Nagarjuna's Bodhichitta Commentary
| His Holiness the Dalai Lama's teaching on Nagarjuna's Commentary on Boddhicitta (jangchup semdrel) along with Kamalashila's Middle Stages of Meditation (gomrim barpa). This teaching is mainly for people from South-East Asia at the request of the Tibetan Buddhist Society, Singapore. | In order to view the webcasts you will need to use RealPlayer software.  |
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Date: 03-05 September - 2007
Venue: Main Temple, Mcleod Ganj, Dharamsala, India |
Date : 03-September-2007 (Day 1)
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Morning
session | watch now |
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Afternoon
session | Audio English Listen now | Video Chinese watch now | Audio Chinese listen now | Audio Tibetan listen now |
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Morning session:
As the students who requested
these teachings are mainly English-speaking Buddhists from Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia of Chinese
descent, His Holiness spoke in English about his commitment to promote secular human
values and religious harmony. While
positive mental attitudes can overcome physical suffering, material
prosperity does not eliminate mental misery. The clash of opposing forces inherent
in phenomena is the basis for transformation, and the first counterforce to
mental suffering is compassionate loving kindness. Biology, not religion, dictates our reliance
on love and compassion. Secular science,
medicine and philosophy along with the major religious traditions can promote
these human values to counter global and personal troubles. For the individual, faith solely in one's own
religion or truth is valid. For the
varied dispositions of the many, multiple expressions of truths are necessary.
Respect for all the truths that promote human values is essential. His Holiness then introduced analytical bases
for Buddhist spiritual practice (the evolutionary law of causation and
selflessness) and the authors of this teaching's subject texts, Nagarjuna and
Kamalashila.
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Afternoon session
In the Commentary on
Bodhicitta, Nagarjuna addresses intelligent students who require evidence that
enlightenment is possible before they can generate the awakening mind aspiring to
benefit all beings. His Holiness expands
on the concise verses that set forth the Madhyamika (Middle Way tenet system)
view of ultimate reality by addressing topics including the lack of an eternal,
autonomous, unitary self (atman) and logical fallacies in assertions of
ultimate truth presented in other Buddhist tenet systems (Vaibashika, Sautrantrika
and Cittamatrin/Mind Only).
Kamalishila's Middling Stages of Meditation presents the method for transforming
suffering into enlightenment by inducing direct meditative experience of the
wisdom antidote to ignorance grasping at cyclic existence. Commenting on this, His Holiness elaborates
on topics such as: types and methods of
meditation, dependent origination, cause and effect, wisdom of ultimate
reality, nature of mind, universal compassion, meditation on the Four Noble Truths,
and cultivation of bodhicitta. |
Date : 04-September-2007 (Day 2)
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Morning
session |
watch now | |||||
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Afternoon
session | Audio English listen now | Video Chinese watch now | Audio Chinese listen now | Audio Tibetan listen now |
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Morning session:
In English, His
Holiness answers audience questions addressing the situation of Tibet, goal of
bodhicitta, nature of enlightened mind, future of the Dalai Lama institution,
compatibility of Buddhist practices with theistic faith, universal purpose of
human life, practice of patience towards harm-doers, subtle energy and mind,
and the Heart Sutra mantra. In
commentary on the texts, His Holiness discusses incorrect assertions by
Buddhist philosophers distinguishing the selflessnesses of the person and of
phenomena (partless particles, lack of external phenomena, true existence of
mind and ultimate truth). He explains
the differences within the Madhyamika school: the Svatantrika (Autonomist) view of a subtle
objective reality and the ultimate Prasangika (Consequentialist) view of
dependent origination and emptiness that explains the functionality of merely
nominated appearances. The reasons that
profound meditation on the wisdom of emptiness can sever the roots of samsara
while even subtly incorrect views cannot are illustrated by the Twelve Links of
Dependent Origination. Returning to
English, His Holiness discusses perspectives of science and Buddhism on aspects
of consciousness related to origin, death and reincarnation.
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Afternoon session:
In the final teaching session,
His Holiness alternates between English and Tibetan. He explains that the wisdom of emptiness is
an attribute of functioning phenomena, the corollary of dependent origination,
and how a mind in profound meditation upon that valid wisdom breaks the Twelve
Links of samsara's chains. His Holiness
expounds on the keys to practicing loving compassion and the marvelous qualities
of bodhicitta. He urges the students to
recognize the errors of grasping at true existence and to counter those with
the integrated practices of bodhicitta, wisdom and skillful means. To foster enthusiastic practice, His Holiness
explains the meaning of the lay vows and the tantra of the bodhisattva vows
(Avalokiteshvara) to be conferred in the final session. Since a special relationship is established
by tantric initiation between the guru and disciples, His Holiness recounts the
historical problems that exist today between the cult of Dogyal and the lineage
of the Dalai Lamas. |
Date : 05-September-2007 (Day 3 - Question and answer session)
