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Chapter 16: Verses 383-394

Chapter 16: Verses 383-394

Refuting remaining misconceptions of inherent existence and emptiness. Part of a series of talks on Aryadeva’s Four Hundred Stanzas on the Middle Way.

  • The Madhyamakas assert a thesis, they do not just refute those of others
  • Even the smallest particle of true existence is not observed
  • Refuting true existence requires reasoning not just statements
  • Merely designating something as truly existent doesn’t make it truly existent
  • The refutation of inherent existence does not make the self or things non-existent
  • True existence is the object to be negated by reasoning. Grasping at true existence is the object to be negated by the path

99 Aryadeva’s 400 Stanzas: Verses 383-394 (download)

http://www.youtu.be/YwloN4dqgzE

Venerable Thubten Chodron

Venerable Chodron emphasizes the practical application of Buddha’s teachings in our daily lives and is especially skilled at explaining them in ways easily understood and practiced by Westerners. She is well known for her warm, humorous, and lucid teachings. She was ordained as a Buddhist nun in 1977 by Kyabje Ling Rinpoche in Dharamsala, India, and in 1986 she received bhikshuni (full) ordination in Taiwan. Read her full bio.