His Holiness the Dalai Lama: The qualities of Buddha-nature.

His Holiness the Dalai Lama: These passages also give us an idea of the qualities we will attain if we practice the Dharma as the Buddha instructed. 

His Holiness the Dalai Lama: These passages also give us an idea of the qualities we will attain if we practice the Dharma as the Buddha instructed.

His Holiness the Dalai Lama: The qualities of Buddha-nature. The Tathāgata’s Qualities

Editor’s Note: In this excerpt from their new book Buddhism: One Teacher, Many Traditions, the Dalai Lama and Thubten Chodron explore the qualities of the Tathāgata. The Encyclopedia Britannica defines Tathāgata as “one of the titles of a Buddha and the one most frequently employed by the historical Buddha, Siddhartha Gautama, when referring to himself. The exact meaning of the word is uncertain; Buddhist commentaries present as many as eight explanations. The most generally adopted interpretation is ‘one who has thus (tatha) gone (gata)’ or ‘one who has thus (tatha) arrived (agata),’ implying that the historical Buddha was only one of many who have in the past and will in the future experience enlightenment and teach others how to achieve it. In later Mahayana Buddhism, Tathagata came to convey the essential buddha nature hidden in everyone.”

Prologue

Due to the great kindness of the Buddha, who taught the Dharma and established the Saṅgha, the teachings showing the path to liberation have been clearly set forth for sentient beings to follow. As the Buddha’s doctrine spread throughout the Indian subcontinent and then into other countries, different Buddhist traditions emerged. Continue reading »

H.H. Dalai Lama: Realistic approach of Buddhism

His Holiness the Dalai Lama: There’s no room for violence in a world in which we must all live together, interdependent on one another.

His Holiness the Dalai Lama: There’s no room for violence in a world in which we must all live together, interdependent on one another.

The Dalai Lama’s Reflections on the Realistic Approach of Buddhism: Talks to Former Dharamsala Residents from the West

His Holiness the Fourteenth Dalai Lama 
Dharamsala, India, November 2 – 3, 2010. Transcribed by Sean Jones and Michael Richards 
Edited by Luke Roberts and Alexander Berzin 
With clarifications indicated between square brackets. This is the printer-friendly version of: http://www.BerzinArchives.com /web/x/nav/group.html_677503622.html

Part One: Advice on Death and Dying

Leading a Meaningful Life

Firstly I want to express my greetings. Many of you, I think, are very, very old friends, longtime friends, and unchanging friends. So that’s very good.

Thirty, forty years have gone by since the time you lived and studied here. Our bodies have changed. Continue reading »

S. S. Dalai Lama: Lam-rim

Sua Santità il Dalai Lama: Il passo preliminare per poter liberare se stessi dalle rinascite inferiori è il desiderio di liberarsi da tali sofferenze.

Sua Santità il Dalai Lama: Il passo preliminare per poter liberare se stessi dalle rinascite inferiori è il desiderio di liberarsi da tali sofferenze.

Consigli di Sua Santità il quattordicesimo Dalai Lama sull’insegnamento del Lam-rim conferiti a Dharamsala, India, 26 Marzo 1986

Tradotto da Alexander Berzin, con chiarimenti delle risposte di Sua Santità incluse in parentesi quadre.

Il Lam-rim e le quattro nobili verità

Alexander Berzin: Qual è il modo migliore per insegnare il Lam-rim in Europa orientale? Vostra Santità, nell’insegnamento sul Lama Chopa (Bla-ma mchod-pa, Cerimonia di offerta ai Maestri spirituali, Il Guru Puja), suggeriva d’iniziare con le quattro nobili verità e la motivazione di livello intermedio. Potrebbe elaborare su questo suggerimento? Inoltre, qual è il suo consiglio circa la cosiddetta “devozione al guru” e le pratiche preliminari? Nell’Europa orientale non è possibile esporre immagini dei Buddha o disporre ciotole d’acqua sull’altare, perché ciò desta molti sospetti.

Sua Santità il Dalai Lama: Credo che non solo nei paesi comunisti ma anche altrove sia consigliabile cominciare con le quattro nobili verità. Continue reading »

The Six Perfections by H. H. The Dalai Lama

The Six Perfections by H. H. The Dalai Lama

1. Generosity

The first among the six perfections is generosity. Generosity is of three types: giving material aid, giving dharma, and protecting from fear. “Giving dharma” refers to the giving of teachings to other sentient beings out of the pure motivation to benefit them. The phrase does not only refer to high lamas giving teachings seated on high thrones. You should not have the notion that dharma teachings should be preceded by impressive rituals such as the blowing of conch shells and the like. Rather, any instruction given out of compassion and a kind heart by anyone is considered generosity of the dharma. Continue reading »

H.H. Dalai Lama: Collaboration Between Science and Religion

A Collaboration Between Science and Religion, by His Holiness Tenzin Gyatso, the 14th Dalai Lama

January 14, 2003

These are times when destructive emotions like anger, fear and hatred are giving rise to devastating problems throughout the world. While the daily news offers grim reminders of the destructive power of such emotions, the question we must ask is, what can we do to overcome them? Continue reading »

H.H. Dalai Lama: 3 Principal Aspects of the Path

His Holiness the Fourteenth Dalai Lama: Renunciation has two directions of looking. On the one hand, with such an attitude, we look down at the suffering of samsara, with no interest in it, and we feel disgust and the wish to be rid of it completely. On the other hand, we look up at liberation and wish to attain it.

His Holiness the Fourteenth Dalai Lama: Renunciation has two directions of looking. On the one hand, with such an attitude, we look down at the suffering of samsara, with no interest in it, and we feel disgust and the wish to be rid of it completely. On the other hand, we look up at liberation and wish to attain it.

His Holiness the Fourteenth Dalai Lama: A Short Commentary on The Three Principal Aspects of the Path (Lam-gtso rnam-gsum) by Tsongkhapa (Tsong-kha-pa Blo-bzang grags-pa) 1983
 
translated and condensed by Alexander Berzin.

Introduction – As we are here in a special place, we must set a special motivation: the bodhichitta aim to attain enlightenment for the sake of all beings. This needs to be completely sincere. Buddha himself attained his enlightenment by the power of his pure bodhichitta aim. All his qualities and attainments were dependent on that enlightening motive. To reach the same attainment, we need to pray to develop such a mind ourselves as much as possible and to have it ever increase.

These last days we have built up some positive force (merit) through these teachings. Let us now continue today with The Three Principal Aspects of the Path by Jey Tsongkhapa. The three refer to renunciation, bodhichitta, and a correct view of voidness.

Renunciation is based on the attitude with which we turn our minds completely away from all wishes for samsara, uncontrollably recurring existence.

Our attainment of liberation is dependent on having such a renunciation. Bodhichitta is the attitude or intention to attain enlightenment to benefit all limited beings (sentient beings). The correct view of voidness is realization of the actual abiding nature of reality.

Concerning the correct view or understanding of voidness, of reality, of non-inherent existence, if it is held by a mind of renunciation, it brings liberation. It brings liberation by eliminating the obscurations that prevent liberation, namely the disturbing emotions and attitudes, the mental factors Continue reading »