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Principle Path to Enlightenment

His Holiness the Dalai Lama's teaching on Tsongkhapa's Principle Path to Enlightenment (byang chub gshung lam) will be webcast. The text is a commentary on the chapter of Asanga's Bodhisattva Bhumi which details the Bodhisattva's ethics.
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Date: 07 - 13 July - 2007
Venue: Main Temple, Mcleod Ganj, Dharamsala, India
 
Date : 07-July-2007 (Day 1)
  
During the last seven monsoon seasons, His Holiness has been conducting teachings for a large group of Taiwanese devotees.  Every session begins with prayers sung in Chinese.  To inaugurate this year's teachings, His Holiness concisely presented a comprehensive overview of Buddhist wisdom and practice based upon one of those prayers and upon the dharani-mantra of the Heart Sutra.  The Chinese prayer has been translated:May the three types of afflictive emotions be dispelled.  May genuine wisdom be born in us.  May all negative karma and obscurations be eliminated.  May we always be able to engage in the Bodhisattva's altruistic deeds.
 
His Holiness then turned to Lama Tsongkhapa's commentary on the Ethics chapter of Arya Asanga's Bodhisattva Grounds.  The two aspects (wisdom and method) of Shakyamuni Buddha�s supreme teaching the Perfection of Wisdom Sutras were expounded upon by Nagarjuna and Asanga respectively.  Traditionally in Tibet and East Asia, some Mahayana practitioners have fallen into error by exclusively focusing on one portion of Buddha's teachings while neglecting equally important practices (e.g., meditation and study).  Tsongkhapa was inspired to compose this text on Bodhisattva Ethics in part by the mistaken view of some Tibetans that purely following the Bodhisattva vowed ethics is not essential in Tantrayana.  His Holiness advises that those who claim to be Buddhists need to develop three qualities equally:  21st century Buddhists must be learned in Buddhist teachings, ethically pure, and warm-hearted.
  
 
Date : 08-July-2007 (Day 2)
 
 
Dependent origination is the essence treasure of Buddha's profound wisdom teachings. All phenomena arise relatively in dependence upon causality and imputation.  The sufferings of cyclic existence do not arise from tangibilities but from the three poisonous afflictions (contaminated, distorted minds).  The remedy lies in the ultimate nature of mind found through dependent origination.  While causes and results must be impermanent and composite in order to change and give rise to concomitant effects, even non-composite phenomena (such as the cessations of mental afflictions that lead to Nirvana) arise in dependence upon causality.  Hence, all dependently originated phenomena do not exist in the way they appear to us as objective, independent, substantial existents.  Understanding the dependent origination of imputation helps clarify this disparity between appearance and reality.  A deepening understanding of subtle dependent origination of causality and imputation leads to the emptiness of selflessness:  none of the elements composing a person is the "self" but a functioning self cannot be imputed separately from those elements.  Then all phenomena are seen as empty not existing objectively and independently but by way of dependent origination.
 
Buddha taught vows for human beings seeking Self-Liberation (pratimoksha).  The practitioners who seek the Nirvana of Arhatship are known as Hearers (Sravakas) and Solitary-Realizers (Pratyekabuddhas).  Arhats realize the wisdoms of ultimate and conventional truth to eliminate their afflictive obscurations, but they do not complete the collections of merit required to eliminate the cognitive obscurations to the full enlightenment sought by Bodhisattvas.  A Bodhisattva's dedication of all of resources and activities for the benefit of all beings enhances the meritorious force of their activities.  Self-Liberation vows, which last for a single lifetime, are the best basis for generating the Bodhisattva vows which are taken for this and all future lifetimes (in any realm) until the goal is achieved. 
  
Date : 09-July-2007 (Day 3)
 
To summarize the path to Buddhahood: In the beginning, abandon the ten non-meritorious actions and gain favorable rebirth.  In the middle, abandon the self (end the afflictive obscurations and attain nirvana).  At the end, abandon everything (the subtle cognitive obscurations to omniscience); thereby traverse to enlightenment. By working for the final goal, the first and second aims are fulfilled.  Since the ten non-virtues are naturally harmful acts that produce suffering results, while virtuous acts are causes of happiness, even non-Buddhists profit from adopting these ethics.  For the survival of children, human biology dictates love.  All spiritual systems promote compassion.  But only Buddhism teaches that loving compassion, conjoined with discerning wisdom, can be expanded limitlessly.
 
To develop the profound non-dual meditative focus on emptiness (the sole remedy for the afflictive defilements and cognitive obscurations) requires training beyond mere morality.  When studying the Bodhisattva ethics, do not become discouraged by the pure standards of practice; despondency impedes success in any undertaking.  Buddha Nature not the defiling obscurations is the true nature of mind.  Develop honest self-confidence based on this reality and inspired by the successes of the Buddhas and great Bodhisattvas.  Study and train in the subtleties of Bodhisattva ethics to develop tenderness and patience for faulty beings; avoid defilement with mundane concerns and wrong livelihood; render assistance; relieve sorrows.  The sole attitude a Bodhisattva should cultivate is the determination to work for the welfare of sentient beings.  By dedicating every action done for their welfare, enormous virtue accrues.
 
Date : 10-July-2007 (Day 4)
 
 
The one method that eliminates the afflictive defilements (rooted in ignorant grasping) and their respective karma is non-dual meditative concentration on the sole antidote, the wisdom of emptiness.  Buddha led disciples to that wisdom by teaching progressively subtler levels of selflessness, so only logical reasoning can determine which view is internally consistent and which leave residues of deceptive appearance.  All Buddhists accept the basic selflessness that is a lack of an autonomous substantial person.  Some hold emptiness to be the non-duality of subject and object, but cling to the true existence of mind.  Others assert that all phenomena lack true existence, being posited by non-deceptive subjective minds, but hold that mind to be findable on the basis of its own characteristics.  The true Middle Way propounds the harmony of emptiness (all phenomena lack even a slight degree of independent existence, leaving no ground for attachment and aversion) and dependent origination.  Since all phenomena are dependently originated (not objectively existent), all phenomena are empty (of intrinsic existence).  Being empty, no independent, self-characterized phenomena can be found; everything is dependently originated (implying a mode of existence).  Thus the two extremes of nihilism (nothing exists) and eternalism (something for self-grasping to hold) are easily avoided.
 
The Bodhisattva Ethics commentary guides Bodhisattva vow-holders' introspective examination of the thoughts, motivations and judgments underlying their activities.  The Bodhisattva vows should be studied and understood before they are taken (unlike self-liberation and tantric vows), so a detailed examination of their benefits, qualities and grounds for infractions along with detailed description of all aspects of the Bodhisattva vows ceremonies is given. The one method that eliminates the afflictive defilements (rooted in ignorant grasping) and their respective karma is non-dual meditative concentration on the sole antidote, the wisdom of emptiness.  Buddha led disciples to that wisdom by teaching progressively subtler levels of selflessness, so only logical reasoning can determine which view is internally consistent and which leave residues of deceptive appearance.  All Buddhists accept the basic selflessness that is a lack of an autonomous substantial person.  Some hold emptiness to be the non-duality of subject and object, but cling to the true existence of mind.  Others assert that all phenomena lack true existence, being posited by non-deceptive subjective minds, but hold that mind to be findable on the basis of its own characteristics.  The true Middle Way propounds the harmony of emptiness (all phenomena lack even a slight degree of independent existence, leaving no ground for attachment and aversion) and dependent origination.  Since all phenomena are dependently originated (not objectively existent), all phenomena are empty (of intrinsic existence).  Being empty, no independent, self-characterized phenomena can be found; everything is dependently originated (implying a mode of existence).  Thus the two extremes of nihilism (nothing exists) and eternalism (something for self-grasping to hold) are easily avoided.
 
The Bodhisattva Ethics commentary guides Bodhisattva vow-holders' introspective examination of the thoughts, motivations and judgments underlying their activities.  The Bodhisattva vows should be studied and understood before they are taken (unlike self-liberation and tantric vows), so a detailed examination of their benefits, qualities and grounds for infractions along with detailed description of all aspects of the Bodhisattva vows ceremonies is given.
 
Date : 11-July-2007 (Day 5)
 
 
Date : 13-July-2007 (Day 7-Last day)
 
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