5 – H.H. Dalai Lama: Commentary on the Rosary of Views

His Holiness the XIV Dalai Lama: I think that basically, as you know, if the Buddhist system is utilized in a maximum way then try to transform your emotions; this is the proper way, not just prayer, not just faith but utilize your intelligence to analyze, analyze, thinking, thinking. In this way you develop some kind of conviction which brings determination which brings effort and then time passes and things will change.

His Holiness the XIV Dalai Lama: I think that basically, as you know, if the Buddhist system is utilized in a maximum way then try to transform your emotions; this is the proper way, not just prayer, not just faith but utilize your intelligence to analyze, analyze, thinking, thinking. In this way you develop some kind of conviction which brings determination which brings effort and then time passes and things will change.

Commentary on the Rosary of Views by His Holiness the XIV Dalai Lama

19-21, 2004, Miami, Florida. Translated by Thubten Jinpa. Sept. Transcribed, annotated and edited by Phillip Lecso.

.Day Four

His Holiness  the XIV Dalai Lama

We will start with the ceremony for generating the awakening mind. Generating bodhicitta or the awakening mind is truly the essence of the Buddha’s teachings as well as the path. One can say that all of the various elements of the practices presented in the teachings of the Vehicles of the Disciples and of the Self-Realized Ones can be viewed as preliminary to the practice of bodhicitta or awakening mind. The cultivation of the awakening mind is the main practice or the main element of the path. All of the other practices such as the Six Perfections and all of the Vajrayana practices can be seen as precepts of generating the awakening mind. Particularly the Vajrayana practices can be seen as an extension, elaboration or refined development of especially the last two perfections, the Perfection of Concentration and the Perfection of Wisdom.

For this ceremony for generating the awakening mind, first of all imagine the Buddha in the space in front in a standing posture. Imagine that this is really the Buddha and that he is surrounded by all of the great bodhisattva masters of India such as Nagarjuna and so on and the great bodhisattva masters of Tibet from both the Old Translation and the New Translation, all of whom made tremendous contributions for the welfare of sentient beings. Continue reading »