Class 3 - Armor-like Diligence, Countless Eons, & Cultivation

Download PDF's of Class Handouts, Notes, and MP3 Tracks from the 3rd class of Fall 2012 term held on Friday, September 21.

ANNOUNCEMENT:   This Fall two-month term has less than 27 sessions (classes are not held during His Holiness’s teachings).  To have enough class time to cover the course material, every Monday and Friday, classes will run an extra 15 minutes, i.e., until 5:45 p.m.  If you need to leave at 5:30 p.m., please feel free to do so.

DOWNLOAD Handouts - text for Class 3:

2012 Fall Handout 3

2012 Fall Handout 4

ALL FALL 2012 PDF Handouts are HERE.

DOWNLOAD MP3 TRACKS:

Track 1 - Why Rejecting Past & Future lives is an Obstacle to Buddhist Practice.

Geshe Wangmo expands her answer to a question posed at the end of Class 2 which raised a popular view in Western Buddhist communities that Buddhism can be practiced without 'beliefs' that cannot be scientifically proven or accepted by secular humanists.

Track 2 - Review - HANDOUT 2 - Diligence is Joyous Effort.

Categories of Diligence:  i. Actual Diligence [HANDOUT 3] & ii. Method of Cultivating Diligence 

i. ACTUAL Diligence: 1) Armor-like, 2) Diligence of Gathering Virtues & 3) Diligence of Working for Others Benefit.

1) Armor-like diligence (preliminary, motivating force vs. laziness). 

Track 3 - Meaning, "Takes 3 countless eons for Bodhisattva to reach Buddhahood'

• Eons & Kalpas
• Countless - meaning for fast food society
• Beginninglessness
• Uncontrived Bodhicitta.  

2) Diligence of Gathering Virtues - 10 Virtues.

3) Diligence of Working for Others Benefit - 11 activities.

Track 4 - ii. Four Methods for CULTIVATING Diligence - [HANDOUT 4] 

1. Eliminating Unfavorable Conditions that Prevent Diligence:
1. Identifying factors incompatible with diligence:  
1. Laziness of (1.1) Procrastination & (1,22) Busy-ess with Worldly Pursuits
2. Laziness of Discouragement/Self-Contempt.

Q&A

NOTES of Class 3 (Sept 21) rough draft transcript of class offered for what it's worth.  

If any of the LINKS don't work, please leave a COMMENT or notify us by E-Mail.

This is the 3RD class of the Fall 2012 term Perfection of Wisdom course
which addresses Diligence (Joyous Effort), the 4th-10th sub-topics of the 2nd Topic (Mahayana Practice Instructions) of Chapter 1 of Maitreya's
Ornament for Clear Realizations - Abhisamayalamkara.