Tenets, 7 July 1994

Okay. Good day. Good day. To place all mother sentient beings towards excellent happiness, free of all suffering, I must at any rate somehow attain the state of enlightenment where all mental shortcomings are terminated and excellent qualities of the mind are actualized. To be able to attain such state of enlightenment one needs to actually implement the teachings.

To be able to actually implement the teachings one first needs to know about the teachings and to be able to know one would firstly need to do learning about the teachings. Because of such linked relation here one one would then think for such related and linked purposes I will engage actively up to my best ability in the study of the topics here in the topic of tenets. This then becomes the right motive of mind to enlightenment which is the prerequisite motive in doing any of the practices in the great vehicle path leading to complete enlightenment and that’s what that part was. As well before one generates mind of enlightenment one needs to firstly go for refuge. Therefore either we are doing formal meditation or whatever other meaningful and correct spiritual practices we are doing, whatever Dharma practices we are doing, these two are the prerequisite as the indispensable foundation foundation required.

Required. As well, one of the foundation foundations required to have successful Dharma practice or successful spiritual practice is the practice of the seven limbs and that’s why regularly in the classes at the beginning the seven-limb prayer as well as is recited. Anyway here this evening we shall do without the seven limb as is the evening for examination or we only will do the going for refuge and generating the mind of enlightenment part. Also usually there is at the beginning offering of mandala, the entire universe, and the reason for that is to become a base through which one makes the request to currently give the teachings. Anyway, this evening there will not be teaching to be given so we can do without the mandala part as well.

This evening is the test or examination on tenets, this topic discussed during this term every Thursday evening and the question paper will be distributed to you. The question is concerned about the difference between someone who who is a proponent of Buddhist tenet and who is not. And then the other two questions specifically refer to the specific exponents, the lowest Buddhist tenet. And there is the etymological meaning division and the last question being about base, path, and result in the specific exponent. So this present examination is not a real examination, it is more an incentive for future studies that the questions and the topics raised would give a hint what are the major areas to study under the tenets topic and this would be helpful to make one study more and if there is any real examination in future it might make one prepared.

Anyway, you don’t need to be scared or nervous, simply write what you think is the answer. And then generally when one is giving examination it is helpful to not necessarily follow the serial order of the questions. One can write answers on the questions which one at the beginning is clear and can remember. So yes write what you can on the question first and then others you can think afterwards and that’s how in the examinations normally it is done. So what one can give answer, one start with that one.

So it would take less time and and one doesn’t have to trouble oneself to try to remember and think what the answer might be. With regards to those questions which one is not very clear one can have time to think later on. So that’s how it would be if one tries to give the answer to the question which comes first in the questionnaire but which one is not very clear, then one might spend unnecessary time trying to work it out and that might waste the time and it might also expunge what you already can remember about the other questions. So it might enter you got nothing to write. As it is a study examination therefore if you need somehow to look at the notes well it cannot be totally banned then you cannot look at notes.

So it should be okay if you do need to look at the notes. But as you would know in real examination you can’t even take one single paper to form. So all you need is your mind and the pen. So take it easy and write what you feel like. And generally in generally in normal examination one doesn’t have to put one’s name it is just kept anonymous.

Here it is not a real examination, more a study. So you can and you need to put your names. So for the last two months, every Thursday there has been classes on Buddhist tenets which as well covered in the beginning briefly about the non-Buddhist tenets. And as a conclusion, this evening the examination was held. And then with regards to the topics covered so far in the last two months or so, mainly the specific exponent, the lowest Buddhist tenet, their assertions and theories were fully covered and you obviously have finished your studies on that.

Then the second Buddhist tenet, lowest Buddhist tenet Sautrāntika group on that as well about half of the topics or the points have been finished. So it has been good classes for the past Thursdays. So when the term starts, we shall continue on the remaining of the Sautrāntika group’s theory and assertions which then will be followed by the mind only, which then will be followed by middle way which starts firstly on the Svatāntrika autonomous middle way, and finally we shall then look at Prāsaṇgika Madhyamaka, the highest middle way, the highest Buddhist tenets, and let’s hope that it would be successfully completed. Or if one is genuinely interested in knowing the practices and the instructions, the teachings of Buddhism no doubt ultimately one would have to be speedier in accomplishment of enlightenment, one would need to do practice on the tantric path, but to be able to be good at and successful in the tantric practices it needs to be preceded by successful practice on the sūtra, the discourse non tantric path. And the way how to go about with the non tantric discourse sūtra path is to study the assertions, the theories of the four Buddhist tenets that itself is the way in the discourse Sūtra path and that’s why it becomes extremely important by that way one studies into the four tenets.

That is very true, meaning they need to know about the four tenets in order to have successful practice of the non tantric discourse part. That is very true. Why is true? It can be explained this way. One firstly needs to know well by establishing beyond doubt the two truths, deceptive truth and the ultimate truth which becomes the establishment or ascertaining of the basis and then upon the basis of the two truths, one through direct knowledge and inferential valid knowledge needs to know what things or practices needs to be adopted and what avenues of three doors, body, speech and mind, one needs to discard away through that way through valid knowledge upon the base of two truths one needs to know well what needs to be practiced, what needs to be discarded away.

When that is understood well then through that way one would be able to actualize the twofold path, method and wisdom, or within one’s continuum. When the method and wisdom are actualized then that would bring the result, either the two types of the nirvana or whatever each of the four tenets in their own claim explained to be the ultimate goal to achieve. So that’s how it goes. The whole thing if we look reverse we can see to be able to attain the resultant goal one needs to depend on the actualizing of the method and wisdom, that in turn depends on the ascertaining and knowing well of what needs to be discarded away and what needs to be practiced, and that itself in turn depends on firstly having established the basis of two truths. And then again the whole thing to go reverse back we can say without the first two truths being ascertained well it is not possible to know well what needs to be discarded away and what needs to be practiced well.

And without knowing that well it would not be possible to actualize the method and wisdom, and without actualizing that one would not be able to achieve the goals. To know the two truths explained by the middle way tenets one needs to firstly know the two truths explained by the mind only tenet. And to know the two truths explained by the mind only tenet one needs to explanation of the two by the discourse groups and to know that one needs to first know the explanation of the two of the specific exponent tenet. This then would mean each of the lower tenets explanation of the two truths serves as a complementary aid to understand better the one higher and that in turn higher above that. So the lower tenets explanation of the two truths is very approximate or very very gross and higher the et is the subtler the explanation becomes meaning more exact the explanation becomes and the highest tenets explanation of the two truth is the the actual two truths.

As there is the difference of grossness and subtlety of the explanation of the two truths that naturally brings about the difference of grossness and subtlety in the valid knowledge perceiving the two truths. And as there is difference in the valid knowledge perceiving the two truth in terms of grossness or approximation and exactness that in turn makes the difference of subtleness and grossness in the method and wisdom produced by such valid knowledge. As a consequence the goal to achieve in accordance with Vaibhāṣika, the specific exponent that is easy to achieve compared to that the Sautrāntika group’s goal is slightly difficult to achieve compared to that mind only tenets goal is more difficult to achieve and compared to that the highest tenets or middle way tenets their goal are difficult to achieve. Yet we can say all these various perspectives about base, path and result though which becomes the basis why there came about these different tenets shows the skillfulness and compassion of the Buddha Śākyamūni catering the needs of the various levels of our trainees. In the discourse system, the non tantric part, all the topics of base part and the result are are inclusive to the explanation by the four tenets.

Therefore if one has studied well the four tenets it would mean one has studied well the non tantric discourse aspects of practice and teaching. So it becomes pertinent, appropriate that one takes interest in the study of these four. Indeed there is no doubt a substantial benefit one can by doing studies on the four tenets. Even on imprint level we can see how more one has studied, more imprint one leaves, or more future connection on one’s mind one leaves with these topics that it is possible in future if one has studied well now in future just by mere hearing once or looking at the text on these topics once the whole memory will be activated and one would would not need any extra effort or so forth to master these teachings and the practice is based on these teachings. Also in this way if one can leave good imprint in future one would be able to actually produce the wisdom arisen from hearing or learning, wisdom arisen from reflection, wisdom arisen from familiarization.

Through that way when those wisdoms are actualized in one’s mind then one would become a person who has unmistaken and complete understanding on all range of instructions instructions necessary necessary for for liberation liberation and and enlightenment. Enlightenment that one’s understanding would be so complete and unmistaken it would be a safe one, when looking at things on shelves every commodity or item are visible like that whole range of the teachings and the instructions would be at full view of one’s understanding and that would be a very sound foundation to go ahead with one’s practice and actualization of excellent qualities of mind and so forth. Of course, presently when we study it seems we don’t make much progress. Presently when we when we reflect on the topics it seems we don’t make much progress. Presently when we do meditative familiarization or meditation it seems we don’t make much progress.

While that is very true, then the reason why that happens it simply means that one did not have any imprint from the past. One does not have any imprint from the past. Of course, from one side we can say more impure thoughts and more ignorance one’s mind has that would cloud one’s clarity and capability of mind. But also if one did not have any imprint from the past then obviously that’s what happens. And what then imprint would mean it simply means one did not have any familiarity with such part and instructions in the past.

Now from present moment onward if that’s the case then with the recognition that it is due to lack of familiarity, lack of imprint that this is happening now in future I would not let this state lacking imprint go on like this. I would instead plant, familiarity plant, imprint. Will, up to best of my ability, learn, reflect and meditatively familiarize on the topics, the basis of practice, the instructions, the teachings, and in that way I will, to the best of my ability, try my best to do whatever I can. With such determination if one does actually put effort into the steady reflection and meditative familiarization then of course there is no mention one would achieve, there is no need to mention that one would be able to achieve. The reason why that is so is because one has gathered the causes necessary to produce the result and as it is in the natural fact of things if there was a cause preceding then the outcome of result is inevitable.

From another point, why we’re not able to make progress would have to be because are obscurations with one’s mind which becomes the adverse factor, adverse factors hindering one from making progress. To be able to overcome such obscurations the adverse factors of the mind one would need to do practice of going for refuge, meditating on the four limitless thoughts, and do purification practice complete with the four opponent powers, the four requirements of purification. And the actual practice of purification can be based either on the methods such as the Vajrasattva 100 syllable recitation and meditation or on bodhisattva’s declaration of downfalls and wholeheartedly apply the four requirements of purification. That would be the way to go about. If one does, then it is natural that one’s shortcomings of mind would decrease, one’s excellent qualities of mind will increase and as a consequence one would be able to absorb all the necessary instructions required to be picked up through study, reflection and meditative familiarization and through that way in terms of happiness and suffering one would become a person to be able to attain happiness, remove sufferings, remove problems, and so forth.

Then as a conclusion one would say, yes, before things go too tragically bad when one still has capability it would be wise to put all the means and effort into making the whole study, reflection and meditative familiarization in the right direction. It would be what’s called too late if one regrets afterwards and on that point there is a proverb which goes, If one thinks beforehand one is wise, if one regrets afterwards one is fool. From your side you go to work during daytime and in the evenings you attend the teachings in that way it is obvious that you, from your part, have been putting effort in receiving the teachings and so forth. And translating third person from Rinpoche’s side he has been putting all the effort to make the classes to in maximum way benefit the students and have been working hard in making the classes most beneficial, meaningful and so forth. So from both sides there is obviously a great deal of effort hard work put into it.

Now we then ask the question, for what purpose do we need and have we been putting effort into the the classes and the sessions? From one point it is sure that we all want happiness and globally speaking we want peace in the world. And in our perspective we do believe that the instructions on the purification of mind and removing of the mental garbage we have would be the way to achieve peace in the world and on it the instructions as found in Buddha’s teachings are inspiring and unmistakably the right source. That’s and why by attending the teachings and continuously putting effort into giving the teachings from Rinpoche’s part there is active functioning of making that the teachings become available to oneself as well for other participants and in that way make the source of happiness and peace on global level flourish or become accessible further and further. More importantly also the purpose would be that we need to have a strong basis for our practice through which we remove our shortcomings of mind and achieve excellent qualities of mind, through which we remove our sufferings, problems and achieve satisfaction, happiness and so forth.

And it is extremely important that the teachings are received well and one who explains well and therefore there has been what’s called deliberate hard work or effort put into it. So that’s how it has been and on that note Rinpoche would like to request you to place then what’s called keep in mind the instructions and the teaching and put them into practice as best as you can. Okay.