Tenets, 17 November 1994, part 1

In my case, I do not want suffering and I do want happiness. Similarly, all beings equally do not want suffering and they all equally do want happiness. In that perspective, all are same. Therefore, to work for one’s own happiness and to work only to remove one’s own problems or suffering is not the appropriate thing to do. Not only that, such an attitude is basically based on self-cherishing, self centeredness.

If that’s the case then whatever is done with the motive of self centeredness it is definitely inevitable that actions through that would be of low benefit and the results produced by such actions would have equally low meanings. Therefore to think not only therefore not only to think of removing one’s own suffering but instead to think of removing the suffering of all beings is the right way. If one thinks that way then that becomes compassion. In the same way, the thought which wishes oneself and all beings to be with happiness and the causes of happiness is the direction we have to develop and follow. Such a thought is what is called loving kindness.

If here one not only directs one’s thought towards thinking about removing all beings’ sufferings as well to accomplish happiness for all beings in state one makes it far more advanced and developed by as well thinking that I alone am prepared to take the responsibility to do that. If one has that determination then that is what is very highly admired as the exalted thought or the superior thought interpretatively called the universal responsibility. To think that even if it comes one is prepared to take the responsibility upon oneself alone to accomplish happiness for others and to remove others suffering that itself is no doubt a very kind thought. Yet from another perspective it is merely an aspiration, mere wish. Presently as common being one does not have actual capability to accomplish that.

So it is therefore relevant to look towards the means by which one actually can accomplish that when one searches for the means it is a fact that only if one has overcome all the mental weaknesses and acquired all the perfections of mind that it is possible to accomplish others welfare. So in that way one at this point makes the determination to achieve enlightenment the state free of all mental shortcomings and complete with all perfections of mind in order to benefit others. So here, let’s together try to adjust our intention aspiring to achieve that state free of all mental shortcomings and complete with all excellent qualities out of which one would have the potency to accomplish all beings welfare. Having adjusted our thought towards that aspiration then in the next part here let us think about that to attain such state I would very willingly take interest here in doing study reflection and meditation on the Mahāyāna or the great vehicle method of achieving enlightenment. The great teacher who greatly specialized in understanding the reality, the teacher by the name of Āryadeva very beautifully says in one of his writings, those who stick to absolute existence go towards higher rebirth those who stick to absolute non existence go towards lower rebirth the wise therefore therefore should neither abide in the absolute existence nor in the absolute non existence.

In brief this part is a reference where we can start the evening’s discourse on the present tenet, is the fourth tenet, the middle way proponents. The wise here in the preceding lines means those who follow the middle way understanding about reality and in that way the highest Buddhist tenet, the fourth one who are called the exponents of the middle way, are the real who are to be called as the wise. As far as what is meant by the middle we can look at in this way in terms of metaphor with our fingers if the central middle finger is there with the two on the sides then the middle finger is the middle and the two are the sides or the extremes. In this case similar to the example there are in philosophical understanding of reality there are two possible extremes and if one has remained free from falling to the two extremes, then one is in the middle. And this Buddhist tenet, the middle way proponents, they are like the like those who are in the middle.

The two extremes are extreme of nothingness ness and extreme of permanence, what is so called extreme of eternalism and extreme of nothingness. The extreme of permanence means fabrication from the part of one side towards things or phenomena where although things don’t exist truly, one projects or fabricates that they exist so. So in that way it is one extreme, the extreme of permanence and then extreme of nothingness or extreme of nihilism in that case it means where something does exist nominally but from one’s part either through not knowing or through disliking about true explanation one refuses to accept the reality about things that they conventionally exist. As a consequence one asserts that things don’t exist absolutely that there isn’t at all although they do exist nominally but to absolutely deny their existence in that way to say there isn’t That is one extreme, the extreme of nothingness. Here, the Thursday evening, our teaching topics are called final conclusions.

Literally, the final conclusions the tenets and the essence of the topic concerns the philosophical understanding part of Buddhist practice therefore we need to relate relate the two extremes and their meaning in terms of philosophical understanding or the understanding about reality in that way the meaning of extreme of eternal ism or extreme of permanence means although things don’t truly exist one projects or fabricates that they truly exist. Although the self of person does not exist truly one fabricates or projects that it does so and although things don’t externally exist which is a theory maintained by the realist theory theorist the materialist theory although matter or things don’t externally exist but one fabricates that they exist in that way so that very projection about or fabrication about the manner of phenomena is called the extreme of permanence. Although the misunderstanding about phenomena by way of projecting them as they exist absolutely although they don’t in that way although there is extreme of permanence but through that itself a person may still engage in doing good karma or one may engage a person may engage in doing virtuous actions and so this is true because a person based or with such misunderstanding may do either of the two actions virtuous and non virtuous actions.

Now if a person does virtuous actions then out of virtuous actions although based on extreme of permanence it brings those actions or brings about for the person a higher rebirth as a celestial being or as a human but nevertheless, one is still in saṃsāra in the cycle. So in that way, one does experience all sorts of sufferings as a human or as a celestial being. Now let’s look at what does happen if one has the other extreme, the extreme of nothingness, extreme of nihilism. To look at it let’s first what is what let’s first look at what is extreme of nothingness and as inquiry we would find that extreme of nothingness means although it is a fact that there was past life and there would be future life in another words although it is a fact that rebirth is factual one repudiates rejects by saying oh there isn’t anything called rebirth and there wasn’t past life similarly although cause and effect do infallibly linked and do infallibly function in that way karma is infallible but one repudiates or rejects that and says there isn’t karma at all and out of search one may say whether one does virtuous actions or non virtuous actions it doesn’t matter because actions don’t bring results by that way of saying if someone rejects these fact although these are factual and do function then these are extreme of nothingness.

If a person holds on to such view then out of such view the person would engage in non virtuous actions and therefore these non virtuous actions will bring re birth in the lower realms of re birth as a tormented being or mentally anguished being and the duration of re birth there could be endless here expression meaning could go on for a very long time and thus experience so much suffering. In this way, if one remains in the extreme of permanence and extreme of nothingness, these are the shortcomings. On the middle way followers who are the wise, they abide in the middle where from the point of being free from extreme of nothingness in their case they do they do relate to the fact that past lives and future lives rebirth are factual in that way they believe in this fact as well they believe in the cause and effect infallibility as well they believe that liberation and state of knowing everything are something factual and can be achieved and they also are aware that by doing virtuous actions and overcoming non virtuous actions and their sources one can actually make to attaining liberation and the state of knowing everything that these are factual so they very actively therefore engage in meaningful spiritual practices and virtuous actions.

This then we can see is obvious instant outcome of being free from the extreme of nothingness. Out of such correct understanding, there comes about the practice of noble behavior and virtuous conducts. On the other hand, the middle way proponents or the followers of middle way understanding, they they understand that all things are originated in dependent arising way therefore all things exist in dependent existence manner and through that way they are aware that out of dependent arising manner and with dependence on their causes and conditions everything do manifest everything do come into existence as they are by that way of relating with dependent arising they are able to correctly understand the meaning of emptiness and through that way they make themselves be free of falling into the extreme of permanence that the opposite is that things instead don’t depend on conditions and causes and are not dependent arising by the very fact of their understanding that things do come about through their with dependence on their causes and condition and understanding emptiness in that way itself is then the understanding of being free from falling into the extreme of permanence. Also out of such correct understanding comes a good view.

Through this way, being free from the two extremes, one is able to very well do the practice of noble conduct, noble behavior combined with the good view or the correct view and along with that way of being able to do the practice one then makes the progress on one’s training of the mind and through that way one gradually gradually overcomes all impure thoughts and attains the excellent quality of mind but obviously these two do also combine the practice of compassion loving kindness mind of enlightenment and altogether in that way a middle way practitioner with right way of approach makes progress on the part improving the mind and getting rid of all its shortcomings and finally attains the state of all knowing, the Buddha. Therefore, these are the benefits if one is able to do in accordance with the middle way proponents where one do not let oneself fall into the two extremes, extreme of permanence and extreme of nothingness. So this evening, we start on that tenet, the middle way proponent tenet. And amongst the four Buddhist tenets, this middle way proponent tenets are the highest tenets. Here in studying into the tenet of the middle way proponents, we break the outline into three major headings.

First is the definition, second is the division and the third is the specific into the divisions. What these three part means is the definition part is where it concerns the details about why and what this tenet is all about even in the meaning of the term and the division breaks the two main divisions of the middle way tenet, and the specific details concerned more breakdown or details on the two divisions. So let’s first note down the definition of middle way proponent. The middle way proponent is defined as a great vehicle proponent who does not even nominally accept true existence. What?

To repeat, the proponent of great vehicle tenet who does not even accept that accept even nominally does not even accept nominally true existence of things. Here in the definition, there is mention even nominally don’t accept true existence. What that part means is the mind to which nominally or conventionally perceive things even to such a mind there isn’t any truly existing phenomena, truly existing functioning phenomena. There isn’t anything truly existent even to the perspective of nominal mind, a conventional mind perceiving things. This part in our meaning says there is not even a particle of phenomenon of phenomena that exist truly.

And then in the definition we come across the part saying a proponent of great vehicle tenet or one who explains great vehicle tenet. This means it is quite obvious that here the middle way tenet belongs to great vehicle. In the great vehicle tenant there are two main divisions the lower one being the mind only tenet and the higher one being the middle way proponents. Now let’s look at it this way. Historically speaking, Buddha Śākyamūni in what is now India in a place called Banaras gave the first series of teachings which come to be termed as the first turning of the wheel of Dharma where the Buddha taught the four truths And in that series of teaching, Buddha taught the four truths based on the premises as if things are truly as if as if external as as if there is externally actually existing phenomena.

Therefore, that series of teaching, the first turning wheel of Dharma are taught specifically for the two lower tenets, the Vaibhāṣikas and the Sautrantikas. Those two tenets therefore practice who practice based on the first turning of the wheel of Dharma, first series of teachings, and that’s how they attempt to accomplish liberation. Second series of teachings were given in what is now India in a place called Rajgir upon a hill which looks like a vulture’s so it’s called Vulture’s Peak, and that’s where the second series of teachings were given. The disciples to whom the second series of teachings were taught were the disciples who had the mental capability of understanding in accordance with the middle way theory middle way perspective so they were middle way followers and based on and that’s the teachings were given to that type of disciples and those disciples based on those series of teaching did and continue to do their practice and that’s how they then make to accomplish their liberation. The second series of teachings were of three versions the extensive version, the middle version and the short version, the middle the extensive version extending to 100,000 verses and the middling version extending to 20,000 verses and the short version extending to few thousand verses and they all in in their core of teaching that second series of teaching dealt with the topic of emptiness.

At that time, meaning during the second series of teachings the disciples to whom the teachings were given were not only of great vehicle Bodhisattva mental capability but they were of sharp faculty scriptural expression meaning the brightest of the great vehicle disciples therefore therefore amongst the great vehicle disciples there were those who were of blunt faculty and who could not comprehend the content and the meaning of the second series of teachings therefore specifically for those blunt faculty or disciple of the great vehicle the Buddha then gave the third series of teachings in what is now India in a place called Shravasti and the teachings came to be called by the title elucidation of the thought. Also, the third series of teachings actually were commentaries to the first and the second series of teachings. The third series of teachings were given specifically amongst the four tenets, those following the mind only tenet. The highest Buddhist tenet, the fourth one is called by the name the proponent of the middle way and that is the highest tenet in comparison to the other three tenets but within the highest tenet itself the middle way proponent there are two levels two levels those who are of the blunt faculty meaning those who are less intelligent follow the Svatāntrika or what is popularly called the translated as autonomous school the autonomous school or Svatāntrika tenet and those who are intelligent in following the right middle way perspective they are the higher middle way tenet and their name is the Prāsaṇgika or the consequentialist tenet.

Therefore in a way we can say within the middle way proponents there are two levels and in that way the Prāsaṇgika or the consequentialist being the higher one would mean amongst the Buddhist tenets, the consequentialist or the Prasangikas are the highest. We then firstly have looked at why these two levels of middle way tenets are called by their respective names. One is called the Svatāntrika middle way proponents and the other the Prāsaṇgika or the consequentialist middle way tenet. The Svatāntrika middle way tenet is called that way because this tenet establishes non true existence about phenomena by applying the reasoning complete with three modes of reasoning from its own side so therefore Svatāntrika, this means in this lower middle way tenet establishes emptiness by applying the reasoning where it presents its own reasoning where it presents its own reasoning complete with the three necessary criteria of reasoning what literally is called the three modes of reasoning, three features of reasoning. And that’s how it is given the name Svatāntrika reasoning from its own side, Svatāntrika middle way proponent.

What this what this means in way of specific example, we can look this way. Say, if we are referring the object sprout then we can recall our previous discussion where we have a format of reasoning in relation with sprout going this way let sprout be the investigative subject it is not inherently existing because it is dependent arising phenomena. So in that format of reasoning we apply the reasoning because it is dependent arising phenomena in order to establish the non inherent existence about the object called sprout. Now that is how it stands. Now according to the Svatāntrika middle way tenet what it says is this tenet says the reasoning itself exists from its own characteristics.

That’s another way of interpreting that the very reasoning of dependent arising, the reasoning itself exists from its own characteristics therefore it is able to establish the non inherent existence about others so in that way own side has that meaning. Others