Definition of the Week (27) – Generosity

Lama Tsong Khapa:

The definition of generosity is the virtuous intent to give.

It is generated by developing the antidote to miserliness and generating the wish to give away our possessions.

Definition of the Week (26) – Close Placement (of Wisdom) by Mindfulness on Phenomena

The definition of close placement (of wisdom) by mindfulness on phenomena is:
An exalted knower on the path, that is contained in either mindfulness or wisdom, and which meditates by investigating the general and specific characteristics of mental factors.

In short: Wisdom, a discriminating awareness is placed by mindfulness on the virtuous and non-virtuous mental factors, to investigate and differentiate their general and specific characteristics.

Focal object: The different mental factors.

They are thus either identified as belonging to the afflicted side and as object of abandonment, or as uncontaminated and belonging to the side of implementation. Through understanding that un-contaminated phenomena are the exact opposite to the afflicted mental factors, one understand that they are their only antidote, and be motivated to generate them.

Afflicted or uncontaminated, they are negated as being the self, or as belonging to an intrinsic self. They themselves are also recognized as lacking inherent nature.

Definition of the Week (25) – close placement (of wisdom) by mindfulness on mind

The definition of close placement (of wisdom) by mindfulness on mind is:
An exalted knower on the path, that is contained in either mindfulness or wisdom, and which meditates by investigating the general and specific characteristics of mind.

In short: Wisdom, a discriminating awareness is placed by mindfulness on mind, to investigate its general and specific characteristics.

Focal object: Mind is synonymous with primary consciousness, and has a sixfold division according to the six sense powers, five physical and one mental.

Purpose: To eliminate any type of mind as the self, and to then also realize the emptiness of the mind itself.

The placement of wisdom on the mind eliminates mind as the basis for a self through the analysis of its impermanence, lack of intrinsic existence etc. Through this the grasping at the mind is eliminated, and one can proceed to attain cessation without having any fear.

To just meditate on the clear nature of the mind does not harm ignorance

From the Debate between Wisdom and Ignorance:

Ignorance says to Wisdom:

The meditation without wandering from clear and knowing
Is seen as the pinnacle of placement meditation.
If one does not even attain liberation

Then omniscient consciousness is a joke. [212]
If meditation on clear and knowing
While being oblivious to anything else,
Is meditation on mind itself,

Since the mind and myself are inseparable [213]
It becomes a meditation on myself alone.
As the result of meditating on me
Not only is there no attainment of liberation,

The only thing that will happen [214]
Is that I will become stronger, nothing else.
Choden Rinpoche:
As we said earlier, some meditate on nothing else but the clear nature of the mind, without thinking or conceptualization. But because mind is an illusory conventional object, it comes with true-appearance, and therefore meditating on it will only strengthen true-grasping and does not benefit the attainment of liberation.

Definition of the Week (24) – Close Placement (of Wisdom) by Mindfulness on Feelings

The definition of close placement (of wisdom) by mindfulness on feelings:
An exalted knower on the path, that is contained in either mindfulness or wisdom, and which meditates by investigating the general and specific characteristics of feelings.

There are three types of feelings:

  • Happiness
  • Suffering
  • Equanimity

Wisdom, a discriminating awareness is placed by mindfulness on feelings, to investigate their general and specific characteristics.

The final purpose is to eliminate feeling as the basis of pleasure for the self.

General feelings are realized to be impermanent, produced by karma and afflictions, devoid of self and not belonging to any self. It is realized that contaminated feelings of happiness are in the nature of suffering, non-satisfactory, the cause of attachment and anger, and to be abandoned. Feelings are also investigated for their lack of inherent existence and their emptiness is realized.

It is also realized that there is only one feeling that will liberate from suffering, the feeling accompanying the wisdom realizing emptiness directly.

 

Definition of the Week (23) – Close Placement (of Wisdom) by Mindfulness – Body

The definition of close placement (of wisdom) by mindfulness:
An exalted knower on the path, that is contained in either mindfulness or wisdom, and which meditates by investigating the general and specific characteristics of the body.

Wisdom is placed continuously on the body by mindfulness and investigates the general characteristics of the body, such as its impermanence, its lack of self etc. It also investigates its specific characteristics, such as its impurity.

There are three types of body:

1. Outer body, i.e., forms etc., which do not support the sense powers.
2. Inner body, i.e., the five sense powers.
3. Body that is both, like the five forms that support the sense powers.
One immediate purpose of meditating the on the close placement of wisdom on the body by mindfulness is to understand the negative tendencies of the contaminated body, and to understand these as object of rejection.

Another purpose of meditating on the placement by mindfulness on the body is to eliminate the body as the basis of the self, i.e., to eliminate it as the residence of the self.

Definition of the Week (22) – Definition for a close Placement by Mindfulness

Jetsün Chokyi Gyaltsen:

The definition for a close placement by mindfulness is:

An exalted knower on the path, that is contained in either mindfulness or wisdom, and which meditates by investigating the general and specific characteristics of each of the four: Body, feelings, main consciousness and phenomena.

Vasubandhu in his Treasury of Knowledge (Abhisamayaalamkara):

“The close placement by mindfulness is wisdom.”

Examples for general characteristics: Impermanence, misery, empty and selfless.

Everything compounded is impermanent
Everything contaminated is misery
All phenomena are empty and selfless

Purpose of meditating on the four close placements:
To reject what has been identified by the four noble truths as that to be abandoned, and to integrate what has been identified by the four noble truth as that to be accepted.

The purpose of meditating on the four close placements (of wisdom) by mindfulness is to set us on the path by clearly identifying what is contained in the first two noble truths, and rejecting this, and by identifying what is contained in the second two noble truths and aspiring towards them.

Realizing the four noble truths in relation to ourselves generates renunciation, and realizing them in relation to others generates compassion.

Definition of the Week (21) – The Definition of the enlightened Activity of the Dharma Kaya

Jetsün Chokyi Gyaltsen:

A white quality arisen through the activity of its causal condition of a wisdom truth body is the definition of the enlightened activity of the dharma kaya.

There are two:

  1. The enlightened activity existing on the object, such as the virtue in the continuum of the disciples.
  2. The enlightened activity existing on the creator, such as the virtue contained in the continuum of the Buddha himself.

More extensively there are the twenty-seven kinds of enlightened activities, which can be summed up in three:

  1. Placing the disciple on the basis of the path.
  2. Placing the disciple on the path.
  3. Placing the disciple on the result.

Definition of the Week (20) – The Emanation Body of a Buddha

Jetsün Chokyi Gyaltsen:

Definition of the emanation body of a buddha: A final form body not endowed with the five certainties.

Divisions:

  1. The artisan emanation body; e.g., the musician emanated to subdue the Gandava king.
  2. The born emanation body; e.g., animal-like emanations.
  3. The emanation body of great enlightenment; e.g., Amithaba.
  4. The supreme emanation body; e.g., Shakyamuni Buddha.

Panchen Losang Choky Gyaltsen:

Compassionate prayers and the wishes 9d

Of those to be subdued – due to this collection of causes, 10
The truth body, enjoyment body, emanation body,
As well as the grounds, paths, qualities, activities and so forth,
Exist, but only in mere appearance.

They are not seen as existing in reality. 11

Choden Rinpoche:

“The truth body that never arises from emptiness is a transcendental wisdom in single pointed equipoise on emptiness. Due to the compassion of Shakyamuni Buddha and the prayers of the disciples it arises as a physical body in accordance with the wishes of the disciples.

Due to the presence of the three conditions of compassion, the disciples prayers and wishes it arises in the aspect of the emanation body, enjoyment body, the twenty-seven enlightened activities and so forth. Due to the wishes of the disciples to some it appears in the aspect of Yamantaka, for others again in the aspect of a bikkhu as Shakyamuni Buddha. To yet others, to which he cannot appear like this, he appears as the virtuous friend.

From Shakyamuni Buddha’s own side exists absolutely no thought of ‘I shall appear like this to this person’, or ‘it is unsuitable to appear to that person like that’. For example, when the moon shines in the sky, it appears different in different bodies of water. The moon appears in different grades of clarity according to the different purities of the water. But the moon from his side has no thought of ‘Here I shall appear clearer and here not’, but relative to the clarity of the water the moon appears in some bodies of water clearer as in others. Similarly, also Shakyamuni Buddha appears different to different disciples according to their minds and dispositions.

The qualities of the grounds and paths, i.e. the ten grounds and five paths contained in the disciples’ continuums, and the enlightened activities and so forth, do not at all exist from their own side but are a mere appearance to conceptual thought, a mere imputation by name. They are not seen as existing in meaning. Any virtue that is generated in the disciples’ continuums is regarded as enlightened activity of the buddhas.

All phenomena, starting from the dharmas on the level of enlightenment down to the phenomena contained in cyclic existence, they all do not exist truly, they do not have a self, they do not exist from their own side. If one asks how they exist, they exist as mere appearances to thought, as mere imputations by name, and in no other way.”

Definition of the Week (19) – The Enjoyment Body of a Buddha

Jetsün Chokyi Gyaltsen:

Definition of the enjoyment body of a buddha: A final form body endowed with the five certainties.

The five certainties:

1. Certainty of place: Resides only in Ogmin.
2. Certainty of body: Adorned with all the marks and signs.
3. Certainty of speech: Teaches only the Mahayana dharma.
4. Certainty of retinue: Surrounded only by superior bodhisattvas.
5. Certainty of time: Remains until the end of cyclic existence.

Definition of the Week (18) – Definition of Buddha lineage

Jetsün Chokyi Gyaltsen:

Definition of buddha lineage: That suitable to transform into one of the bodies of a buddha.

E.g., the emptiness of the mind of clear light is suitable to transform into the nature-truth body, and the mind of clear light is suitable to transform into the wisdom-truth body.

The mental afflictions are not suitable to transform into any of the bodies of a buddha.

Definition of the Week (17) – The Wisdom-Truth Body

Jetsün Chokyi Gyaltsen:

Definition of the wisdom-truth body:

An exalted knower that is final, relative to seeing both suchness and the world of multiplicity.

The clear and knowing nature of the clear light mind is the conventional buddha nature, and is suitable to transform into the dharma kaya.

Non-abiding nirvana: Analytical cessation free from the two obscurations. Synonymous with the truth of cessation in the continuum of a buddha.

“Non-abiding” because of not abiding in the extremes of existence and peace. Non abiding in the two extremes, but always abiding in meditative equipoise on emptiness, even while walking, eating or drinking.

Definition (of the Week 16) – The Nature-Truth Body

Jetsün Chokyi Gyaltsen:

Definition of the nature-truth body: A final sphere endowed with the two purities.

Divisions:
The nature-truth body being the natural purity.
The nature-truth body being the adventitious purity.

The natural purity is the absence of inherent existence of the enlightened mind, and the adventitious purity is the abandonment of the two obscurations attained through the power of the antidote.

The emptiness of a mind with obscurations becomes the nature-truth body with the attainment of enlightenment, but it already possesses the natural purity of the absence of inherent existence. (Translated this means the sky is the limit)

Definition (of the Week 15) – Buddha Nature

Jetsün Chokyi Gyaltsen:

Definition of naturally abiding buddha nature:

“The emptiness of a mind with obscurations, and being suitable to transform into the nature truth body.

Naturally abiding lineage is like the unknown treasure hidden in the ground of the poor farmer’s court yard. Once the gods tell the farmer family about the treasure hidden in their ground, they can use it. Similarly, buddha nature is hidden in our mind, and once the buddhas have told us about it we can use it.”

Definition(s) of the Week (14) – Non-attachment – Non-hatred – Non-Ignorance

Based on Asagha’s Compendium of Knowledge:

Non-attachment
Non-attachment is a consciousness endowed with renunciation that lacks attachment to samsara and samsaric perfections.

Non-hatred
Non-hatred is a consciousness lacking the intent of harm towards sentient beings, sufferings and the sources of suffering. It has eliminated the generation of hatred.

Non-ignorance
Non-ignorance is a discerning understanding that arises from the practice of listening to the teachings, contemplating the meaning of what one has heard and meditating on the contemplated meaning. It can also arise through birth as the ripening of karma.

Yeshe Gyaltsen:
“Non-Attachment, Non-Hatred and Non-Ignorance
These three mental factors are the heart of the path to enlightenment as all grounds and paths are for the purpose of overcoming the three poisons of attachment, anger and ignorance.”

Whenever one generates a meditative state it should be accompanied by at least one of these three mental states.

Definition of the Week (13) – Truth of the Path

Jetsün Chokyi Gyaltsen:
“Truth of the Path: A truth characterised by possessing the aspects of path, suitability, accomplishment and definitely liberating, and belonging to the completely purified side.”

Gyaltsab Je:
Truth of the Path
One is mistaken with regards to the truth of the path by thinking that:
– a path to liberation is non-existent,
– thinking that meditation on selflessness isn’t suitable to be the path,
– holding certain meditative absorptions alone to be the path to liberation
– holding a path reversing suffering to be non-existent.

Understanding the four aspects of the noble truth of the path, which are path, suitable, accomplishment and definitely liberating, counteracts those misconceptions.

Take the subject wisdom directly realising selflessness

  • it is the aspect of path – because it is a path progressing towards liberation
  • it is the aspect of suitable – because it is the direct antidote against the afflictions
  • it is the aspect of accomplishment – because it is a transcendental wisdom directly realising minds final nature
  • it is the aspect of definitely liberating – because it is the antidote irreversibly eliminating the afflictions.