Preliminary Teachings to the Kalachakra Initiation
by His Holiness the Dalai Lama
on The Thirty-seven Practices of Bodhisattvas
Translator: Jeffery Hopkins
Santa Monica, California
July 1989
I will be lecturing on The Thirty-Seven Practices of Bodhisattvas by the Bodhisattva Togmey. When one engages in lecturing on or attending a lecture, hearing about the Buddhist religion in general and in this case the doctrine of the Great Vehicle, it is necessary first to go for refuge. One then practices altruistic mind generation to make the mind more altruistic. This is why we will repeat together the basic refuge formula three times.
Before beginning to lecture on The Thirty-Seven Practices of Bodhisattvas, I will give a general presentation of the structure of the Buddhist system. As is well known, there are in general the system of the Theravada and the Vehicle of Bodhisattvas. Within the Vehicle of Bodhisattvas as a sub-division there is the Vehicle of Mantra or Tantra. There are these three. I think most of you know that the Tibetan system practices all three yanas. The Theravada system concerns oneself and is practiced as a foundation. The main practice is the understanding or realization of suffering. Following these are the three practices of ethics, samadhi (or focusing our mental force sometimes called one-pointedness of mind) and then wisdom or deeper awareness of the ultimate nature, a deeper awareness of selflessness, the non-soul theory Without the practice of these things you can not practice the Bodhisattvayana. This must be taken as a foundation or basis. Continue reading