The Collected Works of Chögyam Trungpa: Volume 4 by Chögyam Trungpa

Author:Chögyam Trungpa [Trungpa, Chögyam]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Shambhala Publications
Published: 2010-09-28T03:00:00+00:00

FOUR

The Juncture between Sutra and Tantra

WE DISCUSSED THE transition from the hinayana level to the mahayana level in terms of the perception of reality involved. At this point I would like to emphasize once again that egolessness, impermanence, and suffering are a prominent part of the path, an important part of preparation for the mahayana. The basic idea of the mahayana is to realize shunyata, emptiness, through the practice of the six paramitas. But at the same time we should not lose our valuation of impermanence, egolessness, and suffering, which remain definite and important.

Egolessness can be approached from all kinds of different angles. Self is not applicable anymore, because you have realized selflessness. From the student’s point of view, what is experienced is the irrelevance of the self. This leads to the basic practices of the bodhisattva’s way, which bring further realization of impermanence and the nonexistence of self. Ego is regarded as a collection of stuff related with the five-skandha process, as we have said. It is purely a collection and does not amount to anything else. Therefore those five stuffs or skandhas depend for their sense of existence on relative reference points.

From the point of view of impermanence, anything that happens within that realm that depends on the existence of self is also subject to decay and death. Life is a constant process of death and decay. Life consists of a process containing birth, illness, old age, and death. Life contains fundamental bewilderment, in which you don’t even recognize the bewilderment as it is anymore.

Today we are trying to understand the basic meaning of shunyata. The shunyata experience could develop as a sense of the basic emptiness of life and the basic suffering of life, and at the same time, as a sense of nondualistic wisdom, inspiration. I feel that it is extremely important before discussing tantra to realize the nature of the juncture between the tantra and the sutra teachings, which is what we are joining together at this point, to realize what is the continuity there and what is not.1 It is very important to realize that.

Self, ego, tries to maintain itself and develop its territory. Should that be encouraged or discouraged? Should we try to maintain ourself or should we not? What would you say?

Student: Who should?

Trungpa Rinpoche: I beg your pardon?

S: Who should try to maintain itself?

TR: Who is he?

S: Should we? Who?

TR: Who is we or who?

S: Should we try to maintain ourselves? Who is we?

TR: I’m asking you.

S: I don’t know.

TR: Who is that? Who is that?

[Silence]

TR: Did you say you don’t know?

S: Well, I . . . I suppose who is that.

TR: Yes, but who isn’t that?

S: Who isn’t that?

TR: Moreover, what are you talking about?

[Laughter, then silence]

TR: Who are you?

S: I don’t know.

TR: Why don’t you? Why?

S: There’s no way of answering the question.

TR: Why not?

S: Nothing works.

TR: Why should it work?

[Silence]

TR: It’s not a matter of con-manship. Things don’t have to work. Let’s warm up. Why should it work? Who are you? Why should it work? Who are you? Why should it work?

S: It just stopped.

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