Class 30 - Middle Way Autonomy (Madhyamaka Svatantrika) tenets

Download PDF's of HANDOUT and MP3 Tracks from the 30th class of Spring 2011 term held on Monday, June 20:

DOWNLOAD Handouts referred to in Class (Handouts are based on Je Tsong Khapa's Illumination of the Thought):

2011 Handout 19 - Explaining the Category of the Conventional Relative to the World:  Chart of Chapter 1 of the Ornament for Clear Realizations' Ten Topic & the 10 Mahayana Practice Instructions of the 2d Topic, and more.

2011 Handout 20 -  a) Explaining, by Means of the Category of the Two Truths, that All Phenomena Have Two Entities;  b) Another Presentation of the Two Truths.

ALL SPRING 2011 HANDOUTS & CHARTS are HERE.

DOWNLOAD MP3 TRACKS:

Track 1 - Middle Way-Consequentialist / Madhyamika Prasangika view of deceptive Conventional Truth "relative to the World".  Mind. Buddha Nature.

• Everyday we are confused by mistaken perception of how phenomena events exist conventionally.

Middle Way-Autonomy / Madhyamika Svatantika's (skillfully taught to lead to higher view) response to fear that Middle Way Consequentialist / Madhyamika Prasangika assertions that'mere mutation' leads to nothing exists; that the only reason phenomena do exist is that they are imputed, dependently arisen.
Autonomy asserts that although the person is imputed, however when you look for the essence of the Self/Person, something is found - the mental consciousness.

Track 2 - Handout 19 - Madhyamika Svatantrika / Middle Way Autonomy Tenets - Explaining the Category of the Conventional Relative to the World.

• Imputation of 'nations', 'money', etc., is not difficult to understand.
• For Middle Way-Autonomy / Madhyamika Svatantika no phenomena Truly Exist. Fearing extreme of nihilism, they assert that all phenomena do exist intrinsically / inherently. 
• Thus conventional direct perceivers, e.g., eye consciousnesses, are not mistaken regarding the appearance of inherent existence of, e.g., a sprout.  
• True existence' does not appear to sense consciousnesses. 
• Nonetheless, e.g., a sprout, does not exist independently, without appearing to a non-defective awareness.  The Emptiness of a phenomena is its lack of existing without appearing to a non-defective awareness.

• Questions & Answers.

Track 3 - Handout 19, p. 2 - Autonomy / Svatantrika tenets.

• "Hence, all conventional direct perceivers are non-mistaken awarenesses regarding the ultimate nature of their main objects so that conventional truths do not have the same deceptive nature as ascribed to them by the proponents of the Prasangika tenet."
• With respect to its ultimate nature, there is no mistake.  True Existence only appears to mental consciousnesses, not sense consciousnesses. 

• Questions & Answers. 
• Applying class material to practice.  Contemplate implications of holding Svatantrika Views.

Track 4 - Continue Handout 19, p.2.

•  Prasangika / Consequentialist assertion.
•  Svatantrika / Autonomy - Two Categories of Conventional Truth: 
• Correct/True Conventional Truths - functioning things like pot.
• Wrong/unreal Conventional Truths -  mirage, echos, rainbows, etc.

• Questions & Answers. 

Track 5 - Sub-divisions of Middle Way-Autonomy:  Sutra (Sutantrika Svatantrika Madhyamika) & Yogic Practitioner (Yogacara Svatantrika Madhyamika).

• In contrast to Mind Only, Middle Way-Autonomy-Sutra tenets assert external existence.  
• Middle Way-Autonomy Yogacara follows Mind Only-Cittamatrin tenets in denying external existence.  
• Yogacara differs from Mind Only tenets, which asserts that mind is Truly Existent. 
• For Yogacara, all sense direct perceives are mistaken because their main objects appear to exist externally but do not exist in that way."

• Autonomy/Svatantrika's division of Conventional Truths as either Correct or Wrong.

Handout 20 - Consequentialist/Prasangika denies Autonomy/Svantantirka's 2-fold division of Conventional Truths into Correct Conventional Truth or Wrong Conventional Truth:

• All Conventional Truths are deceptive so there is no division into True & Wrong Conventional Truth.  
• Deceptive nature of phenomena is not from the side of the object; but the mind's mistaken perception of Conventional Truth.
• Once a mind directly perceives Ultimate Truth, that mind is not fooled anymore although conceptual realization of Emptiness still perceives that Emptiness as inherently existing.
• "[R]elative to the perspective of the world objects which are not Ultimate Truths can be categorized into those that are true and those that are unreal."
• "[A]s conventional phenomena can in general be categorized into subjects (awarenesses) and objects (objects of those awarenesses) likewise there are:
• Subjects (awarenesses) that are True and Unreal relative to the perspective of the world, and
• Objects (objects of those awarenesses) that are True and Unreal relative to the perspective of the world.

• Questions & Answers.

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This is the 10th class of the Perfection of Wisdom course addressing the Two Truths, the 1st sub-topic of the 2nd Topic (Mahayana Practice Instructions) of Chapter 1 of Maitreya's Ornament for Clear Realizations.