Khenpo Tsültrim Gyamtso Rinpoche    

 

Quote of the Week   
January 14, 2011

Large Ears Need Large Minds

 In a dream, one hears sounds-pleasant sounds, unpleasant sounds, and
sounds that are neither pleasant nor unpleasant. However, the sounds
and the ear consciousnesses that hear the sounds are neither the same
nor different. Therefore they are of the nature of equality that is beyond
being the same or being different. Similarly, in this lifetime, ear
consciousnesses hear pleasant sounds, unpleasant sounds, and sounds
that are neither pleasant nor unpleasant, just as in dreams, but the sounds
and the ear consciousnesses that apprehend the sounds are neither the
same nor different. They are beyond same and different. What is their
way of being? They are of the nature of equality. If you realize the meaning
of equality, the complexities of sounds and the consciousnesses that
apprehend them as being either the same or different will be completely
pacified.

The attachment and aversion that ordinary beings experience in dependence
upon sounds is great, and the suffering that they experience in dependence
upon that attachment and aversion is also great. For that reason it is important
to correct the complexity of sounds and the thoughts that apprehend sounds.
In particular, these days the sounds of this world have come close to us.
Because they have come close to our ears, it is important to pacify the
complexity of sounds and the thoughts that apprehend sounds. Our ears
have become very large and long. Sounds have come very close.

If along with our ears becoming so large, our minds were to become very
large, that would be fine. But when our ears become very large and our
minds become very small, that's difficult.

--From Mahamudra Vipashyana, Karmê Chöling, Summer, 1993, pp.53-4.
Translated by Jules Levinson.