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The main function of inner wind is to act as the movement for the mind.
As I explained yesterday, without inner winds our mind cannot
move to different objects.
Our mind is like a person who has no legs. However, by being mounted on the inner
wind it can move to different objects and can function. Inner winds are winds that
flow through the channels of our body and that function to move our
vvmove to different objects.
They can be divided into gross, subtle, and very subtle. Our minds that manifest
during waking time are generally gross minds. Our minds that manifest during sleep
and during the death process are generally subtle minds.
And our minds that manifest during deep sleep and during the last
moment of the death process are very subtle minds. They are called gross,
subtle and very subtle according to how easy it is to recognize them.
So the inner winds that are mounts of gross minds are gross inner winds, the inner
winds that are mounts of subtle minds are subtle inner winds,
and the inner winds that are mounts of very subtle minds
are very subtle inner winds.
The very subtle mind, the continually residing mind, and the indestructible
mind are synonymous. The very subtle wind, the very subtle body,
the continually residing body, and the indestructible wind are synonymous.
(Sorry. I myself am learning!)
Since we have a very subtle body and mind, we also have a very subtle I. Our I that
is imputed upon our very subtle body and mind is our very subtle I. This I is the
deathless person that goes to our future lives, life after life, without ceasing.
It is this person who will become an enlightened being when
our mind is completely purified.
So this means that we have a gross I and a subtle I. When our gross body
ceases, our gross I ceases. So people who deny future lives are concerned
about this, thinking 'When the body ceases, I cease.'
People also normally think that since there is so much suffering, pain, and
difficult situations, 'If I die, then my body will cease, disappear.
I myself will disappear'.
They are indirectly denying future lives. This means they believe only in
the gross I. If they have knowledge of the subtle I, then they are afraid to die
because suffering will not cease - because the subtle I, or real I, goes on.
The gross I is also temporary. The gross I is like a dream I, artificial,
not a real I.
The gross I is imputed by conceptual thought upon an inherently existent
body and mind and grasping 'I, I', which is the inherently existent I.
In reality the I that we normally see does not exist. But we don't need
to think about ultimate truth - just conventionally the gross I is temporary
The body that came from other people and upon which we then
imputed I, I, I is in reality just ignorance.
Therefore this is not our real I.
Our real I is the I that is imputed upon our own body that is, our
subtle body or continually residing body and imputed upon our own
mind that is, our continually residing mind. 'Continually residing'
means that it is residing from life to life continually, never ceasing.
Also this is the continually residing I. Our normal I that is imputed
upon our gross body and mind is a temporary I, not a continually
residing I. Highest Yoga Tantra gives everything clearly and with confidence.
We don't need to be afraid to die. If we do everything correctly, if we
prepare now for the happiness and freedom of future lives, we don't
need to be afraid. We have confidence to go from joy to joy. If we
have not prepared and instead have performed many non-virtuous actions,
then of course we have to be afraid.
Anyway, we clearly understand that death never causes suffering to cease.
The worst sufferings are the sufferings of countless future lives.
The sufferings of this life are just temporary, short; they will even
end tomorrow if we die.
Also, if you sincerely wish for freedom or want to liberate yourself
from the suffering of this life, this is not renunciation; it is not Dharma.
It is not anything special because every living being has this wish;
even animals want to be free from the suffering of this life.
Everybody tries to protect themselves from suffering, including animals,
and of course human beings. This is not a special intention;
this is not Dharma. Whether they've learnt or studied Dharma or not
everybody has this wish to be free from the sufferings of this life.
This is not renunciation, this is not Dharma, this is not any special
intention. Just temporary freedom from particular suffering is not
good enough. Every living being everywhere, even animals, experiences
temporary liberation from particular suffering.
What we need while we have a precious humane life is permanent liberation
from suffering. This means permanent liberation from the suffering of
future lives. The sufferings of future lives are endless and unbearable.
For example, we can imagine that today we are sleeping in a very luxurious
bedroom as a human being, maybe proud to be a special human being such as
a scholar or practitioner. Then due to particular conditions
during sleep we die.
At the time of waking, if we reach a place where everywhere is
pervaded by fire, what should we do? The precious opportunity to
attain permanent liberation is now finished; everything is too late.
Previously we had this opportunity and now we have lost it. We have
done nothing, accomplished nothing.
Now when we have already reached there, then what happens?
Like a dream you know, like a permanent dream! When we are
inside waking we have reached a place, an environment, world,
which is full of fire, completely pervaded by fire, like a dream,
a permanent dream from which we never wake.
So then what should we do? Everything is too late, they have no hope.
There is no knowledge, positive knowledge - only feelings of suffering.
So now we may be afraid. This means we are afraid of samsara.
We need this; we need to be afraid of the sufferings of countless future lives.
This fear is renunciation in reality. We want to be liberated
from the sufferings of countless future lives. So in reality such a
place that is pervaded entirely by fire like a permanent
dream has developed, is experienced.
Countless living beings even now are having such an experience,
and in the future everybody will. The time is different, but they
have to go there anyway. Sometimes we go to the upper realms;
sometimes we have to go to the lower realms.
If we deeply think about this kind of situation, we will develop
fear of the sufferings of countless future lives, wanting to
liberate ourself and all other living beings permanently from
this suffering, through renunciation. If we really are a wise person
we must think this.
Once we have already reached there, it is too late.
Shantideva says: 'In the future such a precious opportunity
will be very extremely hard to find.' This is true, you know.
It will be impossible because without meeting Buddhadharma
it is impossible to have such an opportunity.