Class 5 - Diligence - Subjective Reality, Limitless Minds

Download PDF's of Class Handouts, Notes, and MP3 Tracks from the 5TH class of Fall 2012 term held on Wednesday, September 26.

DOWNLOAD Handouts - text for Class 5:

2012 Fall Handout 4
2012 Fall Handout 5
2012 Fall Handout 6
2012 Fall Handout 7

ALL FALL 2012 PDF Handouts are HERE.

DOWNLOAD MP3 TRACKS:

Track 1 - Review Class 4 - TRACKS 2 & 3, HANDOUTS 4 & 5.

Employing Methods to Overcome Three Obstacles to Diligent Buddhist Practice:

• Stopping the Laziness of Procrastination by thinking about death and that we may die very soon. 

• Stopping (or Reducing) the Laziness of Attachment to Negative Activities by reflecting on the infallibility of Karmic Law in this and future lives. 

• Stopping the Laziness of Self-Contempt or Discouragement:

        (1) Stop Discouragement about the (Mahayana) Goal by reflecting on Buddha Nature:

•      Mental Consciousness is Buddhism's Creator

Track 2 - (2) Stop Discouragement re Difficulties of Practices to Attain Enlightenment. (conclude Review Class 4) 

(3) Stop Discouragement Because Wherever You Are Is A Place To Practice [HANDOUT 5]

• What is Samsara? 
• Nature of Samsaric Reality - Subjective Reflection of Mind not Objective [HANDOUT 6]


• No External Reality

Track 3 - Generate Motivation to be in Samsara for the Benefit of Others:

• Cherishing Others Reduces Personal Suffering
• Working for Bodhisattva Goal (Happiness for Others) is a Stairway to Joy & Happiness
• Benefits of Practicing in a Degenerate Age

Track 4 - Positive Minds can expand Limitlessly  / Negative Minds are limited:

• Four Immeasurable Phenomena: Time, Sentient Beings, Highest Realizations of the goal, and Wholesome Actions.  i.e., No need to hurry and be impatient.

• Impatient quest for quick Enlightenment is Motivated by Self-Centered egoism.  [HANDOUT 7]

• Studying Dharma provides antidotes to discouragement about time and effort required to attain Enlightenment.

This concludes presentation of Diligence based upon Je Tsong Khapa's Lam Rim Chen-mo.  The following classes on Diligence will present material derived from Maitreya's Ornament for Clear Realizations along with text books and commentaries used to teach this subject at the Tibetan monastic colleges such as the Institute for Buddhist Dialectical Studies (IBD) and Drepung Loseling Monastery.

Track 5 - Q&A

Q  If the world is subjective, why isn't anger as limitless as love?

Q  What about getting frustration when trying to discipline children out of loving concern for them?

Q  Is love a special endeavor/action?  What is difference between Buddhist definition of love and compassion?


NOTES of Class 5 (Sept 26) rough draft transcript of class offered for what it's worth.  

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This is the 5TH 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.