Entering the Middle Way, 11 July 1991, part 2

They could exist objectively, that it’s able to set its own self up. So this is the way with it we can proceed in our meditation on emptiness through these various reasonings. And gradually we will develop the wisdom realizing emptiness. Simply to sit there and think to oneself, Nothing naturally exists, nothing naturally exists. It’s not the way to meditate on emptiness.

It’s necessary to proceed in reliance upon these reasons and we can begin by making use of the reasons that there is no naturally existent establishment because nothing is established by either of the four modes of production, production from self, production from other, etcetera. That nothing exists independently, that there is no existence which is inherent, nothing which exists inherently, there is no sprout which exists inherently, that exists independently. And this way we can gain realization of emptiness. So we can also apply this to the I, meaning the I. The I is dependent upon the aggregates and the I which goes, which sits, and this eye is not inherently existent.

Why? Because it is not produced by either of the four alternative modes of production like a sprout, sprout, just like the sprout is not. I is not naturally existent because it is not produced by either of the four alternative modes of production such as production from self, production from other, production from both self and other, or causeless production. Making use of this reasoned analysis in the same way we proceed as we did with the Sprout. And we will attain the same understanding in that if the I inherently existed, it must exist by either of these four modes of production and therefore it does not inherently exist.

If it did exist by means of one of these four alternative modes of production, then it would naturally exist. But it does not, just like the sprout does not exist in that way. So, though the I does not exist by either of the four alternative modes of production, is not to say that it is not produced. The I is produced. Is produced, its existence arises in dependence upon causes and conditions.

It is produced upon causes and conditions. It does not exist independent of causes and conditions. So from time to time I am happy, from time to time I am unhappy, I am sad. Therefore the happiness and suffering that we experience arises in dependence upon causes and conditions. This happiness and suffering is produced by causes and conditions.

Therefore, the I does not exist independent of causes and conditions. Independence of causes and conditions and dependence of causes and conditions are mutually exclusive. So in carrying out an investigation with respect to the eye, we should try to see that it does not inherently exist because it is not produced by either of the four alternative modes of production. Why? Because it is produced in dependence upon causes and conditions, and therefore it does not exist independent of causes and conditions.

And proceeding in this way of meditation we can come to an understanding of emptiness. So there is a saying that the the best seeing is not seeing. And what is meant by not seen is the best seen, what is not seen is the I which exists independently of causes and conditions. When that is not seen, then this is the best seen. So this is the way to proceed in a meditation on emptiness.

Simply to meditate on nothingness or a vacuum is to fall to the extreme of nihilism. So there’s an extremely great fault in falling to the extreme of nihilism whereby one deprecates the existence of the I, the I don’t exist, the law of cause and effect doesn’t exist. The Three Jewels do not exist. One creates simply the causes to be born in hell. Again, if we proceed in the fashion that in thinking that the I naturally exists, then we fall into the extreme of eternalism or permanence and this is not the proper meditation on emptiness.

So in proceeding in our meditation on emptiness we want to avoid either of the two extremes, the extremes nihilism annihilationism on the one hand and eternalism or permanence on the other and try to seek a central position between these two. On the one hand, the I does appear to exist and acceding to that,, thinking I in fact naturally exist, is to fall to the extreme of eternalism or permanence. On the other hand, to think because I do not naturally exist, I do not exist would be to fall to the extreme of nihilism or annihilationism. To not naturally exist, that does not mean we do not exist at all. In fact, we don’t naturally exist that we exist.

We exist in dependence upon causes and conditions. That is to say, we nominally exist. So we should reflect in terms of that I do not naturally exist, but not naturally existing does not mean nonexistence. That though I do not naturally exist, I still exist because I exist in dependence upon causes and conditions and that which depends upon causes and conditions must exist. I exist in dependence upon causes and conditions because as the various causes and conditions vary, I vary, such as from time to time I am happy, from time to time I am unhappy, I am sad, that there are different conditions at those times when I am happy and there are different conditions at those times when I am sad.

So I am dependent upon causes and conditions, therefore I do not naturally exist, but I do exist, I nominally exist. So we should reflect again and again upon these various reasonings, but in the intervals aside from those times when we are actually cultivating the understanding of emptiness we should spend time in the creation of merit, accumulating merit through various means such as offering prostrations, making offerings, cultivating compassion, that we should additionally try to purify our various negativities by means of the four counteracting powers, the power of reliance, regret, reversal, and antidote. Antidote. From time to time we should imagine that and make requests to our lama, indivisible from Mañjuśrī and ask for to help you in developing your wisdom. And we recite the mantra, ARA PATSA NATI.

Should and if we through all of these combinations of these many multiplicity of means, then we will gradually gain in our power, our mind will become clear, our mind will improve more and more, and we will gain understanding and we will definitely come to a realization of emptiness. So there’s a tremendous need to gain realization, the wisdom realizing emptiness. But it’s not going to come about all at once. It’s necessary that we proceed by accumulating our collection of creative potential and purifying various negativities, not only in cultivating the reasonings establishing emptiness. The reason that as to now we have not gained realization of emptiness is because of our little power and inability to amass the collection of merit and to purify our negativities.

And we have slight ability in this area and therefore we haven’t realized emptiness until now. So I think it would be excellent if you proceeded in your meditation in this way as has been described, making use of these various reasonings, making use of the reasoning of the four alternative modes of production, and I think you’ll gain an understanding of emptiness in this way. So it is difficult to generate the wisdom realizing emptiness, but if you were to proceed in this fashion of cultivating this understanding in your meditation each day, then each day you’re going to plant a latency, a disposition in your mind. It’s like planting a seed and out of this will grow the wisdom. It’s just like planting a seed in a field.

And gradually through this accumulation of latency then you will gain, you will be able to generate realization of emptiness. So if we proceed in this way again and again planting the seeds of listening and meditating, then just like the increasing the potency of the seed in the growing of a sprout, we will be able to in this life gain the wisdom realizing emptiness. So we even were not to gain the realization of emptiness in this life, still we have implanted the latencies within our mind, just like planting seeds in a field. And simply watering that field will cause the sprouts to grow. And likewise, having planted latencies.

In the future we will be able to gain very quickly the wisdom realizing emptiness. So having implanted these various latencies in the future, we as it has been explained in the text Entering the Middle Way in which once having planted these latencies, attaining the human life in the future, then upon listening to the teachings on emptiness from a spiritual master, reading various books, then the various signs of these latencies when these conditions are present will arise that we will, such as was explained that tears flow from the eyes, just hearing the sound of emptiness, the words emptiness, tears flow from the eyes, the hair on your body stands on end and this and we will quickly generate the realization of emptiness. So having in the future by means of having implanted latencies with respect to understanding of emptiness, in the future simply hearing the word emptiness, a great joy will arise in you, the hairs on your body will stand on end and you will cry uncontrollably. You’re just about to realize emptiness. And by means of the realization root of our suffering, the afflictive emotions, mainly ignorance, is destroyed.

If we destroy ignorance then we will destroy the various afflictive emotions which arise out of ignorance and having destroyed those afflictive emotions then we will never we will not produce any type of actions or karma which bring a dissatisfactory result and thereby we have achieved liberation. So we’re going to meditate for the next five minutes and we’re going to take as a subject our individual I. That the I does not naturally exist because it does not exist by either of the four alternative modes of production, just for example like a sprout.