Khenpo Migmar Tsering gave a series of public talks in Sydney, held a Tsok with us on Wesak day and taught on Kamalashila’s "Stages of Meditation" for two days. In this teaching it is mentioned that to achieve enlightenment we must collect the causes and conditions for enlightenment and these should be correct and complete. He referred to the Samadhi Raja Sutra which states that: even though one engages in calm abiding meditation, without transcendental knowledge this will not destroy the perception of ego. Though one may suppress the self-clinging for a time it will again agitate the mind. Without the help of discerning knowledge analysis about the selflessness of phenomena, and the meditation on this, there is no liberation. Penetrative insight discerns correct and incorrect states and understands ultimate knowledge, and this becomes a cause of ultimate enlightenment.

Khenpo discussed this in respect to students of Dharma in Australia:

I have found that at different Dharma centres people have gone through different aspects of practice mainly certain initiations and then commitments they need to keep. I have been saying that in order to support or strengthen these practices, whatever they may be - vajrajayana, ngöndro or sadhana - what is needed is some study of philosophy. Even if this study cannot be as extensive as that of Tibetan students, a general idea about the philosophy and some understanding of key ideas will increase the faith in the practice. Without a proper knowledge, or understanding, when you face difficulties there is a possibility of losing your faith. It is possible that you may have a very good faith as a result of a strong karmic link, but this is not the same with every person. If your practice is not supported with a proper understanding then some individuals may have all sorts of expectation or objectives of that practice; then when you find that you don’t reach that objective or that expectation then you may lose your faith. But when you study and know more then you also know not to expect different things in the first place. Therefore there is a need for some study. I know in the west studying is considered as something intellectual and people rather like to go for something ‘purely’ spiritual. But in Buddhism the practice is to study, contemplate and meditate. Never has there been any mention about doing meditation in the first place before study and contemplation, so there is a need definitely to study.

I asked Khenpo whether there were any particular areas of study that were suitable.

Since people are most interested in meditation there are several texts that deal with calm abiding and penetrative insight - shamatha and vipasana - so these teachings could be of great help. Generally, in a complete text that is dealing with a complete practice, there is the section on the foundation: the understanding of the conventional and the ultimate truth; and then the path section, which deals with the different aspects of practices; and then of course the result which tells you what sort of results you are supposed to get. It is a good to have a general overview of this kind and then to put the emphasis for further study on the path section.

Western students do not have much time as they have to spare time from their working hours, so they have to study some important summary texts. There are general texts like Bodhisatvavatara and Madhamaka Avatara. However, if it is not possible to study long texts in their entirety, then the important thing is to find those texts that are connected to the practices or sadhanas that you are doing.

For instance when you do a sadhana there is the mediation on the four immeasurables, and so you may look up some texts that explain in detail about this. Then, as well as understanding the brief meaning, with the help of the further explanations you will gain a deeper understanding. In the same way when you say in a sadhana "out of the emptiness this and this appears..." then you have to know what emptiness is. To know what emptiness is there is need for study about what emptiness is. Without that it may be possible for someone to have a correct understanding of emptiness, but it is said that if you hold an incorrect idea of emptiness then the practices that are done on the basis of that understanding are also wrong and there would not be the possibility of getting the proper result from them. So without correct understanding the whole practice is ruined. This is why it is so important to have an understanding of emptiness in the first place in order to do your practice in a meaningful way.

The reason I am saying this is to make it clear that by studying Madhyamaka Avatara you are not studying something different to your practice. Rather you are trying to know something which is part of your practice. These studies should not be seen as separate they are all interconnected. Even if you are doing Tara practice which is short, there is still a need to study, because there are references to many different things in that practice. Some things may have to be taken from Abhidharma and some from Madhyamaka. If you want to really improve your practice you must improve your understanding of your practice, and to do this you must study.

I see the necessity to enhance practice in this way because several western students have been doing their practices for a long time, in fact longer than average Tibetan. Yet, when they look back and check their understanding, it has not increased. Further more the effect on their mind and their mental training as well as their behaviour as a whole has not been beneficial. When no result comes then something must be wrong. Without knowing the need to study some people may be disillusioned in the practice, they may think that this practice is not good at all. They do not realise that they have not done the proper study and so have not had all the necessary conditions and facilities to obtain the result. One has to have the knowledge, the penetrative insight to support the practice.

It is not necessary to always study a complete text as a whole as westerners, with some few exceptions, may not get enough time to do this. It may be good to have selected study programmes related to people’s practice.

For students who which to make Dharma study a central part of their life it will definitely be useful to go and study at Sakya College or at Khenpo Appey’s institute. It will hopefully be possible, in time, to study at Sakya College. I have also been suggesting that perhaps some western children should to learn Tibetan, go to Tibetan schools so that then they can go and study at the college.

It would be good for some to keep up a continuity of study and work in areas of Tibetan language and dharma studies. This can also lead to a career in an academic context, as it has for many Americans thus making it easier to combine work and practice. We need continuity of application in some students. Buddhism has been here for quite a long time, we have followers of this and that Guru and practitioners of this or that sadhana. However by now there should be some very grounded and solid students who could also start to teach properly. That is very much needed. Career and practice can be brought together and universities will develop departments of Asian studies if a strong interest is demonstrated.

Finally Khenpo-la said:

I am happy to notice that may dharma students here are really dedicated and have good faith and devotion. I have noticed progress since my last visit in that the depth of faith and devotion has increased. It is good to see that many older students are still actively participating. At this time it is important for those students to take account of the different aspects of Buddhist practice and to make their own study, contemplation and meditation complete.

Along with practices it is also important for the sake to the dharma to come together and work together to try to do some social work to help the resident lamas, and help the committee members. It is important to not just come to attend the teachings when visiting lamas come but to give a hand and give support as it is needed. If the centre is strong it will help in the propagation of the Dharma and it will help you also. There is a need for stronger active participation in centres.

I also asked Khenpo-la to say a little about his own life:

Khenpo was born in Tibet and escaped to India in childhood. He did his elementary study in South India in a Tibetan school run by the Indian government. Already at this time he showed a special intelligence and often won essay prizes and the like. He began his higher studies at Varanasi where he started studying philosophy at the age of 15. He studied there for three years. His teacher there, the late Khenpo Rinchen, used to like him very much and considered him as a favourite student. He was with the Sakya lineage, having only been a monk for three years. He knew that His Holiness Sakya Trizin was the head but did not really know much about other Sakya teachers. However, when he heard about Sakya College with Khenpo Appey, because Khenpo had great popularity and through his karmic link to Khenpo, he had a great urge to go and study there. Although many of the students were keen to study there, only three students from Varanasi were accepted as there were only seven students in all at that time. Luckily, he was accepted on the basis of his merit. His teacher Khenpo Rinchen was quite upset as he had wanted him to continue to study under himself.

At Skaya College it was fairly easy for him to go through basic philosophical studies and Khenpo Appey started appreciating his grasp of philosophy. His ability to grasp the meaning and the concepts was demonstrated as students had to be able to repeat back the previous day and whenever he did the explanation it would indicated what sort of understanding he had. During the 10 year of written examination at Sakya College he was first for 8 years and the other two was in second position. Khenpo Appey had a high expectation of him. He wanted him to stay after he completed formal studies and then take his place, but at this stage Khenpo Migmar wanted a change. After Sakya College he trained at the Tibetan Library at Dharamsala as translator. At that time he had the wish to become an interpreter and translator. Then Khenpo Migmar got an appointment to teach Sakya philosophy in Varanasi and remained there for five and a half years. In Varanasi from worldly point of view they were teaching philosophy and religious work as Indian government employees, and in that way it was a very nice job that everybody would aspire too. But it was very hot and also not many students were monks, they were lay boys and girls. They took many different subjects and the students were not keenly interested, they were studying to get degrees, so there was not the inner satisfaction. So for this reason he was ready to return to Sakya College when His Holiness and Khenpo Appey asked him to return to Sakya College as Abott which he did early in 1989. In 1990 he was enthroned as the proper Khenpo and Abott of Sakya college. In the beginning he was giving two classes in addition to the administration work. Now the number of students has increased and that has increased the administrative work so he has to spend quite a lot of time on that. Now he can only teach one class and the others are run by colleagues including another Khenpo who was guest teacher for two years. The rest of the time he takes care of correspondence, as the College cannot afford to hire very efficient assistants so most of the work rests on the leader as in most Tibetan institutions. He also deals with Indian officials and raises funds generally and sponsorship for students and sees to it that students write to sponsors. Most importantly, he also takes care of the discipline for the young monks. In these degenerate times they face many more obstacles and that is a big responsibility. This work will go on for some time, until Khenpo Appey and His Holiness have another job for him or he feels a need to do something else. It is his personal wish is to translate major Sakya works as not many Sakya texts have been translated. This requires a full time commitment for the work and for raising funds for it, which he could do if relieved of his present big responsibility.