Today I am going to explain the Three Principal Aspects of the Path. As usual, before beginning a teaching, we will do the three practices for cleaning our mental continuums and then we will recite the Heart Sutra. Now make the mandala offering.

Whatever teachings are being given, both the listener and the teacher should have a pure motivation. Especially when listening to a Mahayana teaching, you should first take refuge in the Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha to protect yourself from following the wrong path, and second you should generate an altruistic mind of enlightenment to differentiate yourself from followers of lower paths. Therefore we should visualize two points: first, taking refuge in the Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha for the benefit of all sentient beings, then generating the altruistic aspiration to enlightenment for the sake of all sentient beings. So with this motivation, we should recite the verse for taking refuge in the Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha three times, clearly visualizing that we are doing so for the benefit of all sentient beings.

After the incomparable Buddha had attained enlightenment at the Bodh Gaya, he taught the four noble truths: the truth of suffering, the true causes of suffering, the true cessation of suffering, and the true path. This became the basis or foundation for all the later teachings he gave. Although the Buddha taught the four noble truths during his first turning of the wheel of the doctrine, the meaning of true cessation was most explicitly taught during the second turning of the wheel of doctrine. At that time he taught the meaning of emptiness directly and the stages of the path implicitly. In other words, while teaching emptiness directly, he taught the meaning of the two truths — conventional and ultimate truth — and the complete meaning of nirvana and cessation.

During the third turning of the wheel of doctrine, the Buddha taught the meaning of Buddha nature in the Tathagata Essence Sutra, which forms the basis for Maitreya’s Sublime Science (Uttaratantra). He explained that sentient beings have a buddha nature or an ability to become enlightened mainly in terms of the nature of the mind, which is empty of inherent existence and thus suitable to be transformed into enlightenment. It is clearly explained in Sublime Science that the mind is by nature pure and free of defilement, which makes it suitable for attaining enlightenment. This is because anything that lacks inherent existence is changeable and subject to causes and conditions. As Nagarjuna says in Fundamental Wisdom of the Middle Way:

For whichever (system) emptiness is possible, for that (system) all is possible.

For whichever (system) emptiness is not possible, for that (system) nothing is possible.

The meaning of the term “emptiness” is “empty of inherent existence,” and that means being dependent on something else, being dependent on causes and conditions. When we say that something is dependent on other phenomena, it means that when those phenomena change, that particular thing will also change. If it were not dependent on something else and had inherent existence, then it would not be subject to change due to other conditions.

So during the second turning of the wheel of doctrine, teaching that phenomena lack inherent existence, the Buddha taught that phenomena can be made to change because they are dependent on causes and conditions. Now, although phenomena lack inherent existence when they appear to us, we think that they exist inherently. Not only do phenomena appear as if they are inherently existent, but we also become attached to them and determine that they exist inherently. In this way, we generate craving, desire, anger, and so forth. When we encounter some pleasant or interesting object, we generate a lot of attachment, and if we see something distasteful or unappealing, we get angry. Therefore problems like anger and attachment arise because of conceiving phenomena as inherently existent.

The conception of phenomena as inherently existent is a wrong consciousness mistaken toward its referent object, which provides the foundation for all delusions. However, if we generate an understanding that phenomena are not inherently existent, it will act as a counterforce to that wrong consciousness. This shows that the defilements of the mind can be removed. If the delusions that defile the mind are removable, then the seeds or potencies left behind by these delusions can also be eliminated. The absolute purity of the mind, which is its lack of inherent existence, is taught explicitly in the second turning of the wheel of the doctrine. During the third turning of the wheel, it is explained again not only from the ultimate but also from the conventional point of view that the ultimate nature of the mind is pure, and in its pure state it is only neutral and clear light.

For example, whoever we are, delusions do not manifest within us all the time. What is more, we sometimes generate anger and sometimes generate love even toward the same object, which ought not to be possible if things have inherent existence. This clearly shows that the real nature of the principal mind, the mind itself, is pure, but due to mental factors or the minds that accompany the principal mind, it sometimes appears to have a virtuous quality like love and at other times appears in a deluded form like anger. The nature of the principal mind is therefore neutral, but being dependent on its accompanying mind, it may change from a virtuous to a nonvirtuous mind.

So the mind by nature is clear light and the defilements or delusions are temporary and adventitious. This indicates that if we practice and cultivate virtuous qualities, the mind can be transformed positively. On the other hand, if the mind encounters delusions, then it will take on the form of delusions. Therefore all such qualities as the ten powers of the Buddha can also be attained because of this quality of the mind.

For example, all the different kinds of consciousness have the same quality of understanding and knowing their object clearly, but when a particular consciousness encounters some obstacle, it may not be able to understand its object. Although my eye consciousness has the potential to see an object, if I cover it up it will be obstructed from seeing the object. Similarly, consciousness may not be able to see the object because it is too far away. So the mind already has the potential to understand all phenomena, a quality that need not be strengthened but that may be obstructed by other factors.

With the attainment of the higher qualities of a buddha, like the ten powers, we attain a full state of consciousness able to see the object clearly and completely. This state of consciousness can be attained merely by recognizing the real nature of the mind and removing the delusions and obstructions from it.

During the third turning of the wheel of the doctrine, of the four noble truths initially taught during the first turning of the wheel, the meaning of the true path is explained clearly by defining the meaning of tathagatagarbha, or Buddha nature. Buddha nature makes possible the attainment of omniscience, the ultimate state of consciousness able to see phenomena and their ultimate mode of being.

Therefore a complete explanation of the meaning of true cessation is given during the second turning of the wheel of the doctrine and a detailed explanation of the true path is given during the third turning of the wheel. They explain the mind’s potential to know the ultimate mode of existence of phenomena and how omniscience can be achieved if you promote and develop that potential.

Now, when it comes to explaining the ultimate nature of the mind and its suitability for attaining enlightenment, we have the accounts of both sutra and tantra. These are differentiated by the details of their explanation of the nature of the mind. The tantric teachings give a clear explanation of the subtlest state of enlightenment within the highest class of tantra — that is, Highest Yoga Tantra. The first three classes of tantra form a foundation for that Highest Yoga Tantra.

In essence, this is a brief explanation of the Buddha’s teaching from the four noble truths up to the highest class of tantric teaching. However, even if we have a clear understanding of the ultimate nature of the mind and the possibility of attaining enlightenment with it, if we do not practice and make effort to achieve that goal, then enlightenment will not be attainable. So while on the one hand it is important to know the ultimate nature of the mind, on the other, we should generate an intention to practice and realize this potential.

In teaching the first two noble truths the Buddha described the faults, the defects that must be given up and eliminated — that is, true suffering and the true origin of suffering. In teaching the second pair of the four noble truths — that is, the true path and true cessation — the Buddha explained that there is a method, a path to get rid of these sufferings and delusions through which the complete cessation of those delusions can be attained. If there were no cure or method to eliminate suffering and attain a state of complete cessation and peace, it would not be necessary to think about, discuss, or meditate on suffering because doing so would merely engender pessimism and create more suffering for yourself. It would be better to remain bewildered and carefree. However, we do have a chance, there is path and method to get rid of suffering, so it is worthwhile to think and talk about suffering. This is the importance and encompassing quality of the Buddha’s teaching of the four noble truths, for they provide the basis and foundation of all practices.

When we think about suffering and the true origin of suffering, and we come to an understanding of these two truths, we will generate a wish to rid ourselves of suffering and its causes. In other words, because we dislike true suffering and know the true origin of suffering we will generate a wish to reject them. This is called the determination to be free.

When you carefully consider suffering, it is not only you who are under its power, for other sentient beings also suffer in the same way. Then you should think that as other sentient beings are suffering just like me, how marvelous it would be if they could also eliminate suffering and its causes. Such a wish for other sentient beings to eliminate suffering and its causes is called compassion. When, induced by compassion, you decide that you will help them eliminate suffering and its causes, that is the special resolve or the mind that wishes actively to benefit other sentient beings.

Then if you look carefully at how sentient beings can be benefited not just temporarily but ultimately, you will conclude that you will be able to benefit them completely only if you help them attain enlightenment, and to do that you must attain enlightenment yourself. This compassionate mind wishing to attain buddhahood in order to help all sentient beings attain enlightenment is called the mind of enlightenment.

Because phenomena do not have an independent or inherent existence, it is feasible to get rid of suffering and attain the ultimate status of enlightenment. Therefore it is important to understand the nature of phenomena, its lack of inherent existence. This understanding of phenomena’s lack of inherent existence is called right view.

It is these three qualities — the determination to be free, the mind of enlightenment, and right or correct view — that are treated here as the three principal paths. They are so called because they provide the real motivation for attaining liberation from cyclic existence and form the framework for attaining enlightenment.

The principal means of attaining liberation from cyclic existence is the determination to be free, and the principal means of attaining enlightenment is the mind of enlightenment. Both of these are augmented by right view or wisdom realizing emptiness.

Now I will begin to explain the text.