So when you recite Twenty-one Tara praises, so more you trust, rely on, take refuge, that’s the main what receive guidance from Tara. However, each Tara, there are twenty-one Taras, so each one, any different aspect of buddha, basically is to bring every sentient being to enlightenment, pacify, to liberate from oceans of samsaric suffering, to cease, by causing to actualize the path, cease the cause of suffering—delusion and karma—even the subtle defilements, bring them to enlightenment, that’s general thing with every buddha. But the Tara, twenty-one Taras, why, then, each one, that’s the same for any aspect of buddha but now there are twenty-one different aspects of Tara, I mean different. There’s one twenty-one Taras according to Lama Atisha, one face, two arms; there’s one very wrathful, at least one wrathful; another one, a little bit wrathful, so like that, however, holding, this hand holding wish-fulfilling vase, so to grant, to fulfill the wishes of, the different wishes, so whatever that Tara is for, particular wish, to grant particular purpose, so then, each Tara is to grant particular purpose, to fulfill particular wishes of sentient beings, so, the holding the vase signifies that, wish-granting vase, so, that’s according to Lama Atisha, maybe manifest to Lama Atisha like that, possible.

Then there’s twenty-one Tara with many arms. That is according to vision of Pari Lotsawa, great translator, great Tibetan lama, translator, Pari Lotsawa. There is twenty-one Taras, one like this, one aspect. Then there’s another aspect which, I saw the pictures from Taiwan, one face, two arms, but then, here, in the utpali flower, the implements, which signify the different functions what each Tara does. So there’s one twenty-one Tara like this, but I haven’t found out which lama, which tradition, which lama’s vision.

Then, there’s another twenty-one Taras besides that, there’s another one, I think the implement is holding, I think here, I think, I don’t remember exactly, but one I’ve seen in recent years, in New Zealand or I’ve seen another twenty-one Taras.

So, the different, I think the holy beings, great holy beings, some twenty-one Taras appeared according to, different aspect according to the karma of the lama or those sentient beings, those certain sentient beings, that aspect of twenty-one Taras, so needed, so manifests.

So, anyway, so as you recite twenty-one Taras, so in the center there’s Green Tara, then twenty-one Taras around, like this, the twenty-one petals, so then, from, starting from the front of the Green Tara, one who does all the activities, the red Tara, like this, starts, goes around. So it says that as you recite the praise, then when you finish the first praise to the red Tara, controlling Tara, which does the action of controlling, then that absorbs within you, and then you think, “I have received all the qualities of that Tara.” So you know the particular function what this Tara, this one, red one, first one is controlling, controlling over the sentient beings, so that they listen to you, they obey to you, so then you can bring them into Dharma, and path to enlightenment, liberate them from samsara, bring them to enlightenment, that’s the main reason, and control over the material possessions that you need for your practice or to benefit for sentient beings, teaching of Buddha, so things like that.

So, first Tara controlling, so then you recite that praise, then absorbs within you, you receive all the qualities of that Tara, so can think that. So that might be okay. But to become that Tara, basically to become that Tara you need initiation, preliminary, you need a great initiation, at least lower tantra great initiation, then you can do that, you become that Tara. So without having received initiation, you cannot become that Tara.

So, anyway, so next one same, absorb to you, when you finish the praise, then, you receive all the qualities. So it means, so within the twenty-one Taras, whatever problem you have, whatever problem you are having, whatever problem other people have, other sentient beings, so everything, there’s one Tara there that connects, there’s one Tara there who is to pacify that problem, whether it’s black magic or whether it’s spirit harm, whether it’s people harming, whatever it is, poison or whatever, so there’s always one Tara there, you can see it’s for that, to pacify that problem.

So, anyway, either your own problems, however, then, so, you achieve all the qualities. So then that helps if some, for your own personal development, it helps for that, or to some obstacles happening, pacify, it helps for that, and then for you to help others, it also helps for that, by having qualities, receive qualities, power, so that you can help others, so that’s. So depending whatever problem you or the other person has, then that particular Tara, then you do that practice more, the mantra, and, the light, nectar beams emitted, and entered in your body and mind, or the other person’s, other sentient being’s body and mind, and purified, sicknesses, spirit harm, negative karma, defilements, completely purified. So you can do that. Then you chant the mantra, keep on chanting mantra while the nectar is coming, then, at the end received all the qualities within that person, think that, within yourself, and then after you received a great initiation, like Chenrezig or whatever, some lower tantra great initiation, Mitukpa or whatever, the Kunrig or the Mitukpa or the Medicine Buddha, whatever great initiation you received, then you can do the, you can become Tara.

I haven’t heard Tara great initiation, that I haven’t heard yet, I never heard that, great, many deities have, but there’s some deities, not necessarily every deity that there’s tradition great initiation, not necessary. So the, so basically like that, then you can become, then you become Tara yourself.

So it’s nearly six now? So maybe, yeah, huh? What? [Inaudible comments from students.] Oh, I see, okay, okay.

So, what I was saying is, so you can, if you, special kind of, feel very strong to Tara, you can, so, with the twenty-one Taras, whatever problem there is, you can take refuge to Tara and you can help, either yourself or to others, to chant more of that mantra, so can do like that. Whether somebody is in prison, want your help, then there’s also one Tara there, so to help. So that’s it.

Since there’s only one hour, so that previous talk is a tour. It’s a tour.

So, since you are reciting twenty-one Taras, and also in Spanish, like that, so not now, but maybe later some time, to, I want to do the blessing, the oral transmission of the recitation of the twenty-one Taras’ prayer, the lineage I have received, then you can receive, so, then it has more power, more blessing, more power, when you benefit others or for yourself, so. [pause]

Then, there was a few points which I didn’t make clear, a few points yesterday, but I’ve forgotten now. [pause while Rinpoche has a drink]

So I think, it’s a very important meditation, what I mentioned yesterday, it’s a kind of a, it’s total change, your view of life, total, not only change from this life, but I mean it can be said from beginningless rebirth, the way you believe things, it’s to do with that, change from beginningless rebirth, life, perception, the belief.

So it’s very good, very important to meditate, you think of the problem, whether business problem, relationship problem, so there’s various problems, okay. I can’t think of much, so, you can think more, many more problems; this problem, that problem, so, write down all the problems . So, anyway, joking, but, then, the problem you think, then think, then be aware there’s no I, that this real I that you have been believing, not only from this morning, from birth, from beginningless rebirth you’ve been believing, that there’s this real I. So you remember the problem first, then, problem that you believe you are experiencing, you are suffering this, this I, this real I, this real, you think of the problem, then you think of the I; first you think of the problem, think of the I , relate to the I. So the, “I have this problem,” because, for this real I, for this real I, first think of the problem, then, this problem for this real I, okay?

Then, then you think of the reality. I mean, you can do analysis, but however, the simple one is that which I mentioned before, any of this is not this real I, even all collection is not this real I, this real I cannot find from the tip of the hairs down to the toes, nowhere, exists nowhere, neither on this nor anywhere, okay?

And even the, what exists is the merely imputed I, okay. So that’s the same, any of these five aggregates, any of these is not that merely labeled I, even all together is not the merely labeled I. So where is it? Where is the merely labeled I? Could not find anywhere, from tip of the hairs down to the toes. It’s exactly the same, even the existing ones you can’t find.

So make, you have to get that very clear, you have to write down in notebook, make that, that very simple, that very simple conclusion, that you have to make clear to your heart, then it’s easy. There are many other logics, so many, in the study, however, this is, conclusion is very simple.

So, anyway, so, of course, you must have the idea, because this real I, in the sense existing from its own side or existing by its nature, or truly existent, however, because it doesn’t exist at all, neither on these aggregates nor anywhere, that doesn’t mean that there’s no I, that doesn’t mean there’s no such I who creates the cause of suffering and who creates the cause of happiness; who creates the cause of samsara, who creates the cause of liberation; who creates the cause of hell, who creates the cause of enlightenment, it’s not saying it doesn’t exist, okay.

So, the conclusion of what I’m saying is, before believing there’s a problem and there’s this real I, a problem for this real I, but that real I is not there. So now then how do you think? Now how do you see the problem? The interesting thing is, now how do you see the problem? It’s not there, so, do you still have the problem? So that part. Do you still have the problem? First, think of the relationship problem, so it’s not there, okay?

So, then I have one question. If you’re going to sue somebody, so I’m going to sue somebody, for the merely labeled I, how to say, the purpose of suing is because you believe harmed to this real I, then you sue somebody. [Inaudible comments from students.] I mentioned yesterday. [Further inaudible comments from students.] I mentioned “sue” yesterday. Or you mean “suicidal”?

So, anyway, before you sue, because you believe that person is harming me, the real I, by believing in the real I, but now it’s not there, and so, I mean, do you still sue that person who’s harmed to the merely labeled I? Do you still sue the person that harmed to the merely labeled I? So that’s the question.

When you’re angry to somebody, in a relationship situation, in the relationship problem, when you’re angry, whatever the person did, you get angry with that person, because believing that did some harm to, did some harm to me, the real I, inside this body. So now, you’re not get angry or harm to that person, because, oh, he, she is harming to merely labeled I, you don’t think that, you’re not doing that. You think that ever happened to a person, somebody sue or angry back, saying, “You’re harming the merely labeled I.” ?

So this meditation is very important, because what we do is normally totally opposite, the following the ignorance, wrong belief, wrong view, false I. We do everything for the false I, everything we do for the false I, which is not there, okay.

So the, what I was saying is this awakening, I mean, it brings to enlightenment, so we have to, there’s so many wrong views, superstitious thought, so we have to enlighten, we have to discover, so this is a very important one.

The other thing, of course, I am important, I am most important than others, others not, so that superstition, superstition that I am most important than others, my happiness is more important than others’ happiness, so that’s a different one. Again same, exactly same wrong view, doesn’t have logical reason, valid reason, that is again another meditation, that goes into, leads to bodhicitta.

So, first think of problem, then, from the real I, then you think, analyze, there’s such a thing there. Then you think, now how you see the problem, is the problem there or not? It’s very important. Check. So, especially, I think, very important, relationship problems, that to research, to check, then the relationship problems doesn’t exist, because there’s no such I there; you’re trying for this real I, it’s not there, so then that problem doesn’t exist, , so you don’t harm to other people, immediately you can bring peace, you can be harmonious to that person.

So, anyway, so you think, write down in a book different problems, then do meditation like this, okay. It’s very good. So that’s training, that’s training for our mind.

So if you, understood well and solved your problems, then you can help other people, then you can help also other people, the, even suicidal, many people you can help. Many suicidal, much suicidals are relationship problems, and some can be business people, you failed in business, so then suicidal. But the other one is, maybe nobody loves me, no family loves me, no, you don’t find, some people can’t find anybody, so you think you are alone, then maybe suicidal.

So, anyway, I want to emphasize that from last night’s talk, about emptiness, very important, this one. Otherwise, if you don’t meditate, then, you can study billions of pages of emptiness, you can memorize by heart, but if you don’t meditate, if you don’t get the experience, then, only thing is you just become scholar, and that’s it. So, then, your problem is still the same, not solved. Even after learning billions of pages, teachings on emptiness, you’re still, you the person are still the same, all the problems are there, even before you knew the teachings, it’s same. If it’s not more, not less. More will be pride, more will be pride, so much pride. So, you don’t get, you know the words, but you don’t have the experience inside. [pause]

There was a related one, Geshe Lama Konchog, but I have forgotten now, I didn’t clarify. I talked about Geshe Lama Konchog but then there was some, I remembered this morning, but then I forgot again.

Okay. So I think that’s, so she asked yesterday a question, yesterday’s talk is because of her question, so I want, since she asked that question I want to answer, I want to go through that. So I didn’t finish answering to her question. So, I did my own trips. I did my own trips yesterday. No, the second question she asked, I didn’t do.

So, this becomes one meditation on emptiness, besides what, the first one that I mentioned is, twenty-four hours, the mind constantly labeling, constantly mere imputation, I, then doing the sitting, or walking, eating, meditating, or drinking, or sleeping, whatever, constant, because there’s the aggregates, and then what body is doing, all the eating, walking, sitting, sleeping, and what the mind is doing, happy or unhappy, making plans, this, this, and what the speech is doing, so, because the aggregates exist, so the mind, so therefore the label, I, exists, even though you can’t find on the base, the aggregates, okay, the merely imputed one.

So now, and that’s the subtle or very important point, very important point, you cannot find on the base, aggregates, okay, even the imputed one, very important to get that clear idea of that.

So, anyway, so the mind constantly makes up, makes up the label, I, and then action of the I, constantly, depending on what the body does, depending on what the speech does, what the mind does, twenty-four hours, okay, like that, then from birth time, like that from beginningless rebirth, like that up to enlightenment, even up to enlightenment, even after enlightenment, even after elimination.

So, anyway, so the mind makes up the label I, merely imputed the and merely imputed the function. So it all exists, it’s all in mere name, existing in mere name, I in mere name, function in mere name.

So the way to meditate is, so you, relating this morning, so, first you were laid down, then get up, dressing up, “I’m dressing up,” so the body is doing action, dressing up. So then the mind label, ‘dressing up,’ I in mere name, dressing up, action, in mere name. So like that, so washing, then body does washing, then mind label I, which is in mere name, and the function of washing in mere name, so it comes like this, up to tonight, go to bed. So then you go over the whole life, then, from beginningless rebirth, then you go up to enlightenment, after enlightenment, so that’s one meditation.

Also you can do this meditation while you are walking, while you’re sitting, but this one you can do while you are walking, while you are working, doing job, you can meditate this continuously, mindfulness this, mindfulness, meditation mindfulness in this, while you are cleaning, while you are working in kitchen, whatever you are doing, your mind can be in meditation, continuously. Not that there is no I but the, merely imputed one, and the action of cleaning, merely imputed one, so mind, your mind in mindfulness, in meditation, so while you are talking to people, so your mind is in meditation, while you are talking to people, so, so the merely imputed I, then, doing the merely imputed action of talking.

For example, what I’m doing? So first you ask question to yourself, “What I am doing?” “I’m talking.” So why I say I’m talking, why I believe I’m talking? So there’s nothing, no other reason, nothing, except the body, except the body’s action, body, the aggregates are doing the action of talking. That’s it. So, that’s it, then, the mind made up the label, mind made up the label, I, and then the label, talking. So that’s it. So all of this exists in mere name, it’s not real, it’s not real, real in the sense existing from its own side, there’s no such thing.

So, while you are talking to people, while you are having meetings, talking, however, your mind can be in meditation on that, part of your mind in that meditation.

So that, while you are walking, you can do the same thing. So when you are cleaning, when you are doing job, so forth, so this way, your life is very busy, but at the same time you are practicing Dharma, continuously you are practicing Dharma, because your mind is in meditation, and here emptiness, the most important, because, most important, without this, cannot cut directly, eliminate the root of the suffering, and delusion and karma, directly, the defilements too, the most important thing, for that, that’s the most important thing.

So, your life is very busy, but this way, unified with Dharma, meditation, because your mind is continuously in meditation, related to the work.

So, then that, so during that time, while you are mindfulness, there’s an I, no real I, you know this, that you believe is inside of the body, but, merely, I is merely imputed by the mind, and merely imputed action. So during that time, somebody criticizes you, it doesn’t hurt you, if suddenly somebody criticizes you, somebody puts you down, or somebody look at you, somebody looks at you like this [Rinpoche demonstrates], somebody looks at you [again demonstrates[ , somebody looks at you like this, putting down other person, anyway, so, somebody disrespects you, it doesn’t bother you, during that state of mind, doesn’t bother you because you, because there’s no, during that time there’s no belief real I there, so it doesn’t bother, it’s just nothing, doesn’t bother.

So, no matter how life is busy, but if your mind is able to keep like this, meditation like that, which is extremely important to the emptiness, so, it’s not that there’s no I, believing there’s no I, that, but you are, not, nihilism or you have total wrong view, but your mind is aware what is the false I, what is the I that exists, your mind’s aware.

So here you’re meditating in the dependent arising, there’s I but in mere imputation, this, because there’s aggregates, then merely imputed action.

So it’s, so during that time, your heart is free, your heart free, there’s not all these problems, all these, like, like the candy, after the candy drops on the ground, then get all the dust. What? Get all the dust, all the junk, what is another example? So you find some other example like that.

So, so during that time, during the meditation, your heart is free, no this strong grasping, desire on one particular object, and then, get rid of something, the discriminating thought, anger, attachment, all these problems, getting into, something real, on the basis of real, existing from its own side, which is hallucination, then holding on that, holding on, grasping on.

So, anyway, now think this, if everybody in the world, realizes this, realizes there’s not this real I there, and I what exists is in mere name, merely imputed by mind, we haven’t yet meditated the different problems, what I said, this real I, because of the real I, then you think there’s no such thing, you analyze there’s no such thing, then how you see the problem, it doesn’t exist, all that, so we need to meditate that. Then you will come to know, everybody in the world, so have this realization, you meditate on this, I mean, have the realization of this, can you imagine, unbelievable, unbelievable problems, global problems, fighting each other, countries fighting each other, all this political, trying to get some other country, trying to get some other country, politically, I mean, through material, by force, this, so much, all this, global, and whatever, society, family, individuals, there’s so much problem there, it stops, it’s not there, it stops, everything stops, all this. So, all these global problems, so much, killing each other, so much, want power, all this power to, that you want to be more powerful, you want to be more rich, trying to grab, so all this, suddenly there’s no meaning for that.

[Rinpoche has some tea.] Suddenly found the reason to drink.

So if you expand, at first you meditate your own, then after you expand the whole world, it’s really amazing, so much problems it stops, it’s unbelievable peace and happiness. Then from there, then you can open the heart, even much deeper compassion, ?all to help others. So think that, the second thing what I mentioned yesterday, and then you look at the whole of the rest of the world. Then, you see how unbelievable peace and happiness, this earth, to the people, animals. When the people have, then also animals have so much peace and happiness, all the living beings. [pause]

Just quick what, after I finish there. So, she asked a very good question, so, I shouldn’t waste that. So, anyway, so, okay, the I, okay, so, because there’s aggregates, so there’s base, so there’s the label, I exists, okay, which exists, which doesn’t exist separately, but which exists differently, okay, meditate on that.

Now the base, the aggregates, okay, how that exists, how that exists is exists in mere name, merely imputed by the mind, because there is collection of the five aggregates: form, feeling, cognition, compounding aggregates, consciousness, so that’s the base, that’s the base to be labeled, aggregates, so, the aggregates exist, but it’s nothing other, except what is merely imputed by mind. There’s nothing, other except what is merely imputed by the mind. [pause]

But it is good to meditate, but then of course if you don’t write, then, later you don’t have, I mean, unless you can remember, but this is good to meditate so immediately you get, so that you get a clear idea. But if you can’t remember, then better to write down, so this is helpful, so that helpful in the future, now and in the future, all the time, see if you write down, for yourself and for other people.

So how aggregates, how they, aggregates, the base for the I, how it exists is nothing other, except what is merely imputed by the mind, labeled by the mind, [pause] because there is the collections of the five, five aggregates gathered, okay? That’s it. [pause]

Now, now the form. What is form? It’s nothing other except what is merely imputed by the mind, because this group of this body, all these five limbs: head, hands, legs, the central body, this groups of the parts. So, what was labeled form before is like, it’s not doesn’t exist, but it’s like doesn’t exist, so subtle, becomes so subtle, mere imputation, merely imputed.

Now, then you can continue the meditation, head, one piece, there are five parts of the body, then the main center body is the sixth, so head, example, head. So what is a head? Nothing, nothing other than what is merely imputed by mind, because there is the group of the parts of the head, so that is the basis to be labeled, head, which is nothing other than what is imputed by the mind.

So now, anyway, we’re not going to go through all the long term, going, it take a long time to go through more finer, finer, so, we just go straight through, okay, so there’s all these different parts, inside the brain, then the ears, nose, eyes, and all the skulls, so all these, there’s all these different pieces. So if you’re a doctor or you studied then you know everything what is there, all the pieces, that put together, like a football, wrapped, by the skin, all the pieces wrapped by skin, and the top part has hair growing [RL, GL]. Now looks strange, yeah?

So, all these pieces wrapped up by skin, then those pieces have got names, all these pieces got together, put together, wrapped up by skin, so they all have different names, all the pieces have different names. So now, so all those also merely imputed by mind, because there’s the basis, their own basis exist, so all those labels, just exist in mere name, merely imputed by mind.

So the idea is, what you’re supposed to get in your heart is, there’s nothing real, there’s nothing real, exists, but not real; not totally nonexistent, it exists, but not real, okay. Not real, not inherently existent, same. This idea what you should get in your heart.

Okay, now, so now it goes down to the, goes down very small pieces, goes down, down, down, down, down, now go to atoms, all these atoms, okay. Now, according to Prasangika School philosopher, the atoms, they have particles of atoms. Even the atoms, what they are is nothing other except what is merely imputed by the mind, came from mind, merely imputed by mind.

Now those, the particles of atoms have also particles of atoms, so goes on like that, according to Prasangika School view.

And the other schools, the lower schools they believe, no particles of atoms, atoms have no particles, they believe like that. But the Prasangika School believes particles, having particles.

So now think, now concentrate here, get the idea of atoms. What is that, that’s nothing, just merely imputed by mind, label made by mind, because there are particles of atoms.

So now the particles of atoms, okay, so, think this, particles of atoms, what is called particles of atoms is a name, is a name, name has to come from mind, has to be given by the mind. So even the particles of atoms is merely imputed by mind. So therefore, the particles of the atoms do not exist at all from its own side, so meditate on this. [very long pause]

Now, from the particles of the atoms, finer, finer, finer, from there, up to the I, all this nothing, up to the I, self, nothing except what is merely imputed by the mind. So all this, it’s not doesn’t exist, but like doesn’t exist, extremely fine phenomena, from particles of the atoms up to the self, I, everything, so extremely fine phenomena, just enough existing, because it has the base, which is ?also merely labeled by mind, so now you get the whole idea, from self down to the atoms, atoms’ atoms, you know the….

So now, what, now how you saw before, how you believed before, from the self down to the particles of the atoms, atoms’ atoms, everything real from its own side, each one, everything real from its own side, existing, all that is totally false, totally false, okay, totally false, totally nonexistent, from the self down to the atoms, atoms, particles of atoms, all that view we had before, in the past, from this morning, from birth, before, all this, total hallucination, total nonexistent, not the slightest even atom is there, okay. So, all this what we have been believing something real, all this superstitious mind, ignorance.

So this is a meditation on emptiness, the previous one, dependent arising, subtle dependent arising according to Prasangika School. Now the next one, what I was talking now here, all the hallucinations, piles of, all piled hallucinations, from the self down to the particles of atoms, atoms, all piles of hallucination, so this is another meditation, while you are busy, a part of your mind to meditate on, to be aware, all this is not true, I mean, all this is hallucination, okay, totally nonexistent, okay. Okay, now stop.

Then the other one is consciousness, then you have to go to consciousness, consciousness from life to life, then this life consciousness, then one day consciousness, twenty-four hour consciousness, then one hour consciousness, then, one minute consciousness, second consciousness, minute consciousness, second consciousness, then there’s split-seconds, then, like that, all these are merely imputed by mind, okay. Analysis is the same.

Then to realize everything, what exists is, from subtle consciousness, again, same, from there up to self, all this is merely imputed by mind, all this is merely imputed by mind, so all of this is empty, all this is totally empty of existing from their own side, okay, like that, so meditate, like that.

So then you can do same meditation, subtle dependent arising, emptiness and subtle dependent arising, then all the hallucinations, meditate on all the hallucinations, okay, that which is a hallucination, so like that, okay, like that.

So this is one meditation. Then there’s all the feeling, cognition, there’s also that, besides the consciousness, the compounding aggregates, so it’s more or less the same, the analysis to find out how they are merely imputed by mind, same. So that’s it.

Due to all the past, present and future merits collected by me, three-time merits collected by others, jang chhub sem chhog rin po chhe….

Due to all the three-time merits collected by me, three-time merits collected by others, then, which are empty, may the I who is empty, achieve Guru Shakyamuni Buddha’s enlightenment, which is empty, and lead all the sentient beings, who are empty, to that Guru Shakyamuni Buddha’s enlightenment, which is empty, by myself alone, who is empty.

So, thank you very much. Enjoy.

[Students offer a thanksgiving mandala offering.]

Enjoy dinner [Rinpoche learns how to say this in Spanish and the students laugh and applaud.