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20020526GRCTMRHS09

that when you encounter your primordial mind you encounter emptiness. That is not right, even though it is said by one the great colleges. Why is it not right? Because we get in touch with our primordial mind every time we die. We mentioned yesterday that ‘Never-ending Story’ where that kid jumps into the mirror and is pulled in. If you don’t get the zoom, you are thrown back out. That is exactly what happens if the impure mind meets with the primordial mind. You get thrown back out. But you do meet the primordial mind. If just meeting it would be the recognition of emptiness, then what are we doing here – again? It would mean that there is a fall-back after encountering true wisdom. However, according to Buddha, there is no fall-back. That is how Buddha revolutionalized the Hindu tradition. There is no fall-back. You don’t go to the 17th meditative level, but only to the necessary level, the first form level. From there you find the true wisdom and you use this to cut the root of samsara, rather than sit in concentrated meditation and go through 17 stages. This is also what one of the earlier Hindu masters who changed to Buddhism after a debate had written a praise about. It was Chandrogomin. In his praise to Buddha he says,

In the old tradition you go through all these stages, the desire realm levels, the four form - and the four formless levels. Then you reach the peak of samsara. You can remain there for a long time but when the power of this samadhi is exhausted you will fall back.

The power of this samadhi may not be exhausted for many eons, but eventually you will fall back. Buddha revolutionized this process, recommending not to go into the form – and formless realms, but at the first form level switch to wisdom meditation. At the first form level you fully develop shamata. That means you can focus on anything you want, as much as you want, as often as you want, without interruption. Then you drop the shamata development there and pick up vipasyana.

The vipassana from the Burmese, Ceyolonese and Thai traditions is different from the one of the Tibetan Buddhism. Vipasyana is analytical meditation, not focused meditation. You keep the power of the concentrated mind of shamata and with that switch over to analytical meditation. You use the mind for exactly what you want to analyze. I could figure out, without mixing yellow and red together physically that you can get orange by combining them. Just by looking at these two colors I could figure that out at the age of nine years. I had not seen anybody doing coloring business. So that is vipasyana style. You don’t have to physically do it. You know what to do. You have the know how. You can do that also internally. How much wisdom you want to put in, how much sexuality, how much the mixture should be, what level you want to go to and what is going to happen there. You can figure that out. This is just to give you a little example.

This is the vipasyana. Through that method you find the prajna. Without the power of shamata your practice is weak. The traditional example is a warrior without horse. If you are up against other warriors on horseback and you are not, you are in trouble. You not only have to challenge the other warrior but also their horse. If you have the shamata power, that is your horse, while the vipasyana is your weapon against ignorance.

Ignorance combined with fear and confusion is what I like to call ‘ego’. Right now this ignorance has control over me. It has the horse and the weapon. When you have to fight now it is like a ten year-old kid challenging the authoritative, fiery father. That is why this combination of shamata and vipasyana is absolutely necessary. One without the other won’t be good enough. Chandrakirti says at the beginning of his Madhayamaka text that a bird needs two wings in order to cross the ocean. These are the wing of the relative and the absolute. Here also, you need the wings of shamata and vipasyana. In Tibetan it is shi ne and lhak tong. Without lhak tong you won’t get anywhere. But it takes tens of years to get to that level. Right now we are knocking at the door and try to open it a little bit. You are going to find much more of this type of thing whenever I am going to be talking with you in future. It looks like we can talk a little more. It is no longer as if you completely draw a blank. Otherwise I quickly have to switch to saying that there is no independent self. Then everybody will be happy.

I would like to conclude here. Thank you very much. Lets dedicate our efforts. This includes not only the virtues that we have put in here but also driving or flying here, sitting in the train and even making the preparations from home, doing the chores before and doing the chores afterwards, missing two days of holidays. We dedicate all this for the benefit of all beings in general and in particular to all human beings suffering from wars and bombardments and bloodshed everywhere. A few years ago President Carter told us, ‘We are not in peace time. There are 12 different conflicts going on in the world.’ Now, I am sure there are hundreds. Truly speaking, there are only a few crazy leaders who make everybody suffer and they happen to have the upper hand. There is big daddy supporting them. Hopefully they will all be pacified and people are able to find peace and harmony and joy. May they find the joy has never known suffering. We also wish that for ourselves and our families. We wish that their illnesses may be cleared, that mental, physical and financial difficulties may be overcome and most importantly, that we all will awaken from the spell of ego and realize and recognize the great wisdom. Let us chant the Four Immeasurables three times and the migtsema three times.

Thank you so much.