Geshe Lobsang Choden
Vipassana Teaching Lesson 1
格西洛桑曲燈
勝觀 (毗缽舍那) 講授 第 1 課

Vipassana Teaching Lesson 1 English Translation

The Study of Vipassana (Insight Meditation)

2024-07-06

This lecture will cover the latter part of the Six Perfections outlined in the Lamrim (Stages of the Path to Enlightenment), specifically the final two: Concentration and Wisdom.

The first part, « The Rationale for Studying the Nature of Concentration (Samatha), » will not be detailed here. We will proceed directly to « The Rationale for Studying the Nature of Wisdom (Prajna/Vipassana). »

The rationale for studying the nature of Vipassana can be divided into two main categories:

1. Determining the Selflessness of Persons (pudgala-nairatmya)
2. Determining the Selflessness of Phenomena (dharma-nairatmya)

The first category, « Determining the Selflessness of Persons, » can be further subdivided into two stages of practice:

1. Meditating on Emptiness as Space in the Meditative State
2. Meditating on Emptiness as an Illusion in the Post-meditative State

The first of these, « Meditating on Emptiness as Space, » contains four core principles:

1. The Key Point of Identifying the Object of Negation (dge-bar ‘debs-pa)
2. The Key Point of Pervasion (khyab-pa)
3. The Key Point of Being Free from Oneness (gcig-pa dang bral-ba)
4. The Key Point of Being Free from Multiplicity (du-ma dang bral-ba)

We will explain these in detail in future lectures.

Vipassana practices can be categorized into two main types: worldly and supra-mundane.

Worldly Vipassana

Worldly Vipassana involves meditating on the coarse aspects of lower states and the subtle aspects of higher states to temporarily suppress afflictions like greed, hatred, and ignorance. However, this worldly path can only pacify afflictions, leading to a temporary inner calm, but it cannot uproot them permanently.

This is like a person who drinks to forget their sorrows; they are temporarily anesthetized, but once the effect wears off, they must face reality again. Similarly, using coarse and subtle meditations to suppress afflictions, while helpful for calming the mind, is not the ultimate path to liberation. This is not the practice we are aiming to learn, as it only offers a temporary cessation of suffering.

Supra-mundane Vipassana

Our ultimate goal is liberation and Buddhahood, which can only be achieved through supra-mundane Vipassana. This is the realization of the wisdom of selflessness, which leads to eternal bliss and the complete eradication of afflictions. The primary purpose of studying this supra-mundane wisdom is to permanently sever the root of all afflictions, which is self-grasping ignorance. Only through the wisdom that realizes emptiness can we completely uproot this ignorance and forever extinguish all afflictions.

Even for the most basic form of liberation, one must realize the wisdom of emptiness, as it is the only way to fundamentally counteract self-grasping ignorance. This is a crucial point for us to understand.

Two Essential Elements for Attaining Buddhahood

Simply cultivating compassion, bodhicitta, and practicing the bodhisattva deeds like generosity and ethical conduct, while accumulating merit, is insufficient. Without integrating the wisdom of emptiness into these practices, one cannot ultimately attain complete Buddhahood. We know that the path to enlightenment requires two great elements:

1. Extensive Deeds (Upaya, practicing bodhicitta and the bodhisattva deeds)
2. Profound View (prajna, realizing the wisdom of emptiness)

These two are like the wings of a bird; without both, one cannot fly to the other shore. Therefore, only by uniting skillful means and wisdom can one truly attain Buddhahood.

Je Tsongkhapa states in The Three Principal Aspects of the Path:

« Without the wisdom realizing reality, though you have renunciation and bodhicitta, you cannot cut the root of cyclic existence. Therefore, you must strive to understand dependent origination. »

This verse clearly shows that without the wisdom that truly comprehends and realizes the reality of all phenomena (i.e., the wisdom of selflessness), even diligently practicing renunciation and bodhicitta cannot sever the root of cyclic existence—self-grasping ignorance. Therefore, we must strive to understand the rationale of « dependent origination and emptiness » to achieve true liberation.

In fact, even before a direct realization of emptiness arises, a reasoned doubt about whether the « self » truly exists is enough to slightly weaken strong self-grasping. Buddhist scriptures compare this kind of doubt to « hail-damaged crops, » whose value is significantly reduced. Similarly, the power of self-grasping is diminished by this doubt.

The Union of Samatha and Vipassana

The Four Hundred Verses on the Middle Way says:

« If you have little merit, even doubt about this dharma is hard to arise. But even if you only doubt, you can still destroy cyclic existence. »

This means that if one has little merit, it is difficult even to generate doubt about emptiness or whether the « self » truly exists, because their self-grasping is too solid. However, once one can generate reasonable doubt about emptiness or the self, this doubt can shake the root of cyclic existence—self-grasping ignorance.

What we seek is the cessation of all afflictions, so we do not have to wander in the three realms due to karmic actions. Only by uprooting the source of cyclic existence—self-grasping ignorance—can we truly be liberated from samsara and the suffering of birth and death.

Generally, one does not necessarily have to achieve Samatha before practicing Vipassana. Although there is a sequence of « first practicing Samatha, then practicing Vipassana, » there are also cases of « first practicing Vipassana, then achieving Samatha. » Both paths are viable. In the former, one focuses on an object like the image of a Buddha or emptiness, cultivating single-pointed concentration until physical and mental pliancy are achieved, thus attaining Samatha. Then, one proceeds to cultivate the insight of emptiness, eventually achieving the union of Samatha and Vipassana.

Three Necessary Elements for Realizing Emptiness

To realize or understand emptiness, one must possess the following three elements:

• Relying on a Spiritual Teacher: We should seek out and listen to the teachings of a virtuous teacher who has truly realized the key points of the Buddhist scriptures and has a deep understanding of emptiness and the Madhyamaka view. We should also read many related scriptures and treatises, such as Nagarjuna’s Six Collections of Treatises on the Middle Way, Chandrakirti’s Entering the Middle Way, and Je Tsongkhapa’s treatises on Madhyamaka.
• Purifying Karmic Obstacles: For example, in his quest to realize emptiness, Je Tsongkhapa performed prostrations until his wrists bled and completed 350,000 recitations of the Confession to the Thirty-five Buddhas, a practice of purification, in order to pray for the realization of emptiness.
• Regarding the Guru as a Buddha and Praying for Blessings: To realize the correct view of emptiness, we must regard our teaching guru as no different from a Yidam. For example, to realize emptiness, we view our guru as inseparable from Manjushri. To cultivate great compassion, we view the guru as Avalokiteshvara. We must pray sincerely with unwavering faith from the depths of our heart.

The Buddha’s Skilful Means

The view of emptiness is a very profound and difficult teaching. It is generally accepted that the Buddha’s ultimate intent is the view of the Prasangika Madhyamaka, which states that « all phenomena are without inherent existence. »

However, the Buddha, based on the capacity and understanding of his audience, skillfully taught different levels of doctrine:

• For those with the capacity of the Hinayana traditions (such as the Sarvastivada), he taught the « selflessness of persons » (pudgala-nairatmya), while still accepting that phenomena have substantial existence.
• For his Yogachara (Mind-Only) disciples, he taught that « external objects are empty, but the inner consciousness is real, » proclaiming that « the three realms are mind only, and all phenomena are merely consciousness. »
• For Svatantrika Madhyamaka practitioners, he taught that all phenomena are « not substantially existent » while still accepting « inherent existence. »
• For those with the highest capacity (the Prasangika Madhyamaka), he taught that all phenomena are neither substantially existent nor inherently existent, in other words, « dependent origination and emptiness; all phenomena are without inherent existence. » This is the Buddha’s ultimate intention.

The reason the Buddha guided his followers in stages was out of fear that some people might fall into the nihilistic view if they were to hear that « all phenomena lack inherent existence. » They might mistakenly believe that karma, the Three Jewels, and the Four Noble Truths do not exist. This skillful approach was designed to attract and guide disciples of different capacities.

Nagarjuna and Chandrakirti

To truly comprehend the Buddha’s ultimate intention regarding the reality of all phenomena, one can read the Prajnaparamita Sutras, but their meaning is profound and difficult to understand. Therefore, it is necessary to rely on the treatises written by great Indian masters to comprehend the meaning of the emptiness taught by the Buddha.

The Buddha once prophesied,

« In the south, there will be a virtuous monk named Nagarjuna who will destroy the two extremes of existence and non-existence. »

This refers to Nagarjuna. If one truly wishes to be free from the extremes of eternalism and nihilism and realize the correct Madhyamaka view, one must rely on Nagarjuna, who was prophesied by the Buddha. His Six Collections of Treatises on the Middle Way are key to understanding emptiness.

However, in both India and Tibet, many who studied Nagarjuna’s Madhyamaka failed to fully grasp his view. For example, the Indian master Bhavaviveka, though he carried Nagarjuna’s name, his view leaned towards Svatantrika and did not fully align with Nagarjuna’s ultimate intention. In Tibet, there were also masters who misunderstood and even refuted Nagarjuna’s view. If one does not truly possess the correct Madhyamaka view transmitted by Nagarjuna, it may be difficult to ultimately sever the root of cyclic existence (self-grasping ignorance), as they would not have realized the ultimate reality of emptiness.

Chandrakirti says:

« Apart from the path of Acharya Nagarjuna, there is no other way to pacification. Losing both relative and ultimate truths, one cannot gain liberation. »

This verse emphasizes that without relying on Nagarjuna’s Madhyamaka view to understand both the conventional and ultimate truths, one cannot attain true liberation. Only through a direct realization of emptiness can one attain Nirvana and be liberated from cyclic existence. Therefore, only by relying on Nagarjuna’s correct Madhyamaka view can one truly embark on the path to liberation and Buddhahood.

If one can directly understand emptiness from Nagarjuna’s Fundamental Wisdom of the Middle Way, his Six Collections of Treatises, Aryadeva’s Four Hundred Verses, Bhavaviveka’s Prajnapradipa, and Chandrakirti’s Entering the Middle Way and Clear Words, that would be excellent. However, for most people, this is very difficult.

So, on which treatises should we rely to learn emptiness? Atisha said:

« How to realize emptiness, the Tathagata prophesied Nagarjuna. And the disciple who saw the ultimate reality, named Chandrakirti, by relying on his transmitted teachings, you can see the ultimate reality. »

This verse states that among Nagarjuna’s disciples, there was Chandrakirti, who had seen the ultimate reality of all phenomena. By relying on his teachings, one can also see the reality of all phenomena. Therefore, to truly comprehend emptiness, one should rely on Chandrakirti’s treatises. In Tibet, while many masters initially adopted Chandrakirti’s view, they sometimes skillfully employed different methods to guide disciples of varying capacities. However, if one fails to understand their skillful intent and misinterprets the ultimate view, it can lead to a mixed and impure lineage of views.

Je Tsongkhapa’s Journey to Realize the Ultimate View of Emptiness

When Je Tsongkhapa was studying emptiness in Tibet, he encountered difficulties. At that time, many views had become mixed with the ultimate view of the Prasangika Madhyamaka, and they were no longer pure. Tsongkhapa began to search for a virtuous teacher of the correct Madhyamaka view, but it was not a smooth journey; the scholars he visited were unable to help him truly comprehend the ultimate Madhyamaka view.

He once considered traveling to India to seek teachings from great masters like Acharya Dragpa. However, he was discouraged by the accomplished master Lhodrak Namkha Gyaltsen, who feared obstacles. Tsongkhapa abandoned this idea and, through Lhodrak Namkha Gyaltsen, conveyed his questions to Vajrapani. However, Vajrapani’s answers did not completely resolve his doubts about Madhyamaka. These accounts can be found in Je Tsongkhapa’s complete works in Answers to the Questions of Wonderful Nectar.

Ultimately, Je Tsongkhapa regarded his guru as inseparable from Manjushri and diligently practiced merit accumulation and purification. He eventually saw Manjushri in person. At that time, Tsongkhapa asked Manjushri about his doubts regarding Madhyamaka emptiness, as if one person were speaking to another. Manjushri gave many teachings, but some parts were still difficult to understand. The Bodhisattva instructed him to ask his guru, Rendawa, but also said that Rendawa might not be able to fully explain. Manjushri then instructed him to study diligently based on the teachings he had received, and he would eventually come to a complete understanding of the profound view of emptiness by studying the correct treatises of the great Indian sages.

Je Tsongkhapa followed these instructions, diligently practicing merit accumulation and purification, and delving into the treatises of the Indian masters. One night, he dreamt of the great Indian master Buddhapalita holding a treatise and giving him a blessing on the crown of his head. This treatise was Buddhapalita’s Buddhapalita Mulamadhyamakavrtti.

After this blessing, the next day, as Tsongkhapa was reading Buddhapalita Mulamadhyamakavrtti, a direct realization of the ultimate view of the Prasangika Madhyamaka arose in his mind. At that moment, he developed an incomparably firm faith in the Buddha, for the ultimate view that « all phenomena lack inherent existence » was indeed true and unfailing. Afterward, to praise the Buddha’s marvelous teaching of dependent origination and emptiness, Tsongkhapa composed In Praise of Dependent Origination to pay homage to the Blessed One.

Je Tsongkhapa’s Madhyamaka Treatises

Je Tsongkhapa’s meticulous search for and eventual realization of the ultimate Madhyamaka view are considered a valid source of his deep understanding of emptiness. His numerous treatises on Madhyamaka include the most famous ones:

• His explanation of the Fundamental Wisdom of the Middle Way, titled The Ocean of Reason: A Great Commentary on the Mūlamadhyamakakārikā
• The « Vipassana » chapter in The Great Treatise on the Stages of the Path to Enlightenment
• The « Vipassana » section in The Medium Treatise on the Stages of the Path to Enlightenment
• The Treatise on Distinguishing the Definitive from the Interpretive Meaning

We should rely on the treatises taught by Je Tsongkhapa to correctly understand his realization of the ultimate view of emptiness, which is equivalent to the Buddha’s ultimate intent regarding the emptiness of all phenomena. Only by realizing this ultimate view of emptiness can we, through its understanding and direct realization, be liberated from cyclic existence.

Conclusion

Today, we have introduced the view of emptiness that must be realized to attain liberation from cyclic existence, as well as the treatises we should rely on. This serves as a preliminary introduction before we formally begin to explain Vipassana.