Satisfied Buddhist - Domo Geshe Rinpoche

Eleventh in a series. For those who perceive the philosophical realities of True Paths, it is difficult to see past correct reasoning to the lack of inherent existence or essence. One must not give up True Paths in order to find its empty nature, but hold space for that correct dynamic with the path to transformation to emerge at the correct time. Point nine of Sage Chandrakirtis twenty; Emptiness of That Which is Beyond Extremes: “ That to which extremes do not apply is expressed as being beyond extremes. Its emptiness of its very self is explained as the emptiness of that which is beyond extremes ”. It is identified as that which is beyond extremes because it actually identifies the problems that exist. Since the Dharma contains the tools of “not this and not that”, dharma is acknowledged to be beyond the extremes of permanentism and nihilism. So, we do not give up the remedy because it describes the remedy, thinking that True Paths (higher functioning Dharma) might be the first...

Tenth in a series. Subtle forms that appear without the usual factors… I may be digressing from the official Buddhist interpretation, but I go on: Subtle forms that appears without the usual factors, such as long-lived beings having unknown origins or phenomena such as space that are seen by some to be the support of phenomena should not to be perceived as ultimate reality or permanent because they are empty of inherent existence. This includes God. This would have to include God. Chandrakirti states in his famous exposition Twenty Emptinesses, point eight; Emptiness of the Uncomposite: “ When arising, cessation and impermanence are not among its characteristics, a phenomenon is known as being uncomposited. They are empty of themselves. This is the emptiness of the uncomposite. ” One may object by noting that if there are no causes and conditions for forms or ideas to arise, it must mean that it is real. If the causes and conditions, the primary formula for identifying illusory ph...

Ninth in a series. I feel a strong sense of sharing in this series about the analysis of reality in order for many to benefit in the future by this teaching. The statements by the ancient Indian Buddhist sage Chandrakirti and my commentary are a step-by-step method to bring the meditator correctly and easily to a place where the mind has no place to settle in dysfunctional view. We now go on to ideas that are common at this point in the method. The mind is seeking solidity and comfort and that could be expressed as a wish to say, "Well, if I do not exist, then I take a sense of safety that the cosmos and the great constellations exist. I guess I do not care if I do not exist as long as that exists and I am okay just being an illusory speck within that cosmos. If that is the way it is, then that is the way it is." Chandrakirti says and I echo him. No! The cosmos and all of the stars, even the Hubble telescope do not exist in reality from their own side by having permanenc...

Eight in a series. Let us go directly to Chandrakirti point number seven of twenty: Emptiness of the Composite: “ Because they arise from conditions, the three realms are composite, it is taught. They are empty of themselves, and this, the Buddha taught, is the emptiness of the composite .” So, that means that all realms are held together in a complex structure comprised of primarily the needs of living beings that abide in them. Realms of humans, gods, and lower beings and in the animal, hungry ghost, and hell realms, arise from causes and conditions that facilitate their manifestation from energetic grid models in their interiors. In previous teachings I have given on how to be more effective doing world peace prayers as well as how the world actually exists, you might remember my explanation of how energetic grids act as transitional supports. Our particular realm has a certain kind of energetic grid that is a pre-manifestation of the human realm that we recognize as the ordin...

Seventh in a series. Emptiness of the Great: is point five of Chandrakirti Twenty Emptinesses “The great is what the ten directions encompass, all sentient beings and the entire universe. The immeasurables prove the directions' in finiteness. They pervade the limitless directions, so they cannot be measured in extent. That all ten directions in their whole vast extent are empty of essence is the emptiness of the great. The Buddha taught about its emptiness to reverse our concept of the vast as being real.” For the educated modern person, shock is a normal reaction to learning that all inner and outer events and forms and sense bases and even the emptiness are not anything you feel you were promised. This could have the effect then, of driving your awareness to seek refuge into the undifferentiated magnitude of living beings as real in their combined life force. That means all sentient beings as possessing something real. This sense of, “We are all one and that feels real”, i...

Sixth in a series. The very thing that your mind, holding the innate view, is trying to sit upon as the excellent support of it’s inquiry into valid cognition does not exist. That thing does not have a name. It is not called tree or body or self. It has no actual name, but it is something that you innately believe is there, and it is not! So, everything that has form cannot actually exist as form unless it is empty of essence. It is not the fault of form that it cannot provide you with the actual deep support that you energetically crave. Even more subtle forms such as a smoke, odors, and the sounds that surround you, and the impressions that are brought to you such as food and your interactions with it by tasting, are all equally unreliable as the excellent support of your craving for stability. Some wish to substitute the word matter instead of the word form. This is probably because matter, quite recently in fact, has been found to not be the solid thing we sense it is, and ev...

Fifth in a series. I remind you that our intention here is to develop the desire to enter into a certain state without foundation, and the purpose of the analysis is to drive your careful mind hither and thither seeking something that, upon specialized reflection, you cannot prove is actually there. In that way, your mind needs to release that grasp, but maintain a direction, like a specific trajectory that allows you to land into the actual process and the correct view. Chandrakirti states emptiness of the outer, “ For these reasons, form's nature is emptiness. Therefore, form is empty of being form”. We can do these mental exercises skillfully to achieve a state without foundation even though it happens naturally in highest yoga tantra deity practice. We do the exercises because we wish to participate more fully in transformative process in various methods at various times. What is addressed in other practices will emphasize perhaps a different dynamic than this analysis. Y...