Category Archives: Wisdom EN

Commentary on the Madhyamakāvatāra—Part 2

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Commentary on the Madhyamakāvatāra—Part 2—Title and Translators Homage

by Khenchen Namdrol Tsering

In this, the second part of his extensive oral commentary on Candrakīrti’s Madhyamakāvatāra, Khenchen Namdrol Tsering discusses the title of the text and the translator’s homage.

Madhyamakāvatāra: Collection of Reasoning

by Khenchen Namdrol Rinpoche

The Text Itself

The text we are explaining here is the Introduction to the Middle Way, and to do so we will use its auto-commentary. There are four main parts to the explanation:

1. The Meaning of the Title
2. The Translators’ Homage
3. The Main Part of the Text
4. The Conclusion

1. The Meaning of the Title

The Sanskrit title of the auto-commentary is Madhyamakavatarabhashya-nama. In Tibetan, it is དབུ་མ་ལ་འཇུག་པའི་བཤད་པ་ཞེས་བྱ་བ།, or A Commentary to the Introduction to the Middle Way. Continue reading »

Commentary on the Madhyamakāvatāra—Part 1—Collection of Reasoning

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Khenpo Namdrol Tsering

Commentary on the Madhyamakāvatāra—Part 1—Collection of Reasoning

by Khenchen Namdrol Tsering

In this teaching, translated from an audio recording, Khenchen Namdrol Tsering explains the background to Candrakīrti’s classic work by discussing the texts of the ‘collection (or corpus) of reasoning’ (rigs tshogs) attributed to Nāgārjuna, the great philosopher and founder of the Madhyamaka tradition.

Madhyamakāvatāra: Collection of Reasoning

by Khenchen Namdrol Rinpoche

Motivation

Please listen to this explanation with the supreme motivation of bodhicitta, wishing to attain perfect awakening for the sake of all sentient beings.

Introduction to the Text

The Collection of Middle Way Reasoning

The great master Ārya Nāgārjuna was prophesied by the Buddha himself in the Root Tantra of Mañjuśrī (Mañjuśrīmūla Tantra):

Four hundred years after I,
The Tathāgata, have passed away,
A monk called Nāga will appear
Who will benefit my teachings.
Reaching the bhūmi of Perfect Joy
And living for six hundred years,
This great being will perfect
The science of the great peacock,[1]
And will understand the meaning of various śāstras
And the meaning of the absence of reality.
When he leaves behind his mortal body,
He will be reborn in Sukhāvatī.
And ultimately, he will certainly gain
he perfect fruit of buddhahood itself.

Continue reading »

Shantideva: Engaging in Bodhisattva Behavior – Bodhisattvacharyavatara

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Shantideva: May no limited being ever have pain, 
Nor act with negative force, nor be sick, 
Nor be frightened, nor be derided, 
Nor ever be depressed.

Engaging in Bodhisattva Behavior – Shantideva

(sPyod-‘jug, Bodhisattvacharyavatara) 
by Shantideva 
translated from the Tibetan, as clarified by the Sanskrit 
by Alexander Berzin, 2004

Contents

Introductory Note on the Translation

The Diversity of Textual Versions and Editions

Translation Method for Resolving Discrepancies between Tibetan and Sanskrit

Acknowledgements

Translation

1. The Benefits of Bodhichitta Continue reading »

Chandrakīrti: Introduction to the Middle Way, Madhyamakāvatāra

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Chandrakīrti: Introduction to the Middle Way, Madhyamakāvatāra

The Text Itself

The text we are explaining here is the Introduction to the Middle Way, and to do so we will use its auto-commentary.

There are four main parts to the explanation:

1. The Meaning of the Title

2. The Translators’ Homage

3. The Main Part of the Text

4. The Conclusion

The Meaning of the Title

The Sanskrit title of the auto-commentary is Madhyamakavatarabhashya-nama. In Tibetan, it is dbu ma la ‘jug pa’i bshad pa zhes bya ba, or A Commentary to the Introduction to the Middle Way. Continue reading »

Realizing the Ultimate Nature of Phenomena

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Cutting the Source of Suffering: Realizing the Ultimate Nature of Phenomena

From a talk in Singapore by Lama Thubten Zopa Rinpoche

Let’s bring our attention to the ultimate nature of phenomena–the ultimate nature of the I, actions, objects, and all there is. Everything–what is called “this” and “that”–is all name coming from the mind, given by the mind. Continue reading »

Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche: Confusion Dawns as Wisdom,

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Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche

Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche: Confusion Dawns as Wisdom, Quintessential Dzogchen

“Our basic nature is essentially identical with the ground, has two basic aspects: primordial purity (kadag) and spontaneous presence (lhundrub). Our mind’s empty essence is related to primordial purity, while it’s cognizant nature is linked to spontaneous presence.

Spontaneous presence literally means “that which appears and is present by itself” and—besides our cognizant nature—includes the deities that are experienced in the bardo, as well as all the Tögal displays. In the same way, the pure wisdom realms that unfold out of the expanse of the three kayas, which is the state of rigpa devoid of clinging, are also experienced as a natural presence. To rephrase this, all the self-appearing and naturally present Tögal displays, the kayas and wisdoms, that unfold out of the state of dharmakaya, free of grasping, manifest from the primordially pure essence and spontaneously present nature, kadag and lhundrub. Continue reading »

Ārya Nāgārjuna: Verses on the Heart of Dependent Origination

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Ārya Nāgārjuna: Verses on the Heart of Dependent Origination

In this short text, called Pratītyasamutpādahṛdaya in Sanskrit, Nāgārjuna explains the heart or ‘essence’ (hṛdaya) of dependent origination (pratītyasamutpāda) in just seven stanzas. He shows how the twelve links of dependent origination can be further condensed into the three categories of afflictions (kleśa), karma and suffering, and how all phenomena, being interdependent, are empty of true existence.

In the language of India: pratītyasamutpāda hṛdaya kārikā
In the language of Tibet: rten cing ‘brel par ‘byung ba’i snying po tshig le’ur byas pa
In the English language: Verses on the Heart of Dependent Origination

Homage to Mañjuśrī, the Youthful!

1. These different links, twelve in number,
Which Buddha taught as dependent origination,
Can be summarized in three categories:
Mental afflictions, karma and suffering.

2. The first, eighth and ninth are afflictions,
The second and tenth are karma,
The remaining seven are suffering.
Thus the twelve links are grouped in three. Continue reading »

Nāgārjuna: Commentary on the Noble Essence of the Dharmadhātu

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Commentary on the Noble Essence of the Dharmadhātu

This short text attributed to Nāgārjuna, which appears in the Abhidharma section of the Tengyur (Toh 4101), is a commentary on the so-called ye dharma formula of dependent origination.

Nāgārjuna: Commentary on the Noble Essence of the Dharmadhātu

In the language of India: Ārya-dharmadhātu-garbha-vivaraṇa
In the language of Tibet: ‘phags pa chos kyi dbyings kyi snying po’i rnam par ‘grel pa
In the English language: Commentary on the Noble Essence of the Dharmadhātu

Homage to the Three Jewels!

It is said:

Those phenomena that originate from causes,
The Tathāgata has proclaimed these causes,
And also that which puts a stop to these causes,
This too has been taught by the Great Śramaṇa.

Here, “those phenomena” should be understood as sevenfold: 1) consciousness, 2) name and form, 3) the six sensory sources, 4) contact, 5) sensation, 6) birth, and 7) old age and death. Continue reading »

Machig Labdron: Wisdom from an Old Lady

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Machig Labdron: Becoming familiar with this, blending your mind with it

Machig Labdron: Wisdom from an Old Lady

For ninety-nine years
I have worked for the benefit of beings.
Now this work is almost complete.
I will not take birth again
in this human realm in a physical form,
nor will I leave behind any remains or relics.
But my emanations in the world will be innumerable;
and many will recognize them.
They will be perceived in different ways,
depending on karma, pure or impure.
In the same way, mind itself has no support, has no object:
let it rest in its natural expanse without any fabrication.
When the bonds (of negative thoughts) are released,
you will be free, there is no doubt.
As when gazing into space, all other visual objects disappear,
so it is for mind itself.
When mind is looking at mind,
all discursive thoughts cease and
enlightenment is attained.
As in the sky all clouds disappear into sky itself:
wherever they go, they go nowhere,
wherever they are, they are nowhere. Continue reading »