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Virtue and Reality ethod and Wisdom in the !ractice of Dharma Ven. "ama #o$a Rin$oche Edited by %icholas Ribush $a&e ' "ama (eshe Wisdom Archi)e: )irtue and reality Virtue and Reality ethod and Wisdom in the $ractice of Dharma by "ama #o$a Rin$oche Edited by %icholas Ribush $a&e * First $ublished '++, "ama (eshe Wisdom Archi)e a -'./*0 !1 Bo2 /3. Weston4 A 5*6+/ 78A 9ontact: %icholas Ribush4 Director of "(WA nribush@com$user)e.com : F! ; '++, !lease do not re$roduce any $art of this boo<let by any means whatsoe)er without our $ermission. I8B% ',+',.,5*5 Front co)er $hoto&ra$h by Ven. Ro&er =unsan& Bac< co)er $hoto&ra$h by 9li)e Arrowsmith !lease contact the "ama (eshe Wisdom Archi)e for free $rinted co$ies of this !DF $a&e / 9ontents "ama (eshe Wisdom Archi)e: )irtue and reality Editor>s Introduction Fulfillin& "ife>s !ur$ose "i)in& with Bodhicitta !atience and the 9om$assionate ?eart editation on Em$tiness !racticin& the @ood ?eart Dedication About the "ama (eshe Wisdom Archi)e !ublisher>s Ac<nowled&ments $a&e 6 Editor>s Introduction by %icholas Ribush ; he entire Dharma4 the teachin&s of the Buddha4 can be di)ided into two cate&ories e2tensi)e method and $rofound wisdom. ;he method linea&e $assed from 8ha<yamuni Buddha to aitreya and down throu&h the &reat Indian $undits such as Asan&a4 Vasubandhu4 ?aribhadra and 8u)arnad)i$i to the &reat Atisha4 who brou&ht them to ;ibet. 8imilarly4 the wisdom linea&e $assed from the Buddha to anAushri and a&ain down to Atisha throu&h $undits such as %a&arAuna and 9handra<irti. In ;ibet4 Atisha arran&ed the Buddha>s teachin&s into a &raded seBuence that became <nown as the ste$s of the $ath to enli&htenment ClamrimD4 the essence of which is method and wisdom. E2$licitly4 this $ath has three $rinci$al as$ectsrenunciation4 bodhicitta and ri&ht )iew. ;he =adam$a tradition4 founded by Atisha4 became the basis of the @elu& school of ;ibetan Buddhism4 which itself was founded in the fifteenth century by the enli&htened scholar and yo&i4 "ama Ee ;son& =ha$a. ;his tradition li)es today in the minds and teachin&s of &reat masters such as ?is ?oliness the Dalai "ama and other wonderful teachers in the @elu& tradition4 of whom "ama ;hubten #o$a Rin$oche4 the author of this boo<4 is one of the best <nown. ?e is the s$iritual director of the Foundation for the !reser)ation of the ahayana ;radition CF! ;D and the &uide4 refu&e and $rotector of thousands of students all o)er the world. In the conte2t of the teachin&s $resented here4 method is the lo)in&4 com$assionate bodhicitta and wisdom is the realiFation of ultimate reality4 the ri&ht )iew of em$tiness. It would be hard to find a sim$ler4 clearer4 more $ractical e2$lanation of these two fundamental $aths than the one "ama #o$a offers us here. ;hrou&h $racticin& method4 we attain the holy body of a BuddhaG throu&h de)elo$in& "ama (eshe Wisdom Archi)e: )irtue and reality $a&e 3 wisdom we attain the enli&htened mind. Based on a fourday course &i)en at an American F! ; center4 ;ilo$a 9enter4 Decatur4 Illinois4 in Au&ust4 '++H4 the teachin&s $resented here detail methods for de)elo$in& com$assion and wisdom in our e)eryday li)es. Reco&niFin& the wor<aday world reality in which most of his students li)e4

Rin$oche shows us how to thin< and act so that e)ery moment of our li)es will be of ma2imum benefit to both oursel)es and others. What more do we needI "ama (eshe Wisdom Archi)e: )irtue and reality $a&e . Fulfillin& "ife>s !ur$ose ? ow can we ma<e best use of this $erfect human rebirth4 the $recious human body that we ha)e recei)ed Aust this onceI ?ow can we ma<e it most beneficial4 not only for oursel)es but for those other4 most $recious4 e2tremely im$ortant li)in& bein&sI Eust li<e us4 numberless other li)in& bein&s4 each of whom is as eBually $recious as we feel oursel)es to be4 see< only ha$$iness and disli<e any sufferin&. ?ow can we ma<e our li)es $roducti)e for their sa<eI ;his is the main thin& we should be as<in& oursel)es. If we ta<e care of others4 wor< for their ha$$iness4 we are automatically ta<in& care of oursel)es. ;ryin& to ma<e others ha$$y is the best way of lo)in& oursel)es. 8imilarly4 if we harm others4 we harm oursel)es. ?armin& others does not brin& us $eace and ha$$iness4 only misery and &rief4 now and in the future. Brin&in& ha$$iness to others is the best way of brin&in& ha$$iness to oursel)esG it follows naturally. It ha$$ens by the way. ;hin&s we do that brin& ha$$iness to others ha)e a beneficial effect on our own minds. 9on)ersely4 if we act toward others with ne&ati)e moti)ation and &i)e them harm4 such actions lea)e ne&ati)e im$rints on our mental continuum. ;hese im$rints later manifest as undesirable a$$earances. When our senses come into contact with these4 un$leasant feelin&s arise. ;his is the e)olution of our life>s $roblemsG this is how they start. ;heir ori&in is in our own minds4 with our ne&ati)e thou&hts. ;he end result is the sufferin& we e2$erience4 in this life or in future ones. ?ealthy actions JJJ $ositi)e actions4 actions that benefit others4 actions done with com$assion4 with sincerity4 which brin& ha$$iness to others JJJ lea)e $ositi)e im$rints on our mental continuum. ;hese manifest as desirable a$$earances. When our senses contact these4 $leasant feelin&s4 comfort4 "ama (eshe Wisdom Archi)e: )irtue and reality $a&e H successJJJ all the enAoyable e2$eriences we wish for and desire JJJ result. ;his is the e)olution of ha$$iness4 all the way u$ to enli&htenment. ?a$$y daily li)es4 $leasure and enAoyment JJJ from now until enli&htenment JJJ result from $ositi)e thin<in&4 $ositi)e intention4 $ositi)e actions. ;hat>s why the Buddha of 9om$assion4 ?is ?oliness the Dalai "ama4 often says that cherishin& others is the best way of cherishin& oursel)es. ?is ?oliness calls this wise4 or intelli&ent4 selfishness because4 as I mentioned abo)e4 by cherishin& others4 refrainin& from &i)in& them harm4 offerin& them all benefit4 all our wishes for ha$$iness4 both now and in the future4 will be fulfilled. E2$erience has $ro)ed that not only tem$orary ha$$iness4 but e)en enli&htenment4 the ultimate state of e)erlastin& ha$$iness4 the hi&hest4 com$lete attainment of $eace and bliss4 results from ser)in& others. In fact4 the more we dedicate oursel)es to others4 the Buic<er and easier our own ha$$iness arises. ;his is the natural e)olution of ha$$iness. ;his means li)in& a life of com$assion. ;herefore4 the answer to the Buestion of how to ma<e best use of our life is by li)in& with com$assion and wisdom. 9om$assion alone is not enou&h. We also need to de)elo$ wisdom. ?ow do we de)elo$ wisdomI We don>t &et wisdom from $ills or a s$ecial diet or by trans$lantin& somebody else>s brain into our head or someone>s heart into our chest. We can de)elo$ wisdom only throu&h our own effort4 our own meditation $ractice. Wisdom comes from listenin& to the ri&ht teachin&s and reflectin& and meditatin& on them. ;herefore4 we need to recei)e unmista<en teachin&s4 &ain unmista<en understandin&4 $erform unmista<en $ractice and thus attain unmista<en realiFations. ;his is e2tremely im$ortant. In this way we do not waste our li)es4 don>t &et led alon& the wron& $ath4 and can realiFe the $otential of our li)es4 which is as limitless as the s<y. All li)in& bein&s wish only ha$$iness and com$lete freedom from sufferin&. ;he $ur$ose of our li)es is to benefit them all4 as e2tensi)ely as $ossible. Furthermore4 we must learn how to analyFe and meditate. As sim$ly readin& a $rescri$tion cannot cure a disease JJJ one needs to ta<e the medicine JJJ mere intellectual understandin& of the teachin&s is not enou&h. We ha)e to $ractice. In order to $ut an end to all our sufferin&4 the cycle of old a&e4 sic<ness4 death and rebirth and the $roblems of the intermediate state as well4 we need to cure our sic< minds4 to ma<e a com$lete reco)ery from the mental illness JJJ the disturbin& emotional thou&hts4 the delusions JJJ that causes "ama (eshe Wisdom Archi)e: )irtue and reality $a&e , all these unwanted e2$eriences. For our own ultimate $eace4 let alone that of others4 we ha)e to do this. We ha)e enAoyed tem$orary ha$$iness numberless times. ;here>s not a sin&le new tem$orary ha$$iness left for us to e2$erience. What is new4 what we ha)e ne)er before e2$erienced4 is the &reat $eace that results from cessation of all sufferin&4 death and rebirthG the ultimate ha$$iness that arises throu&h com$lete cessation of the true cause of sufferin&JJ i&norance4 the disturbin&4 emotional thou&hts and the actions moti)ated by these unhealthy minds. We ha)e ne)er e2$erienced this before. 8ince be&innin&less time we ha)e been forced to circle throu&h the realms of death and rebirth a&ain and a&ain4 re$eatedly e2$eriencin& the whole samsaric $ac<a&e of life $roblems4 the entire collection4 o)er and o)er a&ain. We ha)e ne)er e2$erienced the end of this4 ultimate4 e)erlastin& ha$$iness4 the com$lete cessation of all $roblems and their cause4 our own disturbin& thou&hts and the actions that they moti)ate4 <arma. And achie)in& this &reat result4 which we attain by actualiFin& the ste$s of the $ath4 is Aust a one

time Aob. 1nce we realiFe e)erlastin& ha$$iness4 the cessation of all sufferin&4 we can ne)er suffer a&ain4 because the seed of life>s $roblems4 which we ha)e $lanted in our mental continuum4 has been totally eradicated4 com$letely $urified. ;herefore4 it>s im$ossible to e)er suffer a&ain JJJ there>s no reason4 no cause. 1nce we ha)e followed the $ath to its end4 we won>t e)er ha)e to do it a&ain4 we won>t ha)e to <ee$ on $racticin&. 1nce we attain the &oal4 it lasts for e)er. 9onseBuently4 dedicatin& your life to this is e2tremely im$ortant. It is the most worthwhile thin& you can do with your life. ; here>s a ;ibetan te2t4 ;he ;hree !rinci$al As$ects of the !ath4 written by the &reat teacher "ama ;son& =ha$a4 which enca$sulates the three essential as$ects of the $ath to enli&htenment as tau&ht by the Buddha: renunciation4 bodhicitta and ri&ht )iew. ;hese $aths lead to liberation4 e)erlastin& ha$$iness4 com$lete freedom from the sufferin& realms of cyclic e2istence4 samsara. ;heir $ractice cuts the root of all sufferin&4 i&norance4 the un<nowin& mind4 and brin&s the $eerless bliss of enli&htenment. "ama ;son& =ha$a was a &reat enli&htened bein&4 a manifestation of anAushri4 the Buddha of Wisdom4 the embodiment of the wisdom of all buddhas. ?is ocean of &ood Bualities was as limitless "ama (eshe Wisdom Archi)e: )irtue and reality $a&e + as the s<y4 his holy mind was com$lete in all realiFation JJJ $erfect understandin&4 com$assion and $ower JJJ and he offered infinite benefit to all sentient bein&s and to the teachin&s of the Buddha. 1ral transmission It is &ood to recei)e the oral transmission of te2ts such as ;he ;hree !rinci$al As$ects4 which contains the Buintessential teachin&s of @uru 8ha<yamuni Buddha. When you do4 you recei)e the blessin&s of an unbro<en linea&e of teachin&s that reaches bac< to the &reat "ama ;son& =ha$a himself4 and im$rint your mind with the ste$s of the entire $ath to enli&htenment. I myself ha)e recei)ed it from many of my own &urus4 such as ?is ?oliness the Dalai "ama and his own teachers4 who themsel)es are enli&htened bein&s4 accom$lished scholars4 and4 e)en to the ordinary )iew4 &reat yo&is. Because of these blessin&s4 when you read4 study and meditate on te2ts whose oral transmission you ha)e recei)ed4 these acti)ities become much more effecti)e4 much more beneficial for your mind. Also4 when you teach them to others4 your teachin&s are more beneficial for their minds. For e2am$le4 @uru 8ha<yamuni Buddha once &a)e teachin&s to 355 swans in a field. As a result of Aust hearin& the words4 they were all reborn human in their ne2t life4 became fully ordained san&ha and attained su$erior status as arya bein&s. ;hey actualiFed the transcendent $ath that directly realiFes the ultimate nature4 thereby ceasin& all delusions4 all emotional thou&hts4 and brou&ht to an end all sufferin& and its cause. ;hus4 sim$ly hearin& Dharma teachin&s can ha)e an e2tremely beneficial effect on the mental continuum4 e)en that of an animal4 such that one is not only reborn human4 but is able to achie)e hi&h realiFations of the $ath4 such as those of the ri&htseein& $ath. ;he &reat Indian $undit4 Vasubandhu4 who com$osed the im$ortant te2t4 the Abhidharma<osha4 would recite it aloud e)ery day. A $i&eon that nested on the roof of his house used to hear him4 and when it died4 Vasubandhu used his clair)oyance to see where the $i&eon was reborn. ?e disco)ered that it had ta<en rebirth as a baby boy to a family down the road4 and they a&reed to $ut their son in the hi&hly res$ected $undit>s care. ;he child JJJ later <nown as "ob$Kn "oden LAcharya 8thiramatiG "odrK Den$aM JJJ too< ordination as a mon<4 became a &reat e2$ert in the Abhidharma<osha4 which he had heard so many times in his $re)ious life as a $i&eon4 and wrote se)eral commentaries on it. ;his is another e2am$le of the &reat benefit than sim$ly hearin& Dharma teachin&s can brin&. "ama (eshe Wisdom Archi)e: )irtue and reality $a&e '5 1ne of my &urus told me another story about "ob$Kn "oden. Eust as 9hristians $ray to the Vir&in ary4 so too do many Buddhist ha)e &reat faith in ;ara4 a female emanation of the enli&htened mind. When "ob$Kn "oden was a child he used to try to ma<e food offerin&s to a ;ara statue that was <e$t in a &lassfronted cabinet4 but e)ery time he $ushed the food u$ a&ainst the &lass4 it would fall down and he>d cry. 7ndaunted4 because of his &reat de)otion4 he <e$t tryin&4 but the food would always fall. E)entually4 ;ara4 mo)ed by his sincerity4 caused his offerin&s to remain sus$ended4 defyin& &ra)ity4 on the &lass. 7ni)ersal res$onsibility ;he $ur$ose of our life is not sim$ly to sol)e our own $roblems4 to &ain ha$$iness for oursel)es. ;he $ur$ose of our life is to be of use to others4 to benefit other sentient bein&s4 whether it be one or many. ?owe)er4 the real reason we>re ali)e is to free the numberless other sentient bein&s from sufferin& and lead them to the unsur$assed ha$$iness of full enli&htenment. ;hat is the meanin& of our life. Each of us has this uni)ersal res$onsibility to brin& the &reatest ha$$iness to all sentient bein&s. ?ow is it that we ha)e this res$onsibilityI If you &enerate com$assion in your mind4 you will not harm others. !eace and ha$$iness is the absence of harm. By not harmin& others4 you are offerin& them ha$$iness and $eace. %ot only that4 but by ha)in& com$assion4 you also benefit them in a more acti)e way. ;he &reater your com$assion4 the more you hel$ other sentient bein&s. 8o all this $eace and ha$$iness that others e2$erience as a result of your com$assion has come from you4 de$ends u$on you. It is in your hands4 because it is u$ to you whether or not you &enerate com$assion towards others. If you do not4 they do not recei)e the $eace and ha$$iness you ha)e to offerG if you do4 they recei)e all this $eace and ha$$iness from you. ;herefore4 you ha)e the uni)ersal res$onsibility of brin&in& $eace and ha$$iness to each and e)ery sentient bein&. !ause here for a moment4 sto$ readin&4 and meditate on the feelin& of uni)ersal res$onsibility as I>)e Aust e2$lained it: that if you ha)e com$assion for all li)in& bein&s4 each one recei)es &reat $eace and ha$$iness from youG each one recei)es no harm. ;hin<4 NNall this $eace and ha$$iness that they

e2$erience and enAoy de$ends u$on me.>> ;hin< of the reasons for this and <ee$ them in mind as you "ama (eshe Wisdom Archi)e: )irtue and reality $a&e '' try to feel uni)ersal res$onsibility for all sentient bein&s> $eace and ha$$iness. editate on the thou&ht4 NNI am res$onsible for all sentient bein&s> $eace and ha$$iness.>> It would be wonderful if you could $ractice mindfulness of this in your e)eryday life. E)en if you cannot do many other $ractices JJJ mantra recitation4 sadhanas of deities4 )arious other $reliminary $ractices JJJ if you can Aust <ee$ in mind that the $ur$ose of life is to brin& ha$$iness to all sentient bein&s and feel res$onsible for this4 if you can maintain this attitude4 rememberin& it a&ain and a&ain4 you will &i)e your life &reat meanin& and naturally4 automatically4 benefit others in this way. If you can maintain mindfulness of uni)ersal res$onsibility4 e)erythin& you do JJJ wal<in&4 sittin&4 slee$in&4 wor<in&4 tal<in&4 eatin&4 whate)er actions you en&a&e in JJJ will be transformed by this $ositi)e attitude. E)ery action of your body4 s$eech and mind will immediately become ser)ice for other sentient bein&s. When you slee$4 you slee$ for othersG when you eat4 you eat for othersG when you wor<4 you wor< for othersG when you tal<4 you are tal<in& to benefit others4 to brin& them ha$$iness. ;he moment your attitude chan&es in this way4 whate)er you do becomes an action that benefits others. An hour4 a minute before you chan&ed4 you were actin& out of e&o and selfcenteredness4 and whate)er you were doin& was im$ure and not a cause of achie)in& enli&htenment. Because you were moti)ated by e&o4 attachment ruled your mind and your actions did not become a cause for e)erlastin& ha$$iness4 liberation from samsara4 the si2 realms of sufferin& and their cause. ;hey did not e)en become a cause for a &ood rebirth or ha$$iness beyond this life. 8ince your actions were done out of e&o and attachment4 clin&in& to this life4 they became only the cause of sufferin&. But as soon as you &enerate the thou&ht4 NNI>m res$onsible for all sentient bein&s> ha$$inessG this is what my life>s about4>> and feel this uni)ersal res$onsibility4 suddenly4 whate)er you>re doin& com$letely transforms. It becomes wor< for others. It becomes healthy. It becomes a $ure action unstained by e&o. It becomes Dharma. (our actions become DharmaG this is the best meditation you can do. While you are wor<in&4 you are meditatin&. While you are studyin&4 you are meditatin&. %o matter what you are doin&4 you are meditatin&. ;here>s no se$aration between your life and meditationG your whole life becomes your $ractice of meditation. If you can Aust <ee$ your mind focused in this way4 e)en thou&h you cannot do many other "ama (eshe Wisdom Archi)e: )irtue and reality $a&e '* $ractices4 this $ositi)e attitude4 the thou&ht of benefitin& others4 con)erts e)erythin& you do into the best <ind of Dharma4 the best cause of ha$$iness. E)erythin& you do becomes a cause for ha$$iness and enli&htenment. (our entire daily life brin&s you closer and closer to the ultimate freedom of buddhahood. If there>s no com$assion in your heart4 what you>re left with is e&o4 the selfcentered mind. ;hat means your entire life is dedicated to your own ha$$iness. But what about othersI ;hey also want to be ha$$y. (ou>re not the only one who needs ha$$inessG others also need ha$$iness. ;herefore4 when you>re under the influence of e&o4 it>s )ery easy to clash with others in your daily life. (ou can see how the selfcentered mind causes $roblems4 difficulty &ettin& alon& with others4 disharmony and so forth. ;he stron&er your e&o4 the more $roblems in your life. 1ther $eo$le find it difficult to be with you. E)en if you find a friend4 sooner or later JJJ as your e&o &enerates attachment and that causes an&er to arise JJJ your e&o and those other emotions will ma<e your friend an enemy. As lon& as you act out of e&o4 you harm others4 because your e&o is intent on achie)in& ha$$iness for yourself at the e2$ense of others. Because of e&o4 other discriminatin& thou&hts4 such as an&er and Aealousy4 arise. ;hey $roduce ne&ati)e actions4 which cause you to harm other sentient bein&s. As you &o from life to life with e&o and the other emotional discriminatin& thou&hts4 you continually hurt others4 and all sentient bein&s recei)e harm from the one $erson4 you. But if you &enerate com$assion4 all sentient bein&s recei)e $eace and ha$$iness from the same one $erson4 you. If all sentient bein&s &et an&ry at you and harm or e)en <ill you4 you are Aust one $erson. But if that one $erson4 you4 doesn>t $ractice com$assion4 the &ood heart4 numberless other sentient bein&s are at ris< of bein& harmed by youG there>s the &reat ris< that the one $erson4 you4 will harm numberless others. ;herefore4 whether other $eo$le $ractice com$assion or not4 first you should do so. De)elo$ the &ood heart. "ama (eshe Wisdom Archi)e: )irtue and reality $a&e '/ "i)in& with Bodhicitta A &ain4 ta<e a brea< from readin& and meditate on the meanin& of life4 the $ur$ose of bein& ali)e. ;hin<4 NN;he $ur$ose of my life is not sim$ly to &et ha$$iness for myself4 not Aust to sol)e my own $roblems. ;he meanin& of my life is to free all sentient bein&s from sufferin& and lead them to all ha$$iness because it is from the numberless4 $recious sentient bein&s that I recei)e all my $ast4 $resent and future ha$$iness4 tem$orary and ultimate4 from each e)eryday comfort and $leasure u$ to the hi&hest enli&htenment.>> Feel this in your heart. When you meditate on all sentient bein&s4 start with the $recious sentient bein&s around you ri&ht now. 8tart with the ones you encounter in e)eryday life JJJ those in the same room4 in the same buildin&4 your family4 your wor< mates JJJ and slowly e2tend your awareness beyond them to &radually encom$ass all sentient bein&s throu&hout infinite s$ace. @enerate the wish to free them from all sufferin& and its cause and brin& them all ha$$iness4 without discrimination or e2ce$tion.

With all this in mind4 thin<4 NN;his is the meanin& of my lifeG this is the reason I>m ali)e.>> Feel it. %ow thin<4 NNI4 myself alone4 am res$onsible for brin&in& ha$$iness to all sentient bein&s and freein& them from all sufferin& and its cause. I am $ersonally res$onsible for the ha$$iness of each and e)ery sentient bein&.>> Dwell with your mind in this state of uni)ersal res$onsibility. Remember4 too4 that this res$onsibility e2tends far beyond only human bein&s. ;here are many different <inds of li)in& bein&. ;here are numberless animals that are sufferin&G numberless hell bein&s that are sufferin&G numberless hun&ry &hosts that are sufferin&. ;here are numberless suras and asuras4 those worldly &ods4 that are sufferin&. ;here are numberless intermediate state bein&s that are sufferin&4 e2$eriencin& much fear between death and rebirth because of the terrifyin& "ama (eshe Wisdom Archi)e: )irtue and reality $a&e '6 a$$earances their <arma creates. Rest your mind in the awareness that4 NNI am res$onsible to brin& ha$$iness to these numberless4 $recious sentient bein&s4 the source of all my $ast4 $resent and future ha$$iness.>> %ow thin<4 NN;he ha$$iness of all these sentient bein&s JJJ tem$orary4 ultimate and the $eerless ha$$iness of full enli&htenment JJJ de$ends on whether or not I ha)e com$assion4 lo)in& <indness4 the &ood heart. ;herefore4 I need to de)elo$ the method of com$assion4 the &ood heart4 within me. I also need to de)elo$ wisdom. ;herefore4 I am &oin& to $urify my mind4 accumulate merit and $lant the seed of enli&htenment by meditatin& on the $ath to enli&htenment JJJ not Aust for my own sa<e but for the sole $ur$ose of brin&in& all ha$$iness to the most $recious4 numberless sentient bein&s4 whose )alue far e2ceeds that of countless wishfulfillin& Aewels.>> (ou can use this meditation to set your moti)ation before any )irtuous acti)ity JJJ readin& Dharma boo<s4 $racticin& meditation4 listenin& to teachin&s JJJ ta<in& the abo)e $ara&ra$h as an e2am$le. % ow brin& your attention to the reality of your life4 which is im$ermanent in nature and ra$idly a$$roachin& death. ;hen thin< about the nature of $henomena4 which althou&h a$$earin& to e2ist from their own side are4 in fact4 com$letely em$ty of e2istence from their own side. %ot e)en a sin&le atom e2ists from its own side. E)erythin& is em$ty JJJ your self4 actions4 obAects JJJ nothin& e2ists from its own side. ;hey do e2ist4 but not from their own side. Whate)er e2ists is merely labelled by the mind. Whate)er functions does so merely in name. Focus your attention on this em$ty nature of $henomena. If you can $ractice mindfulness of the facts of life JJJ im$ermanence4 im$endin& death4 em$tiness and so forth JJJ in your daily life4 if you can maintain constant awareness of the basic nature of $henomena4 you will be able to sto$ disturbin&4 emotional thou&hts from arisin&. %ormally4 these disturbin& thou&hts control our li)es4 torture us daily4 always &i)e us trouble and $re)ent our minds from e2$eriencin& any $eace. Instead of $eace4 ha$$iness and satisfaction4 all we &et from them is dissatisfaction4 unha$$iness and $roblems JJJ not only in this life but4 throu&h the <arma they force us to create4 in many future li)es to come. ;hus4 $racticin& mindfulness of im$ermanence4 death and em$tiness JJJ the fundamental nature of "ama (eshe Wisdom Archi)e: )irtue and reality $a&e '3 $henomena4 which cuts the root of sufferin&4 i&norance4 the un<nowin& mind JJJ e)erythin& we do in our li)es becomes the cause of our liberation from all sufferin& and its cause. In this way4 we can hel$ others at a dee$er le)el by also liberatin& them from the cycle of death and rebirth and its cause4 the disturbin& thou&hts and the actions they moti)ate4 <arma. I n the $re)ious cha$ter I mentioned some of the benefits of recei)in& oral transmissions of lamrim4 or ste$s of the $ath4 te2ts4 where you im$rint your mind with the entire $ath to enli&htenment. Another )ery im$ortant te2t is the ?eart 8utra4 or the Essence of Wisdom4 which is the heart4 or essence4 of the entire sutra and tantra teachin&s of the Buddha. ;his te2t e2$lains transcendent wisdom4 the wisdom &one beyond. ;he subAect is em$tiness4 the ultimate nature of the I4 the a&&re&ates and all other $henomena. It is the essential teachin&4 or meditation $ractice4 for cuttin& the root of samsara and attainin& liberation from sufferin&. By recei)in& the blessin&s of the oral transmission of this te2t4 you $lant in your mental continuum the seeds to understand and realiFe this crucial to$ic4 em$tiness4 the only direct remedy to the cause of all sufferin& JJJ delusion and <arma. When you recei)e an oral transmission4 it is im$ortant to thin<4 NN ay I immediately be able to actualiFe in my mental continuum the meanin& of e)ery word that I hear4 may e)ery word I hear benefit all sentient bein&s4 and when I re$eat these words myself4 may the $ath that they contain actualiFe immediately in the mind of any sentient bein& that hears me say them.>> By &eneratin& this <ind of moti)ation and listenin& intently to the transmission4 e)ery sin&le word you hear will &reatly benefit both yourself and all other sentient bein&s. ;he ;hree !rinci$al As$ects of the !ath %ow I>m &oin& to read an En&lish translation of "ama ;son& =ha$a>s ;hree !rinci$al As$ects of the !ath to Enli&htenment in order to $lant the seeds of the entire $ath to enli&htenment in our mental continuum. 8hort lamrim te2ts li<e this are )ery im$ortant. It doesn>t ta<e lon& to read them4 but they lea)e an im$rint of the whole $ath4 and these im$rints become the foundation for the de)elo$ment of our mind to its ultimate $otential. When you read such te2ts mindfully or listen carefully to them bein& read strai&ht throu&h4 it becomes what is called direct meditation "ama (eshe Wisdom Archi)e: )irtue and reality $a&e '. on the $ath to enli&htenment.

!rostration to the Venerable @urus. I will e2$lain to the e2tent that I am able ;he essence of all the teachin&s of the 9onBueror4 ;he $ath $raised by the 9onBueror>s holy children4 ;he entrance for the fortunate ones who desire liberation. "isten with clear minds4 you fortunate ones4 Who rely on the $ath that $leases the 9onBueror4 8tri)e to ma<e your freedoms and endowments meanin&ful4 And are unattached to the $leasures of cyclic e2istence. Embodied bein&s are bound by the lon&in& for e2istence. Without $ure renunciation4 there are no means to $acify ;he as$iration for $leasant results in the ocean of e2istence. ;herefore4 at the be&innin&4 see< renunciation. 9ounteract clin&in& to this life by familiariFin& your mind With the difficulty of findin& the freedoms and endowments And with the fleetin& nature of this life. 9ounteract clin&in& to future li)es by re$eatedly contem$latin& ;he infallibility of action and result And the sufferin&s of cyclic e2istence. By familiariFin& yourself in this way4 When you do not desire the $erfections of samsara for e)en an instant And continually as$ire for liberation4 day and ni&ht4 At that time4 you ha)e de)elo$ed renunciation. "ama (eshe Wisdom Archi)e: )irtue and reality $a&e 'H ?owe)er4 renunciation without $ure bodhicitta 9annot result in the $erfect ha$$iness 1f unsur$assed enli&htenment. ;herefore4 the wise &enerate the su$reme mind of enli&htenment. 8we$t away by the four torrential ri)ers4 Bound by the ti&ht bonds of actions4 so difficult to esca$e4 9au&ht in the iron net of self&ras$in&4 ;otally en)elo$ed by the thic< dar<ness of i&norance4 Born and reborn in boundless e2istence4 Incessantly tormented by the three sufferin&s JJJ Reflectin& u$on this state of all bein&s4 your mothers4 @enerate the su$reme mind of enli&htenment. E)en thou&h you familiariFe yourself with renunciation And the mind of enli&htenment4 Without the wisdom realiFin& em$tiness4 (ou cannot cut the root of e2istence. ;herefore4 stri)e to realiFe de$endent arisin&. Whosoe)er sees the infallibility of cause and result 1f all $henomena in samsara and nir)ana And destroys all modes of a$$rehension Enters the $ath that $leases the Buddha. A$$earances are infallible de$endent arisin&sG Em$tiness is free from assertions JJJ As lon& as these two are understood as se$arate4 (ou ha)e not yet realiFed the thou&ht of the 9onBueror. "ama (eshe Wisdom Archi)e: )irtue and reality $a&e ', When these two realiFations are simultaneous and not alternatin&4 ;he mere si&ht of infallible de$endent arisin& Brin&s the certainty that destroys all modes of a$$rehendin& obAects. ;hen4 your analysis of the $rofound )iew is com$lete. Furthermore4 a$$earances eliminate the e2treme of e2istence And em$tiness eliminates the e2treme of none2istence. When you understand the way em$tiness a$$ears as cause and result4 (ou will not be carried away by e2treme )iews. When you ha)e realiFed the essentials 1f the three $rinci$al as$ects of the $ath4 Rely u$on solitude and $owerful effort And swiftly accom$lish your eternal &oal4 my childO ;he im$ortance of com$assion ;here are many different <inds of Dharma $ractice JJJ hundreds of different mantras to recite4 all <inds of meditation JJJ but the most im$ortant of them all is the $ractice of com$assion. 8ince each of us has ta<en $ersonal res$onsibility for the ha$$iness of each and e)ery sentient bein&4 our de)elo$ment of com$assion becomes e)en more crucial. If the $ractice of com$assion4 the &ood heart4 is missin& from your life4 then no matter what other $ractices you do JJJ e)en the $rofound4 esoteric ones from the hi&hest yo&a tantra di)ision of ahayana secret mantra4 which is underta<en for the e2$ress $ur$ose of attainin& buddhahood as

Buic<ly as $ossible for the sa<e of all sentient bein&s JJJ they don>t become the Buic< $ath to enli&htenment that they>re su$$osed to be. Without com$assion4 no $ractice can lead to enli&htenment and can e)en become a cause of not only samsara in &eneral but rebirth in the lower realms JJJ the hell4 hun&ry &host or animal realms. ;herefore4 no matter how $rofound or ad)anced a $ractice mi&ht be considered JJJ dFo&chen4 the natural &reat $erfection4 or dFo&rim4 the com$letion "ama (eshe Wisdom Archi)e: )irtue and reality $a&e '+ sta&e of hi&hest yo&a tantra JJJ if it>s done without the &ood heart4 the intention of benefitin& others4 instead of bein& of benefit4 it can be of harm. ;his is not the fault of the $ractice but of the $ractitioner who does it with im$ro$er moti)ation4 with the wron& attitude. If the $ractices you do JJJ $rayers4 mantra recitation4 meditation JJJ are moti)ated by com$assion towards all sentient bein&s4 they become an incredibly s<illful means of collectin& )ast amounts of merit and $urifyin& the mind of eons of obscurations and ne&ati)e <arma. ;his a$$lies not only to formal $ractice. If e)erythin& you do in the course of a twentyfour hour day is done with the &ood heart JJJ wal<in&4 sittin&4 slee$in&4 wor<in&4 tal<in&4 eatin&4 whate)er JJJ with an attitude of com$assion towards all sentient bein&s4 then e)en if you don>t ha)e much time to do sittin& meditation or other formal $ractices4 all these re&ular daily acti)ities are transformed into ser)ice for other sentient bein&s. E)en if your life is fully occu$ied by wor< and family obli&ations4 if you brin& the essential $ractice4 com$assion4 the thou&ht of benefitin& others4 into e)erythin& you do4 it becomes the best <ind of Dharma4 the cause of ha$$iness and success for yourself and4 more im$ortantly4 all the numberless other sentient bein&s. ;herefore4 no matter how you lead your daily life JJJ in retreat4 studyin& Dharma4 chantin& sadhanas4 recitin& mantras or $uttin& in lon& hours at the office JJJ if you ne)er let com$assion lea)e your mind4 if you constantly <ee$ in mind the thou&ht of benefitin& others4 e)erythin& you do becomes wor< for the welfare of others. Before4 when what you did was moti)ated by e&o and attachment4 it was wor< for sim$ly your own ha$$iness. ;herefore4 e)erythin& you did was non )irtuous and created only ne&ati)e <arma4 the cause of sufferin&. But now4 li<e iron transformed into &old4 the alchemy of com$assion transforms your $re)iously samsaric actions into the cause of not only ha$$iness4 $eace and enli&htenment for yourself4 but also ha$$iness for each and e)ery sentient bein& without e2ce$tion. (our life itself becomes li<e &old JJJ $ure4 rich4 e2tremely meanin&ful and hi&hly beneficial. (our mind becomes a wealth of merit and &ood <arma4 the cause of e)ery ha$$iness. If you <ee$ the intention to benefit others in mind4 if there>s com$assion for all sentient bein&s in your heart4 e)en if you are Aust &oin& to wor<4 e)ery ste$4 e)ery moment in your car4 &enerates infinite merit in your mental continuum. Because your main &oal is the ha$$iness of all sentient bein&s4 e)ery "ama (eshe Wisdom Archi)e: )irtue and reality $a&e *5 ste$ is )ery im$ortant4 e2tremely $recious. E)ery ste$ you ta<e creates merit as infinite as s$ace. If you are &i)in& a s$eech with bodhicitta moti)ation4 com$assion4 the thou&ht of benefitin& other sentient bein&s4 e)ery word4 e)ery sentence &enerates &reat &ood <arma4 the cause of ha$$iness. WhyI Because your s$eech is moti)ated by the wish for all sentient bein&s to e2$erience ha$$iness and benefit. 8imilarly4 if you eat and drin< with the moti)ation of com$assion for all sentient bein&s4 e)ery mouthful you swallow creates merit as )ast as s$ace. (ou collect infinite &ood <arma4 the cause of ha$$iness. If wor< at your Aob <ee$in& the ha$$iness and welfare of all sentient bein&s in your heart4 e)ery second4 e)ery minute4 e)ery hour you s$end at wor< continuously &enerates infinite merit4 boundless &ood <arma4 the cause of ha$$iness in your mind. E)ery action that you do with bodhicitta moti)ation4 com$assion4 the thou&ht of benefitin& others4 becomes the cause of ha$$iness of all sentient bein&s. Bodhicitta transforms your life ;hat>s why =hedru$ Rin$oche4 one of "ama ;son& =ha$a>s two main disci$les4 wrote in his $raise of his &uru>s &ood Bualities4 NNE)ery breath you ta<e is of benefit to all sentient bein&s.>> ?e said this because "ama ;son& =ha$a had realiFed bodhicitta JJJ renouncin& himself and cherishin& only others. If you ha)e realiFed bodhicitta JJJ the altruistic mind determined to achie)e enli&htenment for the sa<e of sentient bein&s4 the thou&ht of wor<in& only for the benefit of others JJJ e)ery sin&le action of your body4 s$eech and mind is dedicated to the welfare of others. (our entire life is li)ed com$letely for the sa<e of others. ;here>s not e)en a second>s thou&ht for yourself4 for your own ha$$iness. E)erythin& you do is solely for the ha$$iness of other sentient bein&s. If you recite one rosary of mantras4 it is done only for othersG if you eat one bowl of food4 it is only for othersG if you drin< one cu$ of tea4 it is only for others. E)ery sin&le thin& you do is done only for others. %othin& in your life is not done for others4 for their benefit. ;he realiFation of bodhicitta4 com$assion4 lo)in& <indness4 com$letely transforms your mind. With your old mind4 you thou&ht only of your own ha$$iness and wor<ed solely for the sa<e of self4 your old self. ;he continuity of that mind has no be&innin&. Because of that mind4 you>re still mired "ama (eshe Wisdom Archi)e: )irtue and reality $a&e *' in sufferin&4 not free from samsara4 and of e2tremely limited benefit to others. 8ince you ha)e not de)elo$ed your mind4 your ability to wor< $erfectly for other sentient bein&s4 to brin& them all ha$$iness4 includin& enli&htenment4 is )ery limited. ;he realiFation of bodhicitta turns all that u$side down. It brin&s you a fresh attitude4 a new mind JJJ the <ind of mind that =hedru$ Rin$oche was tal<in& about when he said of "ama ;son& =ha$a4 NNE)ery time you breathe in or out4 it brin&s

ha$$iness to all sentient bein&s.>> ;here>s a related story concernin& the &reat enli&htened bein& !abon&<a Rin$oche C',H''+6'D4 a &reat lama4 scholar and yo&i who had actualiFed the entire $ath to enli&htenment. ?e wrote not only lamrim te2ts li<e "iberation in the !alm of (our ?and but also many other sutra scri$tures and4 es$ecially4 se)eral e2cellent4 e2tremely lucid commentaries on the tantrasG really clear e2$lanations of deity $ractices from his own e2$erience. 1f course4 his writin&s were based on the teachin&s of @uru 8ha<yamuni Buddha and the commentaries of the ancient Indian and ;ibetan $undits and yo&is4 but by $racticin& these he had his own e2$eriences and actualiFed the entire $ath himself. ;hus4 he was able to write with &reat clarity on tantra and benefit the Dharma and all sentient bein&s in &eneral. ?e had thousands of disci$les4 many of whom4 on the basis of his teachin&s and &uidance4 had realiFations of the three $rinci$al as$ects of the $ath to enli&htenment and4 in $articular4 the $ath of secret mantra4 the VaArayana. 1ne of !abon&<a Dechen %yin&$o>s disci$les was a lama called ;o&ten Rin$oche. ?e had formerly been a $ractitioner of the %yin&ma tradition JJJ there are four main ;ibetan Buddhist schools: %yin&ma4 =a&yu4 8a<ya and @elu& JJJ but one day he came to discuss em$tiness with a hi&h @elu&$a lama called Denma "ocho Rin$oche4 whose $resent incarnation is one of my &urus. 8o Denma "ocho Rin$oche ad)ised ;o&ten Rin$oche4 NNIf you want to realiFe em$tiness4 you should &o to "hasa and meet !abon&<a Rin$oche.>> 8o he went to "hasa and recei)ed many teachin&s from !abon&<a Dechen %yin&$o and $racticed meditation under his &uidance. !abon&<a Rin$oche>s monastery is not far from 8era onastery4 and hi&h on the cliff abo)e is his ca)ehermita&e4 where ;o&ten Rin$oche did his retreat. ?e would $ractice his meditation4 and whene)er he had a realiFation4 would come down to offer it to his &uru4 !abon&<a Dechen %yin&$o. 1ne day he attained the ninth le)el of meditati)e "ama (eshe Wisdom Archi)e: )irtue and reality $a&e ** stabiliFation4 the final ste$ in the $rocess of de)elo$in& calm abidin& ;his is a )ery im$ortant realiFation because you ha)e o)ercome both &ross and subtle scatterin& and &ross and subtle sin<in&4 the main hindrances to $erfect sin&le$ointed concentration. It is a similitude of calm abidin&4 not the actual one4 but it leads ri&ht into actual calm abidin&. ;o&ten Rin$oche must ha)e been $retty e2cited at ha)in& attained this le)el of meditation4 so he came down to tell his &uru all about it. %ow4 before I &et to the $unch line of this story4 I should &i)e you an idea of e2actly what ;o&ten Rin$oche had accom$lished. ;he fi)e $aths When you realiFe calm abidin&4 you can concentrate sin&le$ointedly on whate)er obAect you choose for as many months or years JJJ e)en eons JJJ as you li<e4 as determined by your moti)ation. %o matter how many distractions surround you JJJ $olice sirens4 train whistles4 $eo$le beatin& drums in your ear JJJ nothin& can disturb your mind or interfere with your concentration. ?owe)er lon& you $lan to concentrate4 that>s how lon& you can <ee$ your mind on the obAect4 immo)able as a mountain. %ot only that4 but you also e2$erience ra$turous ecstasy of body and mind. (our body feels as li&ht as cotton4 as if it could float away4 and )ery4 )ery healthy. (ou can use your body in any )irtuous action or $ractice with no hardshi$ or difficulty whatsoe)er. (our mind is so controlled that4 as I mentioned4 you can concentrate on any obAect for as lon& as you li<e4 and if you let &o of your mind4 it automatically &ra)itates to )irtuous obAects4 so there>s no dan&er of creatin& any ne&ati)e <arma. ;he &reat ad)anta&e of ha)in& achie)ed calm abidin&4 howe)er4 is that it now becomes )ery easy for you to achie)e other realiFations. In $articular4 you can meditate on em$tiness as your obAect in order to de)elo$ s$ecial insi&ht and the wisdom that is the actual antidote to the sufferin& of samsara. ;he Four %oble ;ruths4 the foundation of @uru 8ha<yamuni Buddha>s teachin&s4 are true sufferin&4 true cause of sufferin&4 true cessation of sufferin& and true $ath. ;rue $ath means the wisdom directly $ercei)in& em$tiness4 the )ery nature of $henomena4 ultimate nature. ;his is what actually ceases the delusions JJJ the cause of all sufferin&4 the cause of the cycle of rebirth4 a&in&4 sic<ness and deathG the cause of the hell realms4 the hun&ry &host realms4 the animal realms and all "ama (eshe Wisdom Archi)e: )irtue and reality $a&e */ the sufferin& those rebirths entailG the cause of the human4 asura and sura realms and all their sufferin& as well. When you achie)e the wisdom directly $ercei)in& em$tiness4 you attain what>s called the ri&ht seein& $ath. It is here that the delusions4 the obscurations4 the defilements4 actually be&in to cease. In all4 there are fi)e $aths to liberation from sufferin& and its cause JJJ the $aths of merit4 $re$aration Cor conAunctionD4 ri&htseein&4 meditation and no more learnin&. By de)elo$in& the wisdom realiFin& em$tiness moti)ated by the method of renunciation of samsara JJJ the determination to free yourself from samsara JJJ you can achie)e your own liberation. By achie)in& the ri&htseein& $ath4 you remo)e ''* disturbin& thou&ht obscurations4 and on the $ath of meditation4 '. disturbin& thou&ht obscurations. ?owe)er4 you destroy not only the delusions4 but their seed as well4 so that it becomes no lon&er $ossible for them e)er to arise a&ain. ;hat means you will ne)er a&ain create <arma or ha)e to e2$erience sufferin&. (ou become an arhant4 your holy mind free from the obscurations of the disturbin& thou&hts. (ou attain nir)ana4 the sorrowless state4 and liberate yourself from the entire round of samsaric sufferin&. ;o achie)e enli&htenment for the benefit of numberless other sentient bein&s4 you need to achie)e the fi)e ahayana $aths4 which are also called merit4 $re$aration4 ri&htseein&4 meditation and no more learnin&. ?ere4 no more learnin& means omniscient mind4 the com$letion of all understandin&G

there>s not a sin&le obAect of <nowled&e left to disco)er. A&ain4 it is on the ahayana ri&htseein& $ath that your wisdom directly $ercei)in& em$tiness starts ceasin& the delusions. Anyway4 there are many details of these $aths and many te2ts describin& them4 of which the Abhisamayalam<ara is $robably the best <nown. In the &reat ;ibetan monasteries4 such as 8era4 @anden and Dre$un&4 the mon<s study many root te2ts and commentaries that detail the fi)e $aths and so forth. ;hey memoriFe4 debate and meditate for thirty or forty years. It>s a bit li<e tryin& to learn all the $arts of an air$lane and how they function to&ether so that it can fly safely. Anyway4 to attain your own liberation from samsara4 you need to understand the details of the fi)e $aths. ;he ri&htseein& $ath eliminates intellectual wron& conce$tions4 those acBuired from incorrect teachin&s4 while the $ath of meditation eradicates the innate misconce$tions4 the ones you were born "ama (eshe Wisdom Archi)e: )irtue and reality $a&e *6 with and ha)e had in your mental continuum since be&innin&less time. After that4 you reach the fifth $ath4 that of no more learnin&4 and attain nir)ana4 the sorrowless state. ;o reach enli&htenment for the sa<e of all sentient bein&s4 you ha)e to follow the fi)e ahayana $aths. When you achie)e the ahayana ri&htseein& $ath4 you also eradicate the &ross obscurations CnyKndrib4 in ;ibetanD4 which $re)ent you from attainin& your own liberation from samsara4 but in addition4 you eradicate the subtle obscurations CshedribD4 the ne&ati)e im$rints left on your mental continuum by the &ross delusions4 which $re)ent you from attainin& enli&htenment. erely labelled We belie)e that there>s an I4 a real self4 in our body. But if you loo< for it4 if you analyFe the a$$earance to see whether or not the I really e2ists in your body4 or on your a&&re&ates4 you can>t find it. If you don>t analyFe4 it loo<s li<e it>s there4 but if you do4 you disco)er that it>s none2istent. ;his is what your wisdom disco)ers. When you do not analyFe4 do not meditate4 when you ha)en>t realiFed the ultimate nature JJJ the em$tiness of the I4 the ultimate nature of the self JJJ it a$$ears as if there>s a real I there4 in your body or on your fi)e a&&re&ates of body and mind. When you search with wisdom4 you disco)er that the real I4 a$$earin& from there4 is totally none2istent. It e2ists nowhere. ;hat absence of the real I is what we call em$tiness4 or shunyata4 the )ery nature of the self. ;hat is the reality of the self. ;hat>s what the I is. It is em$ty JJJ em$ty of the real I that a$$ears from there JJJ and e2ists merely in name. ;he only reason the I e2ists at all is because of the e2istence of a )alid base4 the a&&re&ates. ;he fi)e a&&re&ates JJJ form4 feelin&4 co&nition4 com$oundin& a&&re&ates and consciousness JJJ are a )alid base for labellin& NNI4>> therefore the I e2ists. For e2am$le4 a child is born and its $arents &i)e it a name4 a label. First the child4 an association of body and mind4 is actualiFedG then comes the label. 8o4 de$endin& on the base4 let>s say the $arents call the child Richard. First the base comes into e2istence4 then the label is a$$lied. ;he base is not one with the label4 NNRichard.>> If it were4 as soon as the base came into bein&4 so would the label4 NNRichard.>> But the two are different. ;he child JJJ the association of body and mind4 the a&&re&ates JJJ and the label JJJ the name4 NNRichard>> JJJ are not se$arate4 but they>re different. 8imilarly4 our base JJJ the association of our body and mind4 our a&&re&ates JJJ is not one with the label I. ;he base and the "ama (eshe Wisdom Archi)e: )irtue and reality $a&e *3 label do not e2ist se$arately4 but they e2ist differently. ;he definition of why Richard e2ists is because the association of body and mind JJJ the base that can recei)e the label NNRichard>> JJJ e2ists. Richard e2ists because his base e2ists. ;hat>s the main reason. 8imilarly4 the only reason the I e2ists is because the base4 the association of body and mind4 e2ists JJJ the )alid base that can recei)e the label NNI.>> Because of that4 the self e2ists. But our deluded mind does not see this. ;o us it a$$ears as if the I e2ists from the side of the a&&re&ates4 as if there>s a real self there. But by analyFin& this a$$earance and your belief in it4 you can disco)er that what you see and belie)e is a hallucination. ;he real I that a$$ears from there is com$letely none2istent. ;here>s not an atom of real self there. In reality4 it is none2istent4 but not reco&niFin& this4 not realiFin& this4 belie)in& the illusion to be real4 belie)in& one hundred $ercent that the I that a$$ears from there is its reality4 bloc<s you from seein& the ultimate4 em$ty nature of the I. ;he I that e2ists4 that e2$eriences ha$$iness and sufferin&4 that wal<s4 tal<s4 eats4 sits and slee$s is nothin& other than what has been merely labelled by the mind. But e)en thou&h that merely labelled I e2ists4 if you loo< for it on the a&&re&ates4 on the base4 you cannot find it anywhere4 from the ends of your hair to the ti$s of your toes. ;here>s no Buestion that the merely labelled I e2ists. It>s Aust that you can>t find it on the base4 on your a&&re&ates. ;he I that a$$ears to you in your body or on your a&&re&ates as not merely labelled by the mind JJJ as if it has nothin& to do with your mind4 as if there>s a real I there that ne)er came from your mind4 that e2ists from its own side JJJ is the I that does not e2ist. %either in your body nor on your a&&re&ates nor anywhere else JJJ that I e2ists nowhere. ;his is reality. ;he absence of such an I4 the em$tiness of that4 is the ultimate nature of the I. ;he hallucinatin& mind JJJ the wron& conce$tion holdin& on to the I as not merely labelled by the mind4 as e2istin& from its own sideG holdin& as true that somethin& real is a$$earin& from there JJJ is the root of all delusion4 <arma and sufferin&. ;his un<nowin& mind4 this i&norance4 is the main sufferin&. ;his hallucinatin& mind JJJ the wron& conce$tion that belie)es the I to be other than it really is4 in com$letely the wron& way JJJ is our worst sufferin&. ;his is the basic i&norance that we ha)e to eradicate in order to esca$e from all sufferin& and its cause.

"ama (eshe Wisdom Archi)e: )irtue and reality $a&e *. ;he only way to do this is to realiFe em$tiness. ;he wisdom realiFin& the em$tiness of the I is the only solution4 the only direct remedy4 for this wron& conce$tion. By de)elo$in& this wisdom we can remo)e all delusions4 liberate oursel)es from sufferin&4 and4 by re)ealin& the truth to others4 liberate numberless other sentient bein&s as well. ore about the fi)e $aths Before &oin& off on that tan&ent of em$tiness4 I was e2$lainin& the fi)e $aths. ;here are fi)e $aths to nir)ana JJJ indi)idual liberation from samsara JJJ and fi)e ahayana $aths to enli&htenment. ;o com$lete these $aths4 first you ha)e to achie)e calm abidin& CshamathaD4 by $roceedin& throu&h the nine le)els of meditati)e stabiliFation. ;hen you ha)e to realiFe s$ecial insi&ht C)i$ashyanaD4 and finally achie)e the wisdom realiFin& em$tiness4 the &reat concentration JJJ the wisdom realiFin& em$tiness unified with calm abidin&. If your moti)ation is not bodhicitta but sim$ly renunciation of samsara4 at that $oint you achie)e the $ath of $re$aration4 which is the basis for achie)in& the ri&htseein& $ath4 the true $ath of the Four %oble ;ruths. At that le)el4 as I mentioned abo)e4 the intellectual wron& conce$tions are eliminated4 and on the fourth $ath4 the $ath of meditation JJJ as the wisdom directly $ercei)in& em$tiness is further de)elo$ed JJJ the innate defilements are eradicated. Followin& the ahayana4 on the basis of ha)in& achie)ed bodhicitta JJJ the com$assionate lo)in& thou&ht4 the altruistic mind set on achie)in& enli&htenment for sentient bein&s4 renouncin& yourself and cherishin& others JJJ and the wisdom realiFin& em$tiness unified with calm abidin&4 you achie)e the ahayana $ath of $re$aration. ;hat is the basis for achie)in& the ahayana ri&htseein& $ath4 the wisdom directly $ercei)in& em$tiness. ;here are two ways of enterin& the ahayana $ath. Either you can enter directly by first de)elo$in& bodhicitta4 or you can first com$lete the fi)e ?inayana $aths as either a solitary realiFer or a hearer by becomin& an arhant4 and then enter the ahayana in order to attain enli&htenment. 1n the ahayana ri&htseein& $ath4 you remo)e ''* &ross and '5, subtle obscurations4 and on the $ath of meditation4 '. &ross and '5, subtle. ;hen you achie)e the ahayana $ath of no more learnin&4 full enli&htenment. "ama (eshe Wisdom Archi)e: )irtue and reality $a&e *H Incom$arable bodhicitta I ha)e e2$lained the abo)e to &i)e you an idea of how &reat an achie)ement it is to ha)e $ro&ressed throu&h the nine le)els of meditati)e stabiliFation and to achie)e calm abidin&. %ow to &et bac< to the story. When ;o&ten Rin$oche arri)ed4 e2tremely $leased that he had reached the ninth le)el of meditati)e stabiliFation4 !abon&<a Dechen %yin&$o was in the middle of eatin& lunch JJJ $a<4 a dense ball of tsam$a4 the ;ibetan sta$le of roasted barley flour4 mi2ed with tea and butter. But ;o&ten Rin$oche couldn>t wait4 and re$orted his e2$erience anyway. When he had finished4 !abon&<a re$lied4 NN9om$ared to the benefits of my eatin& this $a<4 your realiFation is nothin&O>> E)en thou&h the attainment of calm abidin& is incredible and has inconcei)able benefits JJJ ra$turous ecstasy4 unsur$assed clarity of mind4 unsha<able sin&le$ointed concentration4 freedom from sic<ness due to refinement of body and mind JJJ it doesn>t ha)e bodhicitta: com$assion4 lo)in& <indness4 renouncin& yourself and cherishin& others. !abon&<a4 howe)er4 had realiFed bodhicitta. ;herefore4 e)ery mouthful of $a< he ate was wor< for all sentient bein&s without e2ce$tion. %aturally4 effortlessly4 each mouthful of food created infinite merit4 as limitless as the s<y. ;his story4 therefore4 illustrates the benefits of bodhicitta and shows how $racticin& the &ood heart can ma<e our li)es most $ractical and beneficial. When "ama (eshe JJJ who was <inder than the buddhas of the three times and too< care of me li<e a father cherishes his only son4 not only with education but also with food and clothin& and all other means of li)in& JJJ was in Delhi on his way to America for treatment4 there was a discussion about a student who had done somethin& wron&4 and "ama was as<ed if he was an&ry with him. NN?ow could I $ossibly be an&ry with himI>> "ama re$lied. NN?e>s a sentient bein&.>> ;hat shows that "ama had realiFed bodhicitta. If you don>t ha)e realiFation4 Aust the <nowled&e that someone is a sufferin& sentient bein& isn>t enou&h to $re)ent you from &ettin& an&ry. Awareness and the self 8tudent. ay I as< a Buestion4 $leaseI (ou were s$ea<in& before about the illusory nature of the I. What>s the difference between that itself and the awareness of itI Rin$oche. ;he awareness that reco&niFes thin&s is mind. ;hat awareness is not the I4 the self. "ama (eshe Wisdom Archi)e: )irtue and reality $a&e *, ;he mind is a $art of the base. In this life you ha)e a body and a mind. ;his association of body and mind is the base that you label I. Body and mind are the baseG I is the label. ;he base and the mind are two different $henomena. %ot only that. I is the $ossessorG mind that which is $ossessed. When you say NN y mind4>> I is the $ossessor and mind is the $ossession. ;hey are subAect and obAectG two different thin&s4 not one. ;herefore4 the awareness that reco&niFes thin&s is not I. It is neither the real I JJJ the I that a$$ears to us not merely labelled by the mind JJJ nor e)en the merely labelled I. But Aust because you cannot find the I on your a&&re&ates4 from the ti$s of your hair down to your toes JJJ the body is not IG the mind is not IG e)en the association of both is not IG the I cannot be found anywhere JJJ does not mean that it does not e2ist. ;he I e2ists. ;he I4 the self4 cannot be found on your a&&re&ates4 the association of your body and mind. ;he real I that a$$ears from there cannot be

found. E)en the merely labelled I cannot be found there. But that doesn>t mean that the I does not e2ist in this room. It e2ists in this roomG it e2ists in America. But it doesn>t e2ist on your association of body and mind. As lon& as your body and mind are in this room4 the I cannot be found on that base4 but it e2ists in this room. But the only reason for sayin& that it e2ists in this room and is not at home ri&ht now is that the association of your body and mind are in this room. ;hat>s the only reason. E)en thou&h you cannot find the I on them. ;he minute your body and mind lea)e the room4 so does the IG it is no lon&er $resent in this room. 8o4 what is that II It is nothin& other than what has been merely im$uted by the mind because of the e2istence of the base4 the association of body and mind. By analyFin& your I in this way4 you can come to see that it is totally somethin& else4 com$letely different from what you>)e always thou&ht it was4 from be&innin&less rebirths u$ to the $resent. All this time your mind has merely been labellin& I on the association of body and mind4 and that is how it e2ists. But e)ery time your mind has merely labelled I4 it doesn>t a$$ear bac< to you as if it>s been merely labelled. ;hat>s the $roblem. If the I did always a$$ear to you as merely labelled by the mind4 it would be im$ossible for you to &enerate an&er4 Aealousy4 &ras$in&4 attachment and all the other $ainful emotional minds. If you were able to $ercei)e the I as merely labelled by the mind there would be no base u$on which delusions could arise. ;hen you wouldn>t create moti)atin& <arma4 sufferin& or samsara itself. "ama (eshe Wisdom Archi)e: )irtue and reality $a&e *+ What ha$$ens is that after your mind merely labels I4 when it a$$ears bac< to you it does not a$$ear as if it has been merely labelled by the mind. It a$$ears bac< in com$letely the o$$osite way4 as if it has not been merely labelled by the mind. ;hat is the hallucination. ;herefore4 the reality of the I that is merely labelled by the mind is that it is totally em$ty. It e2ists4 but it is totally em$ty. It e2ists4 but it is totally em$ty of e2istin& from its own side. While it is em$ty of e2istin& from its own side4 the I e2ists. ?owI In mere name. When you realiFe this4 you ha)e &ained an unmista<en realiFation of em$tiness. 1n the sin&le obAect4 I4 you are able to unify de$endent arisin& and em$tiness. ;he I itself is both em$ty yet e2istent. It e2ists4 but it is em$ty. When you realiFe these two4 without di)ision4 you ha)e &ained an unmista<en realiFation of em$tiness. If4 in what you thin< is a realiFation of em$tiness4 you cannot unify these two or find a contradiction with e2istence4 then your socalled realiFation of em$tiness is wron&. When it comes to this $oint and you cannot define how the I e2ists4 you cannot see the e2istence of the I4 that means your realiFation of em$tiness is not the actual realiFation of em$tiness but Aust ordinary em$tiness. When you analyFe4 the I becomes e2tremely subtle4 so subtle that e)en thou&h it is not non e2istent4 it is as if it were none2istent. It is not none2istent4 but it seems to be none2istent. It a$$ears not to e2istG it becomes an unbelie)ably subtle $henomenon. ;he line of demarcation between the e2istence and the none2istence of the I is e2tremely fine4 e2tremely subtle. 8o fine that what is e2istent a$$ears to be almost none2istent. What it is4 howe)er4 is merely labelled by the mind. "ama (eshe Wisdom Archi)e: )irtue and reality $a&e /5 !atience and the 9om$assionate ?eart @uru 8ha<yamuni Buddha said4 Do not en&a&e in any harmful actionsG !erform only those that are &oodG 8ubdue your own mind JJJ ;his is the teachin& of the Buddha. What did he meanI ;he abo)e )erse enca$sulates the entire teachin& of the <ind4 com$assionate Buddha. In it4 he is tellin& us sentient bein&s4 who want only ha$$iness and do not want sufferin&4 how to achie)e our aims. Where do ha$$iness and sufferin& come fromI ?a$$iness and sufferin& do not come from outside but from actions moti)ated by our own minds4 our own thou&hts. ?a$$iness comes from $ositi)e actions. !roblems come from mista<en4 or uns<illful4 actions. !ositi)e actions4 $ure actions4 are moti)ated by a $ositi)e4 )irtuous attitude4 the $ure mind4 the healthy mind4 the $eaceful mind. All ha$$iness JJJ the transient ha$$iness of our e)eryday li)es4 and ultimate ha$$iness4 both liberation and enli&htenment JJJ comes from each bein&>s $ositi)e attitude and )irtuous actionsG from the $ure mind. "iberation is the com$lete cessation of all sufferin&4 includin& rebirth4 a&in&4 sic<ness and death4 and its cause. Enli&htenment4 the &reat liberation4 which is e)en hi&her than this4 is the cessation of e)en the subtle defilements of mind and the com$letion of all realiFations. Each and "ama (eshe Wisdom Archi)e: )irtue and reality $a&e /' e)ery sentient bein& has the $otential to e2$erience all this. It comes from $ositi)e moti)ation and &ood <arma. All sufferin& comes from each bein&>s ne&ati)e attitude and non)irtuous actions. In your life4 until your mind labels somethin& as a $roblem4 before you ha)e the conce$t of $roblem4 you don>t ha)e any $roblems. Before your mind fabricates the label4 NN$roblem4>> you don>t see $roblems in your life. What do I mean by conce$t hereI It>s where your thou&ht inter$rets a certain situation as a $roblem. In other words4 your mind creates the desi&nation NN$roblem>> for this $articular situation. Before that ha$$ens4 you don>t see any $roblem with the situation4 but the moment your mind creates the label4 NN$roblem4>> and belie)es in it4 that is the moment that the conce$t of $roblem has been created. (ou ha)e created the conce$t of life $roblem. ;his is Aust a sim$le e2am$le of how $roblems come from your own mind4 how $roblems de$end

u$on your own conce$ts4 how $roblems de$end u$on the )ery conce$t of $roblem. ;he $roblems in your life de$end u$on your ha)in& the conce$t of $roblem JJJ ha)in& the thou&ht4 creatin& the label and belie)in& in it. ;his is Aust a )ery sim$le e2am$le of how your $roblems de$end u$on your own mind. It shows how your $roblems de$end u$on the thou&ht4 or conce$t4 you ha)e at that moment JJJ that hour4 that minute4 that second JJJ how this hour>s $roblem4 this minute>s $roblem is related to4 or comes from4 the way you are thin<in& at the time. ;he $resent moment>s $roblem comes from the $resent moment>s thou&ht4 or conce$t4 which creates the label and belie)es in it. An&er is another e2am$le of this. If you don>t create the mental factor4 or thou&ht4 of an&er4 there are no enemies in your lifeG you can>t find any enemies. If you don>t form the thou&ht of an&er4 where)er you &o4 where)er in the world you tra)el4 where)er you li)e4 whoe)er you>re with4 you ne)er see a sin&le enemy. If you don>t create an&er within4 you ha)e no enemy outside. Don>t be yourself If you do not $ractice com$assion4 lo)in& <indness and $atience towards others4 if you do not culti)ate these healthy minds4 these $ositi)e4 beneficial thou&hts for the sa<e of yourself and all other sentient bein&s4 if you don>t ma<e an effort to de)elo$ these $ositi)e attitudes4 you are Aust bein& yourselfG you are allowin& yourself to be your old self. (our old self follows your e&o and selfcentered mind and thin<s only of your own ha$$iness and nothin& else. From be&innin&less time4 in e)ery "ama (eshe Wisdom Archi)e: )irtue and reality $a&e /* rebirth4 your old self has been under the influence of e&o and selfcenteredness4 the unhealthy4 u$ti&ht4 un$eaceful mind. (our old self >s heart is closed4 not o$en. (our old self wor<s only for your own ha$$iness and cares nothin& for the needs of others. (our old self does not thin< that you are res$onsible for the ha$$iness of others4 that your ha$$iness comes from others and that their ha$$iness de$ends u$on you. (our old4 selfcentered mind thin<s only of your own ha$$iness and nothin& other than that. 8o NNbein& yourself >> means Aust this JJJ bein& your old self. Instead of $racticin& those $ositi)e minds4 you do Aust the o$$osite. (ou follow disturbin& thou&hts such as attachment and an&er4 which offer your mind no $eace4 no rest4 no realiFation JJJ only a&itation4 trouble and unha$$iness. ;here>s no holiday for your mind. E)en if you ta<e your body on )acation4 there>s no )acation for your mind4 no rest and rela2ation for your mental continuum. ;he result of continually followin& your old self JJJ e&o4 attachment and an&er JJJ is that you ne)er find satisfaction. ;hese thou&hts can ne)er brin& you satisfaction4 no matter for how many eons you follow them. ;his is sim$ly the nature of attachment. As @uru 8ha<yamuni Buddha said4 NNAs lon& as you follow desire you will ne)er be satisfied.>> It>s li<e sittin& in a fire. As lon& as you sit in a fire you will ne)er e2$erience the $leasure of not bein& burnt. If you lon& to be comfortable and cool4 you ha)e to &et out. In Aust the same way4 as that is lo&ical4 so is it lo&ical that as lon& as you follow attachment you will not find inner $eace4 true satisfaction4 real rest. ;here>s no )acation for your heart. ;hat>s the old self at wor<. When the Rollin& 8tones san&4 NNWell4 I tried and I tried4 I tried and I tried JJJ I can>t &et no4 satisfaction4>> they were actually &i)in& a lamrim teachin&G a lamrim teachin& with &uitar accom$animent. ;hey were teachin& meditation. If you don>t ha)e a &ood heart4 if you ha)e no satisfaction JJJ which can be e2$erienced only by not followin& the $ainful minds of desire and attachment JJJ if you don>t de)elo$ lo)in& <indness and com$assion4 then e)en if you do ta<e a brea< from your Aob and ta<e your body to the beach4 there>s no rest for your mind. ;here>s no $eace within your mental continuum because you ha)e ta<en with you your attachment and an&er and the constant $roblems they create. Because you lac< a &ood heart and cannot dedicate yourself to others4 there>s no fulfillment in your heart. Because of the disturbin& emotional thou&hts of attachment and an&er4 you &et no satisfaction and e2$erience "ama (eshe Wisdom Archi)e: )irtue and reality !a&e // constant $roblems. (our emotional thou&hts are the foundation of all $roblems. ;hey themsel)es are the main $roblem. Because of them4 you ha)e no inner $eace and cannot enAoy your life. E)en thou&h e2ternally it mi&ht loo< as if you>re enAoyin& yourself4 as if you>re e2$eriencin& e2citement and $leasure4 when you loo< into your heart4 you <now that there>s always somethin& missin&. 1nly by &i)in& u$4 cuttin&4 freein& yourself from4 disturbin& emotional thou&hts such as the $ainful mind of attachment4 can you find satisfaction in your heart4 in your inner life. If you can sto$ bein& your old self4 if you can sto$ followin& the be&innin&less discriminatin& thou&hts of attachment and an&er4 sto$ formin& the thou&ht of an&er4 sto$ transformin& the mind that was not an&ry into one that wants to harm others4 you will ne)er ha)e enemies. Where)er you &o4 you will ne)er find an enemy tryin& to harm you. Eliminatin& enemies What do you do when you encounter someone who doesn>t lo)e you4 who>s an&ry at youI (ou $ractice $atience. Instead of inter$retin& that $erson>s actions as ne&ati)e4 or harmful4 you inter$ret them as $ositi)e4 or beneficial. Instead of thin<in& how harmful it is that the $erson is an&ry at you4 doesn>t lo)e you4 thin< how beneficial4 how necessary4 how useful it is. Eust as you feel it im$ortant to ha)e in your life someone who lo)es you4 feel it Aust as necessary to ha)e someone who doesn>t lo)e you. ;hin< how much you need the $erson who is an&ry at you. Feel that the $erson who disli<es you is Aust as $recious as the one who has com$assion for you. Instead of seein& it as ne&ati)e4 see it as $ositi)e4 beneficial. If ri&ht at that moment4 instead of tellin& yourself how harmful it is4 you $ractice $atience by thin<in& how useful it is4 if instead of thin<in& how useless it is4 you thin< how necessary it is4 you will immediately e2$erience $eace and tranBuillity in your mind. Instead of bein& troubled4 you>ll be

ha$$y4 then and there. oreo)er4 you won>t be im$elled to retaliate and will therefore refrain from harmin& others. In this way you will a)oid creatin& the ne&ati)e <arma of inAurin& others with body4 s$eech and mind. If out of an&er you &i)e harm to others4 you lea)e ne&ati)e im$rints on your own mental "ama (eshe Wisdom Archi)e: )irtue and reality $a&e /6 continuum. ;hese then manifest as $roblems in this life4 future li)es or both JJJ $roblems such as sic<ness4 illtreatment at the hands of others4 $remature death and so forth. ;hese are called NN<armic results similar to the cause in e2$erience4>> and we create them oursel)es by res$ondin& ne&ati)ely to those who are an&ry at us. ;herefore4 by $racticin& $atience4 you don>t harm others and thus don>t harm yourself. If you don>t $ractice $atience4 you harm others and therefore yourself. Furthermore4 when you $ractice $atience and refrain from harmin& others4 you $rotect them from retaliatin& in res$onse to your harm4 thereby sa)in& them from creatin& e2tra ne&ati)e <arma4 the cause of sufferin& JJJ you $rotect others from ha)in& to e2$erience the <armic results of &i)in& you harm. ;hus4 by $racticin& $atience4 besides creatin& the cause of ha$$iness for yourself in this and future li)es4 you hel$ others to e2$erience ha$$iness in this and future li)es. As a result of your $racticin& $atience and not harmin& the $erson who>s an&ry at you4 that other $erson doesn>t &i)e you further harm. %ot only is there $eace and ha$$iness for yourself and the other $erson in this and future li)es4 but you are also trainin& your mind to be $atient with others. ;his $erson is hel$in& you do that. (ou are learnin& to be $atient with the rest of your family4 the rest of your collea&ues4 all other human bein&s and all sentient bein&s in &eneral. ;he $erson who is an&ry with you is hel$in& you train your mind to be $atient and $ositi)e instead of an&ry and ne&ati)e. As you eradicate an&er from your mental continuum and re$lace it with $atience4 the rest of the sentient bein&s recei)e no harm from you4 the indi)idual whose mind has been transformed into $atience. ;he absence of harm4 their not recei)in& harm from you4 is $eace. What they recei)e from you is ha$$iness. ;he benefits of $atience ?istorically4 you can see how4 at different times and in different $laces in the world4 one influential $erson who did not $ractice $atience caused millions of $eo$le to die. As a result4 many millions of $eo$le underwent e2traordinary sufferin& by bein& im$risoned4 tortured and <illed JJJ durin& the ?itler era4 in 9hina4 in ;ibet4 in 9ambodia4 in the West and in many other countries as well. E)en now4 because they do not $ractice $atience4 certain indi)iduals are <illin& many $eo$le. ;hey lac< "ama (eshe Wisdom Archi)e: )irtue and reality $a&e /3 the Bualities that ma<e a $erson &ood. %ow4 consider yourself in li&ht of the abo)e. As an indi)idual $racticin& $atience4 learnin& to be $atient4 by freein& your mind of an&er4 you can offer &reat $eace and ha$$iness to numberless other sentient bein&s4 not only in this life4 but in many future li)es to come. 8ince there>s no an&er4 you don>t harm others. ;herefore4 many $eo$le4 animals4 fish and insects4 for e2am$le4 recei)e much $eace and ha$$iness from you. ;hus4 life to life4 with $atience towards all sentient bein&s4 you brin& si&nificant $eace and ha$$iness to the world. By $racticin& $atience you &i)e $eace to the world JJJ to your $arents4 the rest of your family4 your friends4 the $eo$le you wor< with and4 on the &rand scale4 all sentient bein&s. "ea)in& aside other realiFations of the $ath4 if those $owerful $eo$le had only been educated in4 $ossessed and $racticed the &ood human Buality of $atience4 the &ood heart4 each could ha)e &i)en so much ha$$iness to the world. any millions of $eo$le would ha)e had ha$$iness4 enAoyment and lon& li)es instead of Aust the o$$osite. 1ne $erson could ha)e made so much difference had he only been $atient instead of an&ry. !ut yourself into this situation. ;his could ha$$en to you. If you don>t $ractice $atience in this or future li)es4 you4 too4 could be reborn as someone who harms millions of $eo$le. ;herefore4 you definitely need to $ractice $atience. (ou should consider it a res$onsibility. It is e2tremely im$ortant that you educate yourself in $atience and $ractice it. It is $erha$s the most im$ortant meditation you can do. If you $ractice $atience4 you eliminate an&er. ;hat means there>s no enemy to bodhicitta in your mind. In other words4 it ma<es it much easier to achie)e bodhicitta4 the ultimate &ood heart4 the altruistic mind set on attainin& enli&htenment for the sa<e of all sentient bein&s. Bodhicitta is the &ateway to the ahayana $ath4 the root of the $ath to enli&htenment and the source of all ha$$iness for both yourself and others. By actualiFin& the $erfection of $atience4 you can attain full enli&htenment4 the &reat liberation4 the cessation of all mental errors and the com$letion of all realiFations. 1nce you ha)e attained enli&htenment4 you are free to wor< $erfectly for the welfare of all sentient bein&s in order to liberate them from all sufferin& and its cause and brin& them to buddhahood as well. ;his is the lon& term benefit of $racticin& $atience in your daily life ri&ht now4 a benefit as measureless as s$ace itself. "ama (eshe Wisdom Archi)e: )irtue and reality $a&e /. !racticin& $atience today will allow you to become the $erfect &uide and brin& all ha$$iness to numberless sentient bein&s. ;herefore4 when somebody treats you badly or when someone &ets an&ry at you4 these are the benefits of not &ettin& u$set. (ou can loo< at it differently. (ou can see how res$ondin& with $atience is the source of all ha$$iness JJJ not only your own immediate ha$$iness

but also that of your future li)esG not only your own ha$$iness4 but that of numberless others. (ou can ma<e it all ha$$en. It comes from your $atience. !atience has many other benefits as well. For e2am$le4 $racticin& $atience is the cause of recei)in& a beautiful body in future li)es JJJ a beautiful human body or the di)ine body of a de)a. If your body is attracti)e4 it is easier to benefit others. It is also the cause of many of the s$ecial Bualities of a buddha>s holy body. ;here are many more benefits of $atience. If you do not $ractice $atience4 you will &et an&ry. 1ne of the results of an&er is to recei)e u&ly bodies in future li)es. If you loo< u&ly4 $eo$le won>t want to see or hear you4 won>t want to hel$ you and won>t $ay attention to what you say. Worse than that4 you will ha)e to e2$erience the unbearably hea)y sufferin&s of rebirth in hell. And e)en when after that you>re reborn human4 there will be many other $roblems as a result of an&er. An&er has many4 many drawbac<s4 but by $racticin& $atience you can a)oid them all. In short4 $racticin& $atience on a daily basis has infinite benefit. It brin&s $eace4 ha$$iness and success for yourself and others in this and many future li)es. 7ltimately4 you attain enli&htenment4 and brin& all ha$$iness to all sentient bein&s as you lead them to enli&htenment. ?ow to $ractice $atience Where does your daily $ractice of $atience that brin&s all this benefit come fromI ?ow did you learn to be $atientI As< yourself4 NNWhere did I learn this $atience that I $racticeI I learned it from those who ha)e been an&ry at me. By de$endin& on the an&ry $erson I ha)e been able to $ractice4 to realiFe $atience. ;herefore4 all the $eace and ha$$iness that I enAoy in this and future li)es as a result of my $ractice of $atience has come from the an&ry $erson. It is throu&h the <indness of the an&ry $erson4 who &a)e me the o$$ortunity to $ractice4 that I am able to offer $eace and ha$$iness to all sentient bein&s as a "ama (eshe Wisdom Archi)e: )irtue and reality $a&e /H result of my $atience. Because of this $erson I am able to accom$lish the $erfection of $atience4 the other $erfections4 and thereby com$lete the bodhisatt)a>s $ath and attain full enli&htenment. ;hrou&h this $erson>s <indness I can eradicate all errors of mind and &ain all realiFations. It is the an&ry $erson who has &i)en me this o$$ortunity. ;his $erson is actually &i)in& me enli&htenment. ;hrou&h the <indness of this $erson I can also offer all $eace and ha$$iness to all sentient bein&s. ?ow <ind this $erson isO ?ow much benefit this $erson has &i)en meO ;his is the most $recious $erson in my lifeO E)en if someone were to &i)e me billions and trillions of dollars4 I could ne)er buy the $eace of mind that I &et throu&h the $ractice of $atience. ;herefore4 the an&ry $erson who &i)es me the o$$ortunity to $ractice $atience is of much &reater )alue than trillions of dollars4 mountains of diamonds4 acres of &old.>> ;he an&ry $erson is e)en more $recious than trillions of wishfulfillin& Aewels. ;he most $recious material obAect we can thin< of in these e2am$les is the wishfulfillin& Aewel. "e&end has it that by $rayin& to this mythical &em4 you &et whate)er sense enAoyment you desire. %e)ertheless4 the an&ry $erson with whom you $ractice $atience is far more )aluable than trillions of these wish&rantin& &ems. %o amount of material wealth can brin& you the inner $eace that you can achie)e by $racticin& $atience with an an&ry $erson. ;hat>s why such $eo$le are so $recious. ;he only reason the $erson is so <ind and $recious is because he is an&ry at you. ;here>s no reason other than that. ;his is what ma<es this $erson so unbelie)ably <ind. ;herefore4 e)en thou&h his an&er is so destructi)e for him4 for you it is in)aluable. It is of the utmost need in your life. ?a)in& somebody an&ry at you is )ery4 )ery im$ortant. 8ay there were a cure for cancer or AID8. We would re&ard that medicine as incredibly $recious4 e2tremely im$ortant4 es$ecially if we were sufferin& from one of those diseases. But e)en thou&h such remedies could cure those fatal illnesses4 it doesn>t mean that they could $urify your ne&ati)e <arma. ;hey couldn>t sto$ you from bein& reborn in the sufferin& lower realms JJJ the hell4 hun&ry &host or animal realms. !racticin& $atience4 howe)er4 does offer that <ind of benefit. For e2am$le4 the $ractice of $atience ma<es for a ha$$y4 $eaceful death4 a death free from fear and worry. !racticin& $atience $urifies4 or counteracts4 ne&ati)e <arma. When you $ractice $atience4 you don>t create ne&ati)e <arma. ;hat means you are not creatin& the cause for a lower rebirth JJJ $atience $rotects you from "ama (eshe Wisdom Archi)e: )irtue and reality $a&e /, that. In fact4 the $ractice of $atience creates only $ositi)e <arma4 the cause of &ood rebirths. Anyway4 in order to $ractice $atience4 you need an an&ry $erson. As the &reat bodhisatt)a 8hantide)a $ointed out in his teachin&4 the Bodhicharya)atara4 the Buddha isn>t an&ry with you4 so you can>t $ractice $atience with him. And a doctor>s only thou&ht is to hel$ you4 so there>s no o$$ortunity there either. 8imilarly4 your friends aren>t an&ry with you4 so there>s no chance to $ractice $atience with them. ;herefore4 if there>s nobody an&ry at you4 there>s no o$$ortunity to $ut into $ractice the teachin&s you>)e recei)ed from the Buddha and your &urus. ;hat>s why the an&ry $erson is most <ind4 $recious and indis$ensable in your life4 and much more im$ortant than medicine for cancer or AID8. We thin< those medicines are so )aluable4 but when you thin< about it this way4 you can see how much more $recious the an&ry $erson is. ;he benefits of $racticin& $atience are infinite. We always want in our life someone who lo)es us. We feel that this is im$ortant for our ha$$iness. But you can see now that it>s much more im$ortant to ha)e in our life someone who doesn>t lo)e us4 who>s an&ry at us4 so that we can $ractice trainin& our minds. As I mentioned before4 if you don>t ha)e such a $erson4 if you don>t train your mind4 then e)en if you do find a friend4 there>s the dan&er that throu&h lac< of $atience4 you>ll turn your friend into an enemy. ;herefore4 to maintain harmonious relationshi$s with others4 to <ee$ your friends4 you ha)e to $ractice $atience. ;o lead a ha$$y and successful life4 you almost ha)e to train yourself li<e a soldier

$re$arin& for battle. 8oldiers train before marchin& off to war. (ou need to do the same. ;rainin& your mind by $racticin& meditation on $atience is the way to $re$are yourself for the battles of daily life. "ea)in& aside the ha$$iness of future li)es or that of other sentient bein&s4 e)en for the ha$$iness of this life4 you ha)e to $ractice $atience. ;he $ower of $ositi)e thin<in& 8o now4 &oin& bac< to what I was sayin& before4 loo< at the indescribable benefits of seein& in a $ositi)e li&ht those who don>t lo)e you4 those who are an&ry at you. "oo< at the $rofits you can rea$ JJJ e)ery ha$$iness all the way u$ to enli&htenment and the ability to brin& e)ery ha$$iness to all sentient bein&s. ;he more clearly you understand this4 the easier it will be to loo< $ositi)ely at someone who is an&ry with you. In this way4 your own an&er does not arise and you &enerate a ha$$y4 "ama (eshe Wisdom Archi)e: )irtue and reality $a&e /+ $eaceful4 $atient mind instead. %o matter how an&ry at you the other $erson &ets4 no matter how much the other $erson whines and com$lains4 your $atient mind ne)er sees that $erson as an enemy4 as someone to a)oid4 as someone to &et away from4 as irritatin&. Rather4 you see that $erson as <ind4 $recious. (ou feel4 NN8he>s $urifyin& my ne&ati)e <arma. All this criticism of me hel$s $urify my ne&ati)e <arma of ha)in& criticiFed and harmed others. ?ow <ind she is to hel$ me in this way.>> By transformin& your mind into $atience li<e this4 you &et this immediate $eace and ha$$iness JJJ that day4 that minute4 that second JJJ and the lon&term benefits as well. All this is due to the <indness of that an&ry $erson. If you do not $ractice $atience4 if you inter$ret what the an&ry $erson is doin& with her body4 s$eech and mind as ne&ati)e4 as harmful to yourself JJJ your mind a$$lies a ne&ati)e label to the situation and you belie)e in that JJJ your own an&er will arise. ;hat an&er will ma<e you see the an&ry $erson as ne&ati)e4 undesirable4 someone you want to neither see nor hel$4 someone you want to lash out at and hurt. When your mind is an&ry you see the other $erson in a com$letely different li&ht4 o$$osite to the way in which your $atience $ercei)es that $erson. (our an&er ma<es her loo< re$ulsi)e. ;he ha$$iness and difficulties we e2$erience e)ery day come from our mind. Whate)er we>re e2$eriencin& at any &i)en moment is de$endent u$on the way we thin<4 our conce$ts4 our attitude. 1ur attitude determines how we feel. For e2am$le4 once in ;ibet there were a cou$le of mon<s who returned to their monastery after a lon& and tirin& Aourney. ;o welcome them bac<4 their teacher offered them cold tea. 1ne of the disci$les thou&ht4 NN?ow <ind our teacher is. ?e <new we were hot and thirsty so he intentionally &a)e us tea that was cold.>> ;he other thou&ht4 NN?ow mean and laFy. ?e couldn>t e)en &i)e us hot tea4>> and &ot u$set and an&ry. 8o4 he destroyed himself. ;here was no benefit from the way he thou&ht to either himself or his teacher. But4 by ha)in& a $ositi)e )iew4 the first student made himself and his teacher ha$$y4 made his mind $eaceful and4 since the tea had been offered by his &uru4 created much merit. ;he action JJJ offerin& cold tea JJJ was the same. What was different was the students> inter$retation of that action. 1ne labelled it $ositi)e and was ha$$y. ;he other labelled it ne&ati)e and created a $roblem for himself. "ama (eshe Wisdom Archi)e: )irtue and reality $a&e 65 I started this tal< with a Buotation from @uru 8ha<yamuni Buddha: Do not en&a&e in any harmful actionsG !erform only those that are &oodG 8ubdue your own mind JJJ ;his is the teachin& of the Buddha. ;he first is the cause of sufferin&4 the second the cause of ha$$iness. ;he discussion of the im$ortance and benefits of $atience e)ol)ed from that. E)erythin& comes from your mind4 e)erythin& de$ends u$on the way you thin<4 your moment to moment conce$ts. Do you label thin&s ne&ati)ely or $ositi)elyI ;he hea)iest sufferin&4 what we call hell4 comes from your own mindG the &reatest ha$$iness4 what we call enli&htenment4 comes from your own mind. ;herefore4 the Buddha is sayin& that the way to ne)er ha)e ne&ati)e thou&hts4 the cause of sufferin&4 and to ha)e only a $ositi)e mind4 which results in only ha$$iness4 is to subdue4 or ta<e care of4 your own mind. Watch your mind all the time. !ractice mindfulness. @uard your mind4 $rotect it from disturbin& thou&hts and eradicate your delusions. ?ow is all that doneI ;hrou&h actualiFin& the fi)e $aths. In the case of the ahayana4 by actualiFin& bodhicitta and de)elo$in& the wisdom realiFin& em$tiness. ;hrou&h the wisdom directly $ercei)in& em$tiness4 you can com$letely remo)e the two ty$es of defilement and attain full enli&htenment. ;herefore4 subduin& the mind is the teachin& of the Buddha. ;hat>s the <ey. (our own mind is the door to ha$$inessG your own mind is the door to sufferin&. It all de$ends u$on how you use it. It>s li<e the remote control that controls the channels on your ;V. 9lic< it this way4 it &oes u$G clic< it that way4 it &oes down. ;he way you thin< determines whether you>ll e2$erience ha$$iness or sufferin&. What creates the labelsI Before I finish4 I>ll ma<e one more $oint. "i<e the mon<s in the story abo)e4 our minds are constantly ma<in& u$ labels that affect our li)es. De$endin& u$on the label4 we e2$erience different feelin&s JJJ $leasant4 un$leasant or neutral JJJ and that>s how our life &oes4 twentyfour hours a day. 8o4 what is it that causes our mind to create these different labelsI !eo$le who a$$ly $ositi)e labels "ama (eshe Wisdom Archi)e: )irtue and reality $a&e 6' e2$erience ha$$iness. !eo$le who a$$ly ne&ati)e labels e2$erience sufferin&. What is it4 then4 that

causes us to label thin&s $ositi)e or ne&ati)eI What>s the force behind all thisI It>s <arma. Because of $ast <arma4 some $eo$le are able to label thin&s $ositi)ely while others ha)e to label them ne&ati)ely. ;he underlyin& cause is <arma. ;herefore4 you can see how crucial it is to $urify $ast ne&ati)e <arma and not to create any more JJJ in other words4 how essential it is to $ractice Dharma. 1nly the $ractice of Dharma can remo)e or $re)ent the ne&ati)e <arma that forces us to label thin&s ne&ati)ely4 thereby creatin& our own sufferin&. Dharma is the solution to all life>s $roblems4 whate)er they are4 and4 more im$ortantly4 the sole means of $re)entin& them from arisin& in the first $lace. By $racticin& Dharma now we can a)oid creatin& the causes for the hea)iest sufferin&s of samsara4 those of the lower realms JJJ the hell4 hun&ry &host and animal realms JJJ and the sufferin&s we &o throu&h in the u$$er realms4 e)en as humans JJJ illnesses such as cancer and AID84 a&in&4 death4 e)erythin& JJJ and thus a)oid ha)in& to e2$erience them. By $racticin& Dharma now we can $urify the already created <arma of such results. ?ere is where the whole answer to our $roblems lies JJJ $urify the ne&ati)e <arma already createdG do not create any more. ;his is the reason we ta<e $rece$ts such as the refu&e )ow4 the fi)e lay $rece$ts4 not to mention the ordination )ows ta<en by mon<s and nuns. (ou don>t e)en ha)e to ta<e all fi)e $rece$ts. (ou can ta<e one4 two4 three or four JJJ whate)er you can mana&e. 1f course4 there are countless ne&ati)e <armas4 but at least you can )ow not to create certain <inds. By $racticin& Dharma today we also create the causes for our own ha$$iness JJJ the ha$$iness of this life4 future li)es4 liberation and enli&htenment. ;his is somethin& we can do ri&ht now. ;herefore4 it is essential to create as much &ood <arma as $ossible4 while we ha)e the chance. We should ta<e e)ery o$$ortunity to create e)en the tiniest merit. 8ince we want e)en smallest comfort4 we ha)e to create its cause. 8imilarly4 since we don>t want to e2$erience e)en the smallest sufferin& or incon)enience4 we ha)e to a)oid creatin& e)en the tiniest non)irtue. As it says in the Vinaya teachin&4 Dulwa lun&4 NN8mall dro$s fill a bi& $ot.>> ;herefore4 we shouldn>t thin< that small merits are useless. ;ry to collect as many as $ossible. It also says4 NNA tiny s$ar< can i&nite a hu&e forest.>> ;herefore4 don>t thin< that small ne&ati)e <armas won>t brin& results. A)oid them too. ?ere is where we must direct all our effort. ;his is the Buddha>s fundamental ad)ice. "ama (eshe Wisdom Archi)e: )irtue and reality $a&e 6* editation on Em$tiness 1 nce a&ain4 brin& your attention away from hallucination to the realities of life4 the nature of which is im$ermanence and death. ;his frees our mind from delusion and <arma so that we can not only brin& to an end the entire round of sufferin&4 the cycle of death and rebirth4 but also eradicate e)en the subtle errors of mind4 thereby attainin& enli&htenment for the sa<e of all sentient bein&s. All causati)e $henomena JJJ our life4 our body4 our mind4 our self4 our $ossessions4 our relati)es and friends4 all other $eo$le JJJ are chan&in&4 not only day by day4 minute by minute and second by second4 but e)ery tiny moment. ;hey do not last for a fraction of a second. Because they are under the control of causes and conditions4 they are in a state of constant decay and can cease at any time. ;his is the nature of our life. If we can remain aware of this4 we will $re)ent our mind from comin& under the control of the delusions JJJ the disturbin& emotional minds that hurt us and other sentient bein&s4 $re)ent us from transformin& our mind and &ainin& realiFations of the $ath to enli&htenment4 and sto$ us from seein& the ultimate nature of all $henomena. First we sto$ delusions from manifestin&4 and then4 by actualiFin& the remedial $ath4 we eradicate e)en the im$rints that they ha)e left on our mental continuum. By destroyin& the seeds of delusion4 we attain nir)ana4 ultimate liberation from the si2 realms of sufferin& and its cause4 freedom from the circlin& a&&re&ates4 which are samsara itself. ;hese are the benefits of mindfulness of im$ermanence. We free oursel)es of disturbin& thou&hts4 immediately e2$erience $eace and satisfaction4 free oursel)es from samsara4 and e)entually attain enli&htenment and enli&hten all sentient bein&s. 9ontem$late all this. "ama (eshe Wisdom Archi)e: )irtue and reality $a&e 6/ %ow meditate on em$tiness4 the actual nature of all $henomena. ;hin< how your I4 actions4 obAects4 and in fact all $henomena JJJ e)erythin& that is called NNsuch and such>> and NNthis and that>> JJJ are Aust names. %ames ha)e to come from the mindG they don>t e2ist from their own side. %ames are labels a$$lied by the mind. ?owe)er4 it is not Aust that $henomena are labelled by the mind JJJ they are merely labelled by the mind. In other words4 all $henomena JJJ I4 action4 obAect4 e)erythin& JJJ are merely labelled by the mind4 in relation to their base. ;hin< about this. ?ow thin&s e2ist %ow I>m &oin& to elaborate a little on the subAect of em$tiness. ;he way in which e)erythin& e2ists is by bein& merely labelled by the mind. But that does not mean that e)erythin& the mind labels actually e2ists. E)en thou&h e)erythin& e2ists by bein& merely labelled by the mind4 that doesn>t mean that if your mind labels somethin& it automatically brin&s it into e2istence. For e2am$le4 say I cut u$ a hu&e $ile of news$a$ers into little $ieces and my mind labels each one NNa billion dollars>> JJJ that doesn>t ma<e each $iece of $a$er worth a billion dollars. E)en thou&h my mind has merely labelled those $ieces of $a$er NNa billion dollars4>> that doesn>t mean each one has become a billion dollars.

If it were $ossible for that to ha$$en4 we wouldn>t ha)e to )ote in $residential elections. We wouldn>t ha)e to $ut all that effort into raisin& funds4 cam$ai&nin&4 s$endin& all that money4 holdin& inBuiries4 to elect the $resident. All you>d ha)e to do would be to label yourself4 NNI>m the American $resident4>> and you>d become $resident. If thin&s comin& into e2istence were only u$ to the mind labellin& them4 if that>s all it too<4 then that>s what would ha$$en. Whene)er you wanted to be $resident4 all you>d ha)e to do would be to ha)e your mind label yourself $resident and you>d be $resident. In that way4 e)erybody could become $resident. aybe there>d be nobody left who wasn>t $resident. A ma&ician could hy$notiFe you into belie)in& that he>d &i)en you a ba& full of money4 and you mi&ht carry it home4 belie)in& you were rich4 but later4 when you o$ened it u$4 there>d be nothin& there but cut u$ $ieces of news$a$er. ;hat>s one way of showin& that it doesn>t e2ist JJJ for your own "ama (eshe Wisdom Archi)e: )irtue and reality $a&e 66 mind to disco)er that it>s not true. "ater4 when you>re not under the influence of hy$nosis4 you realiFe that it was an illusion4 that the money you saw didn>t e2ist. E)erythin& was there for your mind JJJ the a$$earance of money and your mind labellin& it money JJJ but it wasn>t money. Another way of showin& that it does not e2ist is for other $eo$le not to see the money. Because of the illusion created by hy$nosis4 money a$$ears to your mind4 but other $eo$le4 whose minds are not under the illusion4 don>t see it. ;herefore4 it ta<es more than a$$earance and labellin& by mind for somethin& to e2ist. Dreams are another e2am$le of somethin& where your own mind can disco)er that a$$earance and labellin& by mind are insufficient to brin& somethin& into e2istence. For instance4 one ni&ht you mi&ht ha)e a dream in which you became <in&4 &ot married in a hu&e weddin& ceremony4 li)ed in a lu2urious Aewelled $alace and had many children. While you are dreamin&4 the a$$earance of all this and your mind merely labellin& it are both there4 but when you wa<e u$ you a&ain realiFe it wasn>t true. (ou>re not <in&4 there>s no $alace4 no wealth4 no $rinces and $rincesses JJJ nothin&. (ou don>t ha)e any of that. A )alid base For thin&s to e2ist4 mere labellin& by mind is not enou&h. ;here has to be a )alid base. %ot Aust any base JJJ a )alid base. ;herefore4 I cannot label my bell NNcar.>> ;his obAect can recei)e the label NNbell4>> but not NNcar>> or NNair$lane.>> It recei)es the label NNbell> by )irtue of the way the )alid base functions. ere labellin& by mind is not enou&h JJJ there has to be a )alid base. In the case of a bell4 the base has to ha)e a certain sha$e and $erform the function of rin&in&. ;his is what )alidates it. Furthermore4 the )alid base that is merely labelled NNbell>> by the mind should not be harmed by another>s )alid mind. What>s a )alid mindI A mind that $ercei)es thin&s correctly4 that is not under the influence of disease4 dru&s4 mantras or hy$notic s$ells4 which mi&ht cause it to see sense obAects in an illusory way. %e2t4 the obAect we claim to e2ist should not be harmed by a fully enli&htened bein&>s mind. A buddha>s mind is com$letely unmista<en4 com$letely $urified4 free from hallucination. All e2istent $henomena are the obAect of the omniscient mindG it sees whate)er e2ists. If the omniscient mind "ama (eshe Wisdom Archi)e: )irtue and reality $a&e 63 does not see the bell4 the bell does not e2ist. Finally4 for the bell that is merely labelled by the mind to e2ist4 it should not recei)e harm from the wisdom realiFin& em$tiness4 ultimate nature. If the bell4 which is merely im$uted by the mind4 is harmed by the wisdom realiFin& em$tiness4 it does not e2ist. ;hus4 there are three <inds of mind that can harm4 or in)alidate4 the e2istence of what a$$ears to be4 for e2am$le4 a bell: another $erson>s )alid con)entional mindG an omniscient mindG and the wisdom realiFin& em$tiness. %ow4 re&ardin& this )alid base4 this $henomenon that has the function of rin&in& and $ossesses this $articular sha$e4 our mind creates the label4 NNbell.>> ;his4 then4 is the real bell4 the bell that we use4 the one that is merely im$uted by our mind4 the )alid base that is labelled NNbell>> by our mind. ;he worst i&norance 8o what is the bell that does not e2istI When our mind $ercei)es the bell4 it does not see a bell that is merely labelled by the mind. It sees somethin& sli&htly beyond that4 e)er so sli&htly more than that. It sees somethin& as e2istin& from the side of the bell4 somethin& e2istin& from its own side4 from the side of the obAect. If you concentrate4 if you analyFe carefully how the bell e2ists4 that it is merely labelled by the mind4 you can see that there>s nothin& comin& from the side of the bell. When you loo< dee$ly into the meanin& of NNmerely labelled by the mind4>> you can see that nothin& e2ists from the side of the obAect. When you concentrate on this4 you can see how its e2istence comes only from your mind. But the way the bell a$$ears to us4 the way we belie)e it e2ists4 is sli&htly beyond its reality4 sli&htly more than its actual mode of e2istence4 which is bein& merely labelled by the mind. ;hat>s where the hallucination be&ins. 8tartin& from there4 the rest of the way it a$$ears is a total hallucination. ;he way it a$$ears4 the way we belie)e it to e2ist JJJ as somethin& sli&htly beyond that which is merely labelled by the mind JJJ is our bi&&est hallucination4 the bi&&est sufferin& in the li)es of us sentient bein&s. ;hat>s what <ee$s us continually circlin& in samsara4 dyin& and bein& reborn4 dyin& and bein& reborn4 e2$eriencin& the same be&innin&less $roblems a&ain and a&ain. ;here>s no be&innin& to our e2$erience of samsaric sufferin& and so far it has not ended. Why do

we still sufferI Because we ha)e not yet realiFed em$tiness4 the ultimate nature of $henomena JJJ that "ama (eshe Wisdom Archi)e: )irtue and reality $a&e 6. thin&s are em$ty4 that thin&s e2ist merely in name. We ha)e not disco)ered realityG we ha)e not disco)ered the wisdom that cuts the root of all delusion and <arma4 the true cause of sufferin&4 the cause of samsara. We ha)e not eradicated i&norance4 the un<nowin& mind. We ha)e continually been creatin& i&norance4 the root of samsara. Instead of meditatin& on em$tiness4 $racticin& mindfulness4 we ha)e been ma<in& our mind more and more i&norant. ;hat>s why we continue to suffer. 8o4 what is this bell Cor any other obAect you care to loo< atDI It is nothin& other than that which is merely labelled by the mind. But our minds are so re$lete with ne&ati)e im$rints left by $ast i&norance4 the simultaneously born conce$t of inherent e2istence4 that e)en thou&h thin&s e2ist as merely labelled by the mind4 we hold on to them as if they e2ist from their own side. We a$$rehend them as inherently e2istent4 as not merely im$uted by the mind. ;herefore4 this bell is merely labelled by the mind. But because of the ne&ati)e im$rints left on our mental continuum by $ast i&norance4 the conce$t of inherent e2istence4 the a$$rehension and belief that $henomena e2ist from their own side4 as soon as our mind creates the label NNbell4>> as soon as it merely im$utes NNbell>> on the base4 the ne&ati)e im$rints left on our mental continuum $roAect the hallucination that it e2ists from its own side. It>s li<e when you ta<e a roll of film to be de)elo$ed JJJ the ima&es from the ne&ati)e are $roAected onto s$ecial $a$er4 mi2ed with chemicals4 and a $icture a$$ears to ma<e the $hoto&ra$h JJJ or li<e $uttin& a film into a $roAector and beamin& the ima&es it contains onto a screen. Whate)er the obAect JJJ a bell4 your I JJJ the moment it>s labelled by the mind4 the ne&ati)e im$rints $roAect u$on it the adornment of inherent e2istence. ;he thin& is that we>re unaware4 or we for&et4 that what we>re seein& is merely im$uted by our mind. Basically4 there are three thin&s in the e)olution of all this. First of all4 as a start4 our mind merely labels the obAect. 8econd4 the ne&ati)e im$rints left by $re)ious conce$ts of inherent e2istence $roAect the a$$earance of inherent e2istence that the obAect we>re loo<in& at now e2ists from its own side4 that there>s a real bell there JJJ not a bell from our mind4 but a bell from the side of the bell. ;his is a totally4 totally wron& idea JJJ a com$lete hallucination $roAected onto the bell. ;hird4 we allow our mind to belie)e that this is one hundred $ercent true. We allow our mind to hold on to this4 to &ras$ this4 as com$letely4 one hundred $ercent true JJJ that there>s a real bell o)er there4 that that>s the reality. "ama (eshe Wisdom Archi)e: )irtue and reality $a&e 6H ;his is i&norance. At that moment4 we are ma<in& our mind i&norant4 un<nowin&. We are ma<in& our mind i&norant as to the actual nature of the bell4 which in reality is totally em$ty from its own side. What e2ists is merely labelled by the mind. ;he bell4 which is totally em$ty from its own side4 e2ists merely in name. Bein& unaware of this is an e2am$le of how we ma<e our mind i&norant. ?allucination Eust as this a$$lies to the e2am$le of the bell4 so is it true for all other $henomena. 8tartin& from our I4 the way we see oursel)es4 e)erythin& we $ercei)e is as hallucinated as our )iew of the bell. 1ur )iew is com$letely wron& and so too is the belief that we hold on to. 8tartin& with the subAect4 I4 whate)er we $ercei)e in the course of a twentyfour hour day does not e2ist the way in which we belie)e. ;hin< of e)erythin& we see durin& the course of one dayG all the obAects of form with which our eye sense comes into contact JJJ sha$es and colors4 billions and billions of thin&s where)er we loo<. %o matter which of these billions of obAects we obser)e4 we see each one in Aust the same way as I described our )iew of the bell. Eust as we don>t see the bell as merely labelled by the mind4 similarly4 we don>t see anythin& else we loo< at in its true nature4 as merely labelled by the mind and totally em$ty from its own side. E)en thou&h4 were we to analyFe the bell>s mode of e2istence lo&ically4 scientifically4 we would understand the way in which it e2ists4 that>s not how we see it. ;he bell we see is somethin& else alto&ether. In the same way4 we mis$ercei)e e)ery other obAect of form that a$$ears to our eye consciousness. When we &o into a su$ermar<et or de$artment store where e)en one section contains thousands of obAects4 we don>t see e)en one of them in the way it e2ists. We>re in a totally different world from the one that actually e2istsG our world is somethin& else com$letely. What we see does not e2ist in the su$ermar<et or the de$artment store. In reality4 what we see e2ists nowhere. E)erythin& we see is cloa<ed in hallucination. We &o into a store and our mind labels thin&s NNthis4 this4 this4 this4 this4>> but a layer of inherent e2istence com$letely co)ers all these obAects merely labelled by mind. ;o us they a$$ear as not merely labelled by mind4 as e2istin& from their own side JJJ an a$$earance that is totally none2istent4 a com$lete hallucination. ;his hallucination encases the "ama (eshe Wisdom Archi)e: )irtue and reality $a&e 6, entire world of form4 a world that e2ists merely in name. It>s the same with sound. Before I was tal<in& about forms4 )isual obAects of the sense of eye. But we $ercei)e much more than that. We ha)e four other senses JJJ hearin&4 smell4 taste and touch. ;hus4 sounds also e2ist merely in name and not from their own side. But a&ain4 we hallucinate with e)ery sound we hear4 belie)in& it to be inherently e2istent4 when it>s e2actly the o$$osite. E)ery obAect of e)ery sense e2ists merely in name4 as a )alid base merely labelled by the mind. But as lon& as we don>t de)elo$ the wisdom realiFin& em$tiness4 we>ll ne)er see sense obAects in their nature4 the way they e2ist. Instead4 we cloa< these merely labelled sense obAects in the hallucination of e2istence from their

own side and han& to that as true4 allow our mind to belie)e in our own hallucination that there really is somethin& there. Because we do not $ractice mindfulness meditation on em$tiness4 or de$endent arisin& JJJ mindfulness on the hallucination that it is a hallucination JJJ we constantly ma<e our mind more and more i&norant. For e2am$le4 when we dreamin&4 we can $ractice mindfulness that this is but a dream. 8imilarly4 durin& the day4 we can $ractice mindfulness that what we>re seein& is but a hallucination. If we do this4 we>re not meditatin& on somethin& that e2ists as a hallucination JJJ we>re meditatin& that a hallucination is a hallucination. As a result4 what comes into our heart is an understandin& of em$tiness4 the ultimate nature of the circle of three JJJ I4 action and obAect. By doin& this4 we sto$ ma<in& our mind increasin&ly i&norant. We sto$ constantly creatin& the basis for emotional thou&hts4 delusions4 attachment JJJ those unnecessary minds that brin& no benefit4 only harm4 and moti)ate <arma that becomes the cause of samsara and all its realms of sufferin&. What is the mindI What>s true for the $hysical senses4 as abo)e4 is also true for the mind4 the $ercei)er4 itself. ;he mind is a $henomenon too. What is the mindI It is a $henomenon that is not body4 not substantial4 has no form4 no sha$e4 no color4 but4 li<e a mirror4 can clearly reflect obAects. 1bAects a$$ear to the mind and the mind can $ercei)e these obAects. As lon& as a mirror is not dirty4 it will reflect whate)er obAect comes before it clearly. 8imilarly4 since the mind is unobstructed by substance4 "ama (eshe Wisdom Archi)e: )irtue and reality $a&e 6+ form4 obAects can a$$ear to it. ;he $henomenon that is mind $ercei)es obAects. 8o4 that is the base. In relation to that $henomenon4 our thou&ht creates4 merely im$utes4 the label NNmind4>> and that>s how the mind e2ists. ;he mind also e2ists merely in nameG what we call mind has been merely labelled by thou&ht. It>s li<e when a $erson is &i)en a name. ine is #o$a. Actually4 it>s ;hubten #o$a4 and it was &i)en to me by my abbot. Accordin& to tradition4 when an abbot ordains new mon<s4 he &i)es them his first name. y abbot>s first name was ;hubten4 and then he added the #o$a. With his mind4 he labelled me NN#o$a.>> (ou recei)ed your name in a similar way. Whether you named yourself or it was &i)en to you by your $arents4 your name is a mindcreated label. In the same way4 then4 what>s called mind is also a name. We thin< there>s a real mind JJJ a real mind e2istin& from there. ;hat>s how it a$$ears to us and4 without a shadow of doubt4 we belie)e one hundred $ercent in this a$$earance. But if we analyFe this $henomenon called mind4 it>s no different from the name &i)en to you by your $arents4 which was created by their mind. What you call mind has been merely labelled by your thou&ht in relation to its base4 that formless $henomenon that has neither sha$e nor color4 whose nature is clear and that has the ability to $ercei)e obAects. ;hat is the base and NNmind>> is the label. ;hey>re two distinct $henomena4 not one. ;hey>re not se$arate4 but they>re different. ;hat>s what we ha)e to realiFe JJJ that these two $henomena are different. ;his is what we ha)e to disco)er throu&h meditation. By doin& this we can be&in to free oursel)es from the hallucination that is the root of all sufferin&. ;his is how we start to liberate oursel)es from samsara. 8chools of Buddhist $hiloso$hy and the obAect of refutation I started this discussion by sayin& how e)erythin& e2ists as merely labelled by mind4 and then went on to clarify that sim$ly labellin& thin&s is not enou&h to brin& them into e2istence4 that Aust because somethin& is merely labelled4 it e2ists. ;hen I went on to mention the three thin&s reBuired for somethin& to e2ist: a )alid base4 not recei)in& harm from another>s )alid mind4 and not recei)in& harm from the wisdom realiFin& em$tiness. %ow4 &oin& bac< to the bell. As I mentioned before4 the way the bell a$$ears to us and the way in which we belie)e it to e2ist are sli&htly beyond the way it actually e2ists4 which is in mere name4 as merely labelled by the mind. ;his difference is a )ery subtle hallucination that4 in Buddhist "ama (eshe Wisdom Archi)e: )irtue and reality $a&e 35 $hiloso$hical teachin&s4 is called the NNobAect to be refuted4>> or the NNobAect of refutation.>> ;here are four schools of Buddhist $hiloso$hy JJJ Vaibashi<a CchetramrawaD4 8autranti<a Cdode$aD4 9ittamatra CsemtsamD and adhyami<a Cuma$aD. ;he fourth of these is the iddle Way school and is di)ided into two: 8)atantri<a Cran&&yu$aD and !rasan&i<a Cthal&yurwaD. Accordin& to the !rasan&i<a school4 the obAect of refutation Cor ne&ation4 &a&chaD is an e2tremely subtle obAect that is e)er so sli&htly more than JJJ a little o)er and abo)e JJJ what is merely labelled by the mind. ;he obAect of refutation is what a$$ears to usG it is that in which we belie)e. In order to attain liberation from the entire round of sufferin& and its cause4 we need to cut its )ery root4 the fundamental i&norance that <ee$s us in it. 1f the many <inds of i&norance4 which is the s$ecific one that we ha)e to eradicateI It is not the conce$t that belie)es the bell to e2ist the way it a$$ears4 which is what the te2ts usually describe as the root of samsara JJJ e2ce$t that in the case of the root of samsara4 we should be tal<in& about the I4 not the bell that I>)e been usin& as an e2am$le here. When the I a$$ears to us4 we belie)e that there is somethin& sli&htly o)er and abo)e what is merely labelled by the mind and that this is how the I e2ists. ;hen we belie)e that this is one hundred $ercent true and let our mind hold on to that. It is this s$ecific4 $articular i&norance that is the root of all delusion4 <arma and sufferin&. ;his )ery one. It>s not Aust any ty$e of i&norance JJJ it>s this one. As well as this <ind of i&norance4 there>s the one described by the second adhyami<a school4 the 8)atantri<a JJJ the hallucination on the I4 the obAect to be refuted accordin& to their )iew. I>m Aust mentionin& this so that you>ll ha)e an idea of how tra$$ed our minds are4 how many different le)els of i&norance we e2$erience4 how many <inds of hallucination there are. ;he hallucination on the I that the 8)atantri<as describe is &rosser than the one the !rasan&i<as e2$lain. ;hen there>s the 9ittamatrins> )ersion4 where they say that the I e2ists from its own side without de$endin& on mental

im$rints4 without the mind as creator. ;hey describe a se)enth le)el of consciousness JJJ normally we tal< about Aust si2 JJJ that is called the basis of samsara and nir)ana. 8o they say that the I e2ists totally from its own side without de$endin& on im$rints left on this se)enth le)el of consciousness and describe it as a selfentity. Accordin& to ?indu $hiloso$hy4 the I4 which they call atman4 is $ermanent. While the self is "ama (eshe Wisdom Archi)e: )irtue and reality $a&e 3' actually im$ermanent4 they belie)e it to be $ermanent. ;herefore4 there>s a lot of discussion in Buddhist te2ts refutin& this )iew4 e2$lainin& that while the self may a$$ear to us to be $ermanent4 in fact it chan&es moment by moment due to causes and conditions and is therefore im$ermanent. If you loo< at your I ri&ht now4 you>ll see that it a$$ears to be $ermanent4 whereas you <now that in reality it is im$ermanent in nature. 1ther )iews hold4 for e2am$le4 that while the I is de$endent u$on $arts4 there is the a$$earance and the belief that it e2ists alone4 not de$endent u$on $arts4 or that while the I is de$endent u$on causes and conditions4 there is the a$$earance and the belief that it e2ists with its own freedom4 without de$endin& on causes and conditions. ;hese &ross hallucinations are described and $osited as the obAect of refutation by the first Buddhist school4 the Vaibashi<a. ;his school has ei&hteen di)isions4 each with its own )ariant )iew. ;hen there>s the hallucination that e)en thou&h the I e2ists de$endent u$on the &rou$ and continuity of the a&&re&ates4 it a$$ears to us as a selfentity e2istin& without de$endin& on the &rou$ and continuity of the a&&re&ates. 8o these are some of the $ositions held by the Vaibashi<a and the 8autranti<a4 the lower Buddhist schools. ?ow has it come about that there are these four schools of Buddhist $hiloso$hyI It>s due to the different ways of e2$lainin& what the I is. In reality4 em$tiness is Aust one4 not many. ;here is only one em$tiness that directly cuts the root of samsara. ;his is the em$tiness tau&ht by the !rasan&i<a adhyami<a school4 whose )iew of em$tiness is the unmista<en4 $ure one and the only one that can cut the s$ecific i&norance that I mentioned before. ?owe)er4 not e)erybody has the <arma to acce$t this4 to understand this4 to realiFe this. 8entient bein&s ha)e different le)els of mind. ;herefore4 the all<nowin&4 <ind4 com$assionate Buddha tau&ht )aryin& le)els of $hiloso$hy to &uide sentient bein&s> minds &radually u$ to the le)el where they could realiFe the !rasan&i<a )iew of em$tiness. 1ne could start with the &ross e2$lanations of em$tiness tau&ht by the lower schools and &radually $ro&ress u$ to the most subtle4 the !rasan&i<a. ;hat>s how the four schools came into bein&. ;he lower schools were ste$s to the hi&her ones4 leadin& ultimately to the !rasan&i<a. 8o e)en thou&h the )iews of these )arious schools seem to contradict each other4 actually they>re a method for &radually de)elo$in& throu&h study and meditation the !rasan&i<a )iew. "ama (eshe Wisdom Archi)e: )irtue and reality $a&e 3* ?ow to meditate on em$tiness In case you are interested in $racticin& meditation on em$tiness4 I>m &oin& to e2$lain a cou$le of sim$le but Buite hel$ful techniBues for doin& so. ;he first techniBue is one that I often mention durin& meditation courses JJJ wal<in& meditation on em$tiness. ;his is a <ind of mindfulness meditation but it>s much more $rofound than the usual mindfulness of wal<in& where you sim$ly maintain awareness of NNI>m wal<in&>> and so forth. If you can $ractice that <ind of mindfulness of wal<in& JJJ NNI>m wal<in&>> JJJ you can also $ractice mindfulness of stealin& while robbin& a ban< or $ic<in& somebody>s $oc<et JJJ NNI>m stealin&.>> Actually4 if you are stealin&4 it>s $robably not such a bad idea to be mindful JJJ otherwise you mi&ht &et cau&htO indfulness meditation should be more than Aust watchin& what you are doin&. What you really need to watch is your moti)ation. If you don>t watch your mind4 you don>t <now what>s moti)atin& your actions. What you should be doin& is detectin& ne&ati)e moti)ation4 the cause of sufferin&4 and chan&in& it into $ositi)e. (ou should be a$$lyin& your meditation li<e a medicine to the eradication of harmful thou&hts4 the delusions JJJ the disturbin& emotions that harm yourself and others. (ou need to eradicate these and ma<e your mind healthy and your attitude beneficial4 Aust as the Buddha e2$lained in the )erse I Buoted before: Do not en&a&e in any harmful actionsG !erform only those that are &ood.... Abandon non)irtue4 the cause of sufferin&4 and $ractice )irtue4 the cause of ha$$iness. ;ransform ne&ati)e moti)ation into $ositi)e so that your actions will become )irtuous. In this way you will not waste your life but ma<e it meanin&ful. At least you won>t be harmin& yourself or others. ;he way to $ractice more meanin&ful mindfulness is this. For e2am$le4 when you>re sittin& or when you>re wal<in&4 as< yourself the Buestion4 NNWhat am I doin&I>> ;hen your mind will answer4 NNI>m sittin&4>> NNI>m wal<in&4>> NNI>m eatin&4>> de$endin& on what it is that you>re doin&. NNI>m coo<in&4>> NNI>m tal<in&.>> Whate)er you are doin&4 you can meditate on em$tiness. 1ne way in which you can do this is to re$ly to the answer NNI>m wal<in&>> with another Buestion: "ama (eshe Wisdom Archi)e: )irtue and reality $a&e 3/ NNWhy do I say NI>m wal<in&>I>> ;hen you analyFeG you loo< for the reason. What you find is4 NN;he only reason I say this is that my a&&re&ate of body4 the base I label NNI4>> is wal<in&.>> (our body is wal<in& JJJ Aust because of that4 your mind labels and belie)es NNI>m wal<in&.>> After you>)e done that4 chec< how your I a$$ears to you at that moment. Is it the same as before or

has there been a chan&eI 7sually you>ll find that it>s not the same4 that there>s been a definite chan&e. 8uddenly4 the old )iew of a real I in your body4 a$$earin& from that side4 the I you ha)e always belie)ed to be there in your body4 has )anished4 become none2istent. And that>s the truth. It>s not a false )iew. ;he old I was the false one. When you do not meditate4 do not analyFe4 the I that a$$ears to you and in which you belie)e JJJ the I that seems to be on these a&&re&ates4 in this body JJJ is the false one. In $hiloso$hical te2ts4 we refer to that I as inherently e2istent or e2istin& by nature. In Western $sycholo&ical terms4 we call it the NNemotional I.>> ;he emotional I JJJ the one that you belie)e is in your body or on your a&&re&ates JJJ is totally none2istent. ;hat is what you ha)e to disco)er JJJ that it>s em$ty. (ou ha)e to disco)er that it is totally none2istent4 totally em$ty. If you can realiFe that JJJ that there>s not e)en the sli&htest atom of an I there JJJ and feel as if you yourself ha)e become totally none2istent4 you ha)e entered the iddle Way. At that time4 when you realiFe em$tiness4 you &ain full con)iction4 or definite understandin&4 that you can attain liberation4 you can cease all sufferin& and its cause. Remain in the state of your disco)ery of the absence of the emotional I. =ee$ your mind in the em$tiness of that. When your mind &ets distracted4 a&ain as< yourself the Buestion4 NNWhat am I doin&I>> ;hen4 when your mind re$lies4 as< a&ain4 NNWhy do I say NI>m doin&...>I ;here>s no reason other than...4>> whate)er it is. If the answer is4 NNI>m meditatin&4>> as< yourself4 NNWhy do I say NI>m meditatin&>I>> ;here>s no reason other than the fact that the base4 the a&&re&ates of mind4 are transformin& into )irtue Cwhich is what meditation really meansD. ;hen chec< a&ain to see what effect this has had on your I. ?as there been a chan&e or notI Doin& this meditation a&ain and a&ain hel$s you see the false I more and more clearly. ;he more clearly you see the false I4 the emotional I4 the I that doesn>t e2ist4 the more clearly you see4 the better you reco&niFe4 em$tiness JJJ the better idea of em$tiness you &et. ;he second techniBue for meditatin& on em$tiness is one that ta<es you bac< to your childhood4 to "ama (eshe Wisdom Archi)e: )irtue and reality $a&e 36 the time before you had learned the al$habet. Ima&ine yourself before you <new your AB9s. (ou>re sittin& in the classroom and your teacher draws a letter on the blac<board for the first time. (ou4 the child4 ha)e no idea what it is4 what those lines re$resent. Althou&h the teacher draws an A4 you ha)e no a$$earance of A. E)en thou&h you see the lines on the blac<board4 A does not a$$ear to you. (ou see the lines but you don>t see them as A. ;hat>s because your mind hasn>t labelled those lines as A and belie)ed in that. Remember4 labellin& is not enou&h JJJ in order for there to be a$$earance4 you ha)e to belie)e in it as well. At this $oint in your life4 your mind has not yet labelled that confi&uration and belie)ed4 NN;his is an A.>> ;hen your teacher tells you4 NN;his is an A4>> and your mind JJJ belie)in& what your teacher has said4 in relation to that base4 those lines on the blac<board JJJ creates the label A4 merely im$utes it on the base4 and belie)es in it. 1nly then do you ha)e the a$$earance of the letter A. After that4 then you see that this is an A. ;he $oint to understand here is that first there>s that arran&ement of lines4 which is the base. What is it that ma<es your mind decide u$on the $articular label AI (ou don>t label any old confi&uration A JJJ it has to be this $articular $attern. ;hat>s why your mind chooses to label it A JJJ it sees the a$$ro$riate $attern. ;hat is the baseG the base to be labelled A. 8o you can see that the base4 that $articular $attern4 and the label are different. ;his is the $oint I>m tryin& to ma<e. ;he $attern is the base and the A is the label. ;hese are two different $henomena4 not one. ;hey a$$ear as one JJJ without analysis4 to your mind they a$$ear as one. It loo<s as if the A is on to$ of the base4 that $attern. It loo<s li<e that. If you do not analyFe4 it a$$ears as if the A were ri&ht there4 on that $attern4 as if the A were there on that base. 8o4 the $attern is the base and the A is the label. %ow you need to concentrate on the conclusion. Before your mind creates the label A4 you see the base4 that $articular $attern4 first. ;hat>s what causes you to a$$ly the label A. From this it>s clear that the base is not the A. If it were4 you should see the A at the )ery first moment you saw the base4 but that isn>t what ha$$ens. It doesn>t ha$$en no matter what $henomenon you see. First you see the baseG then you a$$ly the label. (our mind creates the label after seein& the base. ;a<in& a $illar4 for e2am$le JJJ the s$ecific base that holds thin&s u$4 that $erforms that $articular "ama (eshe Wisdom Archi)e: )irtue and reality $a&e 33 function JJJ seein& that base first causes your mind to choose the label NN$illar.>> ;hen you see the $illar. (ou don>t see it from the )ery be&innin&. If you saw the base but your mind didn>t label it4 you wouldn>t see the $illar. 8imilarly4 you see the A later. ;hat means that the $attern and the A are not one. ;he $attern is not A JJJ it is the base to be labelled A. ;his is the $oint to understand. ;he difference between the two. ;his is one line of reasonin&. A second line of reasonin& &oes as follows. "oo< for the A. 1n that $attern4 where is the AI "oo< at the u$stro<e CPD. (ou don>t find the A there. "oo< at the downstro<e C-D. It>s not there either. %or is the A on the crossbar CD. E)en when the three lines are assembled into the confi&uration A4 that>s not the A because that>s the base to be labelled. 1nly after seein& it do you label it A. 8o the three lines to&ether are not the A either. 8o when you see that threeline $attern on a blac<board4 there>s no A on the $attern4 but there>s an A on the blac<board4 and the only reason you can say that is that the $attern is on the blac<board. 8imilarly4 when you loo< out your window and see a car &o by4 analyFe what ha$$ens. First of all4

before anythin& a$$ears4 you don>t label NNcar>> because you ha)en>t seen anythin&. ;here>s no reason for you to label4 NN;here &oes a car.>> When a car does &o by4 you don>t label it NNcar>> the )ery moment you see it because for your mind to choose that $articular label4 NNcar4>> you ha)e to see somethin& first4 as we>)e been sayin&. What causes your mind to create the labelI ;here has to be a $rior reason. (ou ha)e to see somethin& before you create the label. What you see is the base JJJ the $henomenon that has the a$$ro$riate sha$e and $erforms the function of &oin& here and there4 trans$ortin& $eo$le and so forth JJJ you ha)e to see that first. ;he label NNcar>> comes after that. First you see the baseG then you see the car. (ou see the car after you ha)e a$$lied the label. ;herefore4 it is a hallucination. Whate)er you see &o by JJJ a $erson4 a cat4 a do&4 a motorcycle JJJ it wor<s the same way. 7nder normal circumstances4 when we do not analyFe what we see4 when a car &oes by it loo<s as if either the base itself is the car or there>s a car on that base4 and that that>s what>s &oin& by. ;his is a com$lete hallucination. ;here>s no car there4 Aust as there>s no A on that confi&uration of three lines. ;he car e2ists but it>s not there. It>s the same thin& with the A. When we loo< at the A and do not analyFe4 do not meditate4 it loo<s "ama (eshe Wisdom Archi)e: )irtue and reality $a&e 3. as if the A is there4 on that $attern. ;hat too is a com$lete hallucination. ;hat is the obAect to be refuted JJJ the A that is there not merely im$uted by the mind. An A that if you loo< for it can be found. ;hat>s the obAect of refutationG that>s what we ha)e to realiFe is em$ty. And that em$tiness is the ultimate nature of the A. ;he reason that seein& an A on the base is a false )iew is that if you try to find $recisely where on each of the three lines it is CP-D4 you can>t find it. And when you loo< for it on the three lines assembled CAD4 you can>t find it there either. Each $iece is not A. %or is the assembled $attern4 because that is the base to be labelled A. By analyFin& in this way4 you can reco&niFe your e)eryday hallucinations4 your false )iew4 and understand what you ha)e to realiFe as em$ty. What em$tiness means. Analysis ma<es it clear. !racticin& mindfulness of this4 meditatin& on this4 hel$s you to control your emotional mind. It becomes almost im$ossible for emotional thou&hts4 such as attachment and an&er4 to arise. ;hat means you sto$ moti)atin& <arma4 the cause of samsara4 the cause of the lower realms. ;hus it becomes incredible $rotection4 a &reat source of ha$$iness and $eace4 and the cause of liberation and enli&htenment for yourself and all other sentient bein&s. By de)elo$in& this wisdom and $racticin& bodhicitta4 you yourself can attain enli&htenment and lead all other sentient bein&s to enli&htenment as well. ;herefore4 if you really want to $ractice Dharma4 meditate4 and see some de)elo$ment in your life4 if you want to clarify and dee$en your understandin& of em$tiness and brin& yourself closer to realiFin& it4 these techniBues mi&ht hel$4 e)en thou&h they don>t utiliFe $hiloso$hical conce$ts4 the four$oint analysis and so forth. By $racticin& these techniBues4 you can see more clearly how the mind is not I4 which is what many $eo$le thin<. any thin&s become clear. "ama (eshe Wisdom Archi)e: )irtue and reality $a&e 3H !racticin& the @ood ?eart ; he $ractice of com$assion4 the &ood heart4 is incredibly im$ortant. We really need com$assion. 9om$assion is the source of all our ha$$iness. E)ery sin&le ha$$iness that you e2$erience in your life4 e)ery sin&le comfort and enAoyment of your daily life4 as well as the e)erlastin& ha$$iness of liberation and the bliss of hi&hest enli&htenment4 comes from bodhicitta. ;he root of bodhicitta is &reat com$assion. ;hus4 whate)er ha$$iness you e2$erience deri)es from &reat com$assion. ;hen4 your brin&in& ha$$iness to all sentient bein&s JJJ the ha$$iness of this life4 the ha$$iness of future li)es4 the e)erlastin& ha$$iness of liberation and enli&htenment JJJ all de$ends u$on your ha)in& com$assion for yourself. It all has to come from your own com$assion. ;herefore4 com$assion is the most im$ortant human Buality in which you can educate your mind. When do we need com$assionI In e)ery life situation4 you need com$assion. When you li)e with your family4 you need com$assion. Without com$assion4 your family life is full of $roblems and sufferin&. When you do business4 you need com$assion. 1therwise you e2$erience so much frustration4 unha$$iness and dissatisfaction. If you>re a doctor or a nurse wor<in& in a hos$ital you need com$assion. If you don>t ha)e com$assion4 your Aob becomes borin&4 tirin&4 e2haustin& and uninterestin& JJJ because you are moti)ated by only the wish for your own ha$$iness. (ou>re tryin& to do somethin& for others but it becomes Aust a Aob. When teachin& in school4 you need com$assion. When studyin&4 the best way to learn is with "ama (eshe Wisdom Archi)e: )irtue and reality $a&e 3, com$assion. In that way4 your study becomes meanin&fulG beneficial for other sentient bein&s. (our life becomes beneficial for othersG your study becomes ser)ice for other sentient bein&s. Whate)er your lifestyle JJJ sin&in&4 dancin&4 actin&4 theater JJJ what ma<es it meanin&ful is ha)in& com$assion for others. ;hat transforms it into ser)ice for others. E)en in the army you need com$assion. In that was you can ma<e your actions transcendent4 s$ecial4 out of the ordinary. With com$assion for others4 instead of bein& ne&ati)e4 your actions can become )irtuous4 the cause of enli&htenment4 a

means of $urifyin& ne&ati)e <arma and &atherin& merit. E)en an action such as <illin&4 if done with )ery stron& com$assion4 stron& bodhicitta4 can become a cause for enli&htenmentG not Aust a cause for enli&htenment but a $owerful4 ra$id cause for enli&htenment JJJ if done with stron& bodhicitta4 totally renouncin& yourself to suffer for the sa<e of others. 8tron& com$assionG bodhicitta. E)en if you>re a $rostitute4 if you are moti)ated by com$assion4 by bodhicitta4 your life is not ordinary. (our life becomes transcendentG your deeds those of a bodhisatt)a. %o matter what you do4 if you moti)ation is out of the ordinary4 &reat com$assion4 bodhicitta4 your life becomes meanin&ful4 beneficial for others. ;here>s no ris<4 no dan&er. 8imilarly4 if you are in retreat4 what ma<es your retreat most beneficial4 e2tremely effecti)e and hi&hly meanin&ful is if you do it with com$assion for others4 and the stron&er your com$assion4 the more $owerful a $urification it becomes. And not only in retreat. E)en in your e)eryday life4 if you do your $rayers and sadhanas JJJ e)en a rosary of mantras JJJ with com$assion for others4 each mantra you recite becomes hi&hly meanin&ful4 beneficial for all bein&s. ;he stron&er your com$assion4 the more $owerful each mantra. Each little mantra can ha)e the $ower of an atomic bomb. %uclear wea$ons are so small but they can destroy so much. "i<e that4 e)en short mantras4 when done with stron& com$assion4 can $urify the <arma of ha)in& <illed human bein&s. 1ne re$etition of the mantra om mani $adme hun& moti)ated by stron& com$assion can $urify the ne&ati)e <arma of the ten non)irtuous actions. 1ne re$etition of this mantra can $urify a fully ordained mon<>s ha)in& committed all four defeats4 the )iolation of his four root )ows JJJ <illin& a human bein&4 lyin& about realiFations he doesn>t ha)e4 en&a&in& in se2ual intercourse and stealin& somethin& that was not &i)en JJJ e)en one of which is e2tremely hea)y. E)en if you are tryin& to wor< for others by doin& social ser)ice4 if you ha)e no com$assion many "ama (eshe Wisdom Archi)e: )irtue and reality $a&e 3+ $roblems can arise4 such a $ersonality clashes with your collea&ues because of stron& e&os4 an&er and so forth. E)en offerin& ser)ice to others can cause $roblems if you don>t ha)e a &ood heart4 com$assion. ;hat>s because you are moti)ated by e&o4 the selfcentered mind. ;his ine)itably causes $roblems to arise4 creates obstacles to the wor< &oin& smoothly and $re)ents you from enAoyin& your wor< or your collea&ues. E)entually you ha)e to lea)e because you can>t stand it any lon&er. Far beyond our le)el4 similar $rinci$les a$$ly. aitreya Buddha &enerated bodhicitta4 became a bodhisatt)a4 much earlier than @uru 8ha<yamuni Buddha did4 yet @uru 8ha<yamuni Buddha became enli&htened before aitreya. Before becomin& a buddha4 you ha)e to become a bodhisatt)a. First you ha)e to realiFe renunciation of samsara4 your own samsara. ;hen you &enerate com$assion for the samsaric sufferin& of others usin& your own sufferin& as an e2am$le. (our com$assion for other sentient bein&s JJJ wishin& them to be free of all sufferin& and to ha)e all ha$$iness4 includin& that of enli&htenment JJJ leads you to the decision to brin& about all sentient bein&s> enli&htenment by yourself. ?ow to enli&hten all sentient bein&s At the moment4 you can>t &uide e)en one sentient bein& to enli&htenment. In order to be able to wor< $erfectly on behalf of them all JJJ to free them from all sufferin& and brin& them to full enli&htenment JJJ you ha)e to com$lete your own mind trainin& in com$assion. (ou also ha)e to de)elo$ $erfect $ower4 so that you can re)eal to all sentient bein&s the a$$ro$riate methods accordin& to their le)el of mind. Finally4 you must become omniscient4 ha)in& the ability to read e)ery sin&le thou&ht of the numberless sentient bein&s and <now all their characteristics4 such as their le)el of intelli&ence and the details of their <arma4 and what methods suit each one at any &i)en time. (ou ha)e to <now all these thin&s directly. In other words4 without first attainin& enli&htenment yourself4 without becomin& a buddha yourself4 you cannot do $erfect4 unmista<en wor< for sentient bein&s. E)en arhants4 who ha)e com$leted the fi)e $aths4 cannot wor< $erfectly for sentient bein&s because they lac< omniscient mind. ;hey can still ma<e mista<es when &uidin& others. ;o attain enli&htenment accordin& to sutra4 you $ass throu&h fi)e $aths and ten bhumis. E)en a tenth le)el bodhisatt)a4 someone on the brin< of enli&htenment4 can ma<e a mista<e when it comes to hel$in& "ama (eshe Wisdom Archi)e: )irtue and reality $a&e .5 others4 because his or her mind is not omniscient. ;herefore4 to best hel$ others4 you must first become omniscientG you must first become a buddha. ;he root of enli&htenment4 omniscience4 and all the realiFations of the ahayana $ath is bodhicitta. Bodhicitta is the &ateway of the ahayana $ath to enli&htenment. In order to realiFe bodhicitta4 you need its root4 &reat com$assion. ;herefore4 it is essential that you achie)e this realiFation4 and to do so4 you must li)e your life with com$assion. %ow4 as I said before4 aitreya Buddha &enerated bodhicitta lon& before @uru 8ha<yamuni Buddha did4 but @uru 8ha<yamuni Buddha &ot enli&htened first. ?ow did this ha$$enI Because @uru 8ha<yamuni Buddha>s bodhicitta4 his &reat com$assion4 was much stron&er than aitreya Buddha>s. ;he story of this &oes bac< many4 many lifetimes4 when in a $re)ious life they were brothers li)in& in %e$al. 1ne day4 the two brothers came across a family of fi)e ti&ers who were dyin& of star)ation. ;hey both felt com$assion4 of course4 but @uru 8ha<yamuni Buddha>s must ha)e been much stron&er4 because later he came bac< to the ti&ers alone and offered them his body4 sacrificin& his life in order to sa)e theirs. "ater4 after @uru 8ha<yamuni Buddha had attained enli&htenment4 because of the <armic connection made with the ti&ers when he was a bodhisatt)a4 they were reborn human and became his first disci$les. ?e tau&ht them Dharma and they achie)ed realiFations of the $ath. While aitreya Buddha and @uru 8ha<yamuni Buddha both saw the ti&ers and felt com$assion4

aitreya Buddha did not ma<e charity of his body as did @uru 8ha<yamuni Buddha. ;hat shows that his bodhicitta was much stron&er. Because of that4 he was able to sacrifice himself for others that much more4 and as a result4 attained enli&htenment first. We should be &uided by @uru 8ha<yamuni Buddha>s e2am$le in our daily li)es and understand that the stron&er our com$assion4 the more we can sacrifice our li)es for others4 the &reater the amount of ne&ati)e <arma we can $urify and the more merit we can accumulate. With stron& com$assion4 we can $urify unbelie)ably )ast amounts of ne&ati)e <arma and &enerate merit as )ast as s$ace itself. "i<e @uru 8ha<yamuni Buddha4 the more we can dedicate our daily li)es to others with com$assion4 the sooner we will attain enli&htenment. ;his is the way to benefit from the life histories of the &reat bodhisatt)as and yo&is. We should learn from and follow their e2am$le. In that way we>ll "ama (eshe Wisdom Archi)e: )irtue and reality $a&e .' become enli&htened sooner and be able to enli&hten all sentient bein&s more Buic<ly. ;hus4 those who need our hel$4 those who are de$endin& on us to alle)iate their sufferin&4 won>t ha)e to wait so lon&4 won>t ha)e to suffer so much. ;he sooner4 the more stron&ly4 we can de)elo$ com$assion and bodhicitta4 the sooner we>ll achie)e the other realiFations of the $ath and the sooner we>ll reach enli&htenment. ;hus4 we>ll be able to reach our actual &oal JJJ the liberation from sufferin& and the enli&htenment of all sentient bein&s JJJ more Buic<ly4 thus realiFin& the real meanin& of our li)es and fulfillin& our actual $ur$ose. ?owe)er4 &eneratin& com$assion in your daily life has more immediate benefits as well. If you ha)e com$assion4 you ha)e fewer $roblems. With com$assion4 the $roblems you do e2$erience are e2$erienced for the sa<e of others4 and thus become the $ath to enli&htenment. E2$eriencin& $roblems becomes a means for ha$$iness for both yourself and others. In this way4 with com$assion4 you transform $roblems into ha$$iness. 9om$assion also hel$s you $re$are for death. ;he best way to die is with bodhicitta4 feelin& &reat com$assion for other sentient bein&s. ;hat>s a hi&h Buality death JJJ dyin& with com$assion for others. By dyin& with com$assion4 you ha)e no fear or worry. (ou>re e2$eriencin& death for others. It becomes sim$ly a chan&e of body4 li<e tradin& old clothes for new. When you die with com$assion you>re sim$ly tradin& your old body for a new one. ;hus4 li)in& with com$assion com$letely chan&es your life. It transforms an ordinary life into a transcendent one. It ele)ates e)erythin& you do. (our entire life becomes totally differentG hi&hly meanin&fulG your heart is full. (our heart is not em$ty and neither is your life. ;herefore4 you must thin<4 NN9om$assion is the source of not only all my ha$$iness but that of all sentient bein&s as well. It is the source of all ha$$iness4 includin& that of enli&htenment. In order to offer all this ha$$iness to others4 I need to &enerate com$assion myself.>> De)elo$in& com$assion ?owe)er4 merely sayin&4 NNI need com$assion>> is not enou&h. (ou ha)e to understand the teachin&s on how to de)elo$ com$assion. ;hat means that first you ha)e to study4 and then $ractice4 meditate. In that way you can achie)e realiFations. ;hus4 you need to listen to teachin&s. "ama (eshe Wisdom Archi)e: )irtue and reality $a&e .* In order to de)elo$ com$assion4 to realiFe com$assion for other sentient bein&s4 so that you can realiFe bodhicitta4 the &ateway to the ahayana $ath to enli&htenment4 you need the $reliminary realiFation of renunciation. Renunciation is the determination to be free from your own samsara4 which you must realiFe to be totally in the nature of sufferin&. (ou must feel your own samsara to be a blaFin& fire4 with yourself in the middle of it4 such that you can>t bear to remain in it for a moment lon&er. (ou need to &enerate such stron& a)ersion to samsara that the wish to be rid of it arises s$ontaneously4 day and ni&ht4 Aust as a $risoner wishes constantly4 day and ni&ht4 to be released from Aail. As a $risoner finds not e)en a second>s attraction to $rison4 that>s how you should you feel about your own samsara. (ou should feel it to be as desirable as a $it of rattlesna<es JJJ a $lace that you ha)e not the sli&htest wish to be in4 e)en for a second4 and if you are in it4 not the sli&htest wish to remain for a moment lon&er. ;his is how you must feel about your own samsara. ;his is renunciation. In order to renounce your own samsara4 first you ha)e to feel detached from this life. 1nly with detachment from this life can you $ractice Dharma $urely. Renunciation of this life is the $reliminary understandin& you need before you can de)elo$ renunciation from the whole of your samsara. In order to de)elo$ &reat com$assion for all sentient bein&s4 you need these $reliminary realiFations. 9om$assion doesn>t Aust dro$ into your brain from the s<y or a$$ear in your mind the moment you read about it. 9om$assion and bodhicitta ha)e to be de)elo$ed in a ste$byste$ manner by &radually de)elo$in& the $reliminary realiFations in their lo&ical order. ;he im$ortance of the meditation center 8o now you can see the necessity of the meditation center4 a $lace where $eo$le can study teachin&s on how to de)elo$ com$assionG an or&aniFation established for the $ur$ose of offerin& instructions in the de)elo$ment of the &ood heart. 9om$assion4 the &ood heart4 is e2tremely im$ortant4 but you ha)e to learn how to acBuire it. (ou ha)e to study the whole $ath. ;herefore4 it is essential that there are $laces that &i)e $eo$le the o$$ortunity to study all of the Buddha>s teachin&s JJJ not Aust the $art about com$assion but the entire $ath to enli&htenmentG e)ery as$ect of method and wisdom. ;he essence of Buddhism is com$assion for all without discrimination4 and on that basis4 not &i)in& harm. %ot harmin& others4 and as well as that4 benefitin& all. 9om$assion for not only your "ama (eshe Wisdom Archi)e: )irtue and reality

$a&e ./ friends but your enemies too. 9om$assion for all without e2ce$tion: friends4 enemies and stran&ers. ;his is what Buddhism is all about. ;herefore4 e)ery $erson who comes to a Dharma center to study the teachin&s of the Buddha and to learn to meditate will be tau&ht how to de)elo$ com$assion for others. ;hat means each of these $eo$le will sto$ harmin& sentient bein&s4 sto$ &i)in& harm to the world. In other words4 numberless other sentient bein&s4 $eo$le in the world4 $eo$le in each country4 will not be harmed by each $erson who comes to the center to study the Dharma and $ractice com$assion. ;hus4 numberless other sentient bein&s recei)e much $eace and ha$$iness from each of these $eo$le. By hearin& the teachin&s of the Buddha4 es$ecially the lamrim JJJ teachin&s on subduin& the mind4 ta<in& care of the mind4 $rotectin& your mind and the minds of others JJJ the ste$s of the $ath to enli&htenment4 whether it>s a onewee< course4 a wee<end course4 a oneday teachin& or e)en a sin&le lecture4 the em$hasis is usually on <arma or com$assion. ;he essence of the subAect is usually not to harm others and on that basis4 to benefit them as much as $ossible. 8o usually $eo$le will come away from e)en a few hours of teachin& with the understandin& that they should at least not harm others. ;herefore4 e)en thou&h such $eo$le may not be able to do all those traditional $ractices JJJ many sadhanas4 mantra recitation4 $reliminary $ractices4 lamrim meditation JJJ at least when they see ants or other insects on the floor they won>t ste$ on them. E)en if they don>t do any of those other $ractices4 at least they>ll ha)e the thou&ht in their minds not to <ill insects4 worms and so forth. At least that one minimum $ractice will be there. ;hat itself is a &reat benefit. E)en if they can>t do anythin& else4 at least they>re thin<in&4 NNIt is really wron& to <ill4 to harm another>s life.>> In this way4 there>s much $eace for many animals and insects and for that $erson as well. ;he $erson creates less ne&ati)e <arma and therefore does not ha)e to e2$erience the sufferin& results that would otherwise ha)e ri$ened in life after life. 8o4 the absence of that is $eace. ;hat numberless other sentient bein&s JJJ animals4 insects4 other humans JJJ don>t recei)e harm from each of these $eo$le who sto$ <illin& after they ha)e come to the center4 is Aust one of the e2tensi)e benefits that the center offers. 1n to$ of that4 of course4 are all the teachin&s and meditation on the lamrim4 em$tiness4 bodhicitta4 the $reliminary $ractices and so forth. But Aust sto$$in& <illin& itself is hi&hly beneficialG it brin&s much ha$$iness to many others. "ama (eshe Wisdom Archi)e: )irtue and reality $a&e .6 Before the =alacha<ra initiation by ?is ?oliness the Dalai "ama in Australia in '++.4 I s$ent a month in retreat at a student>s house near the ocean. E)ery day I went to the beach to do a $ractice where you ma<e charity of water to the $retas. (ou recite a s$ecial mantra4 which blesses the water4 and then offer them the water4 which the $retas recei)e as nectar. ;he entire e2$anse of water a$$ears to them as nectar4 which $urifies their minds and they &et liberated from the lower realms and recei)e a &ood rebirth. When I was there I would see many $eo$le fishin&. It wasn>t that they were hun&ryG they did it out of enAoyment. ;hey would either &o out in boats or stand at the water>s ed&e with their lines in the water for hours at a time. 8o many fish would lose their li)es. ?owe)er4 if one $erson who li<es to fish comes to a teachin& at the center and as a result of hearin& about <arma and com$assion sto$s <illin&4 the li)es of so many fish are sa)ed4 not to mention those of all the other animals and insects that the $erson refrains from harmin&. If a $erson does not chan&e his mind4 chan&e his actions4 so many sentient bein&s will ha)e to suffer durin& the course of his life4 as will he4 in many future li)es4 from the horrible <arma he creates. But if this $erson comes to the center and sto$s <illin&4 for as many more months and years as he continues to li)e4 others recei)e that much more $eace and ha$$iness. From the o$$osite $oint of )iew4 the $erson who dies not ha)in& had the o$$ortunity to hear the Buddhadharma or to chan&e his mind4 the lon&er he li)es4 the more harm he &i)es to others and himself. In order to de)elo$ com$assion4 bodhicitta4 meditation is not enou&h. (ou need to recei)e the blessin& of the s$ecial deity of com$assion4 9henreFi& CA)alo<itesh)araD. ;hen your meditation on the $ath will be more effecti)e in brin&in& you to the realiFation of com$assion. In ;ibet and other ?imalayan countries4 many $eo$le recite om mani $adme hun&4 the mantra of 9henreFi&. any of them are sim$le $eo$le who ha)e )ery limited intellectual understandin& of the teachin&s or can>t e)en read4 but where)er they &o JJJ while wor<in&4 tra)ellin&4 at home JJJ they constantly recite this mantra. Eust because of this and their de)otion and $rayers to the 9om$assionate Buddha4 9henreFi&4 they tend to be naturally )ery com$assionate4 )ery warmhearted4 always more concerned for others than themsel)es4 wantin& to hel$ others and &i)e them thin&s. For e2am$le4 my mother $assed away a&ed ,6 a few years a&o. 8he reincarnated as a boy in %e$al4 near where she had li)ed4 with a )ery clear memory of $eo$le and thin&s from his $re)ious life. 1ne "ama (eshe Wisdom Archi)e: )irtue and reality $a&e .3 reason she was able to reincarnate as a human bein& with a clear mind and the ability to remember so much was because she used to recite 354555 om mani $adme hun& mantras e)ery day4 almost u$ until the time she died. 8he was also a nun for the last se)enteen years of her life4 li)in& in the $ure morality of her ordination. Because of all this4 she was able to reincarnate as a human bein& with the o$$ortunity to $ractice Dharma once a&ain. Dharma centers are of utmost im$ortance in the world today. ;hey &i)e $eo$le the o$$ortunity to learn about <arma and com$assion. World $eace de$ends u$on $eo$le ha)in& lo)in& <indness and com$assion. If $eo$le don>t ha)e com$assion4 life become )ery dan&erous. ;herefore4 we need $laces

where the methods for de)elo$in& com$assion are tau&ht. ;his is where you learnG this is where you &i)e others the chance to learn as well. !eace throu&h wea$ons is e2tremely unreliable4 but $eace without force4 throu&h $eo$le chan&in& their minds by &eneratin& com$assion4 by choice4 with freedom4 is of benefit to the country4 to the world4 to all sentient bein&s. ;herefore4 e)en for $eace in the country itself4 meditation centers where the essential $ractice is that of com$assion and $eo$le are tau&ht how to brin& $eace are indis$ensable. ;herefore4 members of Dharma or&aniFations ou&ht to <now all these benefits that I ha)e Aust e2$lained4 from the minimum JJJ $eo$le sto$ <illin& JJJ all the way u$ to enli&htenment. E)erybody who contributes to the center in any way is &i)in& enli&htenment to others4 hel$in& them find liberation from sufferin& and &i)in& them &ood rebirths by hel$in& them understand <arma. In short4 offerin& $eace and ha$$iness to many. ?owe)er many members a center has4 that many $eo$le are ma<in& this incredible contribution to the world. All these benefits come from e)ery $erson who hel$s the center e2ist4 de)elo$ and do its wor<. 8o it>s &ood to be aware of and remember this and to enAoy the benefits. ;herefore4 I would li<e to reBuest e)eryone to continue with their own $ractice and to continue hel$in& their center for the sa<e of other sentient bein&s. "ama (eshe Wisdom Archi)e: )irtue and reality $a&e .. Dedication ; he reason that we dedicate the merit &enerated by any )irtuous acti)ity is in order to $rotect it from destruction by ne&ati)e forces4 such as an&er or wron& )iews4 and to direct it toward the &oal that we always s$ecify in our moti)ation JJJ the enli&htenment of all sentient bein&s. (ou can use the elaborate dedication &i)en below whene)er you ha)e created merit of any <ind. Eust $ause for a moment after each $ara&ra$h and meditate on its meanin&. !lease dedicate the merit of ha)in& read and $racticed the teachin&s in this boo< as follows: . Due to the $ast4 $resent and future merit accumulated by myself and all buddhas4 bodhisatt)as and other sentient bein&s4 may bodhicitta arise in my mind and in the minds of all members of my family and all other sentient bein&s4 and may the bodhicitta that has already arisen in our minds only increase more and more. . Due to the merits of the $ast4 $resent and future4 may ?is ?oliness the Dalai "ama>s life be stable and may his holy wishes succeed immediately. ay all our &urus> li)es be stable and may all their holy wishes succeed immediately. ay "ama Qsel Rin$oche>s life be stable and may he be able to offer benefit as )ast as s$ace itself to all sentient bein&s and to the teachin&s of the Buddha4 Aust as "ama ;son& =ha$a was able to do. . Due to the $ast4 $resent and future merit accumulated by myself and all buddhas4 bodhisatt)as and other sentient bein&s4 may I and all the other students of the F! ; Cor whate)er Dharma or&aniFation you belon& toD4 all the benefactors4 all the members of Cinsert the name of your Dharma 9enterD4 e)erybody else who comes here to study4 and all the rest of the sentient bein&s4 in this and all future lifetimes4 be able to meet only $erfectly Bualified ahayana &urus4 see them only as "ama (eshe Wisdom Archi)e: )irtue and reality $a&e .H enli&htened bein&s4 act in ways that only $lease the holy minds of our )irtuous friends4 and be able to fulfil their holy wishes. . Due to the $ast4 $resent and future merit accumulated by myself and all buddhas4 bodhisatt)as and other sentient bein&s4 may I be able to offer benefit as )ast as s$ace itself to all sentient bein&s and to the teachin&s of the Buddha4 Aust as "ama ;son& =ha$a was able to do4 by de)elo$in& all his holy Bualities within myself in this and all future lifetimes. . Due to the $ast4 $resent and future merit accumulated by myself and all buddhas4 bodhisatt)as and other sentient bein&s4 all of which are em$ty from their own side4 may the I4 which is also em$ty from its own side4 achie)e @uru 8ha<yamuni Buddha>s enli&htenment4 which is also em$ty from its own side4 and lead all sentient bein&s4 who are em$ty from their own side4 to that enli&htenment4 which is em$ty from its own side4 by myself alone4 who is also em$ty from its own side. . Due to the $ast4 $resent and future merit accumulated by myself and all buddhas4 bodhisatt)as and other sentient bein&s4 may my Dharma 9enter Cmention its nameD be able to fulfil all sentient bein&s> wishes4 immediately $acify the sufferin&s of their body and mind4 s$read the com$lete teachin&s of "ama ;son& =ha$a throu&hout the minds of all sentient bein&s4 and recei)e all conditions necessary to do so. ay all who come to the center4 e)en animals4 insects and s$irits4 by Aust enterin& the $lace4 ne)er a&ain be reborn in the lower realms4 immediately $urify all their obscurations and ne&ati)e <arma4 be free of all sic<ness and harm from male)olent s$irits4 immediately actualiFe bodhicitta4 and attain enli&htenment as Buic<ly as $ossible. ay this come to $ass at all other F! ; centers as well. . ay all members of this center and all benefactors4 students and other $eo$le connected with the F! ;4 $articularly those who sacrifice their li)es in ser)ice of others and the teachin& of the Buddha4 ha)e lon& and healthy li)es4 ha)e all their Dharma wishes come true4 and4 es$ecially4 actualiFe the entire $ath to enli&htenment in this )ery life. . ay "ama ;son& =ha$a>s teachin&s e2ist and flourish in all directions until samsara ends. ay all $roAects of the F! ;4 es$ecially the 355foot aitreya statue at Bodh @aya4 recei)e all necessary conditions4 actualiFe immediately4 and4 most im$ortantly4 be of &reatest benefit to all "ama (eshe Wisdom Archi)e: )irtue and reality $a&e .,

sentient bein&s4 causin& them to actualiFe lo)in& <indness4 com$assion and bodhicitta. ;hrou&h this4 may all war4 famine4 disease4 earthBua<es and all other natural disasters and undesired e2$eriences ne)er occur4 and4 li<e the risin& sun4 may all bein&s enAoy the ha$$iness of Dharma and s$end their entire li)es only hel$in&4 ne)er harmin&4 each other. ay we all attain enli&htenment as Buic<ly as $ossible. "ama (eshe Wisdom Archi)e: )irtue and reality $a&e .+ About the "ama (eshe Wisdom Archi)e ; he "ama (eshe Wisdom Archi)e C"(WAD is the collected wor<s of "ama ;hubten (eshe and "ama ;hubten #o$a Rin$oche. ;he Archi)e was founded in '++. by "ama #o$a Rin$oche4 its s$iritual director4 to ma<e a)ailable in )arious ways the teachin&s it contains. Distribution of free boo<lets of edited teachin&s is one of the ways. "ama (eshe and "ama #o$a Rin$oche be&an teachin& at =o$an onastery4 %e$al4 in '+H5.8ince then4 their teachin&s ha)e been recorded and transcribed. At $resent the "(WA contains about .4555 cassette ta$es and a$$ro2imately 654555 $a&es of transcribed teachin&s on com$uter dis<. 8ome 64555 ta$es4 mostly teachin&s by "ama #o$a Rin$oche4 remain to be transcribed. As Rin$oche continues to teach4 the number of ta$es in the Archi)e increases accordin&ly. ost of the transcri$ts ha)e been neither chec<ed nor edited. ?ere at the "(WA we are ma<in& e)ery effort to or&aniFe the transcri$tion of that which has not yet been transcribed4 to edit that which has not yet been edited4 and &enerally to do the many other tas<s detailed below. In all this4 we need your hel$. !lease contact us for more information: "ama (eshe Wisdom Archi)e !1 Bo2 /3. Weston A 5*6+/ 78A ;ele$hone CH,'D ,+++3,H Email nribush@com$user)e.com "ama (eshe Wisdom Archi)e: a<e (our ind an 1cean $a&e H5 ;he Archi)e ;rust ;he wor< of the "ama (eshe Wisdom Archi)e falls into two cate&ories: archi)in& and dissemination. Archi)in& reBuires mana&in& the audiota$es of teachin&s by "ama (eshe and "ama #o$a Rin$oche that ha)e already been collected4 collectin& ta$es of teachin&s &i)en but not yet sent to the Archi)e4 and collectin& ta$es of "ama #o$a>s on&oin& teachin&s4 tal<s4 ad)ice and so forth as he tra)els the world for the benefit of all. ;a$es are then catalo&ued and stored safely while bein& <e$t accessible for further wor<. We or&aniFe the transcri$tion of ta$es4 add the transcri$ts to the already e2istent database of teachin&s4 mana&e this database4 ha)e transcri$ts chec<ed and ma<e transcri$ts a)ailable to editors or others doin& research on or $racticin& these teachin&s. 1ther archi)in& acti)ities include wor<in& with )ideota$es and $hoto&ra$hs of the "amas and in)esti&atin& the latest means of $reser)in& Archi)e materials. Dissemination in)ol)es ma<in& the "amas> teachin&s a)ailable directly or indirectly throu&h )arious a)enues such as boo<lets for free distribution4 re&ular boo<s for the trade4 li&htly edited transcri$ts4 flo$$y dis<s4 audio and )ideota$es4 and articles in andala and other ma&aFines4 and on the F! ; web site. Irres$ecti)e of the method we choose4 the teachin&s reBuire intensi)e editin& to $re$are them for distribution. ;his is Aust a summary of what we do. ;he Archi)e was established with )irtually no seed fundin& and has de)elo$ed solely throu&h the <indness of many $eo$le4 some of whom we ha)e mentioned at the front of this boo<let. 1ur further de)elo$ment similarly de$ends u$on the &enerosity of those who see the benefit and necessity of this wor<4 and we would be e2tremely &rateful for your hel$. ;he Archi)e ;rust has been established to facilitate this wor< and we hereby a$$eal to you for your <ind su$$ort. If you would li<e to ma<e a contribution to hel$ us with any of the abo)e tas<s or to s$onsor boo<lets for free distribution4 $lease contact us at our Broo<line address. ;he "ama (eshe Wisdom Archi)e is a 35'CcDC/D ta2deductible4 non$rofit cor$oration dedicated to the welfare of all sentient bein&s and totally de$endent u$on your donations for its continued "ama (eshe Wisdom Archi)e: a<e (our ind an 1cean $a&e H' e2istence. ;han< you so much for your su$$ort. Endorsements "ast %o)ember we $ublished a small re$ort on the acti)ities of the "ama (eshe Wisdom Archi)e entitled "(WA Boo<lets: What $eo$le are sayin& about them4 in which we Buoted much of the unsolicited feedbac< we ha)e recei)ed since we started $ublishin& and distributin& boo<lets free of char&e. ;here are a few of these left4 so $lease let us <now if you would li<e to see one Cthey contain no teachin&s4 Aust what some $eo$le ha)e said about our wor<D. But to &i)e you an idea4 here are a cou$le more comments that ha)e come in since that time: NN;han< you for your donation of H5 co$ies of "ama (eshe>s Becomin& (our 1wn ;hera$ist. y senior literature students ate it u$. For most4 it was their first direct contact with the Dharma4 for others it clarified )a&ue understandin&s. For myself4 Becomin&... and "ama #o$a>s Virtue and Reality ha)e been miraculous. 8ometimes the truth needs to be heard in ,/4+++ ways before you finally &et it.

;han<s to "ama #o$a4 "ama (eshe4 F! ; and yourself4 life has become beautiful a&ain.>> JJJ "iterature teacher4 9alifornia4 78A NN9on&ratulations on $ublishin& a )ery brilliant boo< LVirtue and RealityM. I am sendin& you some money. If you can s$are u$ to twel)e more co$ies4 I>d lo)e to &i)e them to my Dharma friends in our &rou$. ;his is one of the best e2$ositions on em$tiness in $rint. !lus the first $art. ;he whole thin& is com$letely immediate. ;han<s.>> JJJ Educator4 En&land As mentioned on the $recedin& $a&es4 we rely solely u$on donations to maintain the Archi)e4 &et teachin&s transcribed4 and edit4 $ublish and distribute them. !lease su$$ort our efforts to benefit others in this way. We would also be &rateful for your feedbac<. !lease send us your thou&hts on the teachin&s we ma<e a)ailable and your su&&estions as to what you would li<e to see $ublished. ;han< you a&ain. "ama (eshe Wisdom Archi)e: a<e (our ind an 1cean $a&e H* What to do with Dharma teachin&s ;he Buddhadharma is the true source of ha$$iness for all sentient bein&s. Boo<s li<e this show you how to $ut the teachin&s into $ractice and inte&rate them into your life4 whereby you &et the ha$$iness you see<. ;herefore4 anythin& containin& Dharma teachin&s or the names of your teachers is more $recious than other material obAects and should be treated with res$ect. ;o a)oid creatin& the <arma of not meetin& the Dharma a&ain in future li)es4 $lease do not $ut boo<s Cor other holy obAectsD on the floor or underneath other stuff4 ste$ o)er or sit u$on them4 or use them for mundane $ur$oses such as $ro$$in& u$ wobbly tables. ;hey should be <e$t in a clean4 hi&h $lace4 se$arate from worldly writin&s4 and wra$$ed in cloth when bein& carried around. ;hese are but a few considerations. 8hould you need to &et rid of Dharma materials4 they should not be thrown in the rubbish but burned in a s$ecial way. Briefly: do not incinerate such materials with other trash4 but alone4 and as they burn4 recite the mantra om ah hum. As the smo<e rises4 )isualiFe that it $er)ades all of s$ace4 carryin& the essence of the Dharma to all sentient bein&s in the si2 samsaric realms4 $urifyin& their minds4 alle)iatin& their sufferin&4 and brin&in& them all ha$$iness4 u$ to and includin& enli&htenment. 8ome $eo$le mi&ht find this $ractice a bit unusual4 but it is &i)en accordin& to tradition. ;han< you )ery much. Dedication ;hrou&h the merit created by $re$arin&4 readin&4 thin<in& about and sharin& this boo< with others4 may all teachers of the Dharma li)e lon& and healthy li)es4 may the Dharma s$read throu&hout the infinite reaches of s$ace4 and may all sentient bein&s Buic<ly attain enli&htenment. In whiche)er realm4 country4 area or $lace this boo< may be4 may there be no war4 drou&ht4 famine4 disease4 inAury4 disharmony or unha$$iness4 may there be only &reat $ros$erity4 may e)erythin& needed be easily obtained4 may all be &uided by only $erfectly Bualified Dharma teachers and enAoy the ha$$iness of Dharma4 may all ha)e only lo)e and com$assion for each other4 and may we all only benefit and ne)er harm each other. "ama (eshe Wisdom Archi)e: a<e (our ind an 1cean $a&e H/ !ublisher>s Ac<nowled&ments W e are e2tremely &rateful to our friends and su$$orters who ha)e made it $ossible for the "ama (eshe Wisdom Archi)e both to e2ist and to function. ;o "ama (eshe and "ama #o$a Rin$oche4 whose <indness is im$ossible to re$ay. ;o !eter and %icole =ed&e and Venerable Ailsa 9ameron for brin&in& the Archi)e to its $resent state of de)elo$ment. ;o Venerable Ro&er =unsan&4 "ama #o$a>s tireless assistant4 for his <indness and consideration. ;o our sustainin& su$$orters4 Drs. !enny %oyce R "eo "iu4 Barry R 9onnie ?ershey4 Ro&er R 9laire AshWheeler4 Eoan ;erry4 ;. (. Ale2ander4 9laire At<ins4 Datu< ;ai ;su =uan&4 "ily 9han& Wu4 Richard @ere4 "ynnea El<ind4 and ;om R 8uFanne 9astles. And to all our other benefactors4 &reat and small4 whose hel$ we a$$reciate enormously. Without the hel$ of all of you4 our efforts for the sa<e of all sentient bein&s would not be $ossible. ;han< you so much. If you4 dear reader4 would li<e to Aoin this noble &rou$ of o$enhearted altruists by contributin& to the nAhuyH.$roduction of more free boo<lets by "ama (eshe or "ama #o$a Rin$oche or to the other as$ects of the "ama (eshe Wisdom Archi)e>s wor<4 $lease contact us to find out how. ;his boo< is $ublished in honor of "ama #o$a Rin$oche>s )isit to Boston4 %o)ember '++,. We would li<e to than< the members of ;ilo$a 9enter for or&aniFin& and ta$in& these teachin&s4 Venerable Ro&er =unsan& for su&&estin& that we $ublish them4 Venerable ;hubten unsel for transcribin& the ta$es4 !eter Iseli for our beautifully drawn lo&o4 Wendy 9oo< for her editorial su&&estions4 and Eennifer artin and @arrett Brown for their hel$ in the desi&n and $roduction of this boo<. "ama (eshe Wisdom Archi)e: )irtue and reality