When Buddha was asked to teach, he introduced his students to his teachings with the Four Noble Truths, which address the conditions of all beings. One can approach them in different ways, for instance, by examining the structure and the philosophy behind them, but this would take quite some time. Today I would just like to say something about their meaning for the lives of people and for all beings. Buddha addressed four points: suffering, the reason for suffering, i.e., cause and effect, the end of suffering, and the right way to this goal. Everything he taught around this, he had already examined and realized himself.
I want to speak about how I have understood this topic myself without claiming that this is absolutely correct. Sometimes it is important to share with each other what one has experienced and discovered for oneself, even if one hasn’t fully realized it. Through study and practice you will come to know various ways for arriving at an understanding.
Buddha’s teachings are very natural. They explain in a simple way how things are, and it is always about the fundamental essence of all things. If we compare commentaries on the Four Noble Truths and their essential meaning, then we see that they are not just literature or philosophy but that they always have meaning for individuals. One might think that all these teachings are poetry or rituals and thus far removed from our lives. I used to think in this way myself. However, if one practices and examines the situation, one recognizes that Buddha always spoke directly about the conditions of our lives, our future and our own potential. If one can see this, then the teachings on the Four Noble Truths take on a lot of meaning.
Nobody wants to experience suffering. Nobody wants to live in poor conditions and everybody wants to know how they can maintain good conditions. In this world, you can see that some people live in very bad conditions.
The lives of beings vary greatly, and there are a number of situations which can influence them strongly. Many situations appear very exciting and attractive at first glance, but they ultimately lead to very poor living conditions. What can one do to ensure one’s life goes well? The answer is the practice, the path where one learns something and then applies this in life.
Buddha also spoke about the ultimate goal, that one would never again experience something bad. For this, we use the word “enlightenment,” and that means that mind is no longer disturbed by obstacles, that it is completely clear. With this clear mind, there is no longer a cause for suffering; one will no longer experience anything bad, one is free.
This is actually pretty simple, but we have never experienced a state of mind like this, so we cannot necessarily understand it. Sometimes there are historical reasons why the practices often seem complicated to us. Buddha’s teachings spread in various cultures and came in contact with different religions and various living conditions. The teachings adapted accordingly, and cultural aspects are not always easy to understand. That’s why I like to talk about what Buddha said himself, about the actual meaning of his teachings, and how one applies them individually. Then, we can look and see how it can be adapted to our culture and habits so that it can be used here as well.
We find Buddha’s teachings in Tibet, China, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Japan and so on. The essence of the teachings is the same everywhere, but cultural habits have been added in each country. For those interested in Buddhism, this can be confusing at first. But those who are really interested will not be misled by this.
We are speaking here of two different levels: the first is essentially about how one frees oneself from suffering and therefore concentrates on the practice, and the other is about benefit on the relative level. And this differs in different countries through Buddhism’s adaptation to different ways of living and according to one’s own preferences. With this understanding, it becomes easier to learn the practices, to use them, and to understand them.
Buddha spoke about suffering as well as about the end of suffering: enlightenment. I think it is important and interesting to think about and understand this. Buddha explained the cause of suffering in a different way than the religions and philosophies of the time did. Buddha had originally been a prince, had enjoyed a good education and the general teachings of the time were well known to him. He had good teachers and knew the philosophies, astrology and arts, which were based on Hinduism. But he was very intelligent and could not find a satisfactory answer to his big questions. That is why he went into meditation and afterward explained that the cause of suffering was the attachment to a self.
All buddhas explain it like this. It is a part of our human nature to always focus on ourselves and one will continually experience suffering until one has understood that there is no basis for attachment to a self. To become enlightened like the Buddha, all one really needs to do is change one’s way of thinking. Once you understand that it is meaningless to hold onto the idea of an “I,” then it completely changes you. But it is not so easy. We cannot artificially produce this understanding or force it in some way. One has to discover it for oneself. Here is a simple example. Imagine that we are very attached to a diamond. Generally, a diamond is considered very valuable, and we believe this. But when we look at it more closely, it is only a stone from Africa. It only becomes a precious stone if everybody thinks of it like this. It is the same with attachment to a self, which makes things so complicated. The Buddha taught that when we stop clinging to the self, then all the problems dissolve on their own.
Becoming “free of a self,” however, can sound frightening for many people. Clinging to a self is simply human nature. While we do want to be free of suffering, when we hear that we have to become free of a self, then this could be frightening for many of us. Many can accept this, but others are afraid of it. While each person does have the same potential, there are differences in individual habits, knowledge and possibilities. Buddha gave many different teachings because beings’ abilities to follow the teachings can vary greatly.
These teachings have been around for centuries, and a certain structure with numerous levels has evolved. For many people, it is easy to work with them right away, but others need more time to really arrive at the essence of the methods. I don’t know how the teachings are applied in other Buddhist countries, but in Tibetan Buddhism, one takes a lot of time for the preparations. I think one needs a lot of time to practice the dharma in a manner that fits one’s own society. Spain and France, for instance, have a strong Catholic background, and for this reason, it is easier for people there to accept the dharma if it is presented in a familiar form. If it feels foreign or exotic, then some might be able to accept it, but many will not. For such countries, the many pujas and rituals from Tibet are very good.
There are these two aspects: taking local factors into account and actually applying Buddhism. If we really go to the essence, which Buddha taught as the first points when he introduced the dharma, then there are two things that are important: While we all know what suffering is, we do not know the cause of suffering. That is why the Buddha taught this in his first explanations. Then he spoke about the result of the path, Buddhahood, liberation from suffering, and gave a number of different practices which correspond to the mental abilities of different listeners.
First, it is about the cause of suffering and the result of the path, namely, becoming free of suffering. Everybody can achieve this. The explanations about where the problems come from have to do with the so-called relative reality. Basically, it has to do with cause and effect. The cause is due to an illusion, and this is based on ignorance about ourselves. One does not understand how one’s own mind functions; thus, the mind simply follows the emotions. Our actions are guided by the illusions we consider real and by our ignorance and are thus unpredictable. Sometimes, our actions are positive and bring about good effects, while other times, they are wrong and create negative results.
Clinging to the idea of a self basically creates all of our problems. All kinds of situations lead to feelings, which we consider real and we act accordingly. Sometimes we are right, and sometimes we are not, and we get corresponding results. But all that is impermanent and will pass. Buddha’s view is that our suffering, as well as our happiness, continually change. The question that arises is what one can do with these problems. The answer is again that once one becomes completely aware of how unnecessary it is to cling to the self, then one becomes liberated through this recognition. We all have similar ideas about how we can become happy, and each person follows his own preferences. Many people want to become rich because they think that will make them happy. Others try politics and think they could become happy with power. And others look to literature or to philosophy. Everybody follows his personal ideas and believes that once he obtains that which he seeks then he will be completely happy. Buddha’s teachings, however, say that there will actually be suffering again regardless of what one has achieved. One may even suffer more, because one has to protect that which one has accumulated. One is caught in a deep illusion: one wants to be free and happy, but as soon as one get what one wants, one will actually have more suffering.
Buddha’s teachings on suffering are not just about the little things that happen every day that cause trouble. That is included as well, but it is really about the fundamental issues. We try all kinds of solutions to end suffering. Depending on which feelings are involved, this can also mean that one performs negative actions because one does not know better. Sooner or later, negative actions lead to bad circumstances in life.
The explanations on relative reality describe how everything that we experience arises, namely the interdependence of cause and effect. This topic also helps us to gain clarity about our own feelings, such as attachment, anger, dualistic experience, jealousy and pride. When we don’t understand how they arise, then we consider them real and continue as usual. When we really see what is happening in the mind, then we can work with this. We can then change ourselves, better understand things and avoid many unpleasant things and situations. This recognition makes us able to understand that one doesn’t have to chase after everything. For instance, there are certain substances that many people like to take. Once it becomes clear that they are harmful, then one should stop using them. It is similar with one’s feelings. Some we like and some we don’t. But when we really look, we see that everything that we experience is conditioned by our expectations and attachments. When we discover that the ego is involved, then we let the feelings go.
We encounter the term “illusion” again and again. In Tibet, this means that one holds on to one’s own ideas, although they don’t necessarily correspond to reality. Illusion means that I consider my own understanding to be true without seeing that it is conditioned by my own mental situation, by attachment to the self. Recognizing this comes with meditation and takes some time. When one really understand this, then one doesn’t take everything so seriously any more. One is no longer so constricted by one’s own perception, illusions and convictions. Instead one sees how things really are, such as with the diamonds, which really are just stones.
In the fourth part of the Karma Kagyü Foundational Practices, Guru Yoga, there is the sentence “Dagdzin lo yi tong war djin gyi lob.” “Djin gyi lob” means please give me your blessing. “Dagdzin” means self-attachment and “lo yi tong war” means that one sees this oneself. The whole sentence means: give me your blessing so that my mind can see my self-attachment. It is one of the most important sentences in the Foundational Practices. By thinking about myself, I can realize more about myself and can become more free.
We develop on the path in the way that we listen to the teachings, meditate and come closer to the truth. But there is also the possibility that we can connect with the Karmapa, that our mind changes through his blessing, that we can see things more clearly and become more certain. We don’t try to talk ourselves into something or believe what other people say, but instead we recognize the truth in our own minds and become increasingly certain about this. When this experience becomes constant, then that is almost enlightenment [Rinpoche laughs].
In Buddhism, there are three different paths for the practice, according to what kind of person one is: Theravada, the Great Way, and building on these, the Diamond Way. When we use the methods of the Diamond Way, there are special possibilities for practice. Here one focuses on the buddhas and the great masters. These masters have taken the bodhisattva path and allow themselves to be reborn and give teachings according to the capacities of the people. Concentrating on this and following these masters is one possibility to proceed on the path.
In the Karma Kagyü lineage, we focus on the Karmapa, an enlightened Bodhisattva, who appears in the world as a normal person. In Tibet, he showed that it is possible to be consciously reborn for the benefit of others. After his death, the 1st Karmapa was reborn as the 2nd Karmapa and was thus able to inspire his students. It is difficult to practice in such a way that one can achieve full enlightenment in just one lifetime. But one can follow the example of the bodhisattvas and develop oneself over the course of several lifetimes. One practices the bodhisattva attitude and lifestyle and learns to deal with all the difficulties that can arise. The examples of bodhisattvas can inspire us greatly in our lives and many people follow such role models.
The four schools of Tibetan Buddhism all basically teach this way. In the Karma Kagyü lineage, we focus on the Karmapa, whom some of us experienced in his 16th incarnation and who returned as the 17th Karmapa. At first, we just see an ordinary person in front of us and hear that it is good to have trust in him. However, when one has the opportunity to come in contact with him, one can see and experience from day to day many things, often very subtle, which give one a greater understanding. One thinks about it and works with it and to the degree that one can apply that in one’s life, one is gradually introduced to the nature of the mind.
This also protects one from many difficulties. Many have to do with our mental perception and others, the way we deal with life. We increasingly recognize which actions are negative and can thus avoid them. Sometimes we cannot completely avoid them, but we can find solutions, a remedy. Each incarnation of the Karmapa gave people skillful means in connection with Guru Yoga practices, empowerments and other practices to help them. Karmapa made it easy for individuals to apply the methods and, according to the times, to achieve results quickly and to continually develop. In a normal human life, we cannot completely avoid many unfavorable situations. But we have the path and the methods to change things and the various remedies which the practices offer us.
From the time of the 1st Karmapa until today, there have been students who have followed this profound path. From written history, we know a little bit about how they did this. They followed the path very earnestly, were connected to Karmapa over many lifetimes, and supported his activity.
They continued working towards enlightenment and certainly had a few difficulties along the way. For certain, it was not possible to follow everything to the letter, but they were guided by the blessing, and in this way, they could never really fall too far. Maybe they went down the wrong path here or there, but they always managed to get back on course. You can read and hear a lot about such stories in the history of the Karmapas.
Karmapa is a very powerful person, but at the same time very simple and loving. It seems to be human nature that people’s personalities change when they become powerful; it happens quite frequently. Karmapa was powerful and still quite simple. I am not sure how exactly I should explain this; it must have to do with being free of an ego. An enlightened person is somehow magical. Someone who has dissolved his ego-illusion is no longer an ordinary person but is of a very special kind. At first glance, Karmapa seems completely human. But when one looks more closely you can see that he has a completely different way of understanding things that goes far beyond. He isn’t disturbed by anything and is completely free. On the one hand, we see a person, but on the other hand, someone whose mind is completely free and no longer bound by suffering. Sometimes Karmapa will say that something is difficult, but he perceives it in a completely different way than, for example, when we experience suffering.
At first being free of ego-illusion sounds very strange for us. We cannot really imagine what it is like to be free of this. Maybe we think that we could even lose our human nature if we were “free of ego” and that it would create obstacles for us. If we could really experience how it is for someone who no longer clings to the self, then it would become clear to us that this is not the case. One simply experiences things differently and is completely above the suffering that normal people experience. Buddha said that everybody has the potential for this. If we use our abilities in the right way, then we can become completely free of suffering. The only way to reach this state is through changing our mental conceptions. If we do not do this, then suffering will never cease. Regardless of what we do, we will never experience lasting happiness.
I think Buddha’s teachings are quite simple. All beings want to be free of suffering and it is possible to achieve this state of mind; one is then no longer bound by cause and effect and one’s tendencies. These habits and tendencies determine the conditions into which we are reborn. This is what Buddha taught about enlightenment and he gave methods to achieve it. This is basically what the Four Noble Truths are about: suffering, the cause of suffering, the path to end suffering and the result, becoming free of clinging to a self and thus the end of suffering. Buddha attained enlightenment himself, then explained it to beings and spoke about the benefits once one attains it, and finally he gave methods to reach this goal.
Questions and Answers
Can devotion to the lama help overcome the ego-illusion?
We have never really tried to give up clinging to the self. We do understand that there is something to achieve there, but we have never really tried. That’s why, for now, we hold this as a great goal in our minds. When we really open ourselves to the teacher, in that moment our mind ceases to follow its illusions. Illusion means that one considers one’s own ideas to be true and follows them. To understand this, at the moment they appear in our mind, we need to look at our own conceptual ideas. We don’t normally do this because we haven’t yet heard about this and cannot yet understand it. But this is what helps us as practitioners. If you look into your own mind, you see your own feelings and perceptions and that the mind is very emotional. It becomes obvious that the mind constantly experiences a combination of attachment, rejection, jealousy, pride, expectations and duality. If we look at this closely then we recognize how these things are connected and we learn to stop identifying ourselves with them. In the beginning, it is not so easy to perceive this. But when we practice it again and again, it becomes easier and one understands better how one actually functions. Then one can work better with one’s teacher and has a better general understanding.
We work with this relative level of our conditioned mind to get to the place where we can understand its essence. Sometimes the mind is happy, sometimes it is unhappy, sometimes it grasps at one thing, then it rejects something else, and the reasons for this are attachment, pride, aversion, and so on. We want to learn to stop simply following these feelings. For this, we have to look closely when we are happy and when we are unhappy, and we will increasingly understand how the mind fundamentally works. At the beginning, we are not so convinced, but the better we can look, the more it makes sense. With more practice, we can see how things really are and we can get past our difficulties—this leads to more openness in the mind.
If I understand it correctly, it is about consciousness. The motivation to train this is that I suffer or am unhappy, which is due to an illusion. Is meditation the right way to train the consciousness?
Yes, meditation helps us to develop the habit of being aware. But it is also good to acquire background knowledge for this. If you meditate with this your understanding will continually develop. Often, we receive teachings but then we are occupied with other concerns. If one does not meditate regularly, then these interruptions in our focus on the dharma lead to a condition where we are familiar with the philosophy, literature and so on, but we haven’t really developed a feeling for them. On the other hand, when we meditate without acquiring knowledge of the dharma, then we will also not realize very much. But with both together—meditation and learning—then we will function better. One becomes conscious of how the mind works. In our dealings with other people we see how all the feelings are connected to our own perceptions and then we understand better what we have learned. All the teachings help us to better deal with the daily situations. We need both: learning about the dharma, and meditation. If we combine both, then it is easier for us to apply the dharma in our daily lives.
As a young man, you lived with the 16th Karmapa and were a close student. Which methods did he use to show his students their ego-clinging and how they could let go of it?
It wasn’t Karmapa’s style to point directly to the fact that one shouldn’t cling to the ego. Basically, one should know this, but this is not how Karmapa worked. Karmapa always emphasized that one should always be conscious. We often do and think things while our minds are somewhere else completely. Karmapa stressed that we should be present in everything that we do, in every situation and at all times. We practice this in meditation, but we should also apply it in everyday situations outside of meditation. Karmapa often said we must learn to be conscious all the time. Another teaching that he often gave was that we shouldn’t always focus on ourselves so much. This is like a preparation for giving up clinging to the self. One should concentrate more on others. Another key aspect of the 16th Karmapa’s teaching was to look out for others and see to it that they do not build bad karma. Do not disturb others, because they may feel bad and act in a negative way and thus accumulate bad karma. He emphasized this again and again as a foundation for practice in daily life.
We are supposed to become aware of what happens in our mind. Aversion and attachment are easy to recognize, but how do we recognize ignorance?
One aspect of ignorance is when we consider all our feelings to be real. If one is meditating at the same time, then one will increasingly understand this. We often receive teachings, but afterwards, we are occupied with other matters. If we don’t meditate regularly, then these interruptions in working with the dharma lead to a situation where we are familiar with the philosophy and literature but don’t really have a feeling for it. On the other hand, when we just meditate without acquiring knowledge about the dharma then we will also not realize very much. That always depends on our state of mind. The mind has two sides: disturbing feelings and wisdom. Disturbing feelings have their origin in attachment. From this appear pride, jealousy, anger and so on, and under the influence of attachment we consider things to be real. We don’t see the true nature of our mind—the wisdom—and are taken in by the disturbing feelings and follow them instead. Then we make our judgments and take actions based on these experiences, which we consider to be real. That is ignorance; we twist things around, don’t see what is real and are caught in our mistaken belief in a certain condition, an appearance. However, when we learn to look directly at the mind, then we recognize that the disturbing feelings are only an expression of the mind and we then perceive them differently.
How can one remain conscious during sleep?
That requires a lot of preparation and should be developed slowly. In the beginning, one doesn’t see at all how the mind functions, how it follows its own thoughts, and wanders around. When we train in meditation, then over time, we recognize how thoughts appear, and we become more conscious. We follow the thoughts less and increasingly see how they work. For this we need to first build the habit. Slowly one can then take this into the sleep state and remain conscious and in meditation during sleep. Sometimes we can use a little visualization to remain inseparable from the lama during sleep, a Karmapa meditation. One concentrates on this, falls asleep in this state, and gradually, one will become more conscious in one’s dreams and in deep sleep.
Should we try to sleep less?
No, that is not necessary. When one does certain practices, then one can try that to save time. But in general, it is not necessary to become accustomed to sleeping less.
What is the difference between the consciousness and the mind?
Both are related. In Tibetan when we speak of the mind, then we simply mean that which experiences. We call it consciousness when the self, the ego, is involved. Mind is that which experiences, and experiencing is consciousness. I can only say how it is used in the Tibetan language. Each language has its own definition. In Tibetan, we have the expression namshe for consciousness and here it means the mind which experiences things. This includes clear wisdom as well as attachment to the self and other things. Due to this attachment, one has expectations, pride and all the disturbing feelings, the different states of mind.
How can we avoid attachment in everyday life?
We cannot really avoid it. That is why we practice meditation, which helps us to deal with it. We look into our minds and through the combination of various dharma teachings and meditation over time we can deal with attachment in a different way. But to truly be free of attachment is very difficult. We need to see that attachment leads to suffering and to look closely at the reasons why we are attached to things and what that means; there can be very different reasons for it. It is important to understand this, because there are so many combinations of things from which attachment can arise. Simply understanding this will already bring us a good result, but one is still not free of attachment.
Here there are many levels and connections. As a beginner, one should not try to avoid attachment, but instead one should be careful not to do negative things based on attachment. One observes what one is attached to and recognizes how this could bring about negative actions. This way one does not fall into that trap. Instead one tries to use the feeling of attachment to do positive actions. Attachment means coming into contact with something, whether with people or something else. One practices using this feeling of attachment, so that one can help others while remaining aware. Use this in a good way for yourselves and don’t go down any false paths. Simply trying to avoid attachment will not work and only brings about confusion. Attachment is part of life.
Under the influence of attachment one evaluates different situations. One makes decisions based on pride, aversion, jealousy, hate, etc. Then we act either in a good or a bad way. In the course of our practice, we increasingly see that one judgement might be correct, but it still depends on whatever state of mind we are in. Simply by trying to understand how we make certain decisions we are already on a good path. Attachment itself is a fundamental condition, which we cannot so easily change. If we could do this, then we would be enlightened. But one can change oneself and first come to a different viewpoint and a different way of feeling. One is still attached, but it feels different. One sees that it is an improvement and that there is a different way. If one continually practices this, then it is possible to become increasingly liberated. But until then it is completely normal to experience attachment. One of our greatest obstacles when listening to the dharma is that we sometimes think we have to immediately stop a disturbance. That is not possible and doesn’t help at all.
