Entering the Middle Way

Is the world really "just the mind"? In Lesson 25 of Entering the Middle Way, Khenpo Sodargye explains why the Lankāvatāra Sūtra's teaching that outer objects do not exist is provisional, not the Buddha's final meaning. The lesson opens with advice on studying with focus and living meaningfully, and closes by refuting the idea that things arise without a cause. What you will discover in this lecture ① Why the Buddha taught that outer objects do not exist, as a skillful means to ease attachment, anger, and pride ② How scripture and reasoning show that Mind-Only is provisional, including the Samdhinirmocana Sūtra ③ Why the Buddha refuted outer objects first, and how this leads toward emptiness ④ How emptiness distinguishes definitive from provisional teachings, and why the Three Natures lack inherent existence ⑤ Why arising from both self and other, or from no cause at all, cannot hold, including the Charvaka view and the question of why farmers sow seeds