How Things Exist: Teachings on Emptiness by Lama Zopa Rinpoche

Author:Lama Zopa Rinpoche
Language: eng
Format: azw3
ISBN: 9781891868207
Publisher: Lama Yeshe Wisdom Archive
Published: 2008-12-15T00:00:00+00:00

How Chiu-Nan exists

The creator of samsara, of all suffering and its causes, karma and all the other disturbing thoughts, is ignorance, the concept of true existence. This is the very root of the whole of samsara, of all problems, of true suffering and its causes, karma and all the rest of the disturbing thoughts, such as ignorance not knowing Dharma, attachment and anger. The very root is ignorance not knowing the ultimate nature of the I,or self. The very root is the concept of a truly existent self. To recognize this precisely, without mistake, is most important. Otherwise, there’s no way that we can escape from the entire suffering of samsara. Unless we recognize the root, there’s no way we can sever it.

Take Chiu-Nan,16for example. When there are these aggregates, this particular association of body and mind, but no thought to label them “Chiu-Nan,” Chiu-Nan doesn’t exist. Even though the aggregates are there, when there’s no thought to label them“ ChiuNan, ” Chiu-Nan doesn’t exist at that time. And even if there were the thought in her parents’ minds to label “Chiu-Nan,” if there were no aggregates to label, again at that time Chiu-Nan wouldn’t exist.

First we have to understand this clearly. When there are aggregates but no thought to label them “Chiu-Nan,” Chiu-Nan doesn’t exist. When there’s a thought to label “Chiu-Nan” but no aggregates, also at that time Chiu-Nan doesn’t exist.

Chiu-Nan comes into existence onlywhen the base, the aggregates, are there and there is also a thought that labels them “ChiuNan.” Only at that time does Chiu-Nan exist. So, Chiu-Nan exists in dependence upon the base, the association of body and mind, and the mind of the parents (or someone else) who label it “Chiu-Nan.” In dependence upon these two—the base and the mind that labels “Chiu-Nan”—Chiu-Nan exists.

You can see that Chiu-Nan is merely imputed by the mind. ChiuNan exists being merely imputed by the mind in dependence upon those aggregates. Chiu-Nan is empty of existing from her own side. That is the reality of Chiu-Nan.

When we look at or think of Chiu-Nan, it is in dependence upon those particular aggregates that we label “Chiu-Nan.” We don’t see Chiu-Nan first. First we see that particular base, those particular aggregates, and seeing that makes us decide upon the particular label “Chiu-Nan.” So, we don’t see Chiu-Nan first. We see the base first and then we label it “Chiu-Nan.” It is only after we label “Chiu-Nan” that Chiu-Nan then appears to us. Before we label “Chiu-Nan” there’s no appearance of Chiu-Nan to us. The appearance of Chiu-Nan comes only after we have labeled the base.

But when Chiu-Nan appears to us she doesn’t appear to be merely imputed by our mind. When we look at Chiu-Nan or think of her, we are not aware, or we forget, that Chiu-Nan is merely imputed. After we have labeled “Chiu-Nan,” when Chiu-Nan then appears to us, she doesn’t appear to be merely imputed. Chiu-Nan appears to be something real, something more than what is merely imputed.

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