Institute for Buddhist Dialectical Studies: English classes in Tibetan Buddhist Philosophy

Handouts & Class Notes - Truth of Origination - Fall 2011

2011-11-08T23:32:00.000-08:00

Below are links to Handouts 10-22 for the Fall term of the Perfection of Wisdom Course topic: the Four Noble Truths. Handouts 10-22 cover the Second Noble Truth - the TRUTH of ORIGINATION, which is the subject starting in the 6th Class held September 23, 2011. For Handouts used in Classes 1-6 (Sept. 12-23), click: TRUTH of SUFFERING.

The Handouts, prepared by Geshe Kelsang Wangmo, serve as the text for the Fall 2011 semester. Also below: links to CLASS NOTES/Partial Transcripts (DRAFT) of Truth of Origination (prepared by Ven. Tenzin Nordron) will be posted. Each Class Blog Post also links to the Handouts covered in the class (and partial Class transcripts when available).

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.]

Handouts 9-22. Four Noble Truths - NOBLE TRUTH of ORIGINATION - ཀུན་འབྱུང་འཕགས་པའི་བདེན་པ།

2011 Handout 9 - conclude Six-Fold Categorization of Suffering. II. (Second) Noble) TRUTH OF THE ORIGIN - ཀུན་འབྱུང་བདེན་པ། - (of Suffering): DELUSIONS (ཉོན་མོངས།) & Contaminated KARMA/Actions (ཟག་བཅས་ཀྱི་ལས།).

2011 Handout 10 - Truth of Origin (ཀུན་འབྱུང་བདེན་པ།), Delusions (ཉོན་མོངས།), cont. IGNORANCE (མ་རིག་པ་): Categorizations:: A. (1) Deprecating Misconception (སྐུར་འདེབས་ཀྱི་ལོག་རྟོག) & (2) Superimposing Misconception (སྒྲོ་འདོགས་ཀྱི་ལོག་རྟོག); B. (1) Innate/instinctive Ignorance (མ་རིག་པ་ལྷན་སྐྱེས།) & (2) Intellectually or Ideologically Acquired Ignorance (མ་རིག་པ་ཀུན་བརྟགས།). C. Ignorance that is the Root of Cyclic Existence (འཁོར་པའི་རྩ་བར་གྱུར་པའི་མ་རིག་པ།) [i.e., Ignorance that apprehends the inherent existence of: (1) the "I" and "mine"; and (2) phenomena (other than "I" and "mine").

NEW CORRECTED - 2011 Handout 11 - Delusions (ཉོན་མོངས་): IGNORANCE , cont. - Six Primary Delusions (རྩ་ཉོན་དྲུག): Five Non-Views: (1) Attachment, (2) Anger, (2) Arrogance, (4) Ignorance, (5) (Afflictive) Doubt; Five Views of (6) Wrong View = Ten Delusions:   Five Non-Views: (1) Attachment - འདོད་ཆགས་. (2) Anger - ཁོང་ཁྲོ་. (3) Arrogance - ང་རྒྱལ།. (cont. in Handout 12).

2011 Handout 12 - Ten Delusions, Five Non-Views - (3) Arrogance, cont. - 7 Kinds.   (4) Ignorance - མ་རིག་པ་. (5) (Afflictive) Doubt - ཉོན་མོངས་ཅན་གྱི་ཐེ་ཚོམ།. Five Views -   (6) View of Transitory Collection - འཇིག་ཚོགས་ལ་ལྟ་བ།. (7) View Holding to Extremes - མཐར་འཛིན་པའི་ལྟ་བ།. (8) Esteeming Unworthy Views - ལྟ་བ་མཆོག་ཏུ་འཛིན་པ།. (9) Belief in the Supremacy of Mistaken Ethics & Religious Conduct - ཚུལ་ཁྲིམས་དང་བརྟུལ་ཞུགས་མཆོག་འཛིན་. (cont. in Handout 13).

NEW CORRECTED - 2011 Handout 13 - Ten Delusions, Five Views - (9) Belief in the Supremacy of Mistaken Ethics & Religious Conduct, cont.  (10) Wrong View - ལོག་པར་ལྟ་བ། / ལོག་ལྟ།. Twenty Secondary Delusions: (1) Aggression / belligerence - ཁྲོ་བ།. (2) Resentment - ཁོན་འཛིན།. (3) Concealment / denial - འཆབ་པ་།. (4) Spite - འཚིག་པ་།. (5) Jealousy / envy - ཕྲག་འདོག. (6) Miserliness - སེར་སྣ།. (7) Pretension / deceit - རྒྱུ།. (8) Dissimulation - གཡོ།. (9) Haughtiness - རྒྱགས་པ།. (10) Harmfulness - རྣམ་པར་འཐསེ་བ།. (11) Shamelessness / non-shame- ངོ་ཚ་མེད་པ།. (12) Inconsideration / non-embarrassment - ཁྲེལ་མེད་པ།. (13) Dullness / lethargy - རྨུགས་པ།. (14) Excitement - རྒོད་པ།.

NEW CORRECTED - 2011 Handout 14 - (15) Non-faith - མ་དད་པ།. (16) Laziness - ལེ་ལོ།. (17) Non-conscientiousness - བག་མེད་པ།. (18) Forgetfulness - བརྗེད་ངེས་པ།. (19) Non-alertness - ཤེས་བཞིན་མ་ཡིན་པ།. (20) Distraction - རྣམ་གཡེང།. Three Types of Cravings: (1) for Sense Pleasures. (2) Fearful Craving; (3) Craving for Existence. Process of Producing Delusions, cont. on Handout 15.

NEW CORRECTED - 2011 Handout 15 - Process of Producing Delusions, cont. Six Causes of Delusons: [(1) Basis; (2) Object; (3) Distractions; (4) (Mistaken) Explanatons; (5) Habituation; (6) (Wrong) Mental Engagement]: 1. Basis: Imprints that: are and are not Seeds. 2. Objects (cont. on Handout 16).

2011 Handout 16 - Six Causes of Delusions, cont. 3. Distractions. 4. (Mistaken) Explanations. 5. Habituation. 6. (Wrong) Mental Engagement. KARMA (ལས།) - Four Reflections on Karma: (1) Certainty of Karma. (2) Magnification of Karma. (3) One does not experience the result of an action one has not accumulated. (4) Actions one has accumulated do not perish. 1) Certainty of Karma - (ལས་ངེས་པའི་ཚུལ།). (cont. on Handout 17).

2011 Handout 17 - Four Reflections on Karma, cont. (2) Magnification of Karma - (ལས་འཕེལ་ཆེ་བ།). (3) One does not experience the result of an action one has not accumulated - (ལས་མ་བྱས་པ་དང་མི་ཕྲད་པ།). (4) Actions one has accumulated do not perish - (ལས་བྱས་པ་ཆུད་མི་ཟ་བ།). Strength of actions is dependent on Four Factors {i.e., (1) Powerful in terms of the recipient. (2) Powerful in terms of the support. (3) Powerful in terms of the substance. (4) Powerful in terms of the motivation.} (1) Powerful in terms of the recipient (ཞིང་གི་སྒོ་ནས་སྟོབས་ཆེ་བ།). (cont. on Handout 18.)

2011 Handout 18 - Four Factors for Weighty Actions, cont. (2) Powerful in terms of the support (རྟེན་གྱི་སྒོ་ནས་སྟོབས་ཆེ་བ།). (3) Powerful in terms of the substance (དངོས་པའི་སྒོ་ནས་སྟོབས་ཆེ་བ།). (4) Powerful in terms of the motivation (བས་པའི་སྒོ་ནས་སྟོབས་ཆེ་བ།). Presentation of 3 Karmic Results (i.e., (1) Fruitional Results; (2) Causally Concordant Results; (3) Environmental Results.) 1) Fruitional Results (རྣམ་སྨིན་གྱི་འབྲས་བུ།). 2) Causally Concordant Results (རྒྱུ་མཐུན་པའི་འབྲས་བུ།): (i) Causally Concordant Behavioral Results (བྱེད་པ་རྒྱུ་མཐུན་གྱི་འབྲས་བུ།) & (ii) Causally Concordant Experiential Results - (cont. on Handout 19.)

2011 Handout 19 - Presentation of 3 Karmic Results, cont. (ii) Causally Concordant Experiential Results (མྱོང་བ་རྒྱུ་མཐུན་གྱི་འབྲས་བུ།). (3) Environmental Results (བདག་པོའི་འབྲས་བུ། or དབང་གི་འབྲས་བུ།). Various Classifications of Karma. A. (1) Physical Karma / Karma of the Body (ལུས་ཀྱི་ལས།). (2) Verbal Karma / Karma of Speech (ངག་གི་ལས།). (3) Mental Karma / Karma of the Mind (ཡིད་ཀྱི་ལས།). B. (1) Virtuous Karma (དགེ་བའི་ལས།). (2) Non-virtuous Karma (མི་དགེ་བའི་ལས།). (3) Neutral Karma (བཏང་སྙོམས་ཀྱི་ལས།). C. Category of Projecting & Completing Karma: (1) Projecting /Throwing Karma (འཕེན་བྱེད་ཀྱི་ལས།) - (cont. on Handout 20.)

2011 Handout 20 - Various Classifications of Karma: C. (1) cont. (2) Completing Karma (རྫོགས་བྱེད་ཀྱི་ལས།). Four Possibilities re Inter-Relationship of Projecting & Completing Karma re Virtue. D. Category of Karma that (1) Will Definitely Be Experienced (མྱོང་བར་ངེས་པའི་ལས།) & (2) Will Not Necessarily Be Experienced (མྱོང་བར་མ་ངེས་པའི་ལས།) & Accumulated Karma: Four Possibilities between Karma that is Accumulated & Karma that is Done (e.g., killing).    E. Timing of Result of Karma that Will Definitely Be Experienced - (cont. on Handout 21.)

2011 Handout 21 - cont. E. Karma that Is Experienced (1) in the Current Life (མཐོང་ཆོས་ལ་མྱོང་འགྱུར་གྱི་ལས།); (2) after Taking Rebirth (སྐྱེས་ནས་མྱོང་འགྱུར་གྱི་ལས།); (3) in Subsequent Existences (ལན་གྲངས་གཞན་ལ་མྱོང་འགྱུར་གྱི་ལས།). F. Order of Precedence in which numerous Karmic Imprints that exist in mental continuum Ripen. G. Middle Way Consequentialist (Madhyamika-Prasangika) & Great Exposition (Vaibhashika) Tenets re Mental, Physical & Verbal Karma Differ from Sutra School (Sutantrika), Mind Only (Cittamatrin) & Middle Way Autonomy (Madhyamika-Svatantrika) tenets: 1) Karma that is Intention (སེམས་པའི་ལས།) & 2) Intended Karma (བསམས་པའི་ལས།) - (cont. on Handout 22).

2011 Handout 22 - cont. G. Chart. H. Three-fold Division of Projecting Karma: (1) Meritorious Karma (བསོད་རྣམས་གྱི་ལས།); (2) Non-meritorious Karma (བསོད་རྣམས་མ་ཡིན་པའི་ལས།); (3) Immovable Karma (མི་གཡོ་བའི་ལས།). I. Contaminated Karma & Uncontaminated Karma (ཟག་མེད་ཀྱི་ལས།). Concludes Truth of Origination & Begins TRUTH OF CESSATION.

CLASS NOTES/partial transcripts

Rough drafts of notes/partial transcripts of Classes on topic, the
Second Noble Truth of Origination,
offered for what they are worth, will be posted here as they become available.

Class 6 NOTES

(If you are interested in assisting in proofing/editing, contact Ven. Tenzin Nordron.)

If any of the links do not work, please leave a comment or notify us by e-mail.

Handouts & Class Notes - Truth of Suffering - Fall 2011 Classes

2011-11-08T23:28:00.000-08:00

Below are links to Handouts 1-9 for the Fall term of the Perfection of Wisdom Course topic: the Four Noble Truths. Handouts 1-9 cover the First Noble Truth - the TRUTH of SUFFERING, which was the subject of the first * Classes held September 12-, 2011. Click on TRUTH of ORIGINATION for Handouts on the Second Noble Truth.

The Handouts, prepared by Geshe Kelsang Wangmo, serve as the text for the Fall 2011 semester. Also below are links to CLASS NOTES/Partial Transcripts (DRAFT) of Truth of Suffering (prepared by Ven. Tenzin Nordron).

Handouts 1-9. Four Noble Truths - TRUTH of SUFFERING

2011 Handout 1 - Ornament for Clear Realization's two verse on Mahayana Practice Instructions; the Four Noble Truths; the TRUTH OF SUFFERING: Three Kinds of Feelings.

2011 Handout 2 - Six categories of Feelings. Three-fold Division of Suffering: Suffering of Suffering; Suffering of Change; Pervasive Compositional Suffering (cont. Handout 3).

NEW CORRECTED - 2011 Handout 3 - cont. Pervasive Compositional Suffering: Contaminated Five Aggregates. Four-fold & Eight-fold Categorization of Sufferings of Suffering: Five types of Sufferings of Birth (cont. on Handout 4).

2011 Handout 4 - Eight-fold Categorization of Suffering, cont.: Sufferings of Aging. Five Sufferings of Sickness.

2011 Handout 5 - Five Sufferings of Sickness, cont. 2-5. Five Contemplations of the Sufferings of Death. Five Contemplations of the Sufferings of Encountering what is Unpleasant - 1-2, cont. on Handout 6.

2011 Handout 6 - Five Contemplations of the Sufferings of Encountering what is Unpleasant, cont. 3-5. Five Contemplations of the Sufferings of Separation from what is Pleasant. Suffering of Not Getting What We Want. Five Contemplations of the Sufferings of Having the Five Aggregates - 1-3, (cont. in Handout 7.)

2011 Handout 7 - Sufferings of Having the Five Aggregates, cont. 4-5. Six-Fold Categorization of Suffering (cont. in Handouts 8 & 9): 1): 1) Suffering of Uncertainty.

2011 Handout 8 - cont. Six-Fold Categorization of Suffering: 2) Suffering of Insatiability. 3) Suffering of Having to Give up our Bodies Repeatedly. (cont. in Handout 9)

2011 Handout 9 - cont. Six-Fold Categorization of Suffering: 4) Suffering of Repeated Rebirth. 5) Suffering of Repeatedly Descending from High to Low. 6) Suffering of Having No Companions.

CLASS NOTES/partial transcripts

Rough drafts of class notes/partial transcripts of Classes on the First Noble Truth of Suffering - offered for what they are worth - are posted here as they become available.

(If you are interested in assisting in proofing/editing, contact Ven. Tenzin Nordron.)

Class 2 NOTES

Class 4 NOTES
Class 5 NOTES

If any of the links do not work, please leave a comment or notify us by e-mail.

Class Schedule Change - Class on THURSDAY

2011-09-26T22:50:00.000-07:00

H.H. Dalai Lama begins teaching in McLeod Ganj on Saturday, October 1, 2011 through Monday, October 4. So there will be NO CLASS on MONDAY, October 4. Instead, we will have class on Thursday, September 29. That is, we will have four class sessions this week: Monday, Wednesday (9/28), Thursday (9/29) and Friday (9/30).

Class 6 - Truth of Suffering & Truth of Origination of Suffering

2011-09-23T22:27:00.000-07:00

Download PDF's of Class materials and MP3 Tracks from the 6th class of Fall 2011 term held on Friday, September 23:

DOWNLOAD Handouts used in Class 6 & Class NOTES (i.e., very rough transcript):

2011 Handout 9 - conclude Six-Fold Categorization of Suffering. II. (Second) Noble) TRUTH OF THE ORIGIN - ཀུན་འབྱུང་བདེན་པ། - (of Suffering): Delusions (ཉོན་མོངས།) & Contaminated Karma/Actions (ཟག་བཅས་ཀྱི་ལས།).

2011 Handout 10 - Truth of Origin (ཀུན་འབྱུང་བདེན་པ།), Delusions (ཉོན་མོངས།), cont. IGNORANCE (མ་རིག་པ་): Categorizations:: A. (1) Deprecating Misconception (སྐུར་འདེབས་ཀྱི་ལོག་རྟོག) & (2) Superimposing Misconception (སྒྲོ་འདོགས་ཀྱི་ལོག་རྟོག); B. (1) Innate/instinctive Ignorance (མ་རིག་པ་ལྷན་སྐྱེས།) & (2) Intellectually or Ideologically Acquired Ignorance (མ་རིག་པ་ཀུན་བརྟགས།). C. Ignorance that is the Root of Cyclic Existence (འཁོར་པའི་རྩ་བར་གྱུར་པའི་མ་རིག་པ།) [i.e., Ignorance that apprehends the inherent existence of: (1) the "I" and "mine"; and (2) phenomena (other than "I" and "mine").

Class 6 NOTES - rough draft transcript - offered for what they are worth. (If you are interested in assisting in proofing/editing, contact Ven. Tenzin Nordron.)

ALL FALL 2011 PDFs re Truth of Suffering are HERE. ALL Fall 2011 PDFs re Truth of Origination are HERE.

DOWNLOAD MP3 TRACKS:

Track 1 - Handout 9 - cont. Six Types of Suffering:

(4) Suffering of repeated rebirth:

Contaminated Karma only triggers rebirth in Samsara if triggered by Delusions (attachment to self, i.e., fear of death of self & craving for existence).
Having realized Emptiness directly, Arya Bodhisattvas (below 8th bhumi) are reborn due to attachment to others and prayers, but not in the Cyclic Existence that we experience. Hinayana Arhats and 8th-10th ground Arya Bodhisattvas have Mental Bodies.

Track 2 - (5) Suffering of Repeatedly Descending from High to Low.
(6) Suffering of Having no Companions.

Cultivating disenchantment with our miserable condition in Cyclic Existence and the single-pointed intention to overcome it, naturally leads to the question:

What is the origin or the cause of suffering?

Track 3 - (2nd) Noble TRUTH of ORIGIN (ཀུན་འབྱུང་འཕགས་པའི་བདེན་པ།) of Suffering:

DELUSIONS (ཉོན་མོངས་།); and
CONTAMINATED ACTIONS/KARMA (ཟག་བཅས་ཀྱི་ལས་།).

Delusions are Primary Cause of Suffering.
Root Delusion is Ignorance.

Track 4 - IGNORANCE - མ་རིག་པ་ - [Handout 10] - a mental factor and a mental consciousness:

Examples, qualities and types of Ignorance:

Mere not knowing & Active Mis-knowledge.

(1) Deprecating misconceptions (སྐུར་འདེབས་ཀྱི་ལོག་རྟོག):

Denial of (aspects of) reality, e.g., deny Law of Karma,

Past & Future Lives (or role of human activity in Global Climate Change).

(2) Superimposing misconceptions (སྒྲོ་འདོགས་ཀྱི་ལོག་རྟོག):

Apprehend (aspects of) phenomena that do not exist, e.g., Wrong Views:

Ignorance that apprehends a Self to be:

Permanent, Partless, & Independent;
Self-Sufficient Substantially Existent; or
Inherently Existent.

Superimposing ignorance is the root of Deprecating ignorance, but

Superimposing ignorance are not always non-virtuous; however,

Wrong Views included in the 10 Non-Virtuous are Deprecating Ignorance.

Track 5 - Categorization of IGNORANCE as: (1) Innate Ignorance (མ་རིག་པ་ལྷན་སྐྱེས་) or (2) Intellectually Acquired (མ་རིག་པ་ཀུན་བརྟགས།).

Innate Ignorance: Innate Deprecating & Innate Superimposing ignorance.

Root ignorance is Innate Superimposing ignorance apprehending Inherent Existence & apprehending Permanence.

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

This is the 6th class of the Fall 2011 Perfection of Wisdom course
addressing the Four Noble Truths, the 2nd sub-topic of the 2nd Topic
(Mahayana Practice Instructions) of Chapter 1 of Maitreya's
Ornament for Clear Realizations - Abhisamayalamkara.

Class 5 - Truth of Suffering - Five Aggregates, Six Categories

2011-09-21T19:50:00.000-07:00

Download PDF's of Class materials and MP3 Tracks from the 5th class of Fall 2011 term held on Wednesday, September 21:

DOWNLOAD Handouts used in Class 5 & Class NOTES (i.e., very rough transcript):

2011 Handout 6 - Five Contemplations of the Sufferings of Encountering what is Unpleasant, cont. 3-5. Five Contemplations of the Sufferings of Separation from what is Pleasant. Suffering of Not Getting What We Want. Five Contemplations of the Sufferings of Having the Five Aggregates - 1-3, (cont. in Handout 7.)

2011 Handout 7 - Sufferings of Having the Five Aggregates, cont. 4-5. Six-Fold Categorization of Suffering (cont. in Handouts 8 & 9): 1): 1) Suffering of Uncertainty.

2011 Handout 8 - cont. Six-Fold Categorization of Suffering: 2) Suffering of Insatiability. 3) Suffering of Having to Give up our Bodies Repeatedly. (cont. in Handout 9)

Class 5 NOTES - rough draft transcript - offered for what they are worth. (If you are interested in assisting in proofing/editing, contact Ven. Tenzin Nordron.)

ALL FALL 2011 PDFs re Truth of Suffering are HERE.

DOWNLOAD MP3 TRACKS:

Track 1 - Buddha said:

In brief, the Five Contaminated Aggregates are suffering.

Two of the Five Aggregates are Mental Factors:

Discrimination - ordinary and intellectual.
Feelings

Understanding the Five Aggregates in relation to the four Form Concentrations and four Formless concentrations.

Five-fold Categorization of Feelings (in terms of coarser/subtler; easier/harder to overcome):
Limited Discrimination of Desire Realm must be overcome to attain Form Realm.
Form Realm Concentrations overcome Worldly/Contaminated Feelings - only Buddhist Path can overcome the Neutral contaminated feeling.

First Concentration of the Form Realm overcomes the mental feeling of displeasure.
Second Concentration of the Form Realm overcomes the unpleasant feeling associated with physical consciousness.
Third Concentration of the Form Realm overcomes the pleasurable feeling associated with mental consciousness.
Fourth Concentration of the Form Realm overcomes the pleasurable feeling associated with physical consciousness.

Having then transcended the Extensive Discrimination of Form Realm, one may attain the Immeasurable Discrimination of Formless Realm. Buddhism does not urge attainment of Formless Realm rebirth with its four concentrations of:

Limitless Space, Limitless Consciousness, Nothingness, Peak of Cyclic Existence.

Track 2 - Suffering of (having) the Five Aggregates (5 points) – [Handout 6, p. 2]:

Five (contaminated) Aggregates are Vessels of Suffering (1) in the future; (2) that presently exists; (3) the Suffering of Suffering. [Handout 7] - (4) the Suffering of Change

Track 3 - Five Contaminated Aggregates are vessel of

(4) Suffering of Change, cont.; and of
(5) Pervasive Compositional Suffering.
Neutral Feelings are a Pervasive Compositional Suffering.

Track 4 - Necessity ofunderstanding First Noble Truth in order to generate Renunciation (which is required to generate Bodhicitta).

Six Categories of Suffering

1. Suffering of uncertainty. [Handout 8] - regarding the relationships we have with other people.

2. Suffering of insatiability: As it says in the Compendium of the Perfections (a Perfection of Wisdom Sutra):

You get what you want,

Use it up, then acquire more,

And still you are not satisfied

What could be more pathetic than this?

3. Suffering of having to give up our bodies repeatedly.

4th - 6th Sufferings [(4) Suffering of repeated rebirth. (5) Suffering of repeatedly descending from high to low. (6) Suffering of having no companions.] in Class 6.

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 Fall 2011 Perfection of Wisdom course
addressing the Four Noble Truths, the 2nd sub-topic of the 2nd Topic
(Mahayana Practice Instructions) of Chapter 1 of Maitreya's
Ornament for Clear Realizations - Abhisamayalamkara.

Class 4 - Truth of Suffering of Sickness, Death, Encounters, Separation

2011-09-19T23:34:00.000-07:00

Download PDF's of Class materials and MP3 Tracks from the 4th class of Fall 2011 term held on Monday, September 19:

DOWNLOAD Handouts used in Class 4 & Class NOTES (i.e., very rough transcript):

2011 Handout 4 - Eight-fold Categorization of Suffering, cont.: Sufferings of Aging. Five Sufferings of Sickness - 1) Changes the nature of the body; (cont. on Handout 5).

2011 Handout 5 - Five Sufferings of Sickness, cont. 2-5. Five Contemplations of the Sufferings of Death. Five Contemplations of the Sufferings of Encountering what is Unpleasant - 1-2, cont. on Handout 6.

2011 Handout 6 - Five Contemplations of the Sufferings of Encountering what is Unpleasant, cont. 3-5. Five Contemplations of the Sufferings of Separation from what is Pleasant. Suffering of Not Getting What We Want. Five Contemplations of the Sufferings of Having the Five Aggregates - 1-3, (cont. in Handout 7.)

Class 4 NOTES - rough draft transcript - offered for what they are worth. (If you are interested in assisting in proofing/editing, contact Ven. Tenzin Nordron.)

FALL 2011 PDFs re: Truth of Suffering are HERE.

DOWNLOAD MP3 TRACKS:

Track 1 - Discussion: Implications of third type of Birth, "from moisture", etc.

Track 2 - Discussion: How a Cause of Production is also Cause of its Effect's Destruction.

Presentation of Impermanence, Cause & Effect.

Track 3 - Review Sufferings of Birth and Aging.
Sufferings of SICKNESS [Handout 4 - p. 2] - Five contemplations:

Sickness changes the nature of the body [cont. on Handout 5].
Pain & anguish increase and are seldom absent.
No desire to enjoy pleasing objects.
Forced to recourse to unpleasant objects, even though one does not want them.
Lose one's vital energy, i.e., one dies.

Track 4 - Sufferings of DEATH [Handout 5] - Five contemplations: One is separated from nice/beloved:

Objects of Enjoyment,
Close relatives,
Companions, and
beloved Body. Also:
At the time of death one experiences terrible suffering and distress.

Track 5 - Sufferings of Encountering What Is Unpleasant - Five contemplations:

Encountering an Enemy.
Fearing one will be Harmed by one's Enemy.
[Handout 6] Fearing one's Enemy will Spread Malicious Rumors about Oneself.
Dreading death.
Fearing Rebirth in suffering existence due to one's non-Dharmic activities. Also misc. sufferings from poverty, disagreeable jobs, being resented, unattractive, etc.

Sufferings of Separation from What is Pleasant - Five contemplations: When one is separated from loved ones, One:

Grieves;
Verbally Laments;
Harms one's own body;
Becomes sad when one remembers and yearns for the qualities of the departed; and generally experiences
Suffering of no longer enjoying what one has lost.

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 Fall 2011 Perfection of Wisdom course
addressing the Four Noble Truths, the 2nd sub-topic of the 2nd Topic
(Mahayana Practice Instructions) of Chapter 1 of Maitreya's
Ornament for Clear Realizations - Abhisamayalamkara.

Class 3 - Truth of Suffering - Birth & Aging

2011-09-16T22:54:00.000-07:00

Download PDF's of Class materials and MP3 Tracks from the 3rd class of Fall 2011 term held on Friday, September 16:

DOWNLOAD Handouts used in Class 3:

2011 Handout 3 - cont. Pervasive Compositional Suffering: Contaminated Five Aggregates. Four-fold & Eight-fold Categorization of Sufferings of Suffering: Five types of Sufferings of Birth (cont. on Handout 4).

2011 Handout 4 - Eight-fold Categorization of Suffering, cont.: Sufferings of Aging. Five Sufferings of Sickness - 1) Changes the nature of the body; (cont. on Handout 5).

ALL FALL 2011 HANDOUTS & CHARTS are HERE.

DOWNLOAD MP3 TRACKS:

Track 1 - Review Three Kinds of Sufferings (Suffering, Change, Pervasive Compositional).

Q&A (Is Ignorance arisen from Neutral Feeling?).
Handout 3: Contaminated and Uncontaminated Karma.

Track 2 - [Handout 3] Another Categorization of Suffering:

Four Types - (1) Birth, (2) Aging, (3) Sickness, (4) Death - incorporated into
Eight Types: (5) Encountering what is Unpleasant, (6) Separation from what is Pleasant, (7) Not Getting What we Want, (8) (having) the Five Aggregates.

How do these 8 fit into the Three Types of Suffering?
Introduction to 1st of the 8: Birth.

Track 3 - 1. Five contemplations of the Suffering of BIRTH:

Birth, itself, is Suffering.
Birth with Negative Tendencies produces Suffering.

Track 4 - Five contemplations of the Suffering of BIRTH, cont.

Born with Negative Tendencies, cont.

What are "Seeds and Imprints".

Birth is Source of suffering.
Birth is Source of Afflictive Emotions:

Operation of Afflictive Emotions.

Birth Results in Unwanted Separation, cont. in Track 5.

Track 5 - [Handout 4]. Second of 8 Kinds of Suffering: Five Contemplations of the Suffering of Aging

Handsome body deteriorates.
Physical strength and vigour deteriorate.
Senses deteriorate.
Enjoyment of sense objects fades.
Suffering of the diminishment of one's lifespan.

It is well that aging happens little by little.

If it happened all at once, it would be intolerable.

- Kadampa Geshe Gamapa

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 2011 Perfection of Wisdom course
addressing the Four Noble Truths, the 2nd sub-topic of the 2nd Topic
(Mahayana Practice Instructions) of Chapter 1 of Maitreya's
Ornament for Clear Realizations - Abhisamayalamkara.

Class 2 - Truth of Suffering - Three Kinds of Suffering

2011-09-14T20:29:00.000-07:00

Download PDF's of Class materials and MP3 Tracks from the 2nd class of Fall 2011 term held on Wednesday, September 14:

DOWNLOAD Handouts used in Class 2 & Class NOTES (i.e., very rough transcript):

2011 Handout 2 - Six categories of Feelings. Three-fold Division of Suffering: Suffering of Suffering; Suffering of Change; Pervasive Compositional Suffering (cont. Handout 3).

2011 Handout 3 - cont. Pervasive Compositional Suffering: Contaminated Five Aggregates. Four-fold & Eight-fold Categorization of Sufferings of Suffering: Five types of Sufferings of Birth (cont. on Handout 4).

Class 2 NOTES - rough draft transcript - offered for what they are worth. (If you are interested in assisting in proofing/editing, contact Ven. Tenzin Nordron.)

ALL FALL 2011 HANDOUTS & CHARTS are HERE.

DOWNLOAD MP3 TRACKS:

Track 1 -"Has"/"Is" confusion - "Is a white horse white?"

Review: Feeling, an omni-present Mental Factor accompanying every main mind:

Feeling itself is suffering & feeling experiences suffering.
Feeling is what experiences the three – pleasure, displeasure or neutrality.
Objects are not suffering; objects cause suffering and are in the nature of suffering.

Handout 2: Feelings & Six Consciousnesses.

Distinguishing the Truth of Suffering from Suffering (i.e., feeling).
Suffering is Feeling.
Truth of Suffering is Feeling and phenomena that induce Suffering, i.e., are in the nature of suffering.
Root Cause of the Truth of Suffering.

Track 2 - The (Noble) Truth of Suffering (སྡུག་བསྔལ་བདེན་པ།) - Three Kinds of Suffering:
Suffering of Suffering - སྡུག་བསྔལ་གྱི་སྡུག་བསྔལ།:

Suffering here means any unpleasant feeling.
Physical Suffering - Mental Factor of feeling (of displeasure) that comes along with any of the Sense Consciousness.

Suffering of Change - འགྱུར་བའི་སྡུག་བསྔལ་།:

Contaminated feelings are produced by the fundamental mis-perception of reality.
Contaminated (ཟག་ཅས་) Objects are Not in the Nature of Happiness.
Main Minds & Five Omnipresent Mental Factors (སེམས་བྱུང་ལྔ་) & ‘objects of pleasant feelings’
Happiness of sentient beings is just the temporary relief from feelings of intense suffering.

Track 3 - Suffering of Change, cont.:

Focusing on the nature of the objects that are related to suffering.
Objects of temporary happiness, i.e., ordinary suffering, are in the nature of suffering because eventually, as they continue being the object of experience, they turn into the nature of suffering.

Track 4 - Pervasive Compositional Suffering - ཁྱབ་པ་འདུ་བྱེད་ཀྱི་སྡུག་བསྔལ་།:

The most important of the three categories of Suffering;

Foundation of the other two (the Sufferings of Suffering and of Change);
Subtlest and most difficult to recognize.

Desire Realm, Form Realm and Formless Realms.
Five (Contaminated) Aggregates: What they are.

Track 5 - Handout 3 cont. Five Contaminated Aggregates - ཟག་ཅས་ཀྱི་ཕུང་པོ་ལྔ་:

Contaminated because produced by Ignorance mis-perceiving reality, other Delusions (e.g.,anger, attachment), and Karma.
Pervasive Compositional Suffering of the Five Aggregates includes the entire psycho-physical (mind/body) complex that accompany Feelings.
Why is it Pervasive.
Questions & Answers (e.g., Buddha Nature and contamination).

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 Fall 2011 Perfection of Wisdom course
addressing the Four Noble Truths, the 2nd sub-topic of the 2nd Topic
(Mahayana Practice Instructions) of Chapter 1 of Maitreya's
Ornament for Clear Realizations - Abhisamayalamkara.

Class 1 - the Four Noble Truths

2011-09-12T20:38:00.000-07:00

Download PDF's of Class materials and MP3 Tracks from the 1st class of Fall 2011 term held on Monday, September 12:

DOWNLOAD Handouts used in Class 1:

2011 Handout 1 - Ornament for Clear Realization's two verses on Mahayana Practice Instructions; the Four Noble Truths; the Truth of Suffering. Three Kinds of Feelings.

2011 Handout 2 - Six categories of Feelings. Three-fold Division of Suffering: Suffering of Suffering; Suffering of Change; Pervasive Compositional Suffering.

ALL FALL 2011 HANDOUTS & CHARTS are HERE.

DOWNLOAD MP3 TRACKS:

Track 1 - Introduction to Fall course Materials (translated and composed by Geshe Kelsang Wangmo) and context of subject matter. The Handouts at the beginning of the course rely primarily on Je Tsong Khapa's Lam Rim Chenmo. Later handouts are translations from the two texts used for this subject at IBD and Drepung Loseling Monastery: the General Meaning and Decisive Analysis composed by Panchen Sonam Drakpa. The course will use these to acquaint students the debates raised in studying the Four Noble Truths.

Track 2 - Handout 1 - Explanation of two verses from Chapter 1 of Maitreya's Ornament for Clear Realizations (Abhisamayalamkara). Chapter 1 has 10 Topics and the 2d Topic is the Ten Mahayana Practice Instructions, and the second Practice Instruction is the Four Noble Truths. The Ten Practice Instructions that set out the Ten Instructions are:

Practice, the Truths,
The Three Jewels such as the Buddha,
Non-Involvement, Tirelessness,
Thoroughly Upholding the Path, [22]

The Five Visions, Clairvoyance's Six Qualities and
what are called "the Paths of Seeing
And Meditation": these practice instructions
Should be known as having a tenfold character. [23]

The first three Practice Instructions named in these two pithy and obscure verses are explained here by Geshe-la, i.e., (1) Practice = the Two Truths; (2) the Truths = Four Noble Truths, and (3) the Three Jewels = Refuge.

Track 3 - Continues Explanation of 4th-10th Mahayana Practice Instructions: Three Diligences of (4) Non-Involvement, (5) Tirelessness, and (6) of Thoroughly Upholding the Path of Practice. (7) Five Visions, (8) Six Qualities of Clairvoyance, (9) Path of Seeing, (10) Path of Meditation.

Track 4 - Introduction to Four Noble Truths in context of the Ornament, Lam Rim and generally as the blueprint for the entire Buddhist path.

Track 5 - Introduction to Four Noble Truths in context of Buddha Turning the Three Wheels of Dharma. The names of the Four Noble Truths in English & Tibetan with meaning.

Track 6 - Truth of Suffering - Omni-Present Mental Factor of Feeling with every mind of three kinds: Pleasant, Unpleasant & Neutral.

Track 7 - Handout 2. Categories of Feeling, 24 Kinds of Mental Factor of Feeling, Questions & Answers, function of class Discussion Group (held at 3:00 - 3:45 before each class).

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 Fall 2011 Perfection of Wisdom course
addressing the Four Noble Truths, the 2nd sub-topic of the 2nd Topic
(Mahayana Practice Instructions) of Chapter 1 of Maitreya's
Ornament for Clear Realizations - Abhisamayalamkara.

2011 Fall Class Schedule - 12 September - 11 November 2011

2011-08-21T19:07:00.000-07:00

Geshe Kelsang Wangmo will begin the Fall semester of the Perfection of Wisdom Course on 12 September 2011. The last class of the Fall term will be 11 November 2011.

SUBJECT MATTER

For some information about the subject matter of this course, link to blog entry, "Background for Fall 2011 Term".

The classes will continue the presentation of the Second Topic (Mahayana Practice Instructions) addressed in Chapter 1 of the Ornament for Clear Realizations (Abhisamayalamkara) by Maitreya. (Download Class AUDIO MP3s, Handouts, etc. from Blog Post entries).

Chapter 1 of the Ornament raises Ten Topics (relating to the Omniscient Mind).

The Spring 2011 semester covered the First Topic, Bodhicitta and began the Second Topic, Mayahana Practice Instructions, has Ten Subjects. The First, the Two Truths, was also covered in the Spring 2011 classes.

ALL of the class materials for the Spring 2011 classes on Bodhicitta and the Two Truths can be downloaded from the blog post: Handouts & Charts - Spring 2011 Classes.

The Fall 2011 term will address:

The Four Noble Truths (the Second Practice Instruction), and
Refuge (the Third Second Practice Instruction).

CLASS SCHEDULE

Classes are held from 4:00 - 5:30 p.m. on Mondays, Wednesday and Fridays in the Prayer Hall at IBD which is located inside the gate to the temple complex. (Take the first set of stairs on the right up to second floor.)

Discussion group timing will be formulated after the course starts. Traditionally, debate plays a crucial role in fostering students' understanding; in lieu of which, students are encouraged to participate in the discussion groups.

Fees: 300 Rupees / month donation for support of IBD students.

You are welcome to attend a few classes to determine if you wish to enroll.

Teacher: Geshe Kelsang Wangmo

Photo by Peter Aronson 2011.

Background for Fall 2011 Term

2011-08-21T15:10:00.000-07:00

SUGGESTED READING LIST that can provide further background support for students HERE.

The Perfection of Wisdom Course studies Maitreya's Ornament for Clear Realizations (Abhisamayalamkara). The Ornament is the first of five great Indian canonical texts that make up the core curriculum of Geshe studies at Tibetan monastic colleges such as Drepung Loseling Monastery and the Institute for Buddhist Dialectical Studies. The Ornament expounds the hidden meaning (detailing the Method of the Path to Enlightenment) of the Perfection of Wisdom Sutras (whose explicit meaning is the Wisdom of Emptiness).

Before studying the Ornament, students take courses that introduce them to:

Fundamentals of Buddhist philosophy (the Collected Topics, Due-dra);
Logical argument (Ta-rig);
Awareness and Knowledge (Lo-rig); and
Philosophical systems of Tenets (Drub-tha).

Geshe Kelsang Wangmo concluded teaching these subjects for English language students in 2006. She began teaching this Perfection of Wisdom Course in 2007 (with a hiatus in 2009). The Perfection of Wisdom course usually takes six years in Tibetan residential institutions. Since the English course is not part of a matriculating, residential program, the course will take as long as necessary to provide understanding for most of the students who attend.

While a few students have been attending IBD's Advanced Buddhist Philosophy program in English since before the program officially began in 2004, most students are unable to be in India for the entire Ornament course, nor have they attended the preliminary courses. Many students attend the course for less than an entire term.

Although Geshe Kelsang Wangmo is skilled in presenting challenging material to those who do not have the usual background for tackling these subjects, most people are going to need a good foundation in Buddhist teachings to enjoy the material.

You can DOWNLOAD Audio MP3s of classes along with course handouts and some partial class transcripts from this BLOG's POSTED entries.

Prior terms of the Course have covered:

First Year subjects are raised by the Ornament's Introduction.
Second Year subject (of the Ornament's Introduction): Differentiating Interpretable from Definitive Sutras while studying the Wisdom tenets of the Mind Only (Cittamatrin) system [text: Jeffrey Hopkins' translation of relevant section of Je Tsong-Khapa's Essence of Eloquence in Emptiness in the Mind Only School of Buddhism).
Third Year subjects are raised in Chapter 1 of the Ornament.

Of the Ten Topics raised in Chapter 1, so far classes have addressed:

Topic 1 - Bodhicitta
Begun Topic 2 - Ten Mahayana Practice Instructions, i.e.,

The Two Truths - the 1st Mayahana Practice Instruction (Spring 2011).

Fall 2011 - will continue Topic 2 with:

the Four Noble Truths - the 2nd Mahayana Practice Instruction; and
Refuge - the 3rd Mahayana Practice Instruction.

Book List suggestions for Course

2011-08-21T15:07:00.000-07:00

BOOK LIST

PREPARATORY STUDIES

COLLECTED TOPICS

Debate in Tibetan Buddhism by Daniel E. Perdue – Snow Lion Publications
Knowing, Naming & Negation by Anne Carolyn Klein – Snow Lion Publication

AWARENESS & KNOWLEDGE

Mind in Tibetan Buddhism by Lati Rinpoche and Elizabeth Napper – Snow Lion Publications.
Buddhist Psychology by Geshe Tashi Tsering – Wisdom Publications

TENETS

Cutting through appearances by Jeffrey Hopkins – Snow Lion Publications.
Maps of the profound by Jeffrey Hopkins – Snow Lion Publications.
Buddhist Philosophy by Daniel Cozort and Craig Preston – Snow Lion Publications.
Appearance and Reality by Guy Newland – Snow Lion Publications.

ESSENTIAL REFERENCES

Meditation on Emptiness by Jeffrey Hopkins - Snow Lion Publications.
The Great Treatise on the Stages of the Path to Enlightenment / Lam Rim Chenmo by Lama Tsongkhapa, Vols. I, II, & III – Snow Lion Publications

ORNAMENT for CLEAR REALIZATIONS

Abhisamayalamkara by Maitreya

Download PDF of Ornament in Tibetan (mngon rtogs rgyan - input in Mac Pages by Marta Saro).

Download PDF of Introduction & Chapter 1 of Ornament with Gyaltseb Je's Outlines & chapter headings (English translation by Instituto Lama Tzong Khapa, Italy, 1998).

Ornament for Clear Realization by Khenchen Thrangu Rinpoche – Zhyisil Chokyi Ghatsal Trust Publications.
Bodhicitta by Ven. Lobsang Gyatso – Snow Lion Publications.
The Awakening Mind by Geshe Tashi Tsering – Wisdom Publications.
The Two Truths by Guy Newland – Snow Lion Publications.
Relative Truth, Ultimate Truth by Geshe Tashi Tsering – Wisdom Publications.
Knowledge and Liberation by Ann Carolyn Klein – Snow Lion Publications.

Handouts & Charts - Spring 2011 Classes

2011-07-11T15:12:00.000-07:00

Below is a list of the class Handouts and Charts prepared by Geshe Kelsang Wangmo for the Spring 2011 semester of the Perfection of Wisdom Course. These primarily relate to:

Bodhicitta, the 1st of the 10 Topics of Chapter 1 of Maitreya's Ornament for Clear Realization (Abhisamayalamkara);
The Two Truths, which is the 1st of the 10 sub-topics of the 2nd Topic of Chapter 1: the Mahayana Practice Instructions.

See Handout 19 for a chart listing the 10 Topics of the first chapter of the Ornament and the 10 Sub-Topics of the Mahayana Practice Instructions.

Please note: Even though these downloadable charts and handouts do not contain the Creative Commons logo, they are covered by Creative Commons "Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs"Copyright [SEE right-hand column].

HANDOUTS - TWO TRUTHS

2011 Handout 29 - Conventional Truth: Definition; Different Aspects of definition; Categories. Ultimate Truth: Definition; Different Aspects of definition; Categories. Phenomena that are relations of One Entity/One Nature by being one/identical, equivalent (Eight Doors of Pervasion), a characteristic of a phenomenon. Meaning of Different Entity/Different Nature Suggested Reading List.

2011 Handout 28 - Conclusion of Two Truths according to Chandrakirti’s Supplement to the Middle Way and Lama Tsongkhapa’s Illumination of the Thought: Omniscient consciousnesses are able to realize both truths because they are able to apply two different modes of cognition simultaneously; meanings of Dualistic Appearance; direct & explicit realizations of Emptiness - Seeing by way of not seeing; Analogy: "just as one sees uncompounded space by not seeing obstructive contact, one sees emptiness by not seeing conventional truths." Buddhas realize conventional truths by way of ‘other appearance.’

2011 Handout 27 - Learner Arya's Exalted Wisdom of Subsequent Attainment. Way in which phenomena are Ultimate and Conventional for ordinary beings and for Aryas. Explanation of Ultimate Truth (Meaning of the Root Verse.

2011 Handout 26 - Cognitive Obscurations per Prasangika and the Svatantrika Madhyamika tenet systems. Exalted Wisdoms of Meditative Equipoise/absorptions & of Subsequent Attainment per Prasangika Madhyamika tenets.

2011 Handout 25 - Afflictive Obscurations per Prasangika (Consequentialist) and the Svatantrika (Autonomy) Madhyamika (Middle Way) tenet systems. Way in which mere Conventionalities appear and do not appear to the Three Beings.

2011 Handout 24 - Why "conventional phenomena are both conventional truths (truths for a concealer) and mere conventionalities." Differences between a conventional truth and existing conventionally and existing ultimately. Explaining the unique Prasangika tenet presentation of Afflictive Emotions. Per Svatantrika Madhyamika tenets, ignorance that apprehends true existence is neither the root of Samsara nor an afflictive emotion.

2011 Handout 23 (June 27) - Explaining from Whose Perspective the Conventional Is a Truth and Not a Truth.

2011 Handout 22 (June 24) - Chandrakirti re Two Truths, cont. (Mistaken / Wrong Consciousness distinguished), etc.

2011 Handout 21 - "Causes of error of mental sense consciousnesses", etc.

2011 Handout 20 - "Prasangika Madhyamika tenet: Conventional Truths cannot be divided into true and unreal conventional truths because all conventional truths are deceptive...However, relative to the perspective of the world, objects which are not Ultimate Truths can be categorized into those that are true and those that are unreal. Furthermore, just as conventional phenomena can in general be categorized into subjects (awarenesses) and objects (objects of those awarenesses) likewise ..."

2011 Handout 19 - Explaining the Category of the Conventional Relative to the World; Svatantrika Madhyamika tenet asserts re the Two Truths.

2011 Handout 18 - A. Two Truths are different phenomena but not different entities, i.e., they are not one phenomenon but are one entity. Reasoning & Faults of contrary assertions. B. Two Truths are definite in number.

2011 Handout 17 - Je Tsongkhapa's Illumination of the Thought: a) Explaining, by Means of the Category of the Two Truths, that All Phenomena Have Two Entities; b) Another Presentation of the Two Truths.

2011 Handout 16 - a) Ornament, Ch. 1, Topic 2 - Mahayana Practice Instructions' ten topics [See, Handout 15]. b) Two Truths: Conventional Truth & Ultimate Truth - Etymologies & Instances.

CHARTS

2011 Chart 6 - (June 27) - GRADUAL PROCESS of ELIMINATING IGNORANCE in DEPENDENCE on: HINAYANA PATHS & MAHAYANA PATHS.

2011 Chart 5 - Existent and the Two Truths.

2011 Chart 4 - the Two Truths According to the Four Tenets.

2011 Chart 3 - The Five Bodhisattva Paths.

2011 Chart 2 - Four Philosophical Tenets.

2011 Chart 1 - Different Vehicles (Trainees, Goals, Wisdom, Obstructions, Results).

HANDOUTS - BODHICITTA

2011 Handout 15 - Benefits of Bodhicitta. b) Ch. 1's 2nd topic: Mahayana Practice Instructions: Six Sub-topics that explain them.

2011 Handout 14 - Basis of Bodhicitta: 1) Physical basis among Six Realms for generating Aspirational & Engaging Bodhicitta; 2) Mental basis.

2011 Handout 13 - Generating Bodhicitta: A) Seven-Fold Cuase & Effect Instruction; B) Equalizing & Exchanging Self for Others.

2011 Handout 12 - Causes of Bodhicitta: a) Four Causes; b) Four Conditions; c) Four Strenths/Powers/Forces; d) Two Principal Causes.

2011 Handout 11 - Explanation of Similes of Bodhicitta, cont., Nos. 11-22.

2011 Handout 10 - Explanation of 22 Similes of Bodhicitta, Nos. 1-10.

2011 Handout 9 - Remaining categories of Bodhicitta: a) By way of Demarcation; b) By way of Devoted Conduct; c) Category by way of the Purpose; d) Category by way of Similes.

2011 Handout 8 - Three Classes of Vows: I. Pratimoksha Vow: a) Lay Vow (3 Sets; Eight One-day Vows); b) Ordained Vows (5 sets). II. Bodhisattva Vow - a) 18 Downfalls & 46 Faulty Actions. b) How to Lose Bodhisattva Vow: Four Binding Factors.

2011 Handout 7 - Differences between Svatantrika-Madhyamika (Autonomy Middle Way) & Prasangika-Madhyamika (Middle Way Consequentialist) Tenets re AspiratIonal & Engaging Bodhicitta.

2011 Handout 6 - Category by way of Being (Bodhicitta): Aspirational Bodhicitta & Engaging Bodhicitta - Definitions, Aspects of the definitions; and Differences between the two.

2011 Handout 5 - a) Meaning of Definition of Bodhicitta & Verse 19 (Chapter 1). b) Divisions of Bodhicitta: 4 Ways of Categorizing. c) Reason for calling this Mind "Ultimate Bodhicitta." d) Chart: Comparison between Conventional Bodhicitta & Ultimate Bodhicitta (in the continua of sentient beings).

2011 Handout 4 - Explanation of Ornament's Three Verses on Bodhicitta: a) Definition & its aspects. b) Two Branches of Bodhicitta (Other's Benefit Aspiration & Enlightened Aspiration) & their Sequence.

2011 Handout 3 - First Chapter of the Ornament: Exalted Knower of Aspects (i.e., Omnisicent Mind): Two Modes of Presentation; Ten Topics/Dharmas; How the Ten Topics Characterize the Exalted Knower of Aspects. Bodhicitta: Mind Generation & Mind of Enlightenment.

2011 Handout 2 - Introduction to the Ornament for Clear Realizations - Part II: a) Meaning of the Title in Sanskrit and Tibetan; b) Homage by the Tibetan Translator; c) Homage by Maitreya: Three Types of Wisdom (Knower of Bases, Knower of Paths, Exalted Knower of Aspects); d) Purpose for Composition of Ornament; e) 15 verses that serve as table of Contents (8 Clear Realizations & 70 Topics).

2011 Handout 1 - Perfection of Wisdom: I. Main Objects of Study in Tibetan Monastic Colleges: Five Great Canonical Texts. II. Three Wheels of Dharma. III. Perfection of Wisdom Sutras. IV. Introduction to the Ornament for Clear Realizations - Part I.

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Class 34 - Conventional Truth, Paths & Grounds

2011-06-30T20:54:00.000-07:00

Download PDF's of Class materials and MP3 Tracks from the 34th class of Spring 2011 term held on Thursday, June 30:

DOWNLOAD Handouts used in Class 34:

2011 Handout 23 (June 27) - Explaining from Whose Perspective the Conventional Is a Truth and Is Not a Truth. (Based on Je Tsong Khapa's Illumination of the Thought.)

2011 Handout 24 - Why "conventional phenomena are both conventional truths (truths for a concealer) and mere conventionalities." Differences between a conventional truth and existing conventionally and existing ultimately. Explaining the unique Prasangika tenet presentation of Afflictive Emotions. Per Svatantrika Madhyamika tenets, ignorance that apprehends true existence is neither the root of Samsara nor an afflictive emotion. (Based on Je Tsong Khapa's Ocean of Reasoning, a commentary on Nagarjuna's Fundamental Wisdom).

Chart 6 - GRADUAL PROCESS of ELIMINATING IGNORANCE in DEPENDENCE on: HINAYANA PATHS & MAHAYANA PATHS.

ALL SPRING 2011 HANDOUTS & CHARTS are HERE.

DOWNLOAD MP3 TRACKS:

Track 1 - Review - [Explaining] from Whose Perspective the Conventional Is a Truth and Not a Truth:

Why are all Conventional Truths actual truths for beings who have not reached the 8th Arya Ground.
Handout 23, p. 2. Eliminating Ignorance on the Hinayana Paths & Grounds. Chart 6.

Track 2 - Chart 6 - Eliminating Ignorance on the Mahayana Paths & Grounds:

Explanation of Realizations on Bodhisattva Paths Eliminating Ignorance and Its Imprints.
Three Beings' (i.e., sentient beings who have overcome ignorance) perception of Conventional Truths.
Illustration of a face in a mirror re perception of Conventional Truths to non-Buddhas.
Relative to the perspective of the Three Beings, conventional phenomena are both Conventional Truths and mere conventionalities.

Track 3 - Handout 24 - Why "conventional phenomena are both conventional truths (truths for a concealer) and mere conventionalities":

Significance of 'Mere Conventionalities."
Opposite of existing Conventionally is existing Ultimately, and nothing exists 'Ultimately', i.e., nothing inherently exists. Whatever exists, exists conventionally - chart.
Conventionally Existent and Conventional Truth have different meanings...

Track 4 - Handout 24 - Differences between a conventional truth and existing conventionally and existing ultimately.

Training brain muscle (with confusing terminology) in debate, etc.:

Even though a pot is a Conventional Truth, the true existence of a pot is non-existent because it does not exist even conventionally. ...

Track 5 - Questions & Answers.

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This is the 14th class of the Spring 2011 Perfection of Wisdom course
addressing the Two Truths, the 1st sub-topic of the 2nd Topic
(Mahayana Practice Instructions) of Chapter 1 of Maitreya's
Ornament for Clear Realizations - Abhisamayalamkara.

Class 33 - Mind / Syllogism re Lack of Production

2011-06-27T20:02:00.000-07:00

Download PDF's of Class materials and MP3 Tracks from the 33nd class of Spring 2011 term held on Monday, June 27:

DOWNLOAD Handouts referred to in Class (Handouts are based on Je Tsong Khapa's Illumination of the Thought):

2011 Handout 22 (June 24) - Chandrakirti re Two Truths, cont. (Mistaken / Wrong Consciousness distinguished), etc.

2011 Handout 23 (June 27) - Explaining from Whose Perspective the Conventional Is a Truth and Is Not a Truth.

Chart 6 - GRADUAL PROCESS of ELIMINATING IGNORANCE in DEPENDENCE on: HINAYANA PATHS & MAHAYANA PATHS.

ALL SPRING 2011 HANDOUTS & CHARTS are HERE.

DOWNLOAD MP3 TRACKS:

Track 1 - Review Two Truths subject matter. Complete p. 2 of Handout 22. The Mind, Awareness:

Mind is one of the things we know the least, yet is the most powerful force in our life. Our ignorance about how our Mind works causes our problems. So learn to be 'aware' of operation of six consciousnesses in daily life. Levels of consciousness.
Although aware of the table coarsely, shape and color, we're not aware of subtler facts of table - example of how our ignorance harms us. Eye Consciousnesses, being clear and knowing, are not limited to just shapes and colors, e.g., Buddha's Eye Consciousnesses can perceive everything.
Differentiate actively mistaken ignorance with respect to its object of engagement; and Ignorance that is not a wrong consciousness with respect to its main object yet is still mistaken with respect to the object of appearance (of inherent existence of object).
Q&A

Track 2 - Handout 22 - Je Tsong Khapa begins Chapter 6 of Illumination of the Thought by establishing Emptiness on the basis of impermanent phenomena and with a syllogism from Chandrakirti’s Supplement to the Middle Way:

All phenomena are Dependently Arisen and do not stand on their own, independently. But impermanent phenomena manifest all three types of dependent arising on:

Causes and conditions, Parts & Mental Imputation.

Explanatory analysis of meaning of syllogism re lack of inherent existence of production, i.e., the Emptiness of action (rather than of nouns/objects).

Root Syllogism:

"The subject, a sprout, it is not inherently produced because (1) of not being produced by itself, (2) not being produced by inherently existing other (causes), (3) not being produced by both (by itself and inherently existent other causes) and (4) not being produced causelessly."

"Dispelling Wrong Views" re root syllogism.

Track 3 - Questions & Answers re: understanding of Inherent Existence.

Complete explanation of Handout 22, p. 2.

Track 4 - Handout 23 - Explanation of page 1 (for Whose Perception the Conventional Is or Is Not a truth).

Introduction to Chart 6 - GRADUAL PROCESS of ELIMINATING IGNORANCE in DEPENDENCE on: HINAYANA PATHS & MAHAYANA PATHS.

Track 5 - Questions & Answers.

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This is the 13th class of the Spring 2011 Perfection of Wisdom course addressing the Two Truths, the 1st sub-topic of the 2nd Topic (Mahayana Practice Instructions) of Chapter 1 of Maitreya's
Ornament for Clear Realizations - Abhisamayalamkara.

Class 32 - Objects of Mind & Awareness

2011-06-24T19:00:00.000-07:00

Download PDF's of class materials and MP3 Tracks from the 32nd class of Spring 2011 term 2011 held on Friday, June 24:

DOWNLOAD Handouts referred to in Class (Handouts are based on Je Tsong Khapa's Illumination of the Thought):

2011 Handout 20 - reviews "Lorig" (Mind & Awareness) re sources of Error in perception and awareness, etc., as basis for understanding unique Madhyamika-Prasangika tenet regarding the Two Truths.

2011 Handout 21 - continues "Lorig" review re sources of Objects of perception/awareness.

ALL SPRING 2011 HANDOUTS & CHARTS are HERE.

DOWNLOAD MP3 TRACKS:

Track 1 - Corrects Mistake in Handout 20 – a fault in the meaning in the sentence.
Continues presentation of Handout 21.

Track 2 - Mind Perceiving real phenomena as phenomena that actually do not exist (seeing face in mirror as real face, etc.).

Minds can be Correct, Mistaken but not Wrong, or both Mistaken and Wrong.
What does descriptions of mind/awareness mean?
Luminous (object of appearance to mind) and
Knowing (mind having object of apprehension/engagement).

Track 3 - Mistaken Consciousness (mistaken with regard to its object of appearance) distinguished from Wrong Awareness (mistaken with regard to object of engagement).

“Eye consciousness apprehending a face in a mirror to be an actual face is the object that the eye consciousness apprehends and engages, so that awareness is mistaken with respect to its appearing object and its object of engagement. . . . Such awareness only arises in those who have not learned the face in a mirror is not an actual face, so it is used as an example of the ignorance that apprehends phenomena to exists inherently, truly. . . .

Track 4 - Referent Objects of Engagement of (Conceptual) Minds. (Complete Handout 21)

Track 5 - Q&A

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This is the 12th class of the Spring 2011 Perfection of Wisdom course addressing the Two Truths, the 1st sub-topic of the 2nd Topic (Mahayana Practice Instructions) of Chapter 1 of Maitreya's Ornament for Clear Realizations, Abhisamayalamkara.

Class 31 - Conventional Truth, Perception & Awareness

2011-06-22T20:38:00.000-07:00

Download PDF's of HANDOUT and MP3 Tracks from the 31st class of 2011 held on Wednesday, June 22:

DOWNLOAD Handouts referred to in Class (Handouts are based on Je Tsong Khapa's Illumination of the Thought):

2011 Handout 20 - a) Explaining, by Means of the Category of the Two Truths, that All Phenomena Have Two Entities; b) Another Presentation of the Two Truths.

2011 Handout 21 - continues "Lorig" (Mind & Awareness) review re sources of Objects of Perception/Awareness.

ALL SPRING 2011 HANDOUTS & CHARTS are HERE.

DOWNLOAD MP3 TRACKS:

Track 1 - Review. Middle Way Autonomy (Madhyamaka Svatantrika) divisions of "Conventional".

Track 2 - For the Middle Way Consequentialist (Madhyamaka Prasangika), is mind or its object deceptive on the relative level (i.e., leaving aside Emptiness).

Track 3 - Three Kinds of Errors.

Track 4 - Causes of Error that impair awareness: Superficial, Intellectually Acquired, or Innate.

Track 5 - Questions & Answers.

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This is the 11th class of the Perfection of Wisdom course addressing the Two Truths, the 1st sub-topic of the 2nd Topic (Mahayana Practice Instructions) of Chapter 1 of Maitreya's Ornament for Clear Realizations.

Class 30 - Middle Way Autonomy (Madhyamaka Svatantrika) tenets

2011-06-20T20:48:00.000-07:00

Download PDF's of HANDOUT and MP3 Tracks from the 30th class of Spring 2011 term held on Monday, June 20:

DOWNLOAD Handouts referred to in Class (Handouts are based on Je Tsong Khapa's Illumination of the Thought):

2011 Handout 19 - Explaining the Category of the Conventional Relative to the World: Chart of Chapter 1 of the Ornament for Clear Realizations' Ten Topic & the 10 Mahayana Practice Instructions of the 2d Topic, and more.

2011 Handout 20 - a) Explaining, by Means of the Category of the Two Truths, that All Phenomena Have Two Entities; b) Another Presentation of the Two Truths.

ALL SPRING 2011 HANDOUTS & CHARTS are HERE.

DOWNLOAD MP3 TRACKS:

Track 1 - Middle Way-Consequentialist / Madhyamika Prasangika view of deceptive Conventional Truth "relative to the World". Mind. Buddha Nature.

Everyday we are confused by mistaken perception of how phenomena events exist conventionally.

Middle Way-Autonomy / Madhyamika Svatantika's (skillfully taught to lead to higher view) response to fear that Middle Way Consequentialist / Madhyamika Prasangika assertions that'mere mutation' leads to nothing exists; that the only reason phenomena do exist is that they are imputed, dependently arisen.
Autonomy asserts that although the person is imputed, however when you look for the essence of the Self/Person, something is found - the mental consciousness.

Track 2 - Handout 19 - Madhyamika Svatantrika / Middle Way Autonomy Tenets - Explaining the Category of the Conventional Relative to the World.

Imputation of 'nations', 'money', etc., is not difficult to understand.
For Middle Way-Autonomy / Madhyamika Svatantika no phenomena Truly Exist. Fearing extreme of nihilism, they assert that all phenomena do exist intrinsically / inherently.

Thus conventional direct perceivers, e.g., eye consciousnesses, are not mistaken regarding the appearance of inherent existence of, e.g., a sprout.
True existence' does not appear to sense consciousnesses.
Nonetheless, e.g., a sprout, does not exist independently, without appearing to a non-defective awareness. The Emptiness of a phenomena is its lack of existing without appearing to a non-defective awareness.

Questions & Answers.

Track 3 - Handout 19, p. 2 - Autonomy / Svatantrika tenets.

"Hence, all conventional direct perceivers are non-mistaken awarenesses regarding the ultimate nature of their main objects so that conventional truths do not have the same deceptive nature as ascribed to them by the proponents of the Prasangika tenet."

With respect to its ultimate nature, there is no mistake. True Existence only appears to mental consciousnesses, not sense consciousnesses.

Questions & Answers.
Applying class material to practice. Contemplate implications of holding Svatantrika Views.

Track 4 - Continue Handout 19, p.2.

Prasangika / Consequentialist assertion.
Svatantrika / Autonomy - Two Categories of Conventional Truth:

Correct/True Conventional Truths - functioning things like pot.
Wrong/unreal Conventional Truths - mirage, echos, rainbows, etc.

Questions & Answers.

Track 5 - Sub-divisions of Middle Way-Autonomy: Sutra (Sutantrika Svatantrika Madhyamika) & Yogic Practitioner (Yogacara Svatantrika Madhyamika).

In contrast to Mind Only, Middle Way-Autonomy-Sutra tenets assert external existence.
Middle Way-Autonomy Yogacara follows Mind Only-Cittamatrin tenets in denying external existence.

Yogacara differs from Mind Only tenets, which asserts that mind is Truly Existent.
For Yogacara, all sense direct perceives are mistaken because their main objects appear to exist externally but do not exist in that way."

Autonomy/Svatantrika's division of Conventional Truths as either Correct or Wrong.

Handout 20 - Consequentialist/Prasangika denies Autonomy/Svantantirka's 2-fold division of Conventional Truths into Correct Conventional Truth or Wrong Conventional Truth:

All Conventional Truths are deceptive so there is no division into True & Wrong Conventional Truth.
Deceptive nature of phenomena is not from the side of the object; but the mind's mistaken perception of Conventional Truth.
Once a mind directly perceives Ultimate Truth, that mind is not fooled anymore although conceptual realization of Emptiness still perceives that Emptiness as inherently existing.
"[R]elative to the perspective of the world objects which are not Ultimate Truths can be categorized into those that are true and those that are unreal."
"[A]s conventional phenomena can in general be categorized into subjects (awarenesses) and objects (objects of those awarenesses) likewise there are:

Subjects (awarenesses) that are True and Unreal relative to the perspective of the world, and
Objects (objects of those awarenesses) that are True and Unreal relative to the perspective of the world.

Questions & Answers.

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This is the 10th class of the Perfection of Wisdom course addressing the Two Truths, the 1st sub-topic of the 2nd Topic (Mahayana Practice Instructions) of Chapter 1 of Maitreya's Ornament for Clear Realizations.

Class 29 - Two Truths: Definite in Number & Contradictory

2011-06-17T20:57:00.000-07:00

Download PDF's of HANDOUT and MP3 Tracks from the 29th class of 2011 held on Friday, June 17:

DOWNLOAD Handouts referred to in Class. (based on Je Tsong Khapa's Illumination of the Thought):

2011 Handout 18 - a) Explaining, by Means of the Category of the Two Truths, that All Phenomena Have Two Entities; b) Another Presentation of the Two Truths.

2011 Handout 19 - Explaining the Category of the Conventional Relative to the World: Chart of Chapter 1 of the Ornament for Clear Realizations' Ten Topic & the 10 Mahayana Practice Instructions of the 2d Topic, and more.

ALL SPRING 2011 HANDOUTS & CHARTS are HERE.

DOWNLOAD MP3 TRACKS:

Track 1 - Review Class Schedule and last Class - Handout 18.

What does it mean to be a Buddha?

Handout 18 - How the Two Truths Relate to each other:

Every existent must be one of the Two Truths.
If it is one of the Two Truths, it must be an existent
How do the table and its Ultimate Truth relate? The lack of True Existence of a form (table) makes it possible for this table to exist; the table is a manifestation of its own Emptiness. Similarly, any problem/discomfort we experience ...

Track 2 - Dispelling Mistaken Views re Two Truths - p. 2, Handout 18:

e.g., assertions that

Ultimate Truth cannot be known (because 'It is Beyond ...");
Everyone has already realized Wisdom.

Track 3 - Another presentation of the Two Truths:

Exhaustive Categories (of existents) that are of Definite Number, e.g.,

Being One / being Different,
Two Truths Category of the Two Truths is Definite in Number (no more than 2 nor less)

Track 4 - Deceptive (Conventional Truth) & Non-Deceptive (Ultimate Truth) are Directly Contradictory.

i.e., when you explicitly negate one/you establish the other: by Negating True Existence of pot, the Emptiness of pot is realized.

Refuting that, e.g., my hand is not an Object of Knowledge (i.e., a wrong view of Ultimate Analysis):

If you negate that the hand (Truly Existent) exists among its parts, then you do not find anything (in that Ultimate Analysis). However, you are not subjecting the Emptiness of the hand to such Ultimate Analysis; therefore, something is found. Negating the True Existence of the Emptiness of the hand, one finds the Emptiness of the Emptiness of the hand.
Emptiness and Emptiness of True Existence are the same thing, so when True Existence of hand is negated, its Emptiness is established, i.e., the absence of True Existence of the hand.
Take the "lack of True Existence" of the hand, itself, and negate its True Existence, to establish the Emptiness of the Emptiness of the True Existence of the hand.

Track 5 - Two Truths are Definite in Number & are Directly Contradictory, cont.

When a mind realizes sprout is a Conventional Truth, it implicitly realizes sprout is not an Ultimate Truth.
Conclude presentation of Handout 18.

Track 6 - Handout 19 - Explaining the Category of the Conventional Relative to the World:

Deceptive / Non-Deceptive Phenomena (e.g., table & reflection of face in mirror.
Presentation of Middle Way Autonomy (Madhyamika-Svatantrika) tenets (Handout 19):
In other words, phenomena exist because they appear to a non-defective mind and cannot exist without appearing to such a mind. A non-defective mind is a mind that is not mistaken with respect to its main object, i.e., it is a correct mind whose main object exists. Therefore, since phenomena cannot exist without relying on appearing to a non-defective mind, they are asserted to not exist truly or ultimately. However, according to this tenet, phenomena nevertheless exist inherently, intrinsically and from their own side. If they did not exist inherently, etc., they could not exist at all. Thus, the proponents of the Svatantrika tenet assert that even though phenomena are imputed by conceptual consciousness, they are not merely imputed, for there is something that is found when searching among the basis of imputation of those phenomena. Hence, this tenet claims to avoid the extreme of reification by asserting that all phenomena are empty of existing truly and the extreme of nihilism by asserting that all phenomena exist inherently and intrinsically.

Maitreya's Ornament/Abhisamayalamkara is written from the point of view of Middle Way-AUTONOMY/Madhyamika SVATANTRIKA Tenets that negate True Existence but assert Inherent Existence due to assertion that if Ultimate Analysis cannot find anything, then nothing could exist; therefore, Ultimate Analysis must find 'something'. But what is found?

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This is the 9th class of the Perfection of Wisdom course addressing the Two Truths, the 1st sub-topic of the 2nd Topic (Mahayana Practice Instructions) of Chapter 1 of Maitreya's Ornament for Clear Realizations.<

Class 27 - Two Entities/Two Natures of all Phenomena

2011-06-13T20:06:00.000-07:00

Download PDF's of HANDOUT and MP3 Tracks from the 27th class of 2011 held on Monday, June 13:

DOWNLOAD PDF's:

2011 Handout 17 - Je Tsong Khapa's Illumination of the Thought: a) Explaining, by Means of the Category of the Two Truths, that All Phenomena Have Two Entities; b) Another Presentation of the Two Truths.

DOWNLOAD MP3 TRACKS:

Track 1 - Handout 17 - Review Class 26. Two Entities / Two Natures:

Explaining, by means of the Category of the Two Truths, that All Phenomena Have Two Entities:

e.g., an Ultimate Truth (characteristic of lacking True Existence) and a Conventional Truth (i.e., characteristics that are Conventional Truths):

"The shape or the color of a car cannot be separated from the car. The color is not the shape and the shape is not the color, and neither its shape nor its color is the car. Similarly all phenomena have characteristics and are dependent on their parts, which are not so much physical parts but characteristics. The deepest quality that all phenomena have is their lack of true existence. They exist but do not inherently exist. They exist because there is a mind to which they appear. They exist because they have parts. They exist arising from causes and conditions." (class transcript)

Different kinds of mind ascertain Ultimate and Conventional truths.

Track 2 - Another Presentation of Two Truths.

Object of Knowledge (i.e., “that which is known”; equivalent to Existent, Phenomenon, Object of Comprehension, etc.) categorized into the Two Truths.
Tathagata-Buddhas are omniscient because they simultaneously comprehend the Two Truths.
Categories that are Definite in Number: Two-fold categorizations of all Phenomena: Two Truths, Permanents & Impermanents:

Hence, there are no more (or condensed less) than Two Truths, i.e., Buddhas do not perceive something beyond the Two Truths.
Counters wrong views: e.g., Ultimate Truth is not an object of knowledge, i.e., that the Ultimate Truth cannot be 'known'. However, Ultimate Truth is beyond conceptual thought (i.e., a dualistic direct perceiver).

Track 3 - How does Je Rinpoche make "Another Presentation" of the Two Truth?

In summary, the first presentation says all phenomena have two natures, conventional and ultimate nature or entity so all phenomena have Two Truths. Whereas the second is that object of knowledge can be divided into Two Truths, and there are not more.
What would 'objective' existence mean? ...
Phenomena are not dreams; they are dream-like …

Track 4 - Qualities of/for Philosophy Debate.

Track 5 - Relationships Between Phenomena.

If one phenomenon can or cannot exist without the continued existence of another phenomenon.
Cause & Effect relationships.
Being "of the same nature"
Being Imputed upon Parts.
Identical is "same name and same meaning", i.e., one.
Equivalent means whatever is one is the other (Same Meaning but Different Names, i.e., not one'
Same Entity & Nature, but 'not one', not identical, i.e., distinct phenomena: e.g., the Two Truths:

"The two truths are one entity or nature. However, they are not one, for they are different, distinct phenomena. The fact that the two truths are different phenomena but have one entity or nature refers to the two truths in relation to a particular phenomenon. It does not mean that every conventional truth is one entity with every ultimate truth."

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This is the 7th class of the Perfection of Wisdom course addressing the Two Truths (the 1st sub-topic of the 2nd Topic (Mahayana Practice Instructions) of Chapter 1 of Maitreya's Ornament for Clear Realizations.

Class 26 - Perceivers of Perfect Truth / Perceivers of Falsehood

2011-06-10T20:50:00.000-07:00

Download PDF's of HANDOUT and MP3 Tracks from the 26th class of 2011 held on Friday, June 10:

DOWNLOAD PDF's:

2011 Handout 17 - Je Tsong Khapa's Illumination of the Thought: a) Explaining, by Means of the Category of the Two Truths, that All Phenomena Have Two Entities; b) Another Presentation of the Two Truths.

DOWNLOAD MP3 TRACKS:

Track 1 - Handout 17

Introduce Je Tsong Khapa's commentary (Illumination of the Thought) on Chandrakirti's Supplement to the Middle Way:.
Explaining, by means of the Category of the Two Truths, that all Phenomena Have Two Entities, Je Rinpoche's commentary on Chandrakirti's verse on the Two Truths:

All phenomena, because of being found by perceivers of the perfect truth
And by perceivers of falsehood, uphold two entities.
The object of perfect perception is suchness,
While that of false perception is taught to be conventional truth.

All phenomena (such as ‘internal’ consciousness and ‘external’ sprout, etc.) have two entities or natures – conventional truth and ultimate truth.

Track 2 - Exalted Wisdom realizes Perfect Truth, i.e., the actual reality or the Ultimate Truth of, e.g., a sprout by realizing the sprout’s emptiness of existing ultimately or truly.

Track 3 - Wrong consciousnesses - distinguished from Mistaken consciousnesses.

How you can know if something exists on a conventional level if things don’t inherently exist.
Differentiating between Conventinoal Truths and Ultimate Truths.
How you can know if something exists on a conventional level if things don’t inherently exist.
A conventional truth (e.g., sprout) is found or realized by conventional valid cognizers that exist in the continua of those whose awarenesses are completely covered by the ‘clouded vision of the cataract of ignorance’.
Valid cognizers are conventional cognizers because the objects that they realize are false in that they appear to those cognizers to exist ultimately/truly.

Track 4 - To know something is a Conventional Truth, you must realize its falsity/deceptive character, which requires a realization of the object's emptiness/ultimate truth.

What does 'to realize' mean?

Track 5 - Conceptually/intellectually realize Emptiness in order to realize (falsity of) Conventional Truth of phenomena.

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This is the 6th class of the Perfection of Wisdom course addressing the Two Truths (first sub-topic of the 2nd Topic [Mahayana Practice Instructions] of Chapter 1 of Maitreya's Ornament for Clear Realizations).

Class 25 - Etymologies of Conventional & Ultimate Truth

2011-06-08T20:45:00.000-07:00

Download PDF's of HANDOUT and MP3 Tracks from the 25th class of 2011 held on Wednesday, June 8:

DOWNLOAD PDF's:

2011 Handout 16 - a) Ornament, Ch. 1, Topic 2 - Mahayana Practice Instructions' ten topics [See, Handout 15]. b) Two Truths: Conventional Truth & Ultimate Truth - Etymologies & Instances.

DOWNLOAD MP3 TRACKS:

Track 1 - Handout 16 - Etymology of Conventional Truth

Track 2 - Q&A

Track 3 - Continue Handout 16 re Etymology of Conventional & Ultimate Truth. Q&A.

Track 4 - Ultimate Truth (complete Handout 16)

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Class 24 - Ultimate Truth

2011-06-06T08:18:00.000-07:00

Download PDF's of HANDOUT and MP3 Tracks from the 24th class of 2011 held on Monday, June 6:

DOWNLOAD PDF's:

2011 Handout 16 - a) Ornament, Ch. 1, Topic 2 - Mahayana Practice Instructions' ten topics [See, Handout 15]. b) Two Truths: Conventional Truth & Ultimate Truth - Etymologies & Instances.

DOWNLOAD MP3 TRACKS:

Track 1 - Introductory matters (Two Truths texts - Chandrakirti, Handouts); Ultimate nature of all phenomena.

Track 2 - Q&A.

Meaning of "to realize"?
Ultimate Truth only exists because?
What would inherent existence be like?
Why does not finding True Existence mean it doesn't exist?

Track 3 - Q&A: Permanent and Negative phenomena.

Track 4 - Q&A - Four possibilities between Permanent and Eternal; and many more.

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Class 23 - Two Truths Relationship. Geshe Dorji Damdul.

2011-06-02T19:30:00.000-07:00

Download PDF's of PARTIAL TRANSCRIPT and MP3 Tracks from the 23rd class of 2011 held on Thursday, June 2. Geshe Kelsang Wangmo taught at the beginning of class (Track 1). The remainder of the class was conducted by guest teacher, Geshe Dorji Damdul. Geshe Damdul studied at TCV, IBD and Drepung Loseling Monastery. He served for several years as H.H. Dalai Lama's translator in India. He is the Director of Tibet House in Delhi (see side bar for web site).

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Draft TRANSCRIPT of Part of Class.

2011 Handout 16 - a) Ornament, Ch. 1, Topic 2 - Mahayana Practice Instructions' ten topics [See, Handout 15]. b) Two Truths: Conventional Truth & Ultimate Truth - Etymologies & Instances.

DOWNLOAD MP3 TRACKS:

Track 1 - Relationship of Conventional Truth & Ultimate Truth:

"of the Same Nature"
"One Entity"

Presentations of Two Truths / Imputation in Vaibashika & Sutantrika tenet systems.

Similarity/Differences between higher and lower school tenet presentations of the Two Truths:

Similarities: The Two Truths are mutually exclusive and exhaustive.
Difference: For the lower schools, an Ultimate Truth and a Conventional Truth cannot be the same entity; i.e., Two Truths are separate entities.

Track 2 -Geshe Dorji Damdul presents an Introduction to the Two Truths, two modes of existence (subjective and objective existence).

Geshe Dorji Damdul answers student questions:

Track 3.
Track 4.

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Class 22 - Ultimate Truth - lack of intrinsic existence

2011-06-01T19:14:00.000-07:00

Download PDF's of HANDOUT and MP3 Tracks from the 22nd class of 2011 held on Wednesday, June 1:

DOWNLOAD PDF's:

2011 Chart 4 - the Two Truths According to the Four Tenets.

2011 Chart 5 - Existent and the Two Truths.

2011 Handout 16 - a) Ornament, Ch. 1, Topic 2 - Mahayana Practice Instructions' ten topics [See, Handout 15]. b) Two Truths: Conventional Truth & Ultimate Truth - Etymologies & Instances.

DOWNLOAD MP3 TRACKS:

Track 1
Track 2
Track 3

Rough Notes from Track 1:

What does Ultimate Truth mean? Absence of intrinsic “I”; Owner of body/mind; Flower as owner of petals-leaves, etc.

Existing “Inherently”, “Truly”, “Intrinsically”, “from its own side” - what do these mean? We must understand their meaning in order to refute “intrinsic existence”.

1st, establish what does and what does not exist. We don't/won’t refute the table; but refute the extra quality perceived in the table that doesn't exist; refute true/inherent existence of table.

Even intrinsic existence of the Ultimate Truth does not exist.

But we see this non-existent quality as totally identical with phenomena (illustration: water mixed in milk).

How does the table exist? On the basis of its parts, we label/impute table. Without mental imputation, no table. Easier to understand imputation of money: on a colored bit of paper, we impute value of $100; no intrinsic $100 in the bill.

Everyone in room sees a different flower. All we ever see is something that is 'not flower' or 'my hand.' You see the front of my hand which is not my hand; only I see the back of my hand. If my hand was intrinsically existent, you would see ….

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Class 21 - Two Truths - Misperceived / Actual Mode of Existence

2011-05-30T20:58:00.000-07:00

Download PDF's of HANDOUT and MP3 Tracks from the 21st class of 2011 held on Monday, May 30:

DOWNLOAD PDF's:

2011 Chart 4 - the Two Truths According to the Four Tenets.

2011 Chart 5 - Existent and the Two Truths.

DOWNLOAD MP3 TRACKS:

Track 1 - Two Truths & Engaging in Practice - Transforming mental consciousness. Chart 4.

Introduction to Two Truths:

Whatever Exists is either a Conventional Truth (the false way phenomena appear) or an Ultimate Truth (actual mode of existence).
Illustration: mirror reflection of face.
What is that false appearance.
Buddha did not say phenomena (the I/Self, all reality) do not exist. Rather they appear to exist in a way that is not possible. We misperceive the Self/I and reality. That misperception generates averson and attachment that lead to actions that trap us in state of dissatisfaction/suffering (samsara).

Mind & Meditation.
...

Track 2 - How do things/phenomena (e.g., a flower) Exist.

How does the appear to exist?

Is a Flower one with its parts" or separate from its parts?
What is the collection of the parts. What is the sum of the parts.
Not different / Not one. Parts are plural; the collection/sum = singular.

Track 3 - What is the Self?

How does the Self Appear to Exist.

Where do you feel your I/Self exists?
Contradictory feelings about our Self/Mind/Body. Owner/part possessor.
Subtle Impermanence - static appearance is false; constant flux of molecules. No smallest moment of time.

Dependent Arising analysis to find Middle Way (free from Extremes of Reification/True Existence or Nihilism).
Dependent Arising on the Basis of Parts
Dependent Arising on the Basis of Causes and Conditions (Illustration, seed - sprout - flower).

Track 4 - Dependent Arising on the Basis of Imputation (Labelling)

Since phenomena are not inherently existent; how do they exist On the basis of mental imputation - which is not random/irrational but on a functioning basis - that we learn from infancy.

Buddhas do not label. Do Buddhas only exist because of labelling by sentient beings?

The parts are not the flower. On the basis of the parts (function, characteristics of shape, etc.) we impute flower. The flower cannot be found. It is a flower; but only a conventional.

Conventional - our social agreement regarding functioning phenomena.

Basis of Imputation: of Flower, its parts. Examine the parts: do they inherently exist? Analyze each part in the same way, looking for its actual mode of existence, and each part is also merely imputed on basis of its parts. ...

Imputation of $100 bill/money; USA/nations, etc.

Track 5 - Questions and Answers.

Mind of a Buddha perceives minds of sentient beings perceiving/imputing true existence, i.e., conventionally existent phenomena.

Phenomena do not inherently exist, but are imputedly existent.

Meaning of Duality.

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Class 20 - Mahayana Practice Instructions / introduction: Two Truths

2011-05-27T21:42:00.000-07:00

Download PDF's of HANDOUT and MP3 Tracks from the 21st class of 2011 held on Friday, May 27:

DOWNLOAD PDF's:

2011 Handout 15 - Benefits of Bodhicitta. b) Ch. 1's 2nd topic: Mahayana Practice Instructions: Six Sub-topics that explain them.

DOWNLOAD MP3 TRACKS:

Track 1 - Mahayana Practice Instructions, Second Topic (of 10) of Chapter 1 of Ornament of Clear Realizations by Maitreya - Handout 15

Six Sub-Topics that Explain the Practice Instructions.

Track 2 - Two Truths - 1st of the 10 Mahayana Practice Instructions - Introduction.

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Class 12 - Categories of Bodhicitta (Similes)

2011-05-09T20:59:00.000-07:00

Download PDF's of HANDOUT and MP3 Tracks from the 11th class of 2011 held on Monday, May 9:

DOWNLOAD PDF's:

2011 Handout 9 - Remaining categories of Bodhicitta: a) By way of Demarcation; b) By way of Devoted Conduct; c) Category by way of the Purpose; d) Category by way of Similes.

DOWNLOAD MP3 TRACKS:

Track 1 - Review Ch. 1, Topic 1, Bodhicitta, covered to date in 2011 classes.

Track 2 - How Bodhicitta Enhances Wisdom.

Track 3 - Category of Bodhicitta by Way of SIMILES: Introduction to 22 Similes for Bodhicitta.

Track 4 - Path of Accumulation's Three Stages & their Bodhicitta Similes (Earth, Gold, waxing Moon).

Track 5 - Path of Preparation - Fire-like Simile for Bodhicitta Endowed with Training.

Track 6 - Path of Seeing:

1st Ground - Treasure-like Bodhicitta simile.
2nd Ground - when does it start? - Jewel Mine-like Bodhicitta

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Class 11 - Categories of Bodhicitta & Vows

2011-05-06T19:24:00.000-07:00

Download PDF's of HANDOUTS and MP3 Tracks from the 11th class of 2011 held on Friday, May 6:

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2011 Chart 3 - The Five Bodhisattva Paths.

2011 Handout 7 - Differences between Svatantrika-Madhyamika and Prasangika Madhymaika Tenets (re Vows, Engaging Bodhicitta and Paths.

2011 Handout 8 - Three Classes of Vows: I. Pratimoksha Vow: a) Lay Vow (3 Sets; Eight One-day Vows); b) Ordained Vows (5 sets). II. Bodhisattva Vow - a) 18 Downfalls & 46 Faulty Actions. b) How to Lose Bodhisattva Vow: Four Binding Factors.

2011 Handout 9 - Remaining categories of Bodhicitta: a) By way of Demarcation; b) By way of Devoted Conduct; c) Category by way of the Purpose; d) Category by way of Similes.

DOWNLOAD MP3 TRACKS:

Track 1 - Pratikmoksha Vow "not to Kill" is completely Broken/Lost by intentionally killing a human being; not by killing an animal. [Clarifying Class 10]. Sectarian chauvinism does not have factual basis.

Track 2 - Pratimokha Vows:
Six Types of Lay Practitioners
Five Sets of Vows for Monks and Nuns

Track 3 - Bodhisattva Vow - 18 Major Precepts:

Violating 16 Major Precepts are Downfalls
Violating either the 9th or 18th Breaks/Ends Vow:

9th Major Precept: Not Holding Wrong Views, e.g.:

Denying the Law of Cause and Effect.
What about Reincarnation?

18. Giving Up Bodhicitta - Taking the vows if one doesn't have Aspirational Bodhicitta?

Four Binding Factors required to Break the remaining 16 Precepts:

Not giving up the desire to act in a particular way and still wanting to do it
Taking joy and delight in it
Lacking shame and embarrassment
Not regarding the action as faulty

Track 4 - Remaining Categories of Bodhicitta- [Handout 9]

a) Category way of DEMARCATION (re Grounds and Paths - Chart 3):

Bodhicitta of:

Devoted Conduct in continua of Bodhisattvas on Mundane Paths (Path of Accumulation; Path of Preparation)
Pure Altruistic Intention in continua of Bodhisattvas on any of the (first) 7 Impure Bhumis / Grounds (on Path of Seeing & Path of Meditation)
Fully Mature Bodhicitta in continua of Bodhisattvas on any of the 3 Pure Grounds (8th, 9th & 10th Bodhisattva Bhumis).
Abandonment of Obstructions in the continua of Buddhas.

Track 5 - Category by Way of PURPOSE: Like a Shepherd, Ferry-Boat-man, King.

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Class 10 - Categories of Bodhicitta & Vows

2011-05-04T19:37:00.000-07:00

Download PDF's of HANDOUTS and MP3 Tracks from the 10th class of 2011 held on Wednesday, May 4:

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2011 Handout 6 - Category by way of Being (Bodhicitta): Aspirational Bodhicitta & Engaging Bodhicitta - Definitions, Aspects of the definitions; and Differences between the two.

2011 Handout 7 - Differences between Svatantrika-Madhyamika and Prasangika Madhymaika Tenets (re Vows, Engaging Bodhicitta and Paths.

2011 Handout 8 - Three Classes of Vows: I. Pratimoksha Vow: a) Lay Vow (3 Sets; Eight One-day Vows); b) Ordained Vows (5 sets). II. Bodhisattva Vow - a) 18 Downfalls & 46 Faulty Actions. b) How to Lose Bodhisattva Vow: Four Binding Factors.

DOWNLOAD MP3 TRACKS:

Track 1 - Review Subjects of Classes to Date:

Introduction to Ornament for Clear Realizations
First topic of Chapter 1 - Bodhicitta

Track 2 - Two Branches of Bodhicitta (Aspirational & Engaging Bodhicitta)

Categories of Bodhicitta:

By Way of Nature:

Nominal Category
Category of Way of Being.

Track 3 - By Way of Being Sub-Category

Handout 7:

Nature of Vows – Different Assertions: Subtle Form or Mental Factor of Intention
On What Path/Ground Does a Bodhisattva Become an Arhat? Autonomy & Consequentialist Tenets Differ

Track 4 - Precepts and Vows

Aspirational Bodhicitta Ritual
Aspirational BodhicittaFour Precepts:

Maintain Enthusiasm for Bodhicitta by Meditating on It Again and Again,
Increase Strength of Bodhicitta by Training Ourselves in It Three Times during Day & Three Times At Night.
Train Never to Abandon a Single Sentient Being - No Matter How Someone Behaves.
Make an Effort to Create the Two Accumulations of Merit and Wisdom.

Track 5 -Three Classes of Buddhist Vows

Pratimoksha (Self-Liberation) Vow

Three Sets of Lay Vows;
Six Types of Lay Practitioners

Track 6 -Intoxicants Vow

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Class 9 - Bodhicitta - Aspirational & Engaging

2011-05-02T20:20:00.000-07:00

Download PDF's of Draft TRANSCRIPT, HANDOUTS and MP3 Tracks from the 9th class of 2011 held on Monday, May 2:

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Class TRANSCRIPT - DRAFT.

2011 Handout 7 - Differences between Svatantrika-Madhyamika and Prasangika Madhymaika Tenets (re Vows, Engaging Bodhicitta and Paths.

2011 Handout 8 - Vows.

DOWNLOAD MP3 TRACKS:

Track 1 - REVIEW FOUR SELF-LIBERATION/PRATIMOKSHA VOWS

INTENTIONALLY KILLING AN ANIMAL DOES NOT BREAK THE VOW AGAINST KILLING AT THE ROOT
REJOICING IN THE KILLING OF OSAMA BIN LADIN - AN INFRACTION OF THE VOW AGAINST KILLING.
BREAKING FOUR SELF-LIBERATION VOWS AT THE ROOT
ASSERTION THAT SUBTLE FORMS TRAVEL WITH PERSON FROM LIFE-TO-LIFE

Track 2 - MAIN MIND & MENTAL FACTORS OF ASPIRATIONAL & ENGAGING BODHICITTA.

Five Omni-Present Mental Factors
MENTAL FACTORS OF BODHICITTA
NATURE OF VOWS – DIFFERING ASSERTIONS OF SVATANTRIKA MADHYAMIKA & PRASANGIKA MADHYAMIKA
Concomitant means mental factors are connected or associated with their main mind.

Track 3 - EACH ASPECT OF THE DEFINITION OF ENGAGING BODHICITTA

INVESTIGATING DEFINITION OF ASPIRATIONAL BODHICITTA PER SVATANTRIKA TENETS

Track 4 - DEMARCATION OF ASPIRATIONAL AND ENGAGING BODHICITTA (on the Paths)

WHY DON’T BODHISATTVAS ON THE 8TH TO 10TH GROUNDS HAVE ASPIRATIONAL BODHICITTA ANY LONGER?
MIDDLING PATH OF ACCUMULATION - LATEST POINT BODHISATTVAS TAKE THE VOW.

VALUE OF DISCUSSION/DEBATE, STUDIES & DHARAMSALA

Track 5 - MIDDLE WAY CONSEQUENTIALIST (PRASANGIKA) ASSERTIONS REGARDING:

ASPIRATIONAL & ENGAGING BODHICITTA.
DEMARCATION OF ASPIRATIONAL AND ENGAGING BODHICITTA

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Class 8 - Bodhicitta - Aspirational & Engaging

2011-04-29T20:05:00.000-07:00

Download PDF's of Draft TRANSCRIPT, HANDOUTS and MP3 Tracks from the 8th class of 2011 held on Friday, April 29:

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Class TRANSCRIPT - DRAFT.

2011 Handout 6 - BODHICITTA, Category by way of Being Bodhicitta

2011 Handout 7 - Differences between Svatantrika-Madhyamika and Prasangika Madhymaika Tenets (re Vows, Engaging Bodhicitta and Paths.

DOWNLOAD MP3 TRACKS:

Track 1 - Introductory review.

Track 2 - Handout 6 Catetory by way of Being (Bodhicitta): Aspirational Bodhicitta & Engaging Bodhicitta:

Definitions and their Aspects.
Main Mind & Mental Factors.

Track 3 - Conjoined Minds & Directly Conjoined Minds.

Compassion Enhances Wisdom because Compassion is in Accord with Reality.
Can Two Mental Consciousneses be Active at the same time?
Requirements for Engaging Bodhicitta.
Distinguishing Engaging Bodhicitta of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas.

Track 4 - Aspirational Bodhicitta:

Definition
Aspects of Definition
"Giving Up Bodhicitta"
Distinctions between Aspirational and Engaging Bodhicitta.
Q&A

Track 5 - What are Vows?

Middle Way Autonomy (Madhyamika-Svatantrika) Yogic Practitioner (Yogacara) School Tenets and the Perfection of Wisdom course.
Vows - Different assertions by Middle Way Consequentitalists (Madyaika-Prasangika) and Middle Way Autonomy-Yogacara. [Handout 7]

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Geshe Kelsang Wangmo - Graduation Day

2011-04-27T23:57:00.000-07:00

For the Guinness World Record Book: Ven. Kelsang Wangmo is First Woman to Receive Geshe diploma (conferred by Tibetan Buddhist institution).

His Holiness the Dalai Lama authorized the Institute for Buddhist Dialectical Studies (IBD) to award Rime Geshe degrees in 2009.

The first ceremony to confer the degree took place 27 April 2011 at The College for Higher Tibetan Studies (a newer branch college of IBD with a large campus located in Sarah village, Dharamsala township, Kangra Valley, Himachal Pradesh, India).

Our teacher, Ven. Kelsang Wangmo, and her classmates who completed the requirements for the degree in 2010, were the first to receive this Geshe degree.

The degree is entitled Rime Geshe [i.e., Non-Sectarian Geshe] because the curriculum includes study with Nyingma, Sakya and Kagyu masters of their respective presentations of philosophy. In addition to the normal Geshe curriculum study of the Five Great Canonical Texts, Geshe Wangmo and her classmates studied tantra for two years at IBD. Those who receive the Rime Geshe have completed exhaustive annual examinations comparable to those now administered at the three great Geluk monastic universities in south India, and submitted Tibetan dissertations.

IBD and The College for Higher Tibetan Studies conferred degrees upon students of all their programs at the graduation. IBD presented diplomas for Masters of Buddhist Philosophy to the class members (including a nun from Taiwan) who had successfully completed the curriculum through the Madhyamika course:

For those of you in Dharamsala, we will be arranging a 'tea party' to afford you the traditional opportunity to celebrate/pay respects/offer khata scarfs in the near future. Some of us were able to attend the graduation:

In the 1990's, IBD began teaching the Geshe curriculum to a class of nuns from Jamyang Chosling Nunnery, which caters to nuns from Himalyan regions outside of Tibet (primarily located in modern India). This was one of the earliest programs to teach the advanced Buddhist philosophy to nuns in India. For many long years, the nun students lived in shacks without basic amenities. A few of those pioneering nuns are celebrating with Geshe Wangmo! A few years ago, a modern nunnery was inaugurated in the Kangra Valley with its own teachers and geshe program and it has attracted nuns from Nepal and the west.

More photos on earlier post and on flickr.

GESHE Kelsang Wangmo!

2011-04-27T22:30:00.000-07:00

Rime Geshe Ceremony, a set on Flickr.

Our Gen-la has become the first female Geshe-la!! She received a Geshe Rime Geshe diploma (equivalent to a Ph.D. in Buddhist Philosophy) conferred by IBD at graduation ceremonies held on its big campus in the Kangra Valley, Wednesday, 27 April 2011.

Hopefully, this weekend I will post video of the speech which Geshe Wangmo was invited to make at the graduation ceremony (in Tibetan and English).

Class 7 - Mahayana Paths, Conjoined minds, Concomitant ...

2011-04-18T19:46:00.000-07:00

Download PDF's of Draft TRANSCRIPT, HANDOUTS and MP3 Tracks from the 7th class of 2011 held on Monday, April 18:

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Class TRANSCRIPT - DRAFT.

CHART 3 - FIVE BODHISATTVA PATHS.
2011 Handout 5 - Definition and Divisions of Bodhicitta/Mind Generation.
2011 Handout 6 - BODHICITTA, Category by way of Being Bodhicitta

DOWNLOAD MP3 TRACKS:

Track 1
Track 2
Track 3
Track 4
Track 5
Track 6
Track 7

Topics addressed in class:

Five Bodhisattva Paths (Entryways, Intellectually Acquired Afflictions)
Conventional Bodhicitta
Ultimate Bodhicitta

Meanings of Free from Duality; Final Mode of Existence
Realizing Emptiness Conceptually and Directly

Comparison of Ultimate and Conventional Bodhicitta:

Focal Object / Referent Object
Buddha Kayas

Category by way of Being (Bodhicitta):

Aspirational Bodhicitta
Engaging Bodhicitta

Meaning of minds that are Conjoined, Directly Conjoined and Concomitant

Next class - Friday, April 29.

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

Class 6 - Bodhicitta - Meaning/Branches/Mind

2011-04-15T20:29:00.000-07:00

Download PDF's of Draft (partial) TRANSCRIPT and HANDOUTS and MP3 Tracks from the 6th class of 2011 held on Friday, April 16:

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Class TRANSCRIPT (DRAFT/partial).
2011 Handout 4 - Chap. 1 - Ornament for Clear Realization: BODHICITTA
2011 Handout 5 - BODHICITTA, cont.

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Track 1

Track 2

Track 3

Track 4

Track 5

Track 6

Class 5 - Bodhicitta - Mind & Mental Factors - MP3's-Handouts

2011-04-13T20:00:00.000-07:00

Download PDF's of Handouts, and MP3 Tracks from the 5th class of 2011 held on Wednesday, April 13 below. The MP3 Tracks are divided to ease both downloading and listening.

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2011 Handout 4 - Chap. 1 - Ornament for Clear Realization: BODHICITTA - Revised from posting on April 11.
2011 Handout 5 - BODHICITTA, cont.
2011 Handout 6 - BODHICITTA, cont.

2011 Chart 2 - Subdivisions of the Two Higher Tenets

DOWNLOAD MP3 Tracks:

Track 1 - Review Material Covered in 4^th Class - Monday, 2011 April 11 – Handout 3

Bodhicitta Etymology - [Handout 3]

Present Subject Matter of this and future classes from Handout 4:
First three verses from First Chapter of the Ornament for Clear Realizations along with brief introduction to their meaning.
Literal translation of the Definition of Bodhicitta: A special mental main mind (mental consciousness that is a main mind) which is the entry way to the Mahayana path and is concomitant with its assistant aspiration that focuses on complete enlightenment for the benefit of others.

Track 2 - Presentation of MIND in Buddhism

General Description of All Minds
Two Different Kinds of Minds:

Sense Consciousness & Mental Consciousness.

Track 3 - Main Mind & Mental Factors

Five Omni-Present Mental Factors
Mental Factor of Aspiration in a Mind of Bodhicitta
Concomitant Mind & Mental Factors

Track 4 - Definition of Bodhicitta unpacked

Aspirational Mental Factor of Bodhicitta
Meaning of Bodhicitta’s Definition Explanation
Q&A

Track 5 - Manifest & Dormant Minds
Minds of Wisdom & Bodhicitta Conjoined

Track 6 - Two Branches of Bodhicitta:

Branch: Aspiration for Others Benefit - aspiration for others’ enlightenment precedes
Branch of Aspiration for Own Benefit - to attain Enlightenment for the benefit of all others.

Are Buddhas sentient beings?
Realistically recognizing force our engrained selfishness

Track 7 - Enlightenment is Exemplified by the Dharmakaya & Rupakaya

2011 Class 4 - Abhisamayalamkara - Perfection of Wisdom

2011-04-11T23:22:00.000-07:00

Below, download PDF's of Handouts, Class Notes [will be posted SOON], and MP3 Tracks from the fourth class of 2011 held on Monday, April 11 below. The MP3 Tracks are divided to ease both downloading and listening.

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2011 Handout 1 - Perfection of Wisdom
2011 Handout 2 - Introduction to Ornament text
2011 Handout 3 - Chapter 1 - Ornament for Clear Realization
2011 Handout 4- Chap. 1 - Ornament for Clear Realization: BODHICITTA
2011 Chart 1 - DIFFERENT VEHICLES - Trainees, Goals, Wisdoms, Results
Very ROUGH DRAFT of CLASS NOTES - To be POSTED soon.

DOWNLOAD MP3 Tracks:

Track 1 *.
Track 2 *.
Track 3 *.
Track 4 *.

2011 Class 2 - Abhisamayalamkara - Perfection of Wisdom - 4/13 UPDATE

2011-04-06T22:28:00.000-07:00

On Wednesday, April 6, Gen Kelsang Wangmo continued reviewing the background of the Perfection of Wisdom course for the benefit of the many new students and to refresh the recollections of the long-term class members by explaining the subjects highlighted in Handout 1. She then explained Handout 2 - which contains the English translation of the opening of the Ornament for Clear Realizations together with some of the Tibetan.

You can download PDF's of Handouts used in this class, Class Notes, and MP3 Tracks from this class below. The Class Notes are a very rough DRAFT offered for 'what they're worth' to aid students of the course. The Notes are typed in class and corrected - but are definitely not a 'transcript' of the class. The MP3 Tracks are divided to ease both downloading and listening.

DOWNLOAD PDF's:

2011 Handout 1 - Perfection of Wisdom
2011 Handout 2 - Introduction to Ornament text
2011 Chart 1 - DIFFERENT VEHICLES - Trainees, Goals, Wisdoms, Results
Very ROUGH DRAFT of CLASS NOTES - NOW POSTED for DOWNLOAD.

DOWNLOAD MP3 Tracks:

Maitreya's Ornament for Clear Realizations - Abhisamayalamkara (Skt.) - “Key to Unlock” the Perfection of Wisdom Sutras

Track 1 - Part One - Introduction to the Ornament for Clear Realizations:

English: Ornament for Clear Realizations.

Sanskrit: Abisamaya-alamkara

Tibetan: མངོན་རྟོགས་རྒྱན། - Ngoen Tog Gyen (Ngoen = clear, Tog = realization, Gyen = ornament) .

Distinguishing: KNOWING, BELIEVING, REALIZING.

FAITH in Buddhism
Two Kinds of Faith:

Faith based on Reasoning
Blind faith (2 Types of Blind Faith) - Not in accord with Buddhism

Three-Fold Categorization of Faith:

Lucid Faith, Wishing Faith, Believing Faith.
E.g., Faith in Reincarnation.
Believing Faith [faith based on reasoning] & Blind Faith

Realization

Track 2 - Preface & Table of Contents for the Ornament. [Handout 1]

Perfection of Wisdom Sutras explicitly teach Wisdom of Emptiness and implicitly (or in a hidden fashion) teach the Meditational Paths leading to Enlightenment.

Although the Ornament is commentary on all the Perfection of Wisdom Sutras, its structure follows "Three Principal Sutra Sources".

"Table of Contents" - Ornament's Eight Chapters - in English & Tibetan

The Ornament has eight chapters. Each of those chapters explains one clear realization. The Eight Clear Realizations are:

1.   Exalted Knower of Aspects (Omniscient Mind of a Buddha) - རྣམ་མཁྱེན། - Nam khyen (Nam=aspect, khyen=exalted knower)
2.   Knower of Paths - ལམ་ཤེས།་་- ་Lam she (Lam=path, she= knower)
3.   Knower of Bases - གཞི་ཤེས། - Zhi she ( Zhi=basis, she=basis)
4.   Application in Complete Aspects - རྣམ་རྫོགས་སྦྱོར་བ། - Nam dzog Jor wa (Nam=aspect, dzog=complete, Jor wa=application, preparation, exertion)
5. Peak Application - རྩེ་མོའི་སྦྱོར་བ། - Tse moi Jor wa (Tsemoi=peak, Jor wa=application)
6.   Serial Application - མཐར་གྱིས་སྦྱོར་བ། - Thar gyi Jor wa (Thar gyi= Serial , Jor wa=application)
7.   Application in a Single Instant - སྐད་ཅིག་སྦྱོར་བ། - Kae cig Jor wa (Kae cig=single instant, Jor wa=application)
8.   Resultant Dharmakaya (Truth Body) - འབྲས་བུ་ཆོས་སྐུ། - Dre bu Choe ku (Dre bu=result, Choe ku=dharmakaya).

Seventy Topics explain/illustrate or characterize the Eight Clear Realizations.

Seventy Topics - Tibetan: - དོན་བདུན་བཅུ། - Doen Dun chu (Doen = topic, meaning, object, Dun ch = seventy).

For example, the first Clear Realization, the Exalted Knower of Aspects is characterized by Ten Topics or Ten Dharmas.* Therefore, Each Chapter of the Ornament explains its subject Clear Realization by way of:

1st Chapter - Exalted Knower of Aspects - ten [10] topics.
2nd Chapter - Knower of Paths - eleven [11] topics.
3rd Chapter - Knower of Bases - nine [9] topics.
4th Chapter - Application in Complete Aspects - eleven [11] topics.
5th Chapter - Peak Application - eight [8] topics.
6th Chapter - Serial Application - thirteen [13] topics.
7th Chapter - Application in a Single Instant - four [4] topics.
8th Chapter - Resultant Dharmakaya - four [4] topics.

In total, the Ornament expounds Seventy Topics which is why it is said that the Ornament explains the implicit or hidden meaning of the Perfection of Wisdom Sutras by way of Eight Clear Realizations and Seventy Topics.

*Subject of this year’s course is a continuation from 2010 of the Ten Topics presented in the First Chapter on the Exalted Knower of Aspects, i.e., the Omniscient Mind of a Buddha.

Track 3 - Handout 2 – Text beginning Ornament for Clear Realizations.

Complete Title of the Ornament in Sanskrit, Tibetan & English:

"In Sanskrit: Abhisamaya-alamkara-nama-prajnaparamita-upadesha-shastra-karika

In Tibetan: She rab kyi Pha rol du chin pai Men ngag gi Ten choe Ngoen bar Tog pai Gyen zhe ja wai Tshig Leur je pa"

ཤེས་རབ་ཀྱི་ཕ་རོལ་དུ་ཕྱིན་པའི་མན་ངག་གི་བསྟན་བཅོས་མངོན་པར་རྟོགས་པའི་རྒྱན་ཞེས་བྱ་བའི་ཚིག་ལེའུར་བྱས་པ།

Meaning of the words in Sanskrit: abhisamaya = clear realization; alamkara = ornament; nama = called; prajnaparamita = perfection of wisdom; upadesha = quintessential instructions; shastra = treatise; karika = verses [and chapters].
Meaning of the words in Tibetan:

ཤེས་རབ་ཀྱི་ཕ་རོལ་དུ་ཕྱིན་པ་ - She rab kyi Pha rol duchin pa = perfection of wisdom:

མན་ངག་ - Menngag = quintessential instruction. གི - gi = genitive.

བསྟན་བཅོས་ - Ten choe = treatise.

མངོན་པར་རྟོགས་པའི་རྒྱན་ - Ngoen bar Tog pai Gyen = ornament for clear realizations.

ཞེས་བྱ་བའི་ - zhe ja wai = called.

ཚིག་ལེའུར་བྱས་པ། - Tshig Leur je pa = verses and chapters.

Full title of the Ornament in English: "The Verses and Chapters of the So-Called 'Ornament for Clear Realization', a quintessential instruction treatise on the Perfection of Wisdom"

Three Reasons for beginning the Ornament with the Sanskrit title

Meaning of the Tibetan Translator's Homage - "I bow down to all the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas."

Track 4 - Ornament's Homage by Maitreya.

Purpose/Meaning of "Homage" in Buddhism.

Meaning of Maitreya's Homage to the Three Wisdom Mothers

"I prostrate to the Mother of Buddhas and of the groups of Hearers and Bodhisattvas, Who through the knower of bases leads Hearers seeking pacification to complete peace;Who through the knower of paths causes those helping migrators to achieve the aims of the world;And who, through possession of which (exalted knower of aspects), the Subduers set forth the varieties having all aspects." [1]

Three types of wisdom: Mother of all Arya beings is Wisdom because wisdom gives rise to attaining the two goals: Self-Liberation and Full Enlightenment.
Suffering Nature of Samsara. - Chart 1 - Different Vehicles
three kinds of wisdom:

Knower of Bases
Knower of Paths
Exalted Knower of All Aspects

(Revised April 13, 2011)

2011 Class 1 - Abhisamayalamkara - Perfection of Wisdom

2011-04-04T22:50:00.000-07:00

On Monday, April 4, Gen Kelsang Wangmo began teaching the Spring 2011 semester of the multi-year Perfection of Wisdom Studies course offered by the Institute for Buddhist Dialectical Studies' English Language Program in Advanced Buddhist Philosophy in McLeod Ganj, Dharamsala.

You can download PDF's of Class Handout and Notes as well as MP3 Tracks of this class below. The Class Notes are very rough DRAFT offered for 'what they're worth' to aid students of the course. The MP3 Tracks are divided to ease both downloading and listening.

DOWNLOAD PDF's:

2011 Handout 1 - Perfection of Wisdom
Very ROUGH DRAFT of CLASS NOTES

DOWNLOAD MP3 Tracks:

Track 1 - Advice re: Study of Buddhist Philosophy.

Buddha's advice to be applied in the study & practice of the Tibetan / Nalanda Tradition of Buddhism:

“Like gold that is acquired upon being scorched, cut and rubbed,

my word is to be adopted by monastics and scholars

upon analyzing it well, not out of respect for me.”

Hearing, Contemplating & Meditation - Three Steps of Buddhist Practice
Study is for Practice - not for intellectual 'mind games'
   Extensive Study is Extremely Important:
   Precious Human Rebirth – Right here in Dharamasala
   What does Extensive Study mean? Learning / Practices the Buddhist Paths

Track 2 - What is a Path?

“Bodhisattvas should practice all Paths --

whatever is the Path of a Shravaka (Hearer),

a Pratyeka-buddha (Solitary Realizer) or a Buddha --

and should know all Paths. They should also perform the deeds

of these Paths and bring all of them to completion.”

Perfection of Wisdom Sutra in Eighteen Thousand Verses.

Practice What You Study.
Reasons – False or Correct – guide all our emotions and actions.
Nothing is more difficult to accomplish than Changing the Mind -
Buddhist Goals are Not Achieved in just One Life Time.
Study provides practitioners self-sufficiency – meaningful Reliance on the Lama.
As Era of Degeneracy of Buddha Dharma Deepens – Buddhist practitioners have increasing personal responsibility for its contemporary preservation.

Track 3 - Perfection of Wisdom - ཕར་ཕྱིན་ - Handout 1

Monastic Curriculum studies Five Great Canonical Texts:

Prajnaparamita - Skt. = Perfection of Wisdom = ཤེས་རབ་ཀྱི་པ་རོལ་དུ་ཕྱིན་པ་ - abbrv. - ཕར་ཕྱིན་ Phar Chin. Studies the Implicit meaning of the Perfection of Wisdom Sutra, i.e., study of the different meditational paths that lead to Enlightenment.
Madhyamika - Skt. = Middle Way = དབུ་མ་ - Uma. Explicit meaning of the Perfection of Wisdom Sutras, study of the Middle Way - Emptiness.
Pramanavartica - Skt. = Epistemology = ཚད་མ་རྣམ་འགྲེལ། - Tshe ma nam drel = Commentary on Valid Cognition. Study of logic.
Abidharma - Skt. = Phenomenology = ཆོས་མངོན་པ་མཛོད། - choe ngoen pa Dzoe = Treasury of Higher Knowledge.
Vinaya - Skt. = Discipline = འདུལ་བ། - duel wa. Study of monastic discipline.

Three Turnings of the Wheel of Dharma

Track 4

Perfection of Wisdom Sutras:

Implicit & Explicit Meanings
as taught Tibetan Monastic Curriculum

Ornament for Clear Realizations by Maitreya - is key to understanding the Perfection of Wisdom Sutras.

Track 5

2011 Classes Resume

2011-04-01T15:00:00.000-07:00

Class resumes on Monday, 04 April 2011. This first 'semester' will run through early July. Topics from the First Chapter of the Ornament of Clear Realization by Maitreya that will be addressed include: Bodhicitta, the Two Truths and the Four Noble Truths.

2010 Oct 20 - Exchanging Self for Others method - Class 13

2010-10-20T20:55:00.000-07:00

Ven. Kelsang Wangmo begins presenting the Exchanging Self for Others method for generating Bodhicitta. Bodhicitta is the First of the Ten Dharma Topics presented in Chapter 1 of the Ornament for Clear Realizations, Abhisamayalamkara by Maitreya and is the subject of the Fall 2010 classes in the Perfection of Wisdom Course, English Language Advanced Buddhist Philosophy program, at the Institute for Buddhist Dialectics.

You can download MP3's from the 13th class of the Fall semester (the 51st class of 2010), held on Wednesday, October 20, by right clicking the links below.

Track 1 - is not posted yet and concerns ancillary matters raised in Q&A that took place in the 45th Class of 2010 (7th of Fall semester) on October 1.

Track 2 - EXCHANGING SELF FOR OTHERS

History of the Practice of Exchanging Self for Others
To Practice Exchanging Self for Others, Understand Sequence & Meaning of Each Step
Preliminaries to Practice of Exchanging Self for Others

Seven-Fold Cause/Effect Practice Must Be Done Before Exchanging Self For Others Practice
Practice of Exchanging Self for Others Based on an Understanding of Emptiness

Track 3 - SELF-CHERISHING

Basic Meaning of practice: Reverse Attitude that Cherishes Self and Not Others

Identify Self-Cherishing

Is the Wish to Be Happy, a Mind that Wishes to Be Happy, Self-Cherishing?
Is the Wish to Attain Self-Liberation Self-Cherishing?
Is the Innate Grasping at an Inherently Existent Self Self-Cherishing?

Distinguishing Self-CHERISHING from Self-GRASPING (at an Inherently Existent Self)

Track 4 - Distinguishing Self-CONCERN from Self-CHERISHING

Track 5 - Must Self-Cherishing mind Focus

only on the Misapprehended Inherently Existent Self, or Can Self-Cherishing also focus on the Conventionally (validly existing) Self?

Object of Focus of a Mind is not always its Object of Apprehension.

Track 6 - Q & A

HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENT: Spend time reflecting upon question raised in class for discussion in the next class on Monday, 25 October: Is it good to have Self-Cherishing? Is Self-Cherishing necessary for survival of the individual and/or the species? (Note, The text corrects Audio of Question)

Track 7 - Disadvantages of Self-Cherishing

2010 October 13 - Geshe Thupten Palsang Q&A- Class 10

2010-10-13T21:25:00.000-07:00

Ven. Kelsang Wangmo invited Geshe Thupten Palsang to answer students' questions in the 10th class of the Fall 2010 semester of the Perfection of Wisdom Course. Gen Wangmo served as Geshe-la's Translator.

Geshe Thupten Pelsang is one of the most respected Tibetan Buddhist monastic scholar-practitioners of his generational cohort. Born 45 years ago in a Manang village in the Annapurna range of Nepal, he became a monk as a child and studied at Drepung Loseling Monastery in India. These days he resides at Tse Chok Ling Monastery in McLeod Ganj. Geshe-la has compiled a Rimey Lam Rim based entirely upon extracts from the words of the Buddha (Lam-Rim Chen-Moe Sa-Ched Kyi Sur-Gyen Dho-Tue Lam-Drik, Compilation of Sutras for Synthesizing the Path to Enlightenment with Reference to the Topics as Outlined in Lama Tsonkhapa’s ‘The Great Treatise on the Stages of the Path to Enlightenment’(Lam rim chen mo'i sa bcad kyi zur rgyan mdo btus lam sgrig – 2005).

You can download a PDF of a Transcript of the Class HERE (not entirely verbatim) & download MP3's from the 10th class of the Fall semester (the 48th class of 2010), held on Wednesday, October 13, by right clicking the links below.

Track 1

Is Bodhicitta a main mind or a mental factor, with explanation?
Why does a negative mental state at the time of death trump a lifetime of virtuous living by good people?

Track 2

Re: Four Binding Factors required to break a Bodhisattva Vow & timing of regret?
Re: Practices, e.g., Vajrasattva, for purifying negative karma accumulated in past (lives)?

Track 3

Techniques to reduce attachment to the Self (i.e., ego)
When a beginner is trying to generate Great Compassion, what kind of feelings indicate the practice is progressing?

Track 4

As so many have attained Buddhahood before now, why are sentient beings still suffering?
Some tenet schools say that vows are a non-associated compositional factors, similarly, what is lineage?

Track 5

Are sentient beings actually limitless, infinite without end, as time is beginningless; or do sentient beings just number a very large amount?
Will there be one particular time when all sentient beings have attained enlightenment?
What about purifying negative acts committed without awareness of their negativity?

Track 6

Is there such a thing as compassionate anger, especially in the context of Wrathful deities?

Track 7

If we can’t posit a time when sentient beings will all be enlightened, then how can we know, apart from scriptural sources, that all sentient beings will become Buddhas?
If one mind stream is placed into Enlightenment, have an infinite number of sentient beings been saved?

Track 8

The role of emotions on the path?
Specific suggestions for the practice of Tong-Len to generate Bodhicitta.

Track 9

What are the definition, definiendum and an illustration of the Truth of Cessation?

Track 10

How can we become more aware of the Object of Negation of Emptiness in daily life?

Track 11

Does a Buddha perceive Conventional Truth; and if so, directly or indirectly? Is there any Conventional Truth that does not appear to sentient beings?
How can beginners make the study of Buddhist philosophy a spiritual practice?

Scary Cold-Blooded creature demontrates Loving Gratitude

2010-09-29T22:56:00.000-07:00

We may wonder, 'Can the cold blooded reptiles amongst us feel love?'

Check out this story & video here for a convincing demonstration that Crocodiles remember kindnesses shown to them and return loving, affectionate gratitude!

For a Costa Rican fisherman named Chito, his best animal friend is a 17-foot long, 980-pound crocodile, named Pocho:

Chito rescued Pocho the crocodile nearly 20 years ago in Costa Rica after finding him on the side of the road with a gunshot wound to the eye. Chito cared for the animal until it was healthy again, but when he tried to release Pocho back into the wild, the croc wouldn't have it. Apparently, Chito's affections won over the massive reptile, as it followed him back home, and has been with him in the two decades since.

Now the two are so comfortable that they play and swim together for tourists [see video] ... Although Chito confesses it took many years for him to feel safe fooling around with the dangerous creature, he is now able to roll around in the water with Pocho and have fun, as though the croc were a pet dog.

Huffinton Post (9-29-2010) from MSNBC Today Show

Clearly Pocho the crocodile loves Chito, but one certainly cannot label Chito as the 'Master', nor Pocho as an 'owned pet'.

The video seems to convey a message from another Realm. The link is posted here to encourage Equanimity, Love and Compassion for all sentient beings.

2010 Sept 22 - Ch. 1, Abhisamayalamkara - Class 3

2010-09-22T21:00:00.000-07:00

In the Third class of our Fall 2010 study of Bodhicitta (the First of the Ten Dharma Topics) presented in Chapter 1 of the Ornament for Clear Realizations, Ven. Kelsang Wangmo introduces the 10 Sub-Topics of the Mahayana Practice Instructions (which is the Second Dharma Topic of Chapter 1).

You can download MP3's from the third class of the Fall semester course on Chapter One of the Abhisamayalamkara (the 41st class of 2010), held on Wednesday, September 22, by right clicking the links below.

Track 1 - Topics raised by Verses from Chandragomin Letter to a Disciple

First Noble Truth – Three Kinds of Suffering / Dukkha

Suffering of Change (of Contaminated Pleasure)
All Pervasive Suffering (of Compulsory rebirth with Contaminated Aggregates)

Second Noble Truth – Why Samsara (i.e., our Contaminated Aggregates) is 'in the nature of Dukkha'
Generating Bodhicitta & the First Two Noble Truths
Generating Bodhicitta & Renunciation

Track 2 - Introduction to Chapter One of the Ornament

Ancient Indian Treatises
Ornament for Clear Realizations, an ancient treatise

Track 3 -

What are the Ten Dharmas (Ten Topics) of Chapter One?
How these Ten Dharmas (Topics) are related to the Omniscient Mind
Presenting the Ten Dharmas Illustrates the Omniscient Minda.

Only an Omniscient Mind can be the object possessor of the Ten Dharmas
Ten Dharmas are the Causes and Conditions that produce the Omniscient Mind

First Dharma/Topic - Bodhicitta
Second Dharma/Topic – Mahayana Practice Instructions & their Ten Sub-Topics
Entity of Practice
Objects of practice: Conventional Truth or Ultimate Truth
Analytical Meditation

Track 4- Ten Sub-Topics of the Mahayana Practice Instructions (Second Dharma Topic, Chapter 1

1st SubTopic of Mahayana Practice Instructions - the TWO TRUTHS
Meditating on Three Types of Bodhicitta – Not all Accord with Reality
Q & A

Track 5 -

2nd Topic of Mahayana Practice Instructions - FOUR NOBLE TRUTHS

Fundamental Vehicle Path
Studying the Four Noble Truths

3rd Topic of Mahayana Practice Instructions - REFUGE

Track 6 -

4th thru 6th Sub-Topics of Mahayana Practice Instructions - THREE TYPES OF DILIGENCE
7th Sub-Topic of Mahayana Practice Instructions - FIVE KINDS OF VISIONS
8th Topic of Mahayana Practice Instructions - SIX CLEAR PERCEPTIONS
9th and 10th Topics of Mahayana Practice Instructions - Path of Seeing & Path of Meditation

Path of Seeing - 9th Sub-Topic of Mahayana Practice Instructions
Path of Meditation - 10th Sub-Topic of Mahayana Practice Instructions

2010 Sept 20 - Ch. 1, Abhisamayalamkara - Class 2

2010-09-20T18:58:00.000-07:00

Introduction to Fall 2010 Advanced Buddhist Course (paraphrase of Ven. Kelsang Wangmo's opening remarks to this class):

The actual text we are studying this Fall 2010 is the First Chapter of the Ornament for Clear Realizations (Abhisamayalamkara) by Maitreya. Even if you haven’t attended the Advanced Buddhist Philosophy classes at IBD before, the Ornament covers different subjects and each subject is a unit in itself. Naturally, having knowledge of what we studied in April through June is helpful (and hopefully more of those classes will be posted here soon). Nevertheless, there’s still a lot you can get out of each of the topics.

The first Topic we’ll discuss is Bodhicitta, and then we’ll study the Two Truths (Ultimate and Conventional), the Four Noble Truths (and the remaining Ten Topics of Chapter 1).

Class Structure: At the beginning of each class, [Gen Kelsang Wangmo] will read some lines from texts by important Indian or Tibetan scholars-saints (on topics such as precious human rebirth, karma, death and impermanence) and share some commentary. The purpose of beginning class with such homilies is to 'set our motivation, to get us into a dharmic mode' before we turn to the subjects of the Ornament.

You can download MP3's from the second class of the Fall semester course on Chapter One of the Abhisamayalamkara (the 40th class of 2010), held on Monday, September 20, by right clicking the links below.

Track 1 - Introduction to Fall 2010 Advanced Buddhist Philosophy Course at IBD (see above).

Verses from the Jewel Ornaments of Liberation by the great Kagyu master Gampopa:

Just like an arrow shot by a skillful archer, as soon as the string is released, it does not stay but quickly reaches its target. So also is the life of all humans.

Causes of death are numerous. Causes of life are few. Even they may become causes of death.

Impermanence/Remembering Death.
Three Types of Buddhist Practitioners.
Suffering of Change (Contaminated Pleasure)
Purpose of this Buddhist study:

"The purpose of study in this course: To investigate causes, to determine why things occur, to understand how our own minds work and the situations we find ourselves in now. ... The Buddha said everything is in the nature of suffering — it’s to be investigated whether that’s true. [O]n a certain level is there always a sense of suffering (discomfort, dissatisfaction, dukkha)?

"The happiness we experience right now is just the temporary stopping of an un-pleasurable situation. That’s why we can’t sit for a long time. We may be really comfortable now, but that will last for just a short time. We will need to move after awhile because it gets uncomfortable. We have to be constantly moving; we can never stay still because we have to change the external situations. At some point we need to sleep, eat, walk, sit down again … we're constantly moving.

"We can’t just stay in one place physically. And mentally, my gosh! Just try, it is impossible. Our minds are racing form one pleasure to the next, which then get boring, and then to the next and next. Because all of these phenomena are in the nature of suffering. This isn't something to be terribly depressed about it, but that’s just the way it is. Check it out, you’ll come to see that this is the case.

"And there is a cause ... Otherwise, if there wasn’t a cause, better not to mention it; it’s so negative. The reason we talk about it, is that there is a cause that can be removed. We don’t have to suffer in such ways. ..."

Analytical Meditation and this course:

"When we study Buddha’s teachings, the point is to go through a guided analytical mediation. It is not supposed to be some sort of academic brain game. What I would ask you to do in class is to listen with a very critical mind, a very active analytical mind. Buddhist study is supposed to be analytical mediation. Who are the meditators? You are the meditators. So you listen, and then contemplate, investigate; and in this way, meditate. ... That which you’ve learned, i... you can actually change you behavior. Through familiarization you change your way of thinking and acting. That is mediation. ..."

Logical Valid Reasoning - Essential to stop suffering.
Format of Tibetan Monastic Studies & this Course.
Analytical Meditation Training

Track 2 - Maitreya's Ornament for Clear Realizations - Abhisamayalamkara

Brief Review of the Ornament's Preface (Subjects covered in 2007, 2008 & reviewed in 2010):

The Ornament was composed around the 4th century, around 900 years after the Buddha’s passing away. All of the Lam Rim texts, all of the Mahayana texts (not not solely devoted to explicitly teaching Emptiness) are based on this text. If you read the scriptures, you will see they always contain references to the Ornament.

In the classes held from April through June, 2010, we covered topics from the Preface to the Ornament: topics raised in the verses of Praise (Maitreya's homage to the three types of wisdom), Promise to Compose &:Purpose, summary of the Eight Clear Realizations and the Seventy Topics covered in the eight chapters of the Ornament.

Omniscient Mind is the Subject of the Chapter 1 of the Ornament

Role of Faith in Buddhism.
Subtle Clear Light Mind - basis for developing Omniscient mind.
Imprints of Karma (actions of Body, Seech & Mind)

Track 3 - Ten Dharmas (Ten Topics) in Chapter 2 explain the Omniscient Mind

Topic 1 - Bodhicitta

Buddhism & Modern Science

Meaning of Path in Buddhism

Method Path & Wisdom Path

Definition of Love in context of Puddhist Path
What is a Wisdom?

Coarse & Subtle Impermanence
Impermanence - proof that Attachment is Delusion

Track 4 - Benefits of Generating Bodhicitta

Wish to 'Benefit All Sentient Beings'
Having Generated Bodhicitta

Track 5 - Q & A - Subtle Clear Light Mind

2010 Sept 13 - Ch. 1, Abhisamayalamkara - Class 1

2010-09-13T21:00:00.000-07:00

The subject matter of the first Chapter of the Ornament for Clear Realizations by Maitreya is taught in the Third Year of the Perfection of Wisdom course at IBD as part of its Five Great Canonical Texts (geshe) curriculum. In the 38 preceding classes held in 2010, Ven. Kelsang Wangmo has reviewed the topics raised in the First and Second Years of this course (extensively presented in 2007 and 2008 classes).

In this introductory class Ven. Kelsang Wangmo reviews subjects covered in the preface of the Ornament for Clear Realizations by Maitreya and introduces the First Chapter subjects: the Clear Realization of the Omniscient Mind and its related Ten Topics.

You can download MP3's from the 39th class of 2010, held on Monday, September 12, by right clicking the links below. The Tracks are divided to ease both downloading and listening.

Track 1 - Overview of the prefatory Ornament text:
What Buddha Taught. Shastras - Qualified Indian commentaries.

Track 2 - Wisdom [not Emptiness] is the Main Topic of the Ornament:

What is the difference between Wisdom and Emptiness? What is 'Lack of Duality'.
Three Knowers - three types of Wisdom, the Three Mothers praised in the Homage:
Eleven Mother and Six Daughter Perfection of Wisdom sutras were translated into Tibetan.
The Ornament is based on three of the Mother Sutras [PDF download: Perfection of Wisdom Sutra in 8,000 Lines, translated by Edward Conze].

Track 3 - Categorizing 'Sutra' - Speech of the Buddha, Sutra & Tantra, Three Baskets.

Subjects of the Preface to the Ornament:

Homage to the Three Types of Wisdom
Promise to Compose & Purpose of Composition
Summary of the Eight Clear Realizations addressed in Eight Chapters on the and their 70 Topics.
Relationship between the Eight Clear Realizations and the 70 Topics?
Clear Realization of Chapter 1: Omniscient Mind (Knower of All Aspects): Difference between Buddha, Enlightenment & Omniscience?
Buddha, a person, and the Omniscient Mind are impermanent.
Enlightenment of Buddhahood (cessation of Innate Obstructions to Omniscience that remain after Liberation of Arhat (cessation of all Afflictive Obstructions & Intellectually Acquired Cognitive Obstructions), i.e., Enlightenment & Liberation are permanent phenomena.

Track 4 - Obstructions to Liberation & Enlightenment per Middle Way-Autonomy/Svatantrika & Middle Way-Consequentialist/Prasangika tenets.

Afflictive Cognitive & Cognitive Obstructions - Innate & Acquired:

Four Possibilities between Cognitive Obstruction & Innate Obstruction.
Cognitive Obstructions: Innate & Intellectually Acquired.
Afflictive Obstructions: Per Middle Way-Autonomy tenets (can be both Innate & Intellectually Acquired)

Per Middle Way tenets, generally:

Affictive Obstructions are obstructions to Self-Liberation;
Cognitive Pbstructions are obstructions to Enlightenment.

Per Middle Way-Autonomy-Svatantrika tenets:

Afflictive Obstructions include 'grasping onto the Self as being Self-Sufficient (in the sense of being Substantially Existent'.
Cognitive Obstructions include Innate & Intellectually 'grasping after True Existence'.

Per Middle Way-Consequentialist-Prasangika tenets:

'Grasping after True Existence' is an Afflictive Obstruction, which must removed, along with the Intellectually Acquired Cognitive Obstructions, in order to attain the Liberation of an Arhat.
Innate Cognitive Obstructions to Omniscience are 'Imprints' - explained.

Track 5 - Omniscient Mind, the Clear Realization explained in Chapter 1 along with Ten Topics that explain its Causes and Conditions of arisal .

Bodhicitta - the First Topic of Chapter 1. Questions course will address. Why important.
Buddha Nature:

In Sutra (a subject of First Chapter): Buddha Nature refers to the Emptiness of the Mental Consciousness.
In Tantra: Buddha Nature refers to the subtle Clear Light Mind.

Importance of personal Experience in motivating our dharma practice:
Near Death Experience.

Track 6 -

Ven. Wangmo recounts personal experience flying from Germany to Delhi in September 2010: the death of middle aged Indian man and his wife's tremendous grief . . .

Tibetan meditators' practice of Post-death Clear Light meditation.
Debates re Object of an ordinary Clear Light mind.

Prefatory verses referenced above from Root Text of Maitreya's Abhisamayalamkara / Ornament of Clear Realization:

Homage: [To] that which through the Exalted Knower of All leads Hearers seeking pacification to peace; which through the Exalted Knower of Paths causes those [who] help migrating beings to achieve the aims of the world; and through the perfect possession of which the Subduers set forth these varieties having all aspects -- To the Mothers of the Buddhas, as well as [of] the host of Hearers and Bodhisattvas, I pay homage.

Promise to Compose and Purpose of Composition: The path of the exalted knower of all aspects itself, explained by the Teacher in these [mothers], is not experienced by others. In order for the intelligent to behold the meaning of the sutra which is the entity of the ten Dharma practices, through establishing mindfulness [on them], the so-called 'easy realization,’ is the purpose of [my] composing [the Ornament].

Summary of the Eight Clear Realizations explained in Chapters 1-8: The Perfection of Wisdom is perfectly explained by the eight categories. …The very exalted knower of all aspects, the very knower of paths itself, then the very knower of all (i.e., Knower of Basis), clear complete realization of all aspects, gone to the peak, serially, clear complete enlightenment in one moment, and the truth body: these are the eight.

Summary of First Chapter's 10 Topics: Mind generation, precepts, four types of limbs of definite discrimination, the nature of the expanse of phenomena, which is the support of achieving, referents, intent, armor, activities of engaging, collections, and definite issuance: these together are the Subduer’s very exalted knower of all aspects.

Above excerpts of the Ornament's Root Text are extracted from the Commentary Clarifying the Meaning of The ‘Ornament For Clear Realizations, A Treatise Of Oral Instruction On The Perfection Of Wisdom’ by Haribhadra, published by the Istituto Lama Tzong Khapa, Pomaia, Italy 1998-1999. (Hereafter, FPMT Root Text 1998-99.)

NO CLASS WED (9/15) & FRI (9/17), resumes MONDAY 20 SEPT 2010

2010-09-13T00:07:00.000-07:00

Due to a five-day teaching scheduled by H.H. Karmapa Rinpoche at Gyuto Monastery, which begins September 15th, we will not have class on Wednesday or Friday, September 15 and 17. The second class of this term will begin at 4:00 p.m. on Monday, September 20, 2010.

Class Announcement - Year Three / Chapter One Topics - FALL 2010 classes

2010-09-10T18:54:00.000-07:00

Course Schedule: On Monday, September 13, 2010, class will reconvene at the main IBD building in the Tibetan Temple complex, McLeod Ganj, Dharamsala, after our monsoon break [even though the monsoon has not broken]. This segment of the course will conclude in mid-November 2010.

Course Topics: We will begin studying the 10 Topics Maitreya addresses in Chapter 1 of the Ornament for Clear Realizations. These '10 Topics' concern paths/minds/realizations that must be developed in order to achieve the Omniscient Mind of a Buddha. The comprehensive exposition of the Perfection of Wisdom course enables students to gain a more profound understandings of subjects that that are frequently alluded to in Dharma teachings and is the basis of the Lam Rim/Stages of the Path genre.

Additionally, by studying the commentaries on the Ornament, which are presented from the point of view of the Middle Way-Autonomy (Madhyamika-Svatantrika) tenet system, students are prepared to study of the more subtle views of the Middle-Way-Consequentialist (Madhyamika-Prasangika) system.

2010 - Class 18 - May 14 - MP3's

2010-05-14T22:35:00.000-07:00

Download high quality MP3's from Class 18 held on Friday, May 14, 2010, by right clicking the links below.

Track 1 - Introductory Homily

Continue study of Maitreya's Abhisamayalamakara Introductory Homage by utilizing Gyeltsab Je's commentary:

Track 2

2010 - Class 17 - May 12 - MP3's

2010-05-12T22:06:00.000-07:00

Download high quality MP3's from Class 17 held on Wednesday, May 12, 2010, by right clicking the links below.

Track 1 - Introductory Homily

Continue study of Maitreya's Abhisamayalamakara Introductory Homage by utilizing Gyeltsab Je's commentary:

Track 2

2010 - Class 16 - May 10 - MP3's

2010-05-10T20:20:00.000-07:00

Download high quality MP3's from Class 16 held on Monday, May 10, 2010, by right clicking the links below.

The Tracks are divided to ease both downloading and listening:

Track 1 - Homily citation - Impermanence.

Track 2 - Meditating on Impermanence.

Continue study of Maitreya's Abhisamayalamakara Introductory Homage by utilizing Gyeltsab Je's commentary:

Track 3

Track 4

Track 5

Track 6

2010 Class 11 - April 28

2010-04-28T21:31:00.000-07:00

You can download high quality MP3's from Class 11, held on Wednesday, April 28, 2010, by right clicking the links below.

The Tracks are divided to ease both downloading and listening.

Track 1 - Why are we Stuck in Cyclic Existence?

“Those whose minds are attached to cyclic existence will continue to wander there constantly.”

Operation of Attachment and Grasping (Links of Dependent Origination) at time of Death.
Karma: Projecting (Throwing) & Completing; Contaminated & Uncontaminated.

Track 2 - Review Topics of Monday Class, April 26:

Maitreya Gave Five Texts to Asanga.
Sources/Subject of the Ornament for Clear Realizations.
Sanskrit treatises’ Explanatory Methodology of Five Limbs.
Limb of Purpose verses of the Ornament for Clear Realizations:

Ven. Kelsang Wangmo re-translated Gyeltsab Rinpoche’s text in class:

"In the last class I confused myself with my explanation. So I’ve added a few words to the (original) translation below [see Fn 1] to make it more understandable:

The path of the exalted knower of all aspects, the Omniscient Mind, which is Explained by the Teacher, the Buddha, in these Mothers (the Perfection of Wisdom sutras), Is not experienced by others.

In order for the intelligent to behold the meaning of the Sutra, which is The entity of (or explains) the ten Dharma practices (the Ten Topics that illustrate the Omniscient Mind), through establishing mindfulness [on them], cultivating the so-called 'easy realization' is the purpose of [my] composing [the Ornament].

[In this revised translation, the bold font is the original text.]

"I read it a bit fast but if you get the recording and transcript, . . . you can read again what I’ve just said. Basically, the Purpose of the Ornament is [to help students] to easily understand the path that leads to omniscience, which path includes all of the Eight Clear Realizations, the main topic of the Ornament — the Eight Clear Realizations are all the Paths to Omniscience."

21 Indian Commentaries on the Ornament for Clear Realizations.

Track 3 - Review of Handout 3 topics covered in April 26 class, cont.

Titles of Sanskrit-Tibetan treatises:

Haribhadra’s Clarifying the Meaning.
Meaning of Abhisamayalamkara (Ornament for Clear Realizations.

Four Ornaments.
Meaning of ‘Treatise’.
Bundles.
Homage.

Track 4 - Ven. Wangmo explains and parses Gyeltsab Rinpoche’s Essence of the Ornament:commentary on Haribhadra's Clarifying the Meaning commentary on Maitreya's Ornament for Clear Realizations, a commentary on the hidden meaning of the Perfection of Wisdom Sutras.

How text is Structured: Outlines (by Gyeltsab Je); Root Text (Ornament text); Commentary (Haribhadra’s text); Explanation (Gyeltsab Je’s text is interpolated into Haribhadra’s).
Haribhadra’s Verse [see Fn 2] is a Homage,Promise of Composition & Limb of Purpose.
Purpose Relationship Passage - Four Properties of a Treatise
Four Properties of Haribhadra’s Clear Meaning commentary
Four Properties: Subject Matter, Purpose, Essential Purpose, Relationship.

Track 5 - Gyeltsab Je's Explanation of Haribhadra's verse, cont.

Four Properties of Haribhadra’s Stanza reveal 4 Properties of the Clear Meaning.
Value of ‘Debate’ – Discuss!
Gyeltsab Je’s explanation of Qualities of Haribhadra’s Homage
Refuge –Actual meanings of Refuge & the Buddha, Dharma and Sangha Jewels

[Fn 1] Maitreya's verse from Ornament for Clear Realizations - Abdhisamayalamkara:

The path of the exalted knower of all aspects itself,
Explained by the Teacher in these [mothers],
Is not experienced by others.
The entity of the ten Dharma practices

The Sutras, through establishing mindfulness [on them],
In order for the intelligent to behold their meaning,
The so-called 'easy realization'
Is the purpose of [my] composing [the Ornament].

[Fn 2] COMMENTARY (by Haribhadra):

To the perfection of wisdom
Respectfully I pay homage
In order to thoroughly reveal its versified Ornament
As serving as an ornament of all.

2010 - Class 9 - April 23 - MP3's

2010-04-28T01:13:00.000-07:00

Download high quality MP3's from Class 9, held on Friday, April 23, 2010, by right clicking the links below.

The Tracks are divided to ease both downloading and listening:

Track 1 - Delusions: Buddhist 'jihad'. Correct Reasoning - Antidote to Delusion.

Track 2 - Gyeltsab Je's Introduction to the Essence: Asanga's Commentary on Maitreya's Great Vehicle Treatise of the Sublime Continuum (Uttaratantra). Extensive, Medium & Brief Perfection of Wisdom Sutras. Unique Middle Way-Consequentialist (Prasangika) Assertion: Fundamental Vehicle Method practitioners must realize Emptiness to attain Nirvana.

Track 3 - Arya Asanga Commentary on the Uttaratanta shows that: Asanga was a Middle Way Consequentialist (Prasangika); One Final Vehicle - Prasangika Tenet. Maitreya's Ornament for Clear Realizations: Paths of Three Lineage Bearers - Three Knowers; Definite Entity, Number & Sequence;

Track 4 - Selflessness: Lack of Self-Sufficient Substantially Established Person.

Track 5 - Haribhadra, a proponent of the Middle Way-Yogacara Autonomy school. Q&A re Fundamental Vehicle & Emptiness.

Track 6 - Chandrakirti - Middle Way Consequentialist (Prasangika) Trail-Blazer. Bhavavevika - Middle Way Autonomy (Svatantrika) Trail-Blazer. Middle Way Autonomy Sub-Schools: Distinguishing Assertions (Self-Knowers & External Existence) of Sutric-Autonomy (Sautantrika-Svatantrika) - Bhavavevika Trail Blazer & Yogic-Autonomy (Yogacara-Svatantrika).

Track 7 - Shatarakshita Trail Blazer of Yogic-Autonomy (Yogacara-Svatantrika.). Mind Only sub-schools' Assertions & Trail Blazers: True Aspectarian (Vasubandhu) & False Aspectarian (Dignaga). Sutra Sources of the Ornament for Clear Realizations: 17 Sutras: 6 Mothers & 11 Sons. Three Principal Sutra Sources.

Track 8 - Explanatory Method of Five Limbs - utilized in Sanskrit treatise composition. Tibetan Outlines. Our text.

2010 Class 7 - April 19 - MP3's

2010-04-19T21:27:00.000-07:00

You can download high quality MP3's from Class 6, held on Monday, April 19, 2010, by right clicking the links below.

The Tracks are divided to ease both downloading and listening:

Track 1 - What Makes Our Practice Buddhist Practice? Subtle & Coarse Impermanence. How Many years are free for Dharma Practice in a modern human life? 'Yo-Yo Mentality' / Worldly Concerns and Daily Stress. Four Seals in Everyday Life.

Track 2 - Gyeltsab Rinpoche’s Ornament of the Essence – Introduction, cont. Review Verses & Prose Text covered in Class 6. Acharya Asanga's Qualities.

Track 3 - Spread of Buddhism. Arya Asanga, Mind Only Trail-Blazer. Manifest, Slightly Hidden & Extremely Hidden Phenomena. Teachings that Asanga from Maitreya

Track 4 - Five Treatises of Maitreya. Maitreya & Asanga texts for Mind Only system. Middle Way Trail-Blazer, Nagarjuna used the King of Meditative Stabilization & the Teachings of Akshayamati sutras to differentiate definitive sutras from those requiring interpretation for the Middle Way, Madhyamika school.

Track 5 - Differentiating the Three Wheels of Buddha's teachings as Definitive or Interpretable in the Mind Only, Chittamatra, School. Mind Only's Three Natures/Phenomena: Other-Powered, Thoroughly Established & All Imputed. Subject matter of Three Wheel's categorization of Buddha's teachings. Mind Only assertions. "Such is the Quality of the Buddha's speech". Buddha's Emptiness teachings in the First Wheel, Second Wheel and Third Wheel. The Bodhisattva Paramarthasamudgata question and Buddha's reply in the Third Wheel Sutra Unraveling the Thought, the definitive sutra for Mind Only.

Track 6 - Why Arya Asanga, a Middle Way Consequentialist tenet holder, re-introduced the Mind Only tenet system. Gyeltsab Je's Introduction sets out the Mind Only & Middle Way Schools interpretations of the Three Wheels as Interpretable or Definitive. Classroom Q&A. Middle Way & Mind Only Schools' meanings of 'definitive and interpretable sutras' differ.

Portion of text by Gyeltsab Rinpoche’s Ornament of the Essence – Introduction, covered in this class:

Also, [Arya Asanga] acted exceptionally with regard to many previous victors and generated vast roots of virtue. Even now he is being taken care of by the protector buddhas and bodhisattvas and his strength of intelligence surpasses that of others. He accomplished well prayers to take responsibility for the teachings of the Subduer Buddha Bhagavan and it was prophesized that he would comment on the complete intention of the definitive and interpretable sutras sets.

He thought, “Trainees of future generations will view the Mahayana sutra sets as though they are an ocean and will become like travelers who have lost their way. If even the relation between earlier and later words is difficult to understand, what need is there to mention about seeing the profound supreme meanings? If I were to please the excellent Regent [Maitreya] who possesses eyes to which none of the secrets of the speech of the Muni are hidden due to his knowing what is hidden with respect to secret subjects of the tathagatas even for me, I shall achieve my goal.” Engaging in practice, he beheld [Maitreya] directly. In dependence on the Bhagavan [Maitreya]’s miraculous powers, he went to Tushita [Pure Land], and having heard the Dharma, fully realized the intention of the scriptures.

For the sake of taking care of future generations of trainees in Jambudvipa [Continent], he bestowed also the gifts of excellent Dharma, the five great treatises: the two types of Differentiation, the two types of Ornament, and the Great Vehicle Treatise on the Sublime Continuum (Mahayanottaratantrasastra).

With regard to that, in general the Bhagavan’s scriptures taught two modes of differentiating between the interpretable meaning and the definitive meaning, these being taught in (i) the Teachings of Akshayamati Sutra (Akshayamatinirdesha-sutra), the King of Meditative Stabilizations Sutra (Samadhirajasutra), and so forth and (ii) the Sutra Unraveling the Thought (Samdhinirmocanasutra).

According to the first, (a) the teaching that all phenomena are empty of being established by way of their own character is indicated as definitive meaning, while (b) teaching the person, aggregates, and the like by means of various words and syllables is indicated as interpretable meaning. The latter sutra set teaches that imputational natures are not established by way of their own character, whereas other-powered natures and thoroughly established natures are established by way of their own character; (i) the teaching of one part that all are not established by way of their own character, and (ii) the teaching that all are established by way of their own character are taught to be interpretable meaning, and the teaching through clearly differentiating the boundaries between what is and what is not established by way of their own character is taught to be definitive meaning. Following the former sutras, the Protector Nagarjuna effortlessly established that the second sutra as interpretable meaning through opening well the chariot tracks differentiating between the interpretable meaning and the definitive meaning.

Ornament of the Essence by Gyeltsab Dharma Rinchen, an explanatory commentary of the root text, Ornament for Clear Realization: Treatise of Quintessential Instructions of the Perfection of Wisdom (Abhisamayalamkara) by the Venerable Protector Maitreya and of the Clear Meaning (an Abhisamayalamakara commentary) by Acharya Haribhadra, translated by Toh Sze Gee for the 2008 FPMT Masters Program.

2010 Class 6 - April 16 MP3's

2010-04-17T06:43:00.000-07:00

You can download high quality MP3's from Class 6, held on Friday, April 16, by right clicking the links below.

The Tracks are divided to ease both downloading and listening (rewinding on many devices is easier in a smaller file):

Ven. Kelsang Wangmo presents the Assertions of the Mind Only school and answers questions raised in the following tracks from Class 6 of the 2010 Perfection of Wisdom course at IBD beginning at 1:41 min.on Track 1.

Track 1 - of the Mind Only School: the Lack of External Existence.

Track 2 - Mind & its Objects are One Entity. External Existence is an Impossible Mode of Existence, yet Things Exist as mere appearances to mind.

Track 3 - Three-Fold Division of Phenomena & Three Natures (Other Powered, Thoroughly Established & All Imputed). Negation of an Impossible Mode of Existence is an Existent. Illustrations of Mind Only's Three Natures. Non-Affirming Negations.

Track 4 - How can a Negation (Emptiness) Be a Phenomenon? Emptiness: the Negation of Something that Never Exists for Mind Only & the Middle Way schools. Why we study Mind Only tenets.

Track 5 - Using logic to remove belief in the deceptive appearance of phenomena.

Track 6 - Nirvana: a non-Affirming, Negative (Permanent) phenomena. Negations: Affirming & non-Affirming.

Track 7 - What is the Difference between Nirvana & Enlightenment? Fundamental Problem: Ignorance that Mis-perceives Reality. Antidotes to Delusion lead to Nirvana with 'residue of Obscurations to Omniscience. Two Itineraries for the Journey to Nirvana & Enlightenment.

Track 8 - The Meaning of Selflessness. How can phenomena come into being by virtue of our designation?

Track 9 - Ven. Wangmo continues to parse and explain the course's English text by Gyaltsab Je from the last paragraph of p. 1 - part of paragraph 1, p. 2:

Here, all of us have obtained leisures and endowments that are very difficult to find, and are greatly meaningful when found. At this time, effort for the sake of gain, honor, and the like of simply this life — without setting up well the basis that is the temporal and final aims that are strongly desired by beings from the next life and beyond, which surpasses the system of the elderly mundane beings — is like winnowed chaff devoid of grain. Having understood that doing so does not transcend the behavior of animals, we should make effort in taking the essence of our leisures and endowments well.

Due to the deeds of turning the wheels of Dharma in three stages by the Buddha Bhagavan [Shakyamuni] who acts solely to benefit all migrating beings, the one called Acarya Arya Asanga subsequently engaged in the systems which have been determined with extensive collections of scripture and reasoning by the beings for whom the path (that the aryas of the three times have gone and will subsequently go on) along with its result have become valid, and understood their meanings. He came to understand that there is no supreme method to please the victors other than proper practice by means of the three types of precious trainings.

Philosophy Class Begins - 04 April 2006

2006-02-10T01:02:00.000-08:00

The INSTITUTE FOR BUDDHIST DIALECTICAL STUDIES
continues to offer
English Language Buddhist Philosophy Classes
in 2006 – after His Holiness the Dalai Lama's Losar teachings
Topic – TENETS
Text: CUTTING THROUGH APPEARANCES
by Geshe Lhundup Sopa and Jeffrey Hopkins
Cutting Through Appearances presents an annotated translation of a Tibetan Tenets text, Precious Garland of Tenets by Gon-chok Jig-may Wang-bo.
First Class: Tuesday, 04 April 2006
Course ends in July 2006
Teacher: Ven. Kelsang Wangmo
WEEKLY SCHEDULE: Tuesday, Thursday & Saturday – 4:00 – 5:30 pm
may be supplemented by Discussion group sessions
Fee: 200 Rupees per month
* * * * *
As His Holiness reiterated at a talk in Delhi on 05 February 2006, in order to practice Buddhism one cannot rely on faith and prayers. Rather, Buddhists must utilize their mental intelligence (to the max) in order to discern the nature of conventional and ultimate reality so they can conform their behavior to that reality. His Holiness singled out the study of Philosophical Tenet systems as an excellent method for utilizing and developing intelligence on the Buddhist path.

During December 2005 teachings in McLeod Ganj, His Holiness gave a transmission and teaching on Gon-chok Jig-may Wang-bo's Precious Garland of Tenets. The MP3 CD of that teaching may be available from Namgyal Monastery.

Lorig Class Concludes . . . photos

2005-07-29T21:15:00.000-07:00

Ven. Wangmo is a really great teacher. Thoroughly versed with the material and its fine debate points, her mode of presentation is extremely patient and kind. She always appears to be most concerned with making the material comprehensible rather than 'scoring points' (a temptation in a scholastic tradition that emphasizes debate). Fortunately, Ven. Wangmo will be teaching again in 2006 after His Holiness' Losar teachings! [Will post details about next course and Ven. Wangmo bio on this Blog later].

Ven. Wangmo concluded teaching the Tibetan Buddhist presentation of Mind & Awareness [bLo-rig] on July 29, 2005. The course began April 9, after His Holiness the Dalai Lama completed post-Losar 2005 teachings. The text we used is Mind in Tibetan Buddhism [Snow Lion Pub.]. This book includes Elizabeth Napper's translation of a concise root text -- Presentation of Awareness and Knowledge Composite of All the Important Points, Opener of the Eye of New Intelligence by Ge-shay Jam-bel Sam-pel -- and Lati Rinpoche's oral commentary on that text, along with her excellent Introduction.
Near the end of the course, classes were interrupted by two sets of two-week teachings on Lam Rim [Jun 24-July 7 and July 12-21] by His Holiness the Dalai Lama. So by the time Ven. Nordron finally took some photos, most of the class members had departed (either the classroom or Dharamsala, for annual mass evacuation during heavy monsoon season).

Tiny Remnant of Lorig Class.
The class usually comprised around 30 students -- more or less -- from around the World! including France/Costa-Rica, Germany, India, Israel [lots], Italy, Nepal, New Zealand, Taiwan, Tibet, U.K., U.S.

IBD "Campus" Photos

2005-07-28T20:37:00.000-07:00

Two Institute for Buddhist Dialectical Studies (IBD) buildings at lower right

(Sahiwa Hotel to left) [photo taken May 2003. remainder taken July 2005]

Computer Center and "Bhudist Canteen" [photo below right]

Walkway with IBD Hall on left [Sahiwa on right]

Main IBD Complex with new upper story Prayer Hall Gate to left leads to Namgyal Monastery/Main Temple.

His Holiness the Dalai Lama - Founder of IBD

2005-07-27T08:21:00.000-07:00

His Holiness the Dalai Lama established the Institute for Buddhist Dialectical Studies - IBD [mTshan Nyi sLob grva - (Tsen-nyi lab-tra)] in McLeod Ganj, India. The Institute is attached to His Holiness' Namgyal Monastery-main Temple complex.
[photo downloaded from internet]

photos by Ven Nordron:

Zongskar Institute, Nov 2004

Tso Pema, March 2004

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2005-07-26T16:37:00.000-07:00

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