Fantasy Truth, Five Eyes, and Lineage Power: A Teaching by The Venerable Wangchen Rinpoche
25 Nyungne Retreat – Ser Cho Ling | May 23, 2025
www.sercholing.org
In this richly layered teaching, The Venerable Wangchen Rinpoche brings together the profound subtleties of Madhyamaka philosophy, Vajrayana symbolism, and the living legacy of enlightened lineage masters. He invites us into a direct confrontation with illusion, challenging the conventional and offering a powerful vision of spiritual clarity grounded in devotion, ethics, and the deep wisdom of the Buddhist path.
Language, Illusion, and "Fantasy Truth"
Opening with a simple reflection on language, Rinpoche observed how Tibetan and English express “good morning” differently—one says "morning good," the other, "good morning." From this he launches into a subtle Madhyamaka insight:
“This shows it’s all man-made and conceptual. Who’s to say what’s ‘correct’?”
What we conventionally take as “truth” is, at best, what he calls fantasy truth—a relative reality arising from causes and conditions, not inherent existence. This echoes the Madhyamaka two truths: ultimate truth and conventional truth. But, as Rinpoche jokes, the more accurate translation might be “fantasy” truth, for that’s what samsara really is—compelling, yet fundamentally false.
The Buddha Who Said, “I Never Did That”
Rinpoche shared a powerful moment from Buddhist scripture: when the Buddha declared he never left the palace, never practiced austerities, and never sat under the Bodhi tree. Why? To teach that even his life story is, from the ultimate view, a skillful means—not an ultimate fact.
“It’s complete, ultimate skillful means. Otherwise, we’d rigidly believe the Buddha’s story as literal, truly existing phenomena.”
This is not deception—it is compassionate transmission. The Buddha taught on many levels to match beings’ capacities. What appears as historical is meant to guide the deluded; what’s ultimately true is beyond words entirely.
The Wisdom Eye and the Five Eyes
Rinpoche spoke about the eye of wisdom—not merely a metaphor but a genuine quality of enlightened perception. This “wisdom eye” sees what the ordinary eye cannot. In Buddhist literature, five types of eyes are mentioned:
Physical Eye – for ordinary perception
Divine Eye – to perceive beings and karmic consequences
Wisdom Eye – insight into ultimate truth
Dharma Eye – perception of the path
Buddha Eye – perfect omniscience
These arise not from faith alone, but from meditation, purification, and realization. When our mind becomes fully clear—free of trauma, defilements, and clinging—these qualities naturally emerge.
From Dullness to Clarity
A student asked how clarity increases. Rinpoche responded:
“Ultimately, only meditation brings complete clarity. But purifying karma helps, too.”
We often carry “karmic junk”—trauma, confusion, mental obscurations—that cloud the mind. Through confession, mantra, and ethical living, the mind becomes more stable, less reactive, and gradually more lucid. But true, unshakable clarity comes only through the stillness and insight of deep meditation.
Wrathful Compassion and the Nature of Buddhas
Rinpoche addressed the symbolism of Chenrezig’s eleven faces, including the wrathful one:
“Wrathful compassion arises when peaceful energy alone doesn’t work. It’s compassion turned into fierce love.”
This “spanking compassion,” as he affectionately called it, mirrors the Buddha’s fierce urgency to wake up beings from harm—even if they don’t understand at first. It is not violence, but skillful, wrathful compassion—like a parent yanking a child away from a cliff.
Rinpoche also clarified that while Buddhas are ultimately the same, they manifest differently based on vows made as bodhisattvas. For example, Amitabha’s pure land arises from his own aspiration. Similarly, we too will manifest enlightened activity according to the prayers and aspirations we cultivate today.
Short and Long Mantras, Inner and Outer Meaning
A brief but meaningful exchange occurred about short vs. long mantras in Chenrezig practice. Rinpoche explained:
Long mantra (long dhāraṇī): praises Chenrezig’s qualities—outer expression of devotion
Short mantra (Oṃ Maṇi Padme Hūṃ): the essence of Chenrezig’s enlightened mind—inner realization
Both have their place, reflecting different layers of relationship with the deity—from devotional to nondual recognition.
The Role of Lineage and Tibetan Vajrayana History
Rinpoche concluded by sharing profound reflections on the power of Tibetan Vajrayana lineages. Citing Lord Gampopa and the ocean of Mahāsiddhas that followed him, Rinpoche reminded us:
“Tibet looked primitive on the outside, but it held the essence of the Buddha’s teachings.”
He shared a humorous but meaningful Tibetan saying from the Drukpa Kagyu:
Half the world follows Drukpa.
Half of them are poor.
Half of those are mad.
And half of the mad are Mahāsiddhas.
It’s a reminder that realization is not about appearances or status—it is about sincerity, devotion, and the courage to realize our Buddha-nature fully.
Final Reflection
The teaching closed with a reminder that even seemingly wild spiritual paths, strange symbols, or fierce forms point to one truth: you are not what you think you are. You are Buddha-nature itself, temporarily obscured, but completely recoverable.
“Once the mind becomes clear, there is no difference between you and the Buddha.”
🙏 For more teachings and upcoming retreats with The Venerable Wangchen Rinpoche, please visit www.sercholing.org
