A Guide to the Bodhisattva's Way of Life, The 37 Practices of A Bodhisattva and Nagarjuna's The Fundamental Wisdom; 17-August-2006 (Day 4 of 5; Afternoon) - Dalai Lama Audio Teachings on Tibetan Buddhism Podcast

In chapter 9 of the Guide debate continues between proponents of the Middle Way and the Realists. The Realists, who confound existence with inherent existence, ask, if nothing exists, what do we make of the Buddha, what is the purpose of making offerings etc. The Middle Way school answers that although things do not inherently exist, they do exist; they benefit others and so forth. The Mind Only school asserts that when something exists it does so merely by mental extension. There is no external existence, all is mind. Their grounds are that external phenomena can be analysed into parts, but because there is never a final constituent particle, the appearance of external existence is an illusion. The Middle Way counters that there is external existence on the level of mere designation. Things have no intrinsic existence, but they do exist externally. They challenge the Mind Only by asserting that just as external phenomena can be broken into parts, the mind can be divided and sub-divided into moments, therefore according to their terms it should not exist. They say that external things and the mind are equally non-existent in terms of intrinsic existence. The important point is made that, of course, emptiness too is empty of intrinsic existence. Emptiness is the remedy for the darkness of the afflictive and cognitive obscurations of the mind, so the question is posed, why would someone intent on achieving omniscience quickly not meditate on it?