The Handouts that are/will be posted here are prepared by Geshe Kelsang Wangmo. These Handouts serve as the text for the Spring 2012 semester. Also below: links to CLASS NOTES/Partial Transcript (DRAFTS) (prepared by Ven. Tenzin Nordron) will be posted. Every individual Class Blog Post has links to the MP3 files of the class as well as to any PDF materials related to that class.
Please note: Even though the Creative Commons logo copyright logo does not appear on the downloadable Charts and Handouts, they are also covered by Creative Commons "Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs" Copyright. [See right hand column.]
Charts 1-3.
CHART 1 - Fifteen' Paths - Five Paths of Three Practitioners.
CHART 2 - Mahayana (Chittamatra & Madhyamika ) tenets' presentation of Three Jewels & Five Paths.
CHART 3 - Hinayana (Vaibashika & Sautantrika) tenets' presentation of Three Jewels & Five Paths.
Handouts 1-28.
2012 Handout 1 - Introduction to the Three Objects of Refuge: Review basic contextual information on Perfection of Wisdom Sutras (e.g., Three Wheels of Dharma) & Ornament for Clear Realizations.
2012 Handout 2 - cont., Introduction to the Three Objects of Refuge: Review basic contextual information re: Ornament: Ornament's Homages (a) by Tibetan translators of the Sanskrit text; (b) (verse 1) Maitreya's Homage to the Mother of the Three Knowers (of the) Three Types of Wisdoms: 1) Knower of Bases - Arya Hearers & Solitary Realizations. 2) Knower of Paths - Arya Bodhisattvas. 3) Exalted Knowers of All Aspects, i.e., Omniscient Mind of Buddhas.
2012 Handout 3 - cont., Aspirational Prayers of Solitary Realizers. Meaning of Maitreya's statement of Purpose for composing the Ornament (verses 2-3). Summary of the Ornament - two verses listing the Eight Clear Realizations (verses 4-5). 13 Verses list the 70 Topics of the Ornament (verses 6-9 are in Handout 3).
2012 Handout 4 - cont., 70 Topics of the Ornament (verses 10-18). Chapter 1 of the Ornament - introduction, Ten Topics of the Knower of All Aspects of the Conqueror set out in Ch. 1.
2012 Handout 5 - Review of 1st Topic of Chapter 1 - Bodhicitta. 2nd Topic of Chapter 1 - Mahayana Practice Instructions & its Ten Sub-Topics.
2012 Handout 6 - complete Review of first two (of 10) Sub-Topics of the 2nd Topic of Chapter 1 (the Mahayana Practice Instructions): the Two Truths & Four Noble Truths. Introduction to Spring 2012 topic, 3rd Sub-Topic of Practice Instructions: THREE OBJECTS of REFUGE. Causal & Resultant Three Jewels. Causes for Taking Refuge. Three Types of Persons / Goals.
2012 Handout 7 – cont., Persons of Small Spiritual Scope. Persons of Intermediate & Persons of Great Spiritual Scope. Reasons Why the Buddha is Worthy to be a Refuge. WAY TO TAKE REFUGE - Four Aspects of Taking Refuge (Asanga's Compendium of Determination) by: #1 - Knowing the Good Qualities: I. the Buddha.
2012 Handout 8 – Asanga’s Four Aspects of Taking Refuge by, #1, Knowing the Good Qualities: I. the Buddha's (1) Kayas (Bodies) [Jnana-kaya / Wisdom Truth Body; Sambhoga-kaya / Enjoyment Body; Three-Fold Nirmana-kaya / Emanation Body (Artisan Nirmanakayas [བཟོ་བོ་སྤྲུལ་སྐུ་]; Incarnated Nirmanakayas [སྐྱེ་བ་སྤྲུལ་སྐུ་] and Supreme Nirmanakayas [མཆོག་གི་སྤྲུལ་སྐུ་]; (2) Speech; (3) Mind (explained by way of two aspects: Knowledge & Compassion).
2012 Handout 9 – Asanga’s Four Aspects of Taking Refuge by, #1 - Knowing Good Qualities of: I. Buddha’s, cont., (4) Enlightened Activities. II. Dharma. III. Sangha. #2 - Knowing the distinctions (of the three Jewels) based on: (a) Their Defining Characteristics; (b) Their Activities; (c) Our Devotion; (d) Our Practice.
Handout 10 (rev. 05/03/12) - Asanga’s Four Aspects of Taking Refuge by, #2 - Knowing the distinctions (of the three Jewels) based on, cont.: (e) Recollection; (f) How to Increase Merit. #3 - Through Commitment. #4 - Refusing to acknowledge other refuges. Introduction to IBD’s texts by Panchen Sonam Drakpa: General Meaning (སྤྱི་དོན།) and debate manual, Decisive Analysis (མཐའ་དཔྱོད།). General Meaning: 5 Topics explain Three Refuge Objects. #1 - Three- fold explanation of Necessity for Scriptures' presentation of Three Refuge Objects: (i) Buddha Jewel; (ii) Dharma Jewel.
Handout 11 - General Meaning's 5 Topics that explain Three Refuge Objects, cont.: #1 - (iii) Necessity for Scriptural presentation of Sangha Refuge Object. Causal & Refuge Objects for Bodhisattvas, Hearers & Solitary Realizers (chart). #2 - Identifying the nature (i.e., meaning) of the three objects of refuge (in two ways): Nature (i.e., meaning) of the three Jewels according to a) Hearer Tenets (Vaibashika & Sautantrika Tenets) [i.e., Buddha & Sangha (as persons) are not Refuge Jewels; Buddha & Sangha Jewels are aspects of the Dharma].
Handout 12 - General Meaning's 5 Topics that explain Three Refuge Objects: #2 - Identifying the nature (i.e., meaning) of the three objects of refuge: Nature (i.e., meaning) of the three Jewels according to: a) Hearer Tenets (Vaibashika & Sautantrika Tenets), cont. b) Mahayana Tenets (Chittamatra, Madhyamika Svatantrika & Madhyamika Prasangika Tenets): (1) Nature (meaning) of the (i) Buddha Jewel, (ii) Dharma Jewel (per 8 qualities cited in Maitreya’s Uttaratantra (Sublime Continuum).
Handout 13 - General Meaning's 5 Topics that explain Three Refuge Objects: #2 - (b) Mahayana Tenets: (1) Nature (meaning) of the (ii) Dharma Jewel, cont.; and (iii) Sangha Jewel (per 8 qualities cited in Maitreya’s Uttaratantra (Sublime Continuum). #3 - Difference between Conventional Refuge (not a genuinely final refuge) & Ultimate Refuge (genuinely final refuge, e.g., Buddha Rupakayas).
Handout 14 - General Meaning's 5 Topics that explain Three Refuge Objects: #3 - Difference between a Conventional & Ultimate Refuge, cont.: Debate re meaning of Conventional Refuge objects per Nagarjuna 's Fundamental Wisdom (Mulamadhyamikakarika) & Asanga's Great Commentary of the Uttaratantra." 4 Syllogisms (Maitreya's Sublime Continuum (Uttaratantra): reasons why a particular object of refuge is Conventional, not Ultimate. #4 - Meaning of the word 'Jewel' - དཀོན་མཆོག་: citing points of Gyaltsab Je's Commentary on the (Maitreya's) Uttaratantra verse re I. rarity, II. purity, III. power of Refuge Jewels.
Handout 15 - General Meaning's 5 Topics that explain Three Refuge Objects: #4 - Meaning of the word 'Jewel' - དཀོན་མཆོག་: citing points of Gyaltsab Je's Commentary on the (Maitreya's) Uttaratantra verse of 6 qualities:, cont.: IV. ornaments of the world, V. foremost and VI . do not change by praise or criticism. #5 - How one should take refuge from viewpoint of common and uncommon vehicles & latter’s 4 superior qualities. Seven Outstanding Benefits of Taking Refuge. Eight sets of Pratimoksha vows. “If the merit of taking refuge had a form ...” Concludes General Meaning’s presentation of Three Objects of Refuge.
Handout 16 - Decisive Analysis (debate manual) by Panchen Sonam Drakpa - dialectical analysis of the Three Jewels categorized into: I. Refuting Others' Systems; & II. Presenting Our Own System. I. Refuting Other Systems’ definitions of the (1) Buddha Jewel, (2) Dharma Jewel, and (3) Sangha Jewel. I. REFUTING OTHERS’ DEFINITIONS of (1) Buddha Jewel (“A source of refuge that possesses the eight qualities of being conditioned, and so forth.”) [Generalities & Instances]. (2) Mahayana Dharma Jewel (“A very pure Mahayana truth that possesses the eight qualities of being inconceivable, and so forth.”) [Explanation of sequential Uninterrupted, Release & Subsequent Exalted Wisdom of the Path of Seeing]. (3) Mahayana Sangha Jewel (“An Arya Bodhisattva who possesses the eight qualities of knowledge, release, and so forth".); and assertion that Mahayana Arhats are not included in Sangha Jewel. Maitreya quote (“Because [the Dharma] is to be abandoned, deceptive, And an absence”) . . .
Handout 17 - I. Refutation of Others’ mistaken assertions re Maitreya quote: "(1) Dharmas of Scripture, (2) False/deceptive phenomena, and (3) Non-Affirmative Negations are not ultimate objects of refuge". Refutation of assertions that whatever is an ultimate refuge is necessarily one of the three ultimate Jewels, e.g., that two Rupakayas are not ultimate objects of refuge because they are conventional objects of refuge, i.e., conventional kayas. Mistaken understanding of falsity/deception re Law of Karma. Refuting assertions that "there must also be conventional Dharma Jewels and ultimate Dharma Jewels … & conventional and ultimate Sangha Jewel". Refuting assertions that "the Dharma Jewel &the Sangha Jewel are not contradictory because the mental consciousness of the Buddha is both. The mental consciousness of the Buddha is a Sangha Jewel because it is a Buddha Jewel."
Handout 18 - Refutation of assertions re Causal & Resultant Refuges. II. PRESENTING OUR OWN SYSTEM: Definitions of the Three Jewels; Definitions of Ultimate & Conventional Refuge. Debates re: Definition of Svabhāvakāya; Sixty Branches of the Melodious Speech of Buddha; the 32 Major & 80 Minor Marks of the Samboghakāya. Precepts of Refuge per Je Tsongkhapa's Lam Rim Chenmo (Great Treatise on the Stages of the Path to Enlightenment): I. Stages of the Precepts after Taking Refuge explained by way of (A) Asanga’s Compendium of Determinations, and (B) Oral Traditions.
2012 Handout 19 – Je Tsongkhapa’s Lam Rim Chenmo presentation of Eight Precepts of Refuge, cont., per: I. ASANGA's Compendium of Determinations: A. (1) Rely on Excellent Persons; (2) Listen to Excellent Teachings; (3) Contemplate them Properly; (4) Cultivate Practice that conforms with the teachings. B. (5) Do Not Let your Senses get Distracted; (6) Take up Precepts Correctly [Three Vow categories]; (7) Be Compassionate toward living beings; (8) Strive to Make Offerings to Three Jewels. II. ORAL TRADITION of Tibet (from Atisha).
2012 Handout 20 – Je Tsongkhapa’s Lam Rim Chenmo presentation of Eight Precepts of Refuge cont.: II. ORAL TRADITION of Tibet: A. Special Precepts (re each Jewel separately): 1. Proscriptive Precepts – Actions to Refrain from re: (a) Buddha - taking Ultimate Refuge in gods; (b) Dharma - harmful physical, verbal or mental actions against sentient beings; (c) Sangha - associating / agreeing with those who hold wrong views. 2. Prescriptive Precepts – Actions to Engage in re: (a) Buddha - Revere Images of the Buddha as Buddhas [Power of actions determined by three factors].
2012 Handout 21 – ORAL TRADITION’s Prescriptive Precepts, cont.: (b) Dharma – Revere written Dharma. (c) Sangha – Revere Sangha members.
2012 Handout 22 – ORAL TRADITION’s I. Prescriptive Precepts - (c) Revere Sangha members, cont. II. Six (6) General Precepts (re all Three Jewels): (A) Recalling distinctions & qualities of Three Jewels, Take Refuge again & again. (B) Recalling their great kindness, strive to worship Three Jewels constantly; Offer the first portion of your food and drink.
2012 Handout 23 – ORAL TRADITION’s II. Six General Precepts, (B) - cont. Practice of Offerings (Lam Rim Chenmo): (I) Action of Making 10 Types of Offerings: (1) to Buddhas' bodies; (2) to Stupas; (3) to Directly Perceived Objects; (4) to Not Directly Perceived Objects; (5) made by oneself; (6) one helps others to make; (7) of material objects and worship; (8) Extensively;
2012 Handout 24 – 2nd of Six General Precepts of ORAL TRADITION, cont.: (B) (I) ACTIONS in Making 10 Types of Offerings: (8) Extensively, cont., 7 qualities; (9) Uncontaminated by Afflictions (i.e., having 6 qualities); (10) of Practice [daily recollection of Four Immeasurables, Four Seals, Three Objects of Refuge, Six Perfections, Emptiness of inherent existence, ethical discipline Vows, etc.]; in interacting with others, when afflictions arise. (II) Six ATTITUDES – when making Offerings, think Three Jewels are: (1) greatest field of good qualities than the Three Jewels; (2) greatst benefactor; (3) foremost to all [ordinary] sentient beings; (4) as rare as an Udumvara flower.
2012 Handout 25 – 2nd of Six General Precepts of ORAL TRADITION, cont.: (B) (II) Six ATTITUDES, Make Offerings thinking Three Jewels are: (5) Unique because in a universe of a billion world systems, there is only one [founding] Buddha; (6) Foundation of all mundane and supramundane qualities. Advice re Offerings by Je Tsongkhapa, Kadampa Geshe Sharawa, a Sutra, and Matrceta (In Praise of One Worthy of Praise).
2012 Handout 26 – 2nd of Six General Precepts of ORAL TRADITION, cont.: Advice re Offerings by: Kadampa Geshes Potowa & Puchungwa, and Cloud of Jewels Sutra. 3rd - 5th of Six General Precepts of ORAL TRADITION: (C) Considering other living beings with compassion, Establish in this practice. (D) In All activities make offerings & supplications to the Three Jewels, forsaking any worldly methods. (E) Having understood the benefits, take refuge three times each day and each night.
2012 Handout 27 – 5th of Six General Precepts of ORAL TRADITION, cont.: (E) BENEFITS of REFUGE: (i) per Asanga’s Compendium of Determinations: (a) Set of Four - one Obtains 1) Vast Merit; 2) Joy & Supreme Joy; 3) Concentration; 4) Purity. (b) Set of Four – one: 1) has Great Protection; 2) will Reduce, Extinguish, totally annihilate all obstructions derived from incorrect beliefs; 3) are counted among excellent persons; 4) delight one’s teachers, spiritual companions, et al. (ii) 8-Fold Benefits of Refuge per Special Oral Instructions, one: 1. is included among Buddhists; 2. become worthy to uphold all vows; 3. reduce/eliminate previously accumulated karmic obstructions.
2012 Handout 28 – 5th ofSix General Precepts of ORAL TRADITION, (E)(ii) 8-Fold Benefits of Refuge per Special Oral Instructions: 3-8. (F) Maintain Refuge: Do not forsake the Three Jewels, even in jest or at the cost of your life. Taking Refuge in the Five Tathagata Buddha lineages. Criteria for Forfeiting Refuge. Clarification of how Three Jewels protect.
SPRING 2011 - Two Truths Handouts
April 2012 Class Transcript/Notes May 2012 Class Transcript/Notes
NOTES - Class 1 (April 9) - Handouts 1-3 NOTES of Class 12 (May 4) - Handouts 12
NOTES - Class 2 (April 11) - Handouts 3-5 NOTES of Class 13 (May 9) - Handouts 12 & 13
NOTES - Class 3 (April 13) - Handouts 5 & 6 NOTES of Class 14 (May 10) - Handouts 12 & 13
NOTES - Class 4 (April 16) - Handouts 6 & 7 NOTES of Class 15 (May 11) - Handouts 12 & 13
NOTES - Class 5 (April 18) - Handouts 7 & 8 NOTES of Class 16 (May 16) - Handouts 13 & 14
NOTES - Class 7 (April 23) - Handouts 8 & 9 NOTES of Class 17 (May 16) - Handouts 14 & 15
NOTES - Class 8 (April 25) - Handouts 9 & 10 NOTES of Class 18 (May 23) - Handout 16
NOTES - Class 9 (April 27) - Handouts 10 & 11
NOTES - Class 10 (April 30) - Handouts 11 & 12
Rough drafts of notes/partial transcripts of Spring 2012 Classes on topics:
Review of Perfection of Wisdom Course & Refuge,
offered for what they are worth, will be posted here as they become available.
Review of Perfection of Wisdom Course & Refuge,
offered for what they are worth, will be posted here as they become available.
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