Pointing the Way to Reasoning: Commentaries to Compendium of Debates, Types of Mind, Analysis of Reasons

564 Pages·2005·14.362 MB·English

by  Sermey Khensur Lobsang Tharchin Rinpoche, Vincent Montenegro

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POINTING THEWA Y TO REASONING
Commentaries to
COMPENDIUM OF DEBATES
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TYPES OF MIND
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ANALYSIS OF REASONS
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by
SERMEY KHENSUR LOBSANG THARC HIN RINPOCHE
with
Vincent Montenegro
ORAL COMMENTARY SERIES
MAHAYANA SUTRA AND TANTRA PRESS
Mahayana Sutra and Tantra Press
112 West Second Street
Howell, New Jersey 07731
©2005 by Sermey Khensur Lobsang Tharchin Rinpoche
All Rights Reserved.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Tharchin, Sermey Geshe Lobsang, I 921-
Pointing the way to reasoning : commentaries to compendium of debates, types of
mind, analysis of reasons I Sermey Khensur Lobsang Tharchin Rinpoche with
Vincent Montenegro.
p. cm. - - (Oral commentary series)
ISBN 0-918753-18-X
I. Buddhist logic. 2. Knowledge, Theory of (Buddhism)
3. Buddhism--China--Tibet--Doctrines. I. Title: Commentaries to compendium of
debates, types of mind, analysis of reasons. II. Montenegro, Vincent 1954-
111. Title. IV. Series.
BC25.T53 2005
I 60--dc22
2005000004
Cover: Image of Glorious Dharmakirti courtesy of Venerable Yongyal Rinpoche.
Sermey Khensur Lobsang Tharchin Rinpoche

ABOUT KHENSUR RrNPOCHE
SERMEY KHENSUR LOBSANG THARCHIN RINPOCHE (1921-2004) was born
in Lhasa, Tibet. He entered the Mey College of Sera Monastery at an early
age and proceeded through the rigorous twenty-three-year program of
Buddhist monastic and philosophical studies. Upon successful completion
of the public examination by the best scholars of the day, Rinpoche was
awarded the highest degree of Hlarampa Geshe with honors.
In 1954, he entered Gyu-me Tantric College. In 1959, Rinpoche went
into exile. While in India, he was actively involved in Tibetan resettlement
and education. He developed a series of textbooks for the Tibetan
curriculum and taught at several refugee schools, including those at
Darjeeling, Simla, and Mussoorie.
In 1972, Khensur Rinpoche came to the United States to participate in
the translation of various Buddhist scriptures. After the completion of this
project, he was invited to serve as Abbot of Rashi Gempil Ling, a Buddhist
temple established by Kalmuk Mongolians, in Howell, New Jersey.
Rinpoche also founded the Mahayana Sutra and Tantra Center, with
branches in Washington, D.C. and New York. Over the years he offered a
vast range of Buddhist teachings on both Sutra and Tantra. In particular,
every spring he would impart Lam Rim teachings for several weeks to
accompany the Highest Yoga Tantra initiations he gave in the summer,
followed by extensive explanations in the fall.
In 1991, Rinpoche was asked by His Holiness the Dalai Lama to serve
as Abbot of Sera Mey Monastery in South India. After his appointment
there, where he accomplished 'a monumental work to improve the lives of
the monks, he returned to the United States to resume the teaching of
Mahayana Dharma, while continuing to help Sera Mey Monastery from
afar.
On December I st, 2004, on the 20th day of the I 0th month of the Wood
Monkey year 2131, Rinpoche passed and remained in his final meditation
for five days. His holy body was cremated on Je Tsong Khapa Day,
December 7th, 2004, at Rashi Gempil Ling, First Kalmuk Buddhist Temple
in Howell, New Jersey.
- CONTENTS -
PARTI
COMPENDIUM OF DEBATES 1
explanation of the title and homage 7
introduction 9
dialogue one 14
eight doors of pervasion 22
dialogue two 27
method for distinguishing differences 30
our own system (from the section on Analysis of Reasons) 37
dialogue three 39
our own system: general (category] and particular [instances] 44
debate one:
general [category] and particular [instances] 59
method for determining particular instances 64
debate two:
general (category] and particular [instances] 73
our own system: definition and object to be defined 80
debate three:
general (category] and particular (instances] 83
greater path of cause and effect 90
our own system: greater path of cause and effect 92
debate four:
cause and effect 119
our own system: conditions 134
debate five:
cause and effect 143
debate six:
cause and effect 150
our own system: effects 158
our own system: effects (continued] 164
our own system: the three times 170
PARTII
TYPES OF MIND 175
our own system: object and object possessor 177
a brief synopsis of types of mind: the seven types of mind 187
[main] mind 188
A. valid cognition 192
- CONTENTS -
I. direct valid cognition 193
a] direct valid sense cognition 196
b) direct valid mental cognition 200
c] direct valid self-cognizing cognition 202
d) direct valid yogic cognition 204
four classifications by way of the basis 210
direct valid yogic cognition in relation
to subsequent cognition and
non-ascertaining perception 212
two classifications by way of the object 216
II. inferential valid cognition 219
a) inferential valid cognition by the power of the fact 222
b] inferential valid cognition based on trust 224
c) inferential valid cognition based on conventional usage 227
B. non-valid cognition 229
Ill. subsequent cognition 230
IV. doubt 233
V. speculative assumption 235
VI. wrong cognition 248
VII. non-ascertaining perception 250
PARTIII
ANAYLSIS OF REASONS 2 51
The Essence of Scriptural Authority and Logical Reasoning:
A Presentation of Reasoning to Delight Scholars
introduction 255
reasons: general explartation 264
perfect reasons 273
bases of relation 273
basis of relation of the property of the subject 27 4
basis of relation of pervasion 289
quality to be proved 291
similar class 304
dissimilar class 305
three types of dissimilar class 306
perfect reason: definition 316
the three modes 317
property of the subject 318
positive pervasion 326
reverse pervasion 328
- CONTENTS -
three kinds of perfect reasons:
classification of perfect reasons by way of their nature 339
perfect reason of effect 341
reason of effect proving a direct cause 344
reason of effect proving a distant prior cause 344
reason of effect inferring causal attributes 345
reason of effect proving a general cause 349
reason of effect proving a particular cause 351
other classifications of reasons of effect 352
reason of effect that engages the similar
class as a pervader 353
reason of effect that engages the similar
class in two ways 355
purpose 362
perfect reason of same nature 364
reason of same nature suggesting an agent directly 368
reason of same nature suggesting an agent indirectly 368
reason of same nature not suggesting an agent 369
reason of same nature that engages the similar
class as a pervader and 372
reason of same nature that engages the similar
class in two ways 372
perfect reason of non-observation 374
reason of non-observation of the non-appearing 376
reason of non-observation of a related object 384
reason of non-observation of the cause 385
reason of non-observation of a pervader 386
reason of non-observation of same nature 387
purpose 388
reason of observation of an object contradictGry to the
non-appearing 394
three types of doubt (fortune) related to mind 395
reason of non-observation of the suitable to appear 396
reason of non-observation of a related object that is
suitable to appear 400
reason of non-observation of the cause of a related
object that is suitable to appear 401
reason of non-observation of a related pervader that
is suitable to appear 402
reason of non-observation of a related object of same
nature that is suitable to appear 404
reason of non-observation of the direct effect
of the suitable to appear 405