Lama Zopa Rinpoche giving advice to the nunnery staff, Khachoe Ghakyil Nunnery, Nepal, October 2020. Photo by Ven. Lobsang Sherab.

Lama Zopa Rinpoche continues his video teachings on thought transformation from Kopan Monastery in Nepal. Here is a summary of the most recent teaching:

Rinpoche begins this video continuing with his discussion of Phabongka Rinpoche’s commentary on the Three Principal Aspects of the Path by Lama Tsongkhapa. Rinpoche focuses this teaching on the two verses “The Reason to Meditate on the Right View” and “How to Ascertain the Right View.”

As Lama Tsongkhapa says, we should “strive in the method to realize dependent arising.” Rinpoche first talks about what is meant by “dependent arising.” The Vaibhashika, Sautrantika, and Chittamatra schools understand it in relation only to impermanent phenomena—arising in dependence on causes and conditions. The Madhyamaka Svatantrika’s understanding of dependent arising—arising in dependence on its parts—is a little bit better in that it applies to both permanent and impermanent phenomena. The Prasangika school’s understanding—arising in dependence on a valid base to be labeled and the valid concept that labels it—is much subtler than the views of the lower schools. 

Phagongkha Rinpoche explains in his commentary that subtle dependent arising is not in itself the method for realizing emptiness. Rather, the dependent arising of cause and effect, which is accepted by all the schools, should be taught first in order to protect the meditator from falling into nihilism and help them realize the Prasangika’s view of emptiness. For these reasons, it is extremely important to be guided and to guide others by presenting the dependent arising of cause and effect at the very beginning.

In regard to the causes of samsara, Rinpoche explains how the ignorance holding the “I” as real is the root of samsara. First, the “I” appears real to the hallucinated mind. Then, what is “mine”—the aggregates and so forth—appear as real, as well as all the rest of phenomena. From that, the three poisonous minds, which can be elaborated in the six root delusions, the twenty secondary delusions, and the 84,000 delusions, arise. These delusions then motivate the karmic actions that result in all the sufferings of the six-realm sentient beings. From this, you can understand the evolution of samsara through the twelve links of dependent arising.

On the other hand, in regard to the causes of nirvana, by meditating on true paths, you are able to achieve true cessations, and, with the support of bodhichitta, you can purify the subtle obscurations and achieve enlightenment. 

All these phenomena of samsara and nirvana are to be seen as unbetraying. Otherwise, you risk falling into nihilism, thinking that there are no causes and results, and therefore that it is not important to keep pure morality because actions do not have results.

After you realize that phenomena do not exist from their own side, you still have the hallucinated appearance of truly existent phenomena, but you know it is not true. Rinpoche explains that this is like a scarecrow, which appears to be a real person; a mirage, which appears to be real water; and the things that appear in dreams, which appear to be real things.

Only buddhas don’t have this hallucinated appearance because they no longer have the negative imprints left by delusion, the knowledge obscurations, that project the dualistic view. These have been removed by the direct remedy of the wisdom directly perceiving emptiness possessed by bodhichitta. This is the method to annihilate (zhig pa) the false appearances—not an atom is left of the hallucination. Rinpoche spends some time discussing the meaning of “zhig pa,” explaining why “destroy” isn’t quite the right translation, since we typically think of “destroying” as turning something whole into pieces. Rather it means the total annihilation or disappearance of something, in this case, the appearance of true existence. It is gone, with no trace left, when you realize the Prasangika’s view.

Rinpoche explains that what follows is for you to train your mind in seeing objects as not truly existent at all. While there is still the hallucinated appearance of true existence, you realize with full awareness that things don’t exist from their own side, not even an atom. You have to go through the very deep experience of realizing that the “I” you have been holding on to as real from beginningless rebirths isn’t there. If at that time you fear you are falling into nihilism, it becomes a great interference to your realization of emptiness. Therefore, let go, and allow yourself to go through the fear. 

The “I” exists, but only in mere name, Rinpoche explains. How the “I” exists is extremely subtle; so subtle it is as if it doesn’t exist at all. Whatever is happening, it is not true. As His Holiness has said, “What exists is something else” from what ordinary people believe.

Our mind has been habituated—like a waterfall, so heavily since beginningless rebirths—with ignorance. Everything that has appeared to us has appeared as truly existent—and you 100% believed it! From that, all the delusions, karma, and the oceans of suffering of hell beings, hungry ghosts, and animals arise. Everything appears real, but what is there is only existing in mere name. This is unbelievably subtle.

To counter this wrong habituation, we need to train in meditating on emptiness. Whatever you are doing, it should become a meditation on emptiness. Rinpoche emphasizes that it is not that you can only meditate on emptiness while you are sitting on a cushion! There are three ways that you can meditate on emptiness while going about your daily activities. 

1. Meditate on everything as a hallucination: In every activity you do, look at the “I,” action, and object as a total hallucination, as they are a total hallucination. Whatever you do—such as shopping, using the toilet, eating food, or going to work—transform it into a meditation on emptiness by looking at it as a hallucination or as like a dream. 

2. Meditate on everything as merely labeled: Another method to meditate on emptiness in daily life is to think that the merely labeled “I” is doing the actions of your day. For example, when you are eating, think that the merely labeled “I” is doing the merely labeled action of eating merely labeled food. 

3. Meditate on everything as empty of true existence: Whatever you are doing, meditate that the real “I” that is doing the activity is not there, the real action you are doing is not there, and the real object of your action is not there. They are all empty of true existence; they are not there at all.

Of these three meditations, do a different one each day, or each week, or each month. This is the way to develop a positive habituation with emptiness and counter the wrong habituation with holding everything as real. Whether you know a lot about emptiness or just a little, this daily meditation on emptiness is the most important thing to do. 

Rinpoche concludes the teaching by citing two verses from Aryadeva’s Four Hundred Stanzas on the Middle Way. If you destroy ignorance, you destroy the delusions. When you see dependent arising, ignorance doesn’t arise. Therefore, Rinpoche says we should try to realize the meaning of dependent arising. 

We invite you to go deeper into the topics presented here, plus many others, by watching Rinpoche’s video and reading the full transcript of Rinpoche’s teaching.

Watch Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s teaching “Whatever You Are Doing, It Should Become Meditation on Emptiness”:
https://youtu.be/o3uW34o6TSQ

• Read the transcript of Rinpoche’s teaching
• For more from Rinpoche on the object to be refuted, please see Recognizing the False I
• Find Rinpoche’s Teachings on Thought Transformation translated into Spanish, Italian, French, Chinese, and Russian
• Dedication verses for COVID-19 Crisis Teachings

Watch more from the video series Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s Teachings on Thought Transformation during the Time of COVID-19 and find links to videos in transcripts, MP3s, additional practice advice, and more:
https://fpmt.org/fpmt/announcements/resources-for-coronavirus-pandemic/advice-from-lama-zopa-rinpoche-for-coronavirus/

Practice advice from our teachers, Dharma study-from-home opportunities, and more can be found on the page “Resources for the Coronavirus Pandemic.”

Lama Zopa Rinpoche is the spiritual director of the Foundation for the Preservation of Mahayana Tradition (FPMT), a Tibetan Buddhist organization dedicated to the transmission of the Mahayana Buddhist tradition and values worldwide through teaching, meditation and community service.