Satisfied Buddhist - Domo Geshe Rinpoche

Part 3 The next question I ask on your behalf is,” How do bodhisattvas maintain the equilibrium of seeing things as they are, empty of inherent existence, and still see the point of view of suffering sentient beings? ” The nature of the perfected state is creativity, otherwise how could it possibly help you become free? Bodhisattva activity is supramundane creativity, aligning others with higher being and purifying with joyful energies. There are different classes of bodhisattvas, and most of these enlightened beings do not approach the sense fields of ordinary beings out of a correct concern of being imprinted by ordinary mind. This is possible due to holding compassion so they can heal the injured energies of the suffering being without taking on characteristics of illusory karma. This can be a problem for the new bodhisattva who still contains stains of ordinary experience even though the production of dysfunctions is gone due to enlightenment. This is especially true when new pr...

part 2 Let us leave aside how ordinary people see compassion, and think a bit about correct training in the human development of compassion and other higher levels. So, there are training stages possible; correct human compassion, then compassion training of the learner bodhisattvas, and finally, training in Great Compassion that comes from the perfected state. Human beings are capable of learning correct uses of their outer bases or outer/inner bases in order to understand correct compassion. The outer sense bases are eye, ear etc connected to inner eye, inner ear up to consciousness/awareness interacting with self, others and the environment. This activity is almost always restlessly processing energetic data into meaning to be used as inner strategy for being alive where the primary awareness resides (whatever level that might be). This data easily becomes polluted by anger, trauma and other dysfunctions that prevent the altruistic motivation of compassion to be alive. The healin...

part 1 We now turn the discussion to compassion of bodhisattva wisdom after completing Twenty Emptinesses of Chandrakirti. This important clarification of Nagarjuna's thinking answered many questions that arose at that early time in relation to Nagarjuna's new middle way philosophy describing the nature of reality. The writings and teachings of Chandrakirti are equally important to the writings and teachings of Nagarjuna. So much so, that many feel that without Chandrakirti, Nagarjuna's presentation would have been lost due to the difficulty of understanding what he meant. For those of you who have ever opened a book by Nagarjuna, respected it profoundly but not understand it, Chandrakirti did us a great service. We also discover in his writings that he was not just parroting or struggling to understand what Nagarjuna said. Chandrakirti had original thinking and opened up new levels of inquiry. So, now you might also have questions regarding Chandrakirti or my comment...

Fifteenth in a series. Number Sixteen of Chandrakirits exposition Twenty Emptinesses: Emptiness That is the Absence of Entities: “ Since an entity arises from causes and conditions, it lacks the nature of being a composite. This emptiness of there being anything that is a composite is the emptiness that is the absence of entities ”. Entity is the self, the person or the object that arises due to causes and conditions that transcends the gathering of elements by giving it a name. What manifests as a single object does so in dependence on causes and conditions. For example, what is called a chariot is a single object that is different from the parts of the chariot even though it arises from the assembly of the parts. It did not exist as a chariot until all the parts were assembled, and the chariot disappears when the parts are disassembled, isn't that so? Therefore, it is not a true composite such as an assembly of parts that remain unnamed even though it may look like a char...

Fourteenth in a series. Even though systems such as science, eighteen dharmas, sacred geometry, chakras, and more describe in detail the minute distinctions between abstruse points while defining phenomena, the results of that specialized study and scientific inquiry will not cause what is transitory to be intrinsically real. There are often implied affirmations that the methods are wisdom truth devices that reveal the knowledge of true reality. Even sophisticated techniques considered secret or esoteric are empty of existence from their own side and are products of arising depending upon other elements, causes, and conditions. So, even if you created a machine that could tap dance on a star while we watched here from earth by magical means, and no one else knows how to do it but you, still it is empty of inherent existence from its own side. It is a product depending upon other elements, causes, and conditions. Great Sage Chandrakirti states in his analysis to ascertain reality poi...

Thirteen in a series . One of the obstacles to understanding reality is that your grasping is attached to your innate view that binds it to a compulsion to see it as real. It is then you will attempt to subjugate the analysis of ascertaining reality to your present understanding of your innate view as a demand for reality to be understood filtered through your innate view that you are not willing to give up. There is no transitional view to the emptiness of true nature. We cannot present a semi-truth other than the words that I use and what you are experiencing while reading these words that explain the nature of what you have not yet understood. This also includes the movement of your mind and thinking about how you feel about the experience " Well, I would like, and then it must…no, it is not that, and then oh, well I cannot…. " This activity of perception stimulating mental and energetic structures acts as a transitional view toward your understanding the nature of all ...

Twelfth in a series There are virtuous objects that are connected to preparation practices for transformation such as Buddha statues, holy texts, and one's lama guiding your progress. Other phenomena not to be discarded are bodhichitta motivation, your meditation practice, and taking responsibility for what you have promised and are able to accomplish in virtue such as Dharma service. This begins the commentary of point number Eleven, of twenty emptinesses analysis to ascertain reality by Chandrakirti. Emptiness of what should not be discarded. “What should not be discarded is empty of itself since this emptiness is its very nature. It is spoken of as the emptiness of what should not be discarded”. During analysis or eventually while meditating you are expected to enter into perceptual dissolution, the state without foundation which is closer to how things actually exist in their own nature. The fact that they do exist in the conventional sense continues to act as a support...