you can perhaps reverse fresh and infallible knowledge free of concept produced by its exclusive cause and then them, and what is the exclusive cause? Well it is the wisdom directly perceiving subtle impermanence or selflessness of a person through the meditative concentration having the combination of calm abiding and special insight. I think that’s better.

Good? In this way we can have the instances or examples of yogic direct valid knowledge as one example, valid direct valid knowledge knowing the subtle impermanence for the first time. And so to paraphrase the first moment of the knowing of subtle impermanence by direct valid knowledge is one case. Likewise, the gross selflessness of person — being known directly by valid knowledge is another example. Similarly subtle selflessness of person being known directly by valid knowledge is another example.

By that way, we can infer that yogic direct valid knowledge is attained only if one becomes an ārya, someone who has directly realized emptiness because because it is only with an ārya, a superior person who has realized emptiness, that there is the direct knowing or direct realization of subtle impermanence, as well it is only with a superior or an ārya that there is direct knowing or direct realization of gross selflessness of person. Likewise, it