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Amitabha Buddhist Centre
Basic Program – Module 11
Ornament for Clear Realisations
Transcript of the teachings by Geshe Chonyi
Root Verses of Ornament for Clear Realisations translated by Venerable
Joan Nicell; an FPMT Masters Program Project, edition June 2007, ©Joan
Nicell and FPMT, Inc.
Basic Program Study Manual for Maitreya’s Ornament for Clear Realizations,
Chapter 4, compiled by Emily Hsu and Kok Wai Cheong; an FPMT Masters
Program Project, edition September 2005, © FPMT, Inc.
Root Verses are centred, in italics, with verse numbers added.
Lesson No: 5
Date: 22nd July 2008
Although this text, Ornament for Clear Realisations is part of the Basic
Program curriculum, we will not be studying it in great detail. So when you
listen to these teachings, please pay full attention. For those who have the real
interest to study this topic, it is important to give yourself the time to read and
reflect on the text.
In the olden days, it was customary not to build stupas or prayer wheels at
places where the serious study of Buddhist philosophy was undertaken such
as the three great monasteries of the Gelugpa tradition in Tibet. This is not
saying that there is no benefit in turning prayer wheels or circumambulating
stupas. Rather, it indicates that studying the Buddhadharma is of greater
importance and that one’s time should be devoted to learning and reflecting on
the Buddhadharma. The absence of stupas and prayer wheels is an expression
of the lack of time to do things such as circumambulation and turning the
prayer wheels as one is focussed on one’s studies.
What I am pointing out is that you have to be very clear with regards to your
goal and objective. If your main goal is to study the Buddhadharma, then your
goal should be clear and stable and you should direct your efforts towards that
goal by putting aside time for your studies. In the great places of learning, the
monasteries have restriction on activities such as learning poetry, astrology,
art and so forth. There are even restrictions on doing pujas for sponsors as
these activities are seen to interrupt one’s serious studies.
You may have different lifestyles here and you may be busy with your work
but, nevertheless, you need to be clear about what your goal is. If your goal is
to study the Buddhadharma, on the day you decided to attend this Program,
you should decide to put aside time to study and reflect on the teachings. If
you have some wish to learn the Buddhadharma but you are not serious about
your studies, what will happen? You may come to class but you do not pay full
attention to the teachings and you are not bothered about your inattention.
You do not make time to study or reflect on the text after class. Your efforts
will be wasted.
ABC may be offering the Master’s Program in the future although this is not
yet confirmed. If that does happens, the Basic Program will be the foundation
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Basic Program – Module 11
Ornament for Clear Realisations
for that course. If you do not study the Basic Program well, you can forget
about participating in the Master’s Program. You need to do the preparatory
work through your studies now if you want to join the Master’s Program in the
future. You need to generate the strong aspiration from the beginning and
have the determination to do your very best to understand the topic being
taught in class. Without such determination and if you simply passively listen
to the teachings with a distracted mind, you may not get anything at the end of
the session. When you carry on like this, from session to session, you will have
nothing to show at the end of the three months, even though you may have
attended the entire module.
*****************************
Although I have introduced the three knowers over the last few lessons, it
seems like the majority of you still don’t know what they are! Some blame it on
the terminology saying it is not English but it is not the fault of the words at
all. When you study such topics and when they are translated into English,
the words are like this. If you go on to the Master’s Program, what you get now
is what you will get in the future. Simplifying or watering down the language
will not help you in the future. You just have to learn it.
Geshe-la:
One American explained to me how he studied Buddhist philosophy. In order to
understand, for example “knower of bases,” he had to understand the definition
and then memorise it so that he can explain what a “knower of bases” is. As the
definition is long, it is difficult to memorise. So this American recited each
definition for one mala and he managed to memorise it in that way. He said
other than memorising the definitions, there is no other way to study.
In the monastery, we have to memorise all the texts once we have studied the
topic because during debate, it is not possible to bring along the texts. Whenever
someone asks you the definition, you have to be able to quote it from memory.
Your opponent will find fault with it when the definition is not quoted correctly.
So you need to memorise the definitions or else it would be difficult to study this
topic as there are many definitions in this topic. If you cannot remember the
definitions, you must at least try to understand the meaning of the definitions so
that you can explain them.
1. Exalted knower of all aspects
The first of the eight categories, this is the final wisdom directly perceiving all
phenomena. The wisdom (consciousness) of the Buddha is known as the
exalted knower of all aspects.
2. Knower of paths
Definition: A Mahayana arya’s clear realisation conjoined with a wisdom
directly realising emptiness in the continuum of the person who possesses it in
his continuum.
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Ornament for Clear Realisations
The knower of paths is the knower in the mental continuum of a Mahayana
superior and the knower in the continuum of a Mahayana superior is the
knower of paths. The path (or consciousness) in the continuum of the
Mahayana superior is the knower of paths.
3. Knower of bases
Definition: An exalted wisdom conjoined with a wisdom directly realising
selflessness in the continuum of the person who possesses it in his continuum
that abides in a Hinayana class of realizations.
The knower of bases exists in the continua of all the superiors – hearer
superiors, solitary realiser superiors and the Mahayana superiors (bodhisattva
superiors and Buddha superiors). Therefore, ordinary beings will not have
knower of bases.
If it is a knower of bases, it is necessarily a path in the continuum of the
superiors. A knower of bases is an exalted knower in the continuum of a
superior that abides in the Hinayana class of realisations. If it is knower of
bases, it is necessarily an exalted knower in the continuum of the superiors.
The wisdom directly perceiving the selflessness of person in the continuum of a
superior is a knower of bases. Since it is a knower of bases, that wisdom
abides in a Hinayana class of realisations. Why, in this illustration, is this path
said to abide in a Hinayana class of realisations?
This is because that realisation is taken as the main object of cultivation by
the Hinayana learner having a similar observed object and an aspect of it.
(There are two Hinayana qualities – the object of cultivation and the object of
abandonment).
The mind that directly perceives the selflessness of a person, what is its object
of observation? The observed object condition is selflessness of a person. What
appears to that mind is the selflessness of a person. This was covered in the
module on Mind and Cognition (Lorig). For example, the eye consciousness
apprehending blue. The observed object is blue and the eye consciousness
apprehending blue is generated in the aspect of blue.
The wisdom directly perceiving selflessness of a person in the continuum of a
bodhisattva superior: The observed object is selflessness of a person and it has
the aspect of selflessness of a person. The observed object and the aspect of
this mind of the Mahayana superior is similar to that of a Hinayana superior.
The wisdom directly realizing selflessness of a person in the continuum of a
Buddha superior - is that a knower of bases or not?
The wisdom directly realising emptiness in the continuum of a hearer superior
– is that wisdom a knower of bases or not?
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Amitabha Buddhist Centre
Basic Program – Module 11
Ornament for Clear Realisations
The definition of knower of bases is an exalted wisdom conjoined with a
wisdom directly realizing selflessness in the continuum of the person who
possesses it in his continuum that abides in a Hinayana class of realizations.
There are two elements in this definition and both elements must be satisfied.
Whatever is a path in the mental continuum of hearer superior is not
necessarily a knower of bases. The wisdom directly realising the subtle
selflessness of phenomena in the continuum of a hearer superior is not a
knower of bases because although it fulfils the first part of the definition, it
does not fulfil the second element of the definition.
Whatever is a path in the continuum of a hearer superior, is it necessarily one
of the three knowers? The answer is no.
Is there anything which is a knower of path and knower of bases?
Is there anything that is a knower of bases, a knower of paths and an exalted
knower of all aspects?
1. The wisdom directly perceiving selflessness of the person is the main object
of cultivation (path) of a hearer.
2. The wisdom realising the emptiness of subject and object as different
substantial entities is the object of cultivation (path) of a solitary realiser.
3. The wisdom directly perceiving emptiness of true existence is the object of
cultivation (path) of a Mahayana superior.
The first two are knower of bases but no. 3 is a knower of paths. Whatever is a
path in the continuum of a superior is not necessarily one of these three
knowers. For example, the wisdom directly perceiving emptiness of true
existence in the continuum of a hearer superior, that is not an exalted knower
of all aspects, it is not a knower of paths and it is also not a knower of bases.
This is because it does not fulfil the definition required to be a knower of
bases.
Question from student:
Is there a clear boundary with regards to the Hinayana class of realisations?
Answer:
One can think about the wisdom directly perceiving the sixteen aspects of the
Four Noble Truths. An example would be the wisdom directly realising the
Four Noble Truths in the continuum of the hearer superior and the wisdom
directly realising impermanence in the continuum of the Hearer superior.
These are both knower of bases.
The Four Noble Truths are the main object of cultivation of the hearer
superior. Having said that, is the wisdom directly realising impermanence also
the main object of cultivation of the hearer superior (impermanence being one
of the 16 aspects of the Four Noble Truths)?
If you say that the hearer superior has many things to meditate on but his
main focus is on the selflessness of person, then that suggests that the
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Basic Program – Module 11
Ornament for Clear Realisations
bodhisattva mainly meditates only on emptiness of true existence but not on
compassion and bodhicitta. We have to say that the bodhisattva also takes
great compassion as a main object of cultivation. Similarly, the hearer superior
also takes impermanence as a main object of cultivation.
Is the mind that is intent on achieving liberation in the continuum of the
hearer superior the main object of cultivation of the hearer superior? The
answer is yes. That object is not selflessness of the person but it is a knower of
bases. The point here is that a knower of bases is not necessarily only the
wisdom directly realising selflessness of person.
That is the reason why in the definition of the knower of bases, it has the
words “conjoined with.” That is why it is important to look at the definitions to
see the boundaries and what it is driving at. Because if a knower of bases is
necessarily a wisdom directly realising the selflessness of person, then the
definition would not have to use the words, “conjoined with.” Instead, it would
say a knower of bases is an exalted wisdom that is a wisdom directly realising
selflessness in the continuum of the person who possesses it in his continuum
that abides in a Hinayana class of realizations
The mind of great compassion that realises the selflessness of person, is that a
knower of bases?
The wisdom realising the emptiness of subject and object as different
substantial entities in the continuum of a Buddha superior – is that a knower
of bases or not?
Is the wisdom realising the emptiness of subject and object as different
substantial entities the main object of cultivation of a Hinayanist? You have to
answer “Yes” or “No.” If you say, “Yes,” then, in debate, if I say that it follows
that the wisdom realising the emptiness of subject and object as different
substantial entities is not the main object of cultivation because the main
object of cultivation is the selflessness of person, then what would you say? In
debate, you must answer the question directly. Is the main object of cultivation
of the Hinayanist one of these or both (i.e, the wisdom realising the emptiness
of subject and object as different substantial entities and the selflessness of
person)?1
Translated by Ven. Tenzin Gyurme
Transcribed by Phuah Soon Ek and Alison Wong
Edited by Cecilia Tsong
Checked by Yap Siew Kee
Vetted by Geshe Chonyi
1
Please refer to pg. 39 in the BP Study Manual.
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