Lama Zopa Rinpoche

the I and merely imputes the action of the I, depending on what the aggregates do. When we
analyze dependent arising—not the gross one but the Prasangika view of subtle dependent
arising—we see that it has always been like this from beginningless rebirths up to now.
How everything appears to us as truly existing
As long as there is the continuity of the valid base, the aggregates, there is always the mere I
existing and there is always the mere action of the I existing. While we are circling in samsara
it will be like that. This will not change, even after we become enlightened, when our mind is
totally free from subtle obscurations and completes all the realizations. It is like that forever.
The I exists and the action of the I exists because the valid base exists. They exist in mere
name, not from their own side. Even the valid base exists in mere name.
Saying the I exists “in mere name” does not mean that it does not actually exist. It exists, but
the way of existing is unbelievably subtle. This is incredibly interesting. The way of existing is
so subtle that, for our hallucinating mind, it is like it does not exist. In fact, for our
hallucinating mind, what exists—the merely labeled I—seems to be nonexistent and what
doesn’t exist—the real I—we totally, totally believe in. When we check, when we search, when
we meditate, using our inner science, we find that what really exists seems to be nonexistent
to the hallucinated mind.
Our normal life is totally like a dream, like a hallucination, like an illusion, like a mirage. By
thinking about what really exists, we can understand the hallucination. By considering what
is the truth in life we can understand what is false in life. Otherwise we can know neither the
full truth nor what is false.
To summarize, the valid base, the aggregates, is there. Because of that, the thought of I
arises, the merely labeled I and the merely labeled action arise, depending on what the valid
base does.
In the first moment the labeling thought merely imputes the I and the action. For instance, if
the I is sitting—if sitting is the merely labeled action of the I—there is firstly the merely
labeled I and then secondly the merely labeled action, “sitting.”
Therefore, it is so subtle. How the I exists is extremely subtle; it is never the way we normally
believe it to be from birth; from beginningless rebirths in fact. It is never the way that our
mind projects it to be—truly existent. The I that exists is extremely subtle. It’s like it doesn’t
exist compared to how it appears to our normal hallucinated mind.
That happens in the first moment. In the second moment, when it appears back it should
appear back as merely labeled. It has just been merely labeled by our mind a moment ago so
it should appear back to us like that. But for us that is not what happens. It only appears
back to the buddhas as merely labeled, only to those beings who have no disturbing-thought
obscurations, for whom there is no trace of negative imprints at all. Only the enlightened
beings, the buddhas, apprehend it as merely labeled. Until that time, for us sentient beings,
we have this hallucination of the truly existing appearance because the negative imprints of
the disturbing-thought obscurations have not yet ceased.
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