Q & A with Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche

San Francisco, CA                                                        2003-6-22
  1. Questions from Steven Chen:
    2. I think most of us are now pretty familiar with Madhyamaka's idea. I guess we can focus on
    1. HOW to practice the Madhyamaka's ideas effectively in his personal experience? Is there any STAGES description on practicing this Madhyamaka doctrines ?
    2. Do we have to follow a particular teacher in this school ? e.g. Chandrakirti or Bhavaviveka.
  2. Questions from Alan Chiu:
    1. How do you actually meditate based on Madhyamaka's ideas? Can you use meditation on breathing (anapanasati) to illustrate?
    2. What role does Buddha nature play in Madhyamaka? My reading of Nagarjuna's Mulamadhyamaka-karikas is it only asserts Tathagatha as conventional truth, as established by concepts, but I've heard Tibetans teach Buddha nature alongside Mulamadhyamaka, as clear, luminous mind. Can you elaborate on the relationship?
  3. Questions from Teresa:
    1. Would you please talk about your purpose/vow of this life and many future lives to come?
    2. What was your motivation of directing/producing films? What do you like to achieve or share with other people through filming?
    3. Can mind observe mind? How? Does observing capacity lie in mind (Citta) or function of mind (Caitta)? Or it is simply one function of mind (Caitta) observes another function of mind ? 
    4. How to explain "out-of-body" experience? Is it a true sensor out of the body, or it is just a in-body sensor which can perceive beyond the physical limit of the body?
  4. Questions from Chris:
    1. A genteel and graceful appearance usually reflects the accomplishments of sila (keeping precepts well). Though Asian and Western cultures differ on what constitutes dignity, do you think Asian culture expects you to behave dignified only out of respect of your Bhikkhuhood?
    2. Why do you think Westerners are effected by a sense of sin, and Asians are effected by shame? How these mental factors influence the motivation and result of learning dharma?
    3. You have said you don't want to be a Rinpoche in your next life because you can do other things. Please honestly tell me what you want to do in this life? Is being a bhikkhu an obstacle to satisfy your desire, or an aid to reaching the fruit of the noble path?