Tenets, 8 December 1994, part 2

Background assertion that there is a mind which knows the mind called own knower. So because of their background assertion of own knower that they accept the consciousness to be inherently existing. Here in this tenet’s case, Prāsaṇgika, it is explained that own knower does not exist. The third characteristic is that in this tenet’s case it asserts that there is no own knower. What that part means is unlike the lower tenets who assert that there is a reasoning of the three modes of reasoning existing from their side, this tenet does not assert so that this tenet does not assert that the three modes of reasoning, what is known as three modes of reasoning or in plain means the three features necessary to make correct reasoning, these do not exist from one side.

The reason for that is if there are three modes of reasoning existing from their side then that would mean the reasoning complete with three modes of reasoning exist from their own characteristic within which to in turn means the reasoning exist inherently. The fourth distinct characteristic is that this tenant asserts. If someone is an an exalted being, then the person necessarily has realized directly the selflessness of phenomena. As regards who are exalted beings, well, are nine types of exalted being comprising from each of the three vehicles. The hearers are three exalted beings on each of the three paths.

The path of exalted being on the path of seeing, exalted being on the part of meditative and the exalted being on the path of no more training. Similarly, individual liberators or solitary realizers’ part, the exalted being of the path of seeing and then of the path of meditation, and of the path of no more training. Similarly, the exalted beings of the great vehicle are of three levels or three types. Those on the path of seeing, those on the path of meditation familiarization, and those on the path of no more training. So there are nine types of exalted beings.

Here it is explained that if one is an exalted being then it means one has directly realized the selflessness of phenomena. And as regards the usage usage of the concept exalted being, that itself means someone who is exalted above being common, being ordinary, not yet realized the reality or emptiness. So in that sense, exalted being. And this then becomes one distinct characteristic added to the preceding three. Here, related with this fourth point, it is necessary to get the perspective as compared to that of the assertion here on this point of the lower tenets.

According to lower tenets, if someone is an exalted being, it does not the person does not have to be someone who has directly realized the selflessness of phenomena or emptiness upon phenomena because in their case an exalted being one becomes an exalted being if one has even realized the selflessness of person as explained by their tenets. Because in those tenets, meaning lower tenets, they differentiate between the two selflessnesses that of person and phenomena and they maintain that the selflessness of person is grosser meaning easier to realize as compared to the subtle which is the selflessness of phenomena, meaning which is more difficult to realize. As unlike those assertions here the highest and the Prasangikas say there is no difference between the subtlety the grossness about the two selflessnesses because in terms of that which is to be negated or from which emptiness is to be established there is no difference. That which is to negated is the same whether it is in reference with the person or in reference with phenomena. As such if someone has realized the selflessness of person in this tenet it would mean the person as well would have realized the selflessness of phenomena.

Also then, let’s look at the fifth distinct characteristic, which is So then let’s look at the fifth distinct characteristic characteristic which is firstly, before going into that, the lower tenets would classify the two ego graspings as being of two different obscurations. In their case the ego grasping at person is the afflictive obscuration meaning that weakness of mind which hinders a person from attaining liberation and the ego grasping at phenomena is the knowledge obscuration meaning that which hinders a person from attaining enlightenment or Buddhahood. Whereas here now because of the preceding fourth assertion which is that if a person is an exalted being then the person necessarily has as well directly realized the selflessness of phenomena therefore here in this present tenet’s case it maintains that the ego grasping at phenomena is also an afflictive obscuration hindering a person from attaining liberation or to paraphrase in that it would mean in this case if someone has still the ego grasping at phenomena then the person would not yet be liberated that is the implication behind. Now so in this way therefore here this tenet says the ego grasping at phenomena is the is as well the necessarily an afflictive obscuration.

So that is the fifth point, and then the post part is emphasized mentioned about in the lower tenets case such as mind only and Svatantrikas they would say the ego grasping at phenomena is a knowledge obscuration, not afflictive obscuration. Now if it is maintained in this tenet’s case that ego grasping at phenomena is as well an afflictive obscuration, then one might get a doubt. One might get the doubt thinking, well, wouldn’t that mean then in this tenets there is nothing to be presented as knowledge obscuration or nothing to be considered as that which hinders a person from attaining omniscience, the state of knowing all. So in that way knowledge obscuration Oh that is not so, that doubt is understandable but that is not so because knowledge obscurations can be still presented such as the imprints left by the ego graspings, the two types of ego grasping. Not only the imprint as well the mistaken appearances which appears to the sensory consciousnesses of that person who has overcome afflictive obscuration but not knowledge obscuration such as sensory consciousness such as to the eye consciousness.

There would be mistaken appearance of phenomena as if phenomena to that eye consciousness appears as existing from their own characteristic or from their own side. So in that way all of those imprints such mistaken appearances were would appear. And those two thoughts would then be grouped as what constitutes the knowledge obscurations. So that was the fifth, and now let’s look into the sixth point which is firstly in this case there is the assertions about the relative existence of object and the consciousnesses. What are the objects?

What What are the consciousnesses? We can say in terms of five consciousnesses, we can say the external form is perceived by the eye consciousness and the sound perceived by ear consciousness, smell by nose consciousness, taste by tongue consciousness, and touch by bodily consciousness. So there are those five objects and the five consciousnesses which perceives the perceive the five respectively, the five objects. And here this tenet firstly maintains the five external objects and the consciousnesses each of them exist relative to each other because of their being form there is the eye consciousness, because of their being eye consciousness there is form, because of their being ear consciousness there is sound, because of their being sound there is ear consciousness. In that way the two each of the pair exists relatively.

The word actually therefore in some times it’s necessary to go back to original, the word for exist as well as the word for formed. So the two are formed relative to each other. They are formed in that sense. So that is the background assertion and now based on that then this tenet says because of this very fact the external phenomena actually exist. And in that way, the sixth assertion is that the assertion that our external phenomena do actually exist.

The next distinct characteristic is the assertion that disintegration disintegration is a functioning phenomena and functioning phenomena as would normally be what’s called commented has the same meaning as something impermanent and opposed to being permanent. Here this needs to be compared with the assertion of the lower tenets such as the specific exponents who maintain that disintegration is permanent. In that way it is not a functioning phenomena. Anyway, we should not be bothered at this stage to go into looking in detail into that. In brief here, the Prāsaṇgika says disintegration is a functioning phenomena.

And they mean in such a sense, say with death and perishing. Because of something dying, there is next rebirth. So the very passing away the death is to be seen as impermanent functioning phenomena and the other tenet would say it is permanent, the absence is permanent. So there is that background of view that because something has died the next becomes possible. So our disintegration in that way is a functioning phenomenon.

Here, because of asserting that disintegration is functioning phenomenon, therefore, has the special presentation about what three times are past, present, and future. There is distinct explanation or way of looking at how the three and what three times are. Other reason how there is distinct presentation about the three times is say, in the case of the lower tenets they would say past and future are permanent, only the present is impermanent. Opposed or contrary to that here, the Prasangikas say all three, past, present, and future are functioning phenomena. They are not permanent.

As regards the impermanence about past can be seen in this way, say in reference to an object which was previously existent and which later on by being disintegrated has become not existent in that way anymore. So that very disintegration makes the thing become a thing of past. So the very phase of that disintegration from its previous existence is what past becomes. It is past. There is a Tibetan expression which seems to be very fitting to this present perspective about the three times.

How that is so is in the case in Tibetan thinking if a one’s very dear one, say a father, mother, or very kind and precious Dharma, or anyone else dear has passed away. And later on, when in course of conversation or writing and so forth And that only in the course of conversation and writing when one mentions about that person passed away, the expression used to be says, oh, the one passed away, the passed away, the passed away. So the very expression passed away is used as pronoun for the person and that seems to be very fitting. And then the post delivery part was there is no name mentioned of the person instead said the passed away the passed away. So the future is as far as future goes, future is where the causes are there, but due to not having the factors or the conditions get it, it has not yet come into being or into existence.

The way of example to look at that would be, say, in the case of planting crops where the seed has already been sown into the field. And now presently, the factors have not gathered the or water, manure, light, heat, so forth has not gathered, so the seed has not germinated into sprout yet. But yet this cause is there. So even in the expression, there goes or the expression goes that I have very well planted the seed, hope in future, they will be very bumper crop. And that’s what would be said.

And the little bit delivery post delivery part was the farmers would say that. The farmers. Then as far as present goes, we are in the present that we have already been born and we have not yet fully disintegrated in the sense gross disintegration that we have not died. We are here. So we are not in this yet.

We are in not yet disintegrated aspects. So we are in the present. Or in this way, in the system of Prasangikas, the three times are seen as functioning phenomena. Therefore, in this way, the Prasangikas’ basic assertion being that all phenomena do not exist inherently that it becomes possible to be able to all these distinct characteristics of its perspective. And then as regards the next distinct characteristic, it is that all afflictive obscurations are already forsaken forsaken prior to the eighth ground.

And the forsaking of the knowledge obscuration is done on the last three parts, eight, ninth, and tenth. So it would mean that when one is on eighth ground, then one would have already forsaken all afflictive obscurations. And only when one has, after then, from eighth ground onward, would start to or forsake knowledge obscurations on the eighth, on the ninth, on the tenth. And when one has forsaken even the subtlest of the knowledge obscurations on the last level of the ground, then one becomes a Buddha, an enlightened being. We shall stop here.

And if you have any questions, we should have few minutes for that. Of the four tenets, the highest is the Prasangikas. Below them are the own reasoners, below them are mind only, below them are Sautrantikas, and below them are the Vaibhāṣikas. And as regards the lower ones, their mental faculty is blunt and expression meaning they are unintelligent in terms of understanding the ultimate reality. And therefore, there has been skillful instructions given at that moment according to their mentality what is going to be of most benefit and would and on that level what reality would be understood by them, the instructions were given.

And gradually gradually as they become comfortable with what the present are taught, they do their practices in this way they make progresses and their wisdom increases and increases. And later on as their wisdom increases they make elevation into understanding the higher ones. Understanding is the correct one and when that goes then they elevate on to the next and so forth. So in this way, as their mental capability improves and becomes more sharp, faculty practitioner, then they would, from their own accord, realize that what they previously held was incorrect and the higher ones are closer to the actual truth. And later on when their mental capability arrived to comprehend the perspective of the Prāsaṇgika then they would realize that is the ultimate understanding of reality.

So that is how it would stand. And in that way, the end part emphasis is all those divisions and perspective of the low ones are the skillful means to come to the ultimate. As we came across in the past, amongst the various Buddhist tenets, there is no difference in terms of their behavior aspect of the practice. It is only in their practice of the understanding and realization of the reality that there is the difference. How that is so is in the matters of the practice concerning generosity, morality, meditative concentration, patience, so forth.

They would not and it’s not possible let on as they progress to find that what they previously been practicing was faulty and wrong. Instead, when it comes to the view, their understanding of the reality, then as they progress, progress they would find what they previously had the view was faulty, incorrect, and the higher and higher ones which they elevate up and up would be found to be correct so that would be the case in that way. The difference is in terms of view and not of the behavior. In the case of a practitioner of blunt faculty, one would need to make the progression in order serially from lower upward to then finally the highest, but that does not apply to one who has sharp mental faculty that they can straight away from the initial training would enter into the perspective of the Prasangikas. In their case, there’s no waiting in long queue.

It is not only that. It could be mainly because of the disposition of the mind from previous life previous lives that there would be such selection of the entrance and the progression in order one wishes to follow. Somewhat straight or some would in the beginning would think I’m I want to be a Vaibhāṣika. So my laughter interpreted was that one would choose to be the lowest one in the beginning. So someone someone would think I’m going to be a Vaibhāṣika.

Others would think I’m going to be a Sautrāntika. Others would think I’m going to be a Mind Only adherent. Others would think I’m going to be a Mādhyamika. So there would be such out of previous life’s mental disposition there would be such and on top of that we may as well say it would be previous lives imprints disliking and dislike and the wisdom in reference to the familiarization one have had with each of the four. And in that way, it would perhaps be said that it is not just in matters of difference in mental faculty, sharpness, and bluntness, but also of those points too.

For example, in normal societies, societal way of things being selected by people, we would see some they take interest and do training in their political grooming and let on enter into politics and even make up to the prime minister or presidency. Some do the trainings and interests or forth in the business and becomes a business person. Some go into industrial job type line and become that. Some become some go into the farming part and becomes a farmer. And some do car mechanical work and so forth, and that’s their selection.

And some they go and take interest into opening a restaurant, that’s where the latter part was. Some take interest to become a restaurant or open a restaurant, and within that then there would be all as well the difference that some would choose to specialize in fish or recipe and so forth and some with a special type of whatever that person wants to be. So in this way there are these different selections. If we look at it there’s no one pushing you go and do that. That’s another laughter.

So there’s no one pushing that you go and do that. Instead, the whole lot we can say in general, average way of perspective is each person’s own mental disposition, liking, and feel of the thing and so forth, that there is all such variation in selection. So we can say there is no different here can be applied similarly in the present case. Of life, livelihood, and so forth is from one point mainly towards aim of having a comfortable lifestyle. In that way, it is basically aimed this whole selection is basically aimed towards achieving happiness and removing problems, dissatisfaction and suffering.

Similarly, in the case of the four tenets, the selection in any of them has to be ultimately with the goal to remove all sufferings and problems and to attain all happiness.