Tenets, 18 August 1994, part 2

Stands. So with regard to that, let’s say what seed means. The earlier moment of that ego grasping would leave a seed and due to that seed they would arise in the second moment the same continuity of that ego grasping, the grasping at person as existing sufficiently in substance. So it is due to the seed that there arises in next moment the previous ego grasping. Whereas in the case if it is an imprint then it would mean there is no potency with the imprint to produce that ego grasping again.

The example we can look at is say in case of farmer they reap a crop and then they leave a seed and that leaves certain amount of the crop as a seed for the next farming season and next time those grains are sown into the field they have potency to generate yet another crop. So that is a seed and seed has a potency to produce another whereas imprint is simply a potency left by the previous entity but which does not have the capability to produce that previous entity again. Or to paraphrase what then it would mean is the seed of ego grasping means the ability or the potency of the ego grasping which is left in the next moment and out of that seed or potency there arises ego grasping again. Whereas imprint of ego grasping means potency left by ego grasping on one’s consciousness and that imprint is simply a bad residue of impure thought of ego grasping but that imprint does not have the power or potency to manifest as ego grasping itself. So the seed of the ego grasping is the one which has the potency to produce the ego grasping again.

So here I’m just saying ego grasping to substitute for the long phrase which says grasping at a person existing self sufficient in substance. So the seed of the ego grasping has the potency to generate the next moment of ego grasping. Whereas in the case of imprint, imprint of that concept of ego grasping does not have the power to produce the next moment of ego grasping or grasping a person existing sufficiently in substance. Yet, due to that imprint there is an adverse or bad residue left on the consciousness such as due to that imprint there is a bad habit left with the mind such as in the mind of the person having such imprint would have the weakness where the mind becomes a bit unruly or going through a bad habit of misbehavior or the mind does not have the clarity to perceive and know things that thoroughly and clearly. So these weaknesses are caused by the imprint of that ego grasping.

Also these imprints and the bad habits produced by the imprints hinder a person from clearly seeing about all all phenomena. In that way, they are called as non afflictive obscurations because by by their nature, they are not afflictions or they are not impure thoughts. They are not afflictions or delusions, impure thoughts. Yet they are obscurations because they obscure or hinder the person from seeing perfectly or clearly. Afflictive obscurations hinder a person from attaining liberation.

Non afflictive obscurations hinder a person from attaining omniscience. Whose liberation, whose omniscience are being hindered? Well, as a practitioner one first has to relate to oneself that the very presence of afflictive obscurations within one’s mind stream hinder one from attaining liberation and the very presence of non afflictive obscurations with one’s mind stream hinder one from attaining omniscience. Similarly one can look at other beings and other sentient beings that they also are hindered from attaining liberation and omniscience by these two types of obscurations in a way therefore all sentient beings who have not attained who have not yet attained the liberation and omniscience are definitely hindered from attaining them by these two obscurations. As reference to oneself as a practitioner, where are the two obscurations?

The answer is simple. The two obscurations are within oneself. That it is being within ones oneself, within ones continuum, within ones mind stream that one is hindered from attaining liberation as well as one is hindered from attaining omniscience. Similarly, the presence of these two obscurations in other beings’ continuum hinder them from attaining liberation and omniscience. The presence of two obscurations in other beings mind stream do not hinder me from attaining or one from attaining liberation and omniscience.

It is one’s own two obscurations which hinder one from attaining those two goals. The two obscurations within one’s continuum would not hinder other people or beings from attaining liberation and omniscience. For example, let’s say in my case, the very presence of the two obscurations within my continuum would stop and hinder me from attaining liberation and omniscience. Similarly, in case of Dawa in the presence of the two obscurations in Dawa’s continuum hinder him from attaining liberation and omniscience. So that’s that’s how it would then stand in the case of everyone.

So it is in our own continuum that they are and if one has not abandoned them, then one would not still have attained those goals. If one has abandoned them it’s a different case than it would be where one would be staying relaxed happily no problems problems, no no worries. Worries. We do meditation, we are still unable to combat them. We read scriptures, we are still unable to combat them.

So in earlier sessions, we did come across the mention that within our continuum, have two types of minds as ordinary person, two types of mental state, good types and bad types. And regarding what are those what are the bad types? Well, would in plain reference refer to such state of thought as ego grasping, grasping at person existing, grasping person as existing self sufficiently in substance and that becomes the afflictive obscurations and the imprint left by that grasping becomes the non-afflictive obscurations and the two types of these bad mental state are very much present within our continuum. We now need to eliminate them. We now need to expel them.

Therefore, the main enemies and foe whom we have to combat and overcome would be these impure states of mind, the two types of obscurations. And real enemy, if there is to be, should be these weaknesses of our mind which needs to be purified. And due to this very fact that the real enemy would refer to these weaknesses or the impure thoughts, due to this very fact that the real enemy refers to them, we then have the expression throughout the teachings and scriptures, the foe destroyer, foe destroyed, those who have overcome all impure thoughts. They are called the foe destroyer as interpretation. foe destroyer is not a good rendering because it still implies they are not yet destroyed and they’re in the process of destroying.

So even though it’s awkward, it’s sometimes good to translate as foe destroyed. Yeah. Foe eliminated ones. Foe destroyed ones. So that’s what there we come across in the scriptures and the teachings, the foe destroyed who have overcome all impure thoughts.

Now how far is how far is it true that they are real enemy? Well, it is true because so far since beginningless rebirth in cycle in saṃsāra, we have been tormented with sufferings brought forth with the experience of suffering because the very presence of these obscurations or mental weaknesses in our mind. If we have not been able to overcome them then this continue will be so in future that we, through them, will as well experience continued sufferings. So they are the real enemy inflicting sufferings upon us. To overcome these weaknesses with the mind, the obscurations, we need to depend on strong forces as opponent against them.

The opponents, the forces we use against them are then what is called the grounds and paths, the spiritual experiences and realizations of different levels called grounds and paths. As the object, the weaknesses with the mind, they themselves are very strong. Therefore, the opponent to overcome them need also to be well and strong, reliable, so forth. And the most reliable and the sure unmistaken one are the grounds and paths. The term ground is used here because of its similarity even in orderly convention.

Because in worldly convention ground is something which being the foundation there is the possibility of all growth of plants, flowers, crops, trees, trees so forth. Like that ground here in the training of mind in attaining liberation and enlightenment the very realization and the experiences of mind are like the foundation upon which and with depends on which with dependence on them that all the excellent qualities of the mind are actualized. Mention of the term path as well regarding the spiritual attainment of the mind. This is no different in normal use of the word path as synonymous with road and ways. For example, there are road or road path towards Melbourne, Kangaroo Island, Tasmania to India and so forth.

If one goes through that or on on those road then it is possible to arrive at those destinations. Say if we are to go to Kangaroo Island, if we catch the right path then we would arrive there. Similarly, we catch the road to Melbourne on the right road to the path then we would arrive there. Similarly here, these realizations and the experiences of the mind called path are real path in that sense that through them one traverses towards liberation and enlightenment. Now with regards to the paths there are five paths.

The path of accumulation of merits, path of preparation, path of seeing, path of meditation, and path of no more training. These five paths are the various levels of realization of spiritual qualities towards attaining liberation and enlightenment. The levels into these five are similar if we look at say in case with school that one first goes to the first grade then elevates to the second third fourth fifth and when one finishes the last grade then one has completed schooling. Similarly by going through path of accumulation of merits, of preparation, of seeing, path of meditation, path of no more learning, one then at the final stage has completed, one then has attained the state of enlightenment. There’s no more to go ahead.

Now the five paths in the con five paths what they are, they in the context of the essence of wisdom sūtra, Heart Sūtra can be seen or explained by way of mantra, where the, so forth part, gone, gone, go, go, or gone, gone, depending on which commentary one looks at. Gone gone or go go, go go go perfectly, go beyond and be established in enlightenment. So there each of the five references of go and ending culminating in establishing enlightenment refers to the five paths. Now as regards when does one enter the path, the path of accumulation of merits well it starts with firstly having generated within one’s mind stream the thought definitely wanting to exit out of suffering of saṃsāra. How that arises one first needs to look at the dissatisfactory nature of saṃsāra and the sufferings how there is endless unreliability, dissatisfaction, suffering, misery about it and one by contemplating on all its shortcomings one then would improve the awareness and the wish to exit out of that.

Finally they would come to a stage through having repeatedly meditatively familiarized with that process of awareness, there would arise a spontaneous wishing to exit from suffering where the thought does not anymore require any effort of thinking. It is all the time spontaneous in that sense. Not out of blue but spontaneous produced by thorough training. So whenever there is such spontaneous definite exit thought then that is a definite exit thought and one then has become a practitioner who has for the first time entered into the path. That phrase meaning for the first time the person has produced a realization of the path and that is first path.

The complete the complete definite exit or renunciation is the thought seeing all faults with saṃsāra because it is all suffering and having the awareness seeing with liberation there’s all bliss and happiness, unchanging complete happiness that when one attains liberation there is bliss or happiness with one’s body, with one’s objects of enjoyment, with one’s place of residence. In all these three spectrums of happiness enjoyment there’s always unchanging ultimate happiness. Therefore with these two awareness one wishes to exit out of saṃsāra or of suffering and definitely be out of it and attain liberation. So there is renunciation or definite exit whenever there is a spontaneous arising of it and the path has been born in one’s mind. Now when that when that wish is combined with the training on emptiness, the selflessness of person according to this tenet, and if one realizes here it is conceptual realization when one realizes the selflessness of person that person does not exist self sufficiently in substance, then one has arrived on the path of accumulation of merit.

Then through meditating continuously when there arrives at time one as well attains calmed abiding and special insight focused on selflessness a person then that means one has attained the second path, the path of preparation. And then training again and again meditatively familiarizing again and again when there eventually arrives at time one also directly realizes selflessness of person then that is the third path of seeing. And at that point the gross impure thoughts starts to stop or be eliminated, and one keeps on training again and again and even gradually overcomes these subtle obscurations, the non afflictive obscurations then that path after the third path. So one is on the path of meditative familiarization or meditation and finally even when the non afflictive obscurations are eliminated then one arrives at the no more training path and one then has attained liberation. The great teacher says the speedy ones attain within three lifetimes.

What that means is those who train on these five paths and if they are quite speedy and quick in their training and make advances speedily then even if they may not attain arhathood and liberation in this life as well even if they don’t attain in next life definitely they would have attained in the third life So we have to put it into film,, meaning we have to fast forward it. If one is to go to India, then one would go by transit through Singapore and so forth. So there are many stops with the like stations. These three rebirths can be seen as the stops on the way to the final achievement. How strong is the strong is the wish to attain liberation?

That strong there will be the diligence, the hard work one would put into. And how strong there is the diligence to that degree there will be the progress on the path. And to that degree would as well quickly attain liberation. The reason why we don’t have diligence, the wish to put necessary effort into our practice is because we don’t have definite exit. We don’t have proper renunciation.

And that’s where the laughter was. We really don’t have we really don’t have renunciation so far. And that’s how it happens and if we look at why we don’t have renunciation definite exit is because we have attachment then we have attachment with the apparent enjoyments of saṃsāra, the cycle and so forth as well. So that’s how it happens. And in regards to lacking diligence we can put down as well not only having renunciation which in turn is due to having attachment to some signs so forth it is also due to we have distractions through which we don’t have diligence, and we have laziness through which we don’t have diligence.

So through that way, lacking diligence are not able to put necessary effort into the practice, which then would mean obviously there is not much progress, what’s called progress produced, accomplished. The amount of diligence required in wishing to attain liberation is explained with a metaphor where it is said even if one’s head is on fire, one doesn’t have time to rub it. One would still be concerned of doing one’s practice and not bother about putting off the fire on the head. Yeah. Yeah.

So I shall stop here for tonight. And if you have any questions. No, that would not be so because it is explained. With renunciation alone, there’s not enough to overcome the root cause of saṃsāra, the ego grasping. And the reason for that even in citation of the previous teacher is such as the line which says, without its expulsion it is possible to it is overcome it.

So what it means is if one does not have the wisdom realizing selflessness then there is no other means by which the grasping itself would be removed. So the only way the grasping itself which is ego grasping and which is hindering one from attaining liberation can be removed through wisdom realizing selflessness. That is the direct opponent of that and renunciation on its own would not be enough to make one liberated. Because amongst the five paths, without having spontaneous renunciation, definite exit, one would not even come to the first part, the path of accumulation of merits. The reason for that is because the definition of path is knowledge retained by a spontaneous definite exit.

So it’s more a matter of Oh, sorry. The thing is in this case, don’t try to put my opinion. Although one would have renunciation that does not mean one would have overcome all impure thoughts attachment, hatred and so forth because having made up to path of accumulation of merit where one has definite exit or renunciation one would still have all those other paths to traverse and until attaining liberation one would have still those impure thoughts, especially in the present case up to path of seeing the third. So yes, being with renunciation, there would still be the impure thoughts, attachment, and so forth. Already we had the look into the earlier explanation that in the case of swift or speedy person it would still take three lifetimes to attain arhathood or liberation so that would you obviously imply already having generated renunciation definite exit one again is born in saṃsāra twice again.

And in the case of lower lower vehicle practitioner, the rebirth is definitely caused by karma and impure thoughts. There’s no other way a rebirth takes place. The rebirth takes place due to force of karma and impure thoughts. Because in the case of great vehicle practitioner, a rebirth is not necessarily caused by karma and impure thoughts. There are other ways such as through the force of compassion and prayers.

But in the case of lower vehicle, the hearers and solitary realisers, it is not possible.