Class 5 - Generating the Mahayana Path of Preparation

The 5th class of Spring 2014 term was held on Wednesday, the 16th day of April. The Mahayana Path of Preparation is the topic of the first half of the term.

Download the Spring 2014 Course Text-PDF, prepared by Geshe Kelsang Wangmo.

Please NOTE: Geshe Wangmo presented an overview of the Mahayana Path of Preparation in the 7th Class of the Spring 2013 Term. You can download the Recorded MP3 tracks of that class, together with a transcript of NOTES from the class, and the Handouts Geshe Wangmo prepared as the text for that class at this blog's April 24, 2013 POST.

DOWNLOAD Recorded MP3 Tracks of Class 5:

Track 1 - 4. Mode of Generating (the Mahayana Path of Preparation).

[Handout pp. 32 - continuing Six Topics that introduce this Path [Handout p. 27] in Panchen Sonam Drakpa's General Meaning (phar phyin spyi don - ཕར་ཕྱིན་སྤྱི་དོན་).

Discussion / Q & A  re:  Mental Support Required to Generate the First Moment of the Mahayana Path of Preparation:

• Concentrations, 
• Union Calm Abiding & Special Insight, 
• Mind & Mental Factors 

Track 2 - Mental Function:  Main Minds & Mental Factors

• Illustration
• A person (Adele) & her various functions (Adele the Student, Adele the Woman, Adele the cook, Adele the Buddhist) - a Main Mind & its Mental Factors - different isolates of one entity.


• Three Types of Awareness [see Class 2 & 3] - [Handout p. 32]
•  Awareness arisen from Hearing (thos byung gi blo - ཐོས་བྱུང་གི་བློ་) - a correctly assuming consciousness
•  Awareness arisen from Contemplation (bsam byung gi blo - བསམ་བྱུང་གི་བློ་) - inferential cognizer
• Awareness arisen from Meditation (bsgoms byung gi blo - བསྒོམས་བྱུང་གི་བློ་) - mental factor of calm abiding or an awareness that is concomitant with the mental factor of calm abiding


• Three Types of Wisdom *
• Wisdom arisen from Hearing (thos byung gi shes rab - ཐོས་བྱུང་གི་ཤེས་རབ་) - mental factor of wisdom that is a correctly assuming consciousness
• Wisdom arisen from Contemplation (bsam byung gi shes rab - བསམ་བྱུང་གི་ཤེས་རབ་) - mental factor of wisdom that is an inferential cognizer
• Wisdom arisen from  Meditation (bsgoms byung gi shes rab - བསྒོམས་བྱུང་གི་ཤེས་རབ་) - mental factor of wisdom that is concomitant with the mental factor of calm abiding.

* Note: Any mental consciousness that realizes its object is a wisdom.


• Classifications of Mind & Mental Factors & Seven Types of Minds (Lo-rig)


• Distinguishing:  
• a Mental Factor (Wisdom arisen from Hearing) from 
• a Main Mind (an Awareness arisen from Hearing)  

• Possibilities of Relationship (Analytical Tool of Philosophy/Debate):
• Contradictory
• Equivalent
• Three Possibilities
• Four Possibilities

• Relationship between Wisdom and Awareness here :
• Whatever is a Wisdom is necessarily is an Awareness.  
• Whatever is an Awareness is not necessarily a Wisdom.  
• There’s something that is both, a Wisdom Awareness

• Relationship between a Wisdom arisen from Hearing and an Awareness arisen from Hearing here :
• Whatever is a Wisdom arisen from Hearing is necessarily is an Awareness arisen from Hearing.  
• Whatever is an Awareness arisen from Hearing is not necessarily a Wisdom arisen from Hearing (e.g., a feeling, aspiration).  

4th Type of Awareness & Wisdom [Handout p. 32-3]:

• Awareness Mainly arisen from Meditation - awareness that is a union of calm abiding & special insight

• Wisdom Mainly arisen from Meditation - the mental factor of wisdom that is a union of calm abiding & special insight

Q & A

Track 3 - Wisdom Focusing on Emptiness [Handout 34-5]

• Developing Calm Abiding

•  Developing the Union of Calm Abiding & Special Insight 
• Analysis of Mental Factors that are Different but of One Entity.  
• Concomitant Mental Factors - Mental Factors that Work Together.

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

This is the 5th class of the Spring 2014 term of

the Perfection of Wisdom course
which addresses 3rd Topic - Mahayana Path of Preparation
of Chapter 1 of Maitreya's
Ornament for Clear Realizations - Abhisamayalamkara.

Class 4 - Nature & Categories of Mahayana Path of Preparation

The 4th class of Spring 2014 term was held on Monday, the 14th day of April. The Mahayana Path of Preparation is the topic of the first half of the term.

Download the Spring 2014 Course Text-PDF, prepared by Geshe Kelsang Wangmo.

Please NOTE: Geshe Wangmo presented an overview of the Mahayana Path of Preparation in the 7th Class of the Spring 2013 Term. You can download the Recorded MP3 tracks of that class, together with a transcript of NOTES from the class, and the Handouts Geshe Wangmo prepared as the text for that class at this blog's April 24, 2013 POST.

DOWNLOAD Recorded MP3 Tracks of Class 3:

Track 1 - Review (Mental Support required to move from one level to the next on the Path of Preparation, i.e., a Concentration).

Q&A Discussion, e.g.,

• Concentrations: Human beings can generate/have Concentrations. 
• Concentrations are required to move from one level of the Path of Preparation to the next level; 
• Not all moments on the Path of Preparation (or the Path of Seeing) are Concentrations as practitioners are not always in meditation and, even in meditation, when focused on the Method aspects of the path, may not be on a Concentration.

Track 2 - 2. Nature (of the Mahayana Path of Preparation).

[Handout pp. 30-1 - continuing Six Topics that introduce this Path [Handout p. 27] in Panchen Sonam Drakpa's General Meaning (phar phyin spyi don - ཕར་ཕྱིན་སྤྱི་དོན་).

Terminology:

• Path of Concordance with Liberation (ཐར་པ་ཆ་མཐུན་) - synonym of Path of Accumulation.   
• Clear Realization of the Truth - synonym of Path of Seeing.

Introduction to aspects of the Nature of this Path:

• Path of Preparation:  
• is mundane Mahayana path; 
• arises subsequent to the completion of its cause, the Path of Concordance with Liberation; 
• is a similitude of the Clear Realization of the Truth

Explanation of Relevent Passages from Three Commentaries [Handout p. 31]:

Arya Asanga, Summary of Manifest Knowledge (Skt. Abhidharmasamuccaya; Tib. mngon pa kun btus - མངོན་པ་ཀུན་བཏུས་):

Whatever exists on the [path of] accumulation also exists on the [path of] preparation

Vasubhandu, Commentary on Distinguishing Dharma and Dharmata (Skt., Dharma Dharmata Vibhanga; Tib.: chos nyid rnam 'byed kyi 'brel ba - ཆོས་ཉིད་རྣམ་འབྱེད་ཀྱི་འབྲེལ་བ་):

All are thoroughly distinguished by [awarenesses arisen from] hearing, contemplation, and meditation

Gyaltsab Je, Ornament of the Essence (རྣམ་བཞད་སྙིང་པོ་རྒྱན་):

[The nature of the Mahayana Path of Preparation is] a mundane Mahayana path [that arises] subsequent to the completion of a concordance with liberation, and that is a similitude of the 'clear realization of the truth'. [The Mahayana Path of Preparation] is not solely limited to being wisdoms arisen from meditation, because there are many cases of [Mahayana Paths of Preparation that are] wisdoms arisen from hearing or contemplation.

Q & A

Track 3 - 3. Categories (of the Mahayana Path of Preparation) [Handout 31-2]

 
Each of the four levels - Heat, Peak, Forbearance & Supreme Dharma have three sub-divisions:  Small, Middling, Great.  12 levels of the Mahayana Path of Preparation.

Differing interpretations regarding the meaning of the three subdivisions:

Gyaltsab Je follows a sutra quote ('categories from the point of view of temporary states'):

The categories [from the point of view of] temporary states are the three: small, middling, and great. The categories [from the point of view] of nature are the four: heat, and so forth.

Panchen Sonam Drakpa agrees with this interpretation that the three subdivisions correspond to the beginning, middle and end of each level.

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

This is the 4th class of the Spring 2014 term of

the Perfection of Wisdom course
which addresses 3rd Topic - Mahayana Path of Preparation
of Chapter 1 of Maitreya's
Ornament for Clear Realizations - Abhisamayalamkara.

Class 3 - Introduction - 1. Support of Mahayana Path of Preparation

The 3rd class of Spring 2014 term was held on Friday, the 11th day of April. The Mahayana Path of Preparation is the topic of the first half of the term.

Download the Spring 2014 Course Text-PDF, prepared by Geshe Kelsang Wangmo.

Please NOTE: Geshe Wangmo presented an overview of the Mahayana Path of Preparation in the 7th Class of the Spring 2013 Term. You can download the Recorded MP3 tracks of that class, together with a transcript of NOTES from the class, and the Handouts Geshe Wangmo prepared as the text for that class at this blog's April 24, 2013 POST.

DOWNLOAD Recorded MP3 Tracks of Class 3:

Track 1 - Review:

Five Steps to Realize Emptiness:  

1. Correctly Assuming Awareness of Emptiness arisen from Hearing.  
2. Inferential Cognition (Incontrovertible) of Emptiness arisen from Contemplation.
3. Awareness of Emptiness on Basis of Meditation arisen from (Calm Abiding) Meditation. 
4. Awareness of Emptiness Mainly on Basis of Meditation (Union of Calm Abiding & Special Insight).
5. Directly Perceiving Realization of Emptiness.

Q&A - DIfferentiating Prasangika presentation of cognizers from other Tenet systems.

Track 2 - Initial Presentation of Path of Preparation per Panchen Sonam Drakpa's Six Topics to Elucidate this Path [Handout p. 27]: 

1. Support (of the Mahayana Path of Preparation)

[Handout pp. 28-30 - sources:  Vasubhandu's Treasury of Knowledge (Skt., Abhidharma-kosha; Tib., མངོན་པ་མཛོད་); Gyaltsab Je's Ornament of the Essence ( རྣམ་བཞད་སྙིང་པོ་རྒྱན་]

• Introduction to Four Levels of Path of Preparation (Heat, Peak, Forbearance & Supreme Dharma), e.g.:  the 1st is named Heat because having attained this Path, one is approaching the Fire (that actually begins burning away obstacles preventing Enlightenment) of the Path of Seeing.  The name of the 3rd level (Forbearance) refers to losing one's residual fear of Emptiness.  Having attained that level, one  cannot be reborn (uncontrollably) in the lower realms again. 

• Who is a person who can attain this path, at what level of existence, physical basis:
• 3 of the 4 types of humans (living on different continents, i.e., planets or realms) & celestial beings of the Desire Realm can generate Path of Preparation. 
• Physical basis to generate the Path of Seeing on the Supreme Dharma Level of the Path of Preparation.

Track 3 - Discussion / Q&A regarding material introduced in this class.


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 Spring 2014 term of

the Perfection of Wisdom course
which addresses 3rd Topic - Mahayana Path of Preparation
of Chapter 1 of Maitreya's
Ornament for Clear Realizations - Abhisamayalamkara.

Class 2 - Mahayana Path of Preparation - introduction

The 2nd class of Spring 2014 term was held on Monday, the 9th day of April. The Mahayana Path of Preparation is the topic of the first half of the term.

Download the Spring 2014 Course Text-PDF, prepared by Geshe Kelsang Wangmo.

Please NOTE: Geshe Wangmo presented an overview of the Mahayana Path of Preparation in the 7th Class of the Spring 2013 Term. You can download the Recorded MP3 tracks of that class, together with a transcript of NOTES from the class, and the Handouts Geshe Wangmo prepared as the text for that class at this blog's April 24, 2013 POST.

DOWNLOAD Recorded MP3 Tracks of Class 1:

Track 1 - Continue explanation re Types of Awarenesses Required to Progress to the Mahayana Path of Preparation:

1. Awareness arisen from Hearing (Correctly Assuming Consciousness - not the same as "Incontrovertibly Knowing").
2. Awareness Arisen from Contemplation (Inferential Cognizer).  
3. Awareness Arisen from Meditation (Calm Abiding Single Focus).  
4. Awareness Mainly Arisen from Meditation (Union of Calm Abiding & Special Insight).  

Most of what we think we know is only Arisen from Hearing.

Four Steps to Realize Emptiness:  

1. Correctly Assume Emptiness - Awareness arisen from Hearing.  
2. Inferentially Cognize (Incontrovertibly) Emptiness - Awareness arisen from Contemplation - a conceptual & easily distracted mind.
3. Calm Abiding (Single Pointed) Meditation on Emptiness - Awareness Arisen from Meditation. 
4. Calm Abiding in Union with Special Insight [analysis] on Emptiness - Awareness Mainly Arisen from Meditation.

Track 2 - Realizing Emptiness by Awareness Mainly Arisen from Meditation is entry to the Path of Preparation.  

• The first moment of the Union of Calm Abiding & Special Insight meditating on Emptiness is the first moment of the Path of Preparation.

One can generate the first 3 Awarenesses before generating Bodhicitta.  If not generated before entering the Path of Accumulation, they must be generated on that Path before advancing to the Path of Preparation.
Why the Path of Preparation is presented after the 10 Mahayana Practice Instructions. 
[Text PDF - p. 24].  A Debate.

• Path of Accumulation - enter by generating Bodhicitta. Either before or after entry, generate the first Three Awarenesses. And work to develop the Fourth type.


• Path of Preparation - enter immediately upon generating the Fourth type Awareness at the end of the Path of Accumulation. Then continue to develop and deepen that Union of Calm Abiding and Special Insight focused on Emptiness until you generate a Direct Experience of Emptiness and at immediately enter the Path of Seeing.

Track 3 - Presentation of a Sutra debate in the Perfection of Wisdom re what to do when you get stuck on the Path of Preparation.

• The phrase that appears, "Not having the fault of a Bodhisattva", means being able to Realize Emptiness Directly. 


• On the Path of Preparation, a Bodhisattva is stuck with a conceptual realization of Emptiness even in the special meditative concentration of the Union of Calm Abiding & Special Insight Meditation.  This is the Fault of the Peak Training on the Path of Preparation.

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

This is the 2nd class of the Spring 2014 term of

the Perfection of Wisdom course
which addresses 3rd Topic - Mahayana Path of Preparation
of Chapter 1 of Maitreya's
Ornament for Clear Realizations - Abhisamayalamkara.

Class 1 - Mahayana Path of Preparation - introduction

The 1st class of Spring 2014 term was held on Monday, the 7th day of April. The Mahayana Path of Preparation is the topic of the first half of the term.

Download the Spring 2014 Course Text-PDF, prepared by Geshe Kelsang Wangmo.

Please NOTE: Geshe Wangmo presented an overview of the Mahayana Path of Preparation in the 7th Class of the Spring 2013 Term. You can download the Recorded MP3 tracks of that class, together with a transcript of NOTES from the class, and the Handouts Geshe Wangmo prepared as the text for that class at this blog's April 24, 2013 POST.

DOWNLOAD Recorded MP3 Tracks of Class 1:

Logicistics in-Classroom attendance.

Track 1 - Introduction to this Ornament for the Perfection of Wisdom Course.

Track 2 - Introduction to the subject matter of this Spring 2013 Term of the Course: the Mahayana Path of Preparation.  After general introduction, begins Introduce to relevant terminology, e.g.,

• Awareness Arisen from Hearing (Correctly Assuming Consciousness, 
• Awareness Arisen from Contemplation (Inferential Cognizer), 
• Awareness Arisen from Meditation (Conceptual Calm Abiding).

Track 3 - Q & A.

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

This is the 1st class of the Spring 2014 term of

the Perfection of Wisdom course
which addresses 3rd Topic - Mahayana Path of Preparation
of Chapter 1 of Maitreya's
Ornament for Clear Realizations - Abhisamayalamkara.