His Holiness the Dalai Lama on the final day of teaching
Photo: dalailama.com
His Holiness the Dalai Lama gave teachings on The Three Principles of the Path by Je Tsongkapa in the main temple in Dharamshala on May 10-12. The teaching had been requested by a group of Russian Buddhists; over 1,100 Russians attended. The temple was filled to capacity – as well as Tibetans and Indians, people attended from over 69 nations including Mongolia, Bhutan, Korea, the United States, Israel and many European countries. There was also a large monastic attendance.
His Holiness explained that Buddhism spread from India to Tibet then to Mongolia, including its Russian areas. He told the audience that, in preparation for his Geshe degree, several Masters from this region were very helpful to him, especially in relation to learning about the Madhyamaka tradition.
Crowd of over 7600 people gathered for the teaching
Photo: Lobsang Dhamchoe / Contact
On the first morning His Holiness made some general points about Buddhism and provided the background to the text to be studied. He referred to the importance of using logic when following the Buddha’s teachings and experimenting with the teachings to test their effectiveness, rather than relying purely on faith. He pointed out that with technological advances more people across the world are becoming interested in Buddhism. He also said that Buddhism needs to be in accord with modern science and should be compared with other religions, emphasising the importance of using non-violence to resolve conflict in the world.
His Holiness put the text into the boarder context of the Buddha’s teachings. He explained that Buddha gave three kinds of teachings, dependent upon the capabilities of the students; these are known as the Three Turnings of the Wheel of Dharma. The first comprises the Four Noble Truths, the second the Perfection of Wisdom or Object of Clear Light and the third comprises the Subject of Mind of Clear Light. He explained that text that he would be teaching is a commentary on the latter, which is taught in both the Sutras and Tantric teachings.
Russians who requested for this teaching welcoming His Holiness
Photo: OHHDL
On the second day His Holiness went through the entire text of the Three Principles of the Path and on the third he conveyed the Bodhisattva ceremony, followed by a private teaching on the Furthest Everlasting Continuum (Sanskrit – Uttaratantra; Tibetan – gyu lama) for the Russian group.
His Holiness taught in Tibetan and translations were available in twelve different languages. The teachings are currently available on https://www.dalailama.com/videos.
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