Discourse on Nalanda Buddhism

Nalanda Diploma Course-5 

Session 3rd and 4th

(3) NDC5/11/10/2024

Freedom from fear is technically known as Nirvana and infinite happiness is Buddhahood. Buddha nature potential within us is obscured by two obscurations. Afflictive obscuration obscures fearlessness and cognitive obscuration obscures our potential for infinite happiness.

Afflictive obscuration is like a solid garlic and Cognitive obscuration is like a subtle stain. Afflictive obscuration is of three kinds: contaminated karma, afflictions, and the active seed of these two. These three are connected to ignorance. Cognitive obscuration is like a stain, a mental stain. Ignorance and offshoot of ignorance are afflictive obscurations. The counterforce of ignorance is wisdom.

Two teachers that Buddha met and studied were Acharya Alarakalama and Acharya Udraka. Meditative concentration (Samadhi) of the vacuity of the formless realm was the realization of the former and the realization of meditative concentration of the peak of the existence of the formless realm was the realization of the latter. Both said they had taught all that they knew.

But Buddha practiced and through his practice of austerity and the meditation he realized the wisdom of emptiness, wisdom of selflessness. He became Sugata of perfect bliss and with the request from Brahma and Indra, he went to share his teachings to protect the people with the three turning of the wheel of Dharma.

The place, the target audience, and the subject contents of the three wheels of Dharma are as follows:

1. Sarnath, Varanasi, the Vaibhashika and Suatantrika, the Four Noble Truths

2. Rajgirh, the Madhyamaka, Emptiness of self-characteristics

3. Vaishali, the Chitramatra, Differentiation of the teachings

In the first turning of the wheel of Dharma, Buddha said the Four Noble Truths exist truly. In the second wheel of Dharma, he said nothing exists truly and in the third turning of the wheel of Dharma he clarified the contradiction in the above two teachings.

During the 3rd turning of the wheel of Dharma, there were 10 Boddhisatvas who asked 10 different questions. Boddhisattva Pramod Samugatta, though aware, for the sake of others asked Buddha why the contradiction in the 1st and 2nd teachings.

(4) NDC5/13/10/2024

The subject matter of the 3rd Turning of the wheel of Dharma is the "thorough distinguishing of the teachings". In Tibetan, it is legs par rnam par 'byed pa'i mdo.

All phenomena that come to our mind are of two categories: Existence and Non-existence.

Existing phenomena can be permanent or impermanent. Permanent phenomena can be of two: Ultimate reality, emptiness, and Permanent phenomena other than ultimate reality.

Phenomena are of three natures:

1. Imputed nature; 2. Other powered nature (dependent nature); and 3. Thoroughly established nature

1. Non-existence phenomena are all of (1) imputed nature.

2. All impermanent phenomena are (2) other powered nature or dependent nature.

3. Ultimate reality or emptiness is (3) thoroughly established nature

4. Phenomena other than ultimate nature are (1) of imputed nature

Impermanent phenomena and other powered nature are synonymous. They exist by the power of other causes and conditions. Thoroughly established nature and ultimate nature, emptiness, are synonymous.

Imputed nature: This is important. Why we continue to be in samsara is because of our not understanding this Imputed Nature completely. Prasangika madhyamaka says all suffering will stop if we understand this Imputed Nature completely. Imputed phenomena are synonymous and the same as non-existent phenomena and phenomena other than ultimate reality.

Imputed nature is mostly of labeling and naming, i.e. room, class, level, etc. Vaibhashika does not discuss much on imputation. A formal understanding of imputation is started by Suatantrika school. Chitramatra would go deeper. Suatantrika madhyamaka goes further deep. Finally, at Prasangika madhyamaka, it comes to the highest level of understanding of the imputation phenomena. If you get this level of understanding all your tears and suffering will stop. We come to see that all around us is all imputation. It is like waking up from a dream. Just as you wake up from a fearful dream, your fears stop. Your fear of samsara stops when you realize that the world around you is all imputations.

Of the three natures of phenomena, other powered nature and thoroughly established nature exist truly, and imputed nature does not exist truly. This is how Buddha explained in the third turning of the wheel of Dharma. Buddha said in the 1st turning of the wheel of Dharma, 4 Nobel Truth, he meant other powered nature and thoroughly established nature existing truly. In the 2nd turning of the wheel of Dharma, imputed nature does not exist truly. This was explained in the 3rd turning of the wheel of Dharma and it became the Chitramatra's philosophy.

Note: This is a student’s personal note of the teachings given by Ven. Geshe Dorji Damdul of the Tibet House, New Delhi. Errors and omissions are bound to occur. Serious students are requested to refer to Geshe la’s teachings or join the Tibet House class and receive teaching directly from Ven. Geshe-la.