Class 7 - Emptiness as Antidote to Obstacles to Diligence

Download PDF's of Class Handouts, Notes, and MP3 Tracks from the 7TH class of Fall 2012 term held on Friday, October 5.

DOWNLOAD Handouts - text for Class 7:

2012 Fall Handout 7

2012 Fall Handout 8

ALL FALL 2012 PDF Handouts are HERE.

DOWNLOAD MP3 TRACKS:

Track 1 - Review Explanation of Diligence from the Lam Rim Chenmo:

• Generating and Sustaining Diligence by reflecting on antidotes to their obstacles (three types of laziness)

Track 2 - Review Class 6 [HANDOUT 7]

Three Types of Diligence per Ornament for Clear Realizations:

Explanations by Haribadhra and Gyaltsab Je's commentaries on Ornament for Clear Realizations re: Antidotes to Obstacles to Generating & Sustaining Joy in Practice:

Instructions on Eliminating Manifest Discordant Factors, i.e., Negativities:

1. Instructions on the Causes for Non-Degeneration of one's Practice, i.e., for developing the Diligence of Non-Adherence.
2. Instructions on the Causes for Increasing one's Practice, i.e., for developing the Diligence of Non-Weariness.
3. Instructions on the Causes for Not Falling into the Hinayana [Vehicle], i.e., to sustain the Diligence of Thoroughly Upholding the [Mahayana] Path.

• Our Attachments that serve as Obstacles to Developing Practice arise from our pleasant/happy experiences (that ironically are products of past virtuous activities).
• Our Weariness and Boredom are Obstacles to Sustaining Practice.

Explanation of the 3 Instructions:

(1) Causes for Degeneration of one's Practice, i.e., for developing Obstacles to the Diligence of Non-Adherence per Haribahadra - Attachment.

Antidote to those Obstacles:  Realizing Emptiness - at least Remember:

“Phenomena (objects, feelings, people, the Self, etc. ) do not exist the way they appear to me to exist"

Track 3 - [HANDOUT 8] - Realizing Emptiness is Antidote to Laziness of Adhering to Negative Actions.

(2) Diligence of Non-Weariness:  Causes for Increasing one's Practice by Countering Laziness of Feeling Disheartened.

It is easier to understand that an object doesn’t truly exist than to understand that the mind that perceives the object also doesn’t truly exist.

Track 4 - Antidote to Laziness of Discouragement arisen from Grasping after Inherently Existing Lack of Attainment after (Eons) of Practice:

• Realize the Emptiness of Buddhahood by realizing the Emptiness of all phenomena.

• How to Conceptually Realize the Emptiness of All Phenomena & Avoid Discouragement:

• Two types of Selfless Objects: 
• Selflessness of the ‘I’, & 
• Selflessness of anything that is not the ‘I’.

Is it necessary to realize the Emptiness of one or the other first?  Is it better to only meditate on one object to generate conceptual understanding?

To understand Emptiness use the following syllogistic formula: 

                A (any object) is B (not inherently existent) because C (reasoning).

E.g.,  A (this Internet page) is B (not truly/inherently existent) because C (it is dependently originated).

Analyze any and many objects (A) using many different analyses (C) to determine whether or not (B) they exist in the manner in which they appear, i.e., whether or not they are truly/inherently existent or merely imputedly existent.

Examples of A (objects) to analyze:  Actions (walking, meditating), Persons (my Self, others), External Objects, Mental Objects (conceptual ideas –freedom, enlightenment, anger, boredom).

Examples of C:  All phenomena are dependently arisen, do not exist solidly, are impermanent (constantly changing) if they have parts, are neither one or many.

Questions & Answers


NOTES of Class 7 (Oct 5) rough draft transcript of class offered for what it's worth.  

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This is the 7TH class of the Fall 2012 term Perfection of Wisdom course
which addresses Diligence (Joyous Effort), the 4th-10th sub-topics of the 2nd Topic (Mahayana Practice Instructions) of Chapter 1 of Maitreya's
Ornament for Clear Realizations - Abhisamayalamkara.