A deep exploration of the ultimate nature of reality, what Buddhists refer to as “emptiness” with Geshe Michael Roach. A truly rare and precious teaching which was given in Hong Kong in May 2010.
Download AudioIn this lecture you’l leave an opportunity to go deeper in your understanding of the substance of all life, emptiness. Geshe Michael explores the principle of “quality and characteristic”, or chi jedrak in Tibetan. Sometimes this principal is translated as “general” and “specific”.
Geshe Michael has always described this particular teaching as the door to emptiness, one of the most important for reaching the highest intellectual understanding of emptiness. Reaching this level is called “highest dharma” or “chu chok” in Tibetan
Geshe Michael has always described this particular teaching as the door to emptiness, one of the most important for reaching the highest intellectual understanding of emptiness. Reaching this level is called “highest dharma” or “chu chok” in Tibetan. In fact, the level of “highest dharma” occurs at the very end of the second path, the path of preparation, shortly before (say on the same day a few hours before) a person goes to sit in deep meditation and perceives emptiness directly. At this level the person for the first time understands perfectly, directly, the process by which they are constantly perceiving indications of an object, then idealizing them as a “general” in his mind, and mistaking this idealization for the actual object. This process is the exact way in which deceptive reality operates. So although the person has been living in deceptive reality forever up to this moment, they have never seen directly what they are doing.
For this teaching Geshe Michael uses an example of “clock” and describes how the key to unlocking the door to emptiness is understanding something very important about the difference between “a clock” and “the clock.” He’ll then describe how we can actually use this seemingly abstract understanding in our real lives to be happier people, more helpful to others; and how can it can help us create a perfect world.
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Course Materials
Selections from Arya Nagarjuna’s Root Text on Wisdom
Options for Further Study
To deepen your study of chi jedrak please refer to the following courses on The Knowledge Base:
ACI Course 13: The Art of Reasoning (1998, New York)
ACI Course 13: The Art of Reasoning (1998, New York)
This Course is based upon the Commentary on Valid Perception (Pramanavarttika) by Master Dharmakirti (630 AD) with a commentary from The Key for Starting the Logic Machine (Rik-lam Trul-gyi Deamik) by Purbuchok Jampa Tsultrim Gyatso (1825- 1901). The Course presents the structure of Buddhist logic and the forms of Buddhist debate. Topics include: the correct motivation for debate; debating tactics and the flow of a debate; the subject, quality, and reason of the debate; why logic is more valuable than faith; how studying logic leads to perceiving emptiness; what makes a reason correct; contradictions and relationships; relationships of identity, and relationships of cause and effect; proving the absence of something; material causes and contributing factors; valid perception; changing and unchanging things; an outline of all existing things; the concept of time according to each of the four schools of thought; and the reason why suffering has an end.
Emptiness: A Deep Dive (2010, Los Angeles)
Emptiness: A Deep Dive (2010, Los Angeles)
A deep and beautiful exploration of the connection between ultimate reality and love with Geshe Michael Roach. A truly rare and precious teaching. Go deeper in your understanding of the substance of all life, emptiness. In this teaching he explores the “Door to Emptiness” or chi jedrak in Tibetan. There’s something very important about the difference between “clock” and “the clock.” The question is how can we use it? How can it help us to be happier people, more helpful to others; how can it help us create a perfect world? Find out during this rare and precious teaching.
