Dalai Lama Makes Pilgrimage to Ladakh

Pilgrimage to Leh Jokhang
July 4, 2018

Leh, Ladakh, J&K, India - Following his arrival in Ladakh yesterday, His Holiness the Dalai Lama began the day today with a pilgrimage to the Leh Jokhang. Smiling people lined the streets to greet him as he approached the city of Leh. He was welcomed on arrival at the Jokhang by Tsewang Thinles, President of the Ladakh Buddhist Association and his staff. Led by monks playing horns, they escorted His Holiness to the temple while traditional Ladakhi musicians played in the temple yard.

Once inside the temple, which was packed with local people, monks and nuns, as well as laymen and women, His Holiness paid his respects before the statues of Manjushri, Thousand Armed Avalokiteshvara, the Buddha and Guru Padmasambhava. He warmly greeted Ganden Trisur, Rizong Rinpoche, Thiksey Rinpoche and other Lamas before taking his seat facing the statue of the Buddha that emulates the Lhasa Jowo.

In his introductory speech Tsewang Thinles saluted His Holiness and other eminent Lamas. He reported that, taking His Holiness’s guidance to heart, the Ladakh Buddhist Association has decided to transform the Jokhang into a centre of learning. They are providing opportunities for people to improve their command of literary Tibetan and study Buddhist teachings with the aim of becoming 21st century Buddhists—people whose faith is based on a sound understanding.

His Holiness began his remarks with the closing and opening verses of homage from Nagarjuna’s ‘Fundamental Wisdom of the Middle Way’:

I prostrate to Gautama

Who, through compassion,

Taught the exalted Dharma,

Which leads to the relinquishing of all views.

I prostrate to the perfect Buddha,

The best of all teachers, who taught that

That which is dependent origination is

Without cessation, without arising;

Without annihilation, without permanence;

Without coming; without going;

Without distinction, without identity

And peaceful - free from fabrications.

“There have been many founding teachers of religious traditions, Mahavira, Jesus Christ and Muhammad for example, who have conveyed a common message of love, compassion and tolerance. It’s on this basis that in India there is respect for all religious traditions. Inter-religious harmony has been strong here for more than 3000 years. And yet sadly elsewhere today, we see people fighting and killing each other in the name of religion.

“In terms of philosophical views, the Buddha taught how to overcome ignorance; how to eliminate the misconceptions we have about reality. In explaining dependent origination he showed that things exist in dependence on other factors. This unique point of view is today admired even by scientists.”

His Holiness reminded his listeners that Buddhism consists of the Pali and Sanskrit traditions and that the Pali tradition focuses on the explanation of the Four Noble Truths, the Vinaya and so forth. Meanwhile, the core of the Sanskrit tradition is the Perfection of Wisdom teachings that were given on Vulture’s Peak and which emphasize emptiness of intrinsic existence. In elaborating on these teachings Nagarjuna clarified dependent origination, declaring that since there is nothing that is not dependent, there is nothing that is not empty.

“I received the ‘Six Treatises on Reason’ by Nagarjuna, as well as several from his Collection of Praises, such as the ‘Praise for the Awakening Mind of Bodhichitta’, from Geshe Rigzin Tempa,” His Holiness acknowledged. “Besides these I have received several transmissions and explanations of rare texts from Khunu Lama Rinpoche and Ganden Trisur, Rizong Rinpoche.

“I remember when I was young in Lhasa seeing people in white chubas wearing boots that turned up at the toe who were clearly not well off. They came from the Himalayan Regions and Tibetans were inclined to look down on them. However, these three great masters, who have been kind teachers to me, came from among such people.

“We are incredibly fortunate to have a rich collection of literature, the Kangyur and Tengyur, more than 100 volumes of the translated words of the Buddha and more than 200 volumes of works of subsequent, mostly Indian, masters. As a follower of the Buddha, a monk, rather than just reciting the verses of refuge, it is thinking critically about works such as the ‘Five Treatises of Maitreya’ and Nagarjuna’s ‘Six Treatises on Reason’ that has had a transformative impact on my mind. When we critically appraise such texts, we use a logical approach that derives from Dignaga and Dharmakirti, which is a profound means of gaining insight.

“The Buddha himself advised his followers not to accept what he taught at face value, but to examine it, much as a goldsmith tests gold, and accept it only after rigorous investigation has shown it to be logical and of benefit. Therefore, it’s very good that you have announced your intention to make this Jokhang and other temples and monasteries centres of learning.”

The temple was filled with applause.

“The reasoned Nalanda Tradition is now only preserved among Tibetan and Himalayan Buddhists. Today, I’m talking about reviving ancient Indian wisdom in India. The Principal of the Government College in Dharamsala has spoken to me about taking the initiative to do this in an academic way. The other day at the launch of a ‘Happiness Curriculum’ by the Government of Delhi I talked about the need to combine modern education with insight and understanding derived from ancient India. I also had the chance to discuss with Abbots from Drepung and Sera how scholars from our great monastic universities can share this knowledge with Indian educators. In March, I was able to discuss this option with 150 Vice-Chancellors of Indian universities. You Ladakhis can take part too.

“We all follow the Mahayana, the Sanskrit Tradition. The explicit content of the Perfection of Wisdom teachings at its heart were explained by Nagarjuna in his ‘Six Treatises on Reason’. The implicit content was explained in Maitreya’s ‘Ornament for Clear Realization’. What this entails is cultivating an understanding of emptiness and the altruistic awakening mind of bodhichitta.”

His Holiness explained that just as we train children to be physically fit, teaching them about exercise, diet and hygiene, we also need to teach them how to be mentally fit by training the mind and learning to tackle destructive emotions. He recommended that we all try to understand what disturbs our peace of mind and what brings calm, but stressed that it can be learned not in a religious but an academic context. He further suggested that once India responds to this initiative, China will take interest too. Once that happens 2.5 billion people could be involved, which would be of significance for the world. This, he declared, would be using knowledge preserved in the Nalanda Tradition in a secular way for universal benefit.

“The world today is facing a serious crisis of emotions. People think destructive emotions are a natural part of the mind. Advice from ancient Indian psychology can show us they are not and that we can tackle and eliminate them. We need to ask ourselves how to find happiness—it’s not in money and power. As I mentioned before, we need to discover not only what disturbs our minds, but also what the antidotes to those factors are.

“As Buddhists we regularly pray to attain enlightenment for the sake of all sentient beings. However, the fact is that it is the human beings on this earth with whom we can communicate and share this understanding. It involves logic and reason. Suicide rates are increasing in a highly developed country like Japan. Even here in Ladakh I hear incidents of suicide are growing, perhaps as a result of jealousy and competitiveness. Something has to be done. We need to call on ancient Indian psychology in a secular way, relying on our common sense, common experience and scientific findings. And that’s all for today.”

Stopping to interact playfully with members of the crowd, old people and young children, His Holiness made his way out of the temple to his car. He then drove from Leh back to the Shewatsel Phodrang for lunch.

original link & photos: https://www.dalailama.com/news/2018/pilgrimage-to-leh-jokhang

Dalai Lama: Teachings for Russian Buddhists Begin in Delhi

Delhi, India, 25 December 2016 - Yesterday, Tibetans, people from the Himalayan regions and elsewhere lined the streets around Ganden Monastery in Mundgod to see His Holiness the Dalai Lama off. Abbots and former Abbots accompanied him to the airport. He flew from Huballi to Delhi, arriving in time for lunch.

Today, before embarking on three days of teachings requested by interested Russians, His Holiness gave interviews, first to Lenta.Ru a major Russian news agency.

Questions began with what we should expect as a result of changes taking place in the Western world. His Holiness replied that the Western world is part of the world as a whole, just as Russia is. The people remain human beings and it is a common human experience to feel something when others are dying, starving or being killed.

“Last century saw a lot of fighting. In the later part of the 20th century there was the Cold War, but that was better than a hot war. I admire the spirit of the European Union where former enemies, France and Germany have overcome discord and, working together as friends, have developed the EU. Union is based on mutual respect. The Soviet Union collapsed because it was totalitarian, the EU succeeds because of democracy.”

Asked if he thought we could look forward to a greater era of peace, His Holiness answered that there is no other option. He said that if war escalated into nuclear war everyone would suffer. What sensible person would want that? Pressed to say how to be non-violent in a violent world, he replied:

“Use common sense and look at things from a wider perspective. Violence is linked to anger and hatred. Anger obscures our ability to see things clearly, leading us to follow unrealistic courses of action. Problems can always be better solved through understanding and dialogue. We should avoid glorifying anger—it’s foolish to indulge those who are angry.”

The woman correspondent from the Tuva branch of the Russian STS TV channel asked how Tuva should preserve its culture. His Holiness told her protecting the language was important. Regarding its Buddhist culture, like Tibetan Buddhism it derives from the Nalanda Tradition. Keeping it alive requires more than faith alone, it requires understanding. His Holiness reiterated advice he regularly gives followers—be 21st century Buddhists.

“Study—develop a fuller knowledge of Buddhist ideas, the sense that there is a gap between appearance and reality and the detailed account of the workings of the mind and emotions.”

A frisson of anticipation ran through the crowd of more than 1250 people in the teaching hall as His Holiness approached. In the corridor outside representatives welcomed him with white scarves in their hands, chanting the ‘Mig-tse-ma’ prayer. Mostly they came from Kalmykia, Buryatia, Tuva and Mongolia, as well as from countries of the Russian CIS, Russia, Ukraine and Kazakhstan among them.

“Today, we’ve gathered here for teachings requested by people from Russia,” His Holiness announced. “When I was a child there were several eminent scholars from Kalmykia, Buryatia and Tuva in our monasteries. Now, there are about 500 students from these places and Mongolia studying in the monasteries in South India.

“The Nalanda Tradition we follow explains how we can transform our minds that are clear and aware by purifying them of negative emotions and imprints and acquiring insight—the basis, path and result.

Buddhas do not wash unwholesome deeds away with water,

Nor do they remove the sufferings of beings with their hands,

Neither do they transplant their own realization into others.

Teaching the truth of suchness they liberate (beings).

“In other words, they present the basis, path and result. Use your intelligence to analyse the teachings. With compassion and intelligence develop conviction and apply what you’ve understood in your lives.”

His Holiness reported that he has been holding discussions with scientists for more than 30 years. However, there are now monks able to hold their own and explain a Buddhist position in such discussions too, as they revealed in the Emory Tibet Symposium in Drepung a few days ago. He declared he was impressed.

His Holiness remarked that Buddhists commonly pray for the welfare of all mother sentient beings, but stressed that if such prayers are to have meaning, they should be translated into action. He also clarified that it is the people we live with on this earth who we can do something for.

He described an experiment he has watched revealing the positive response of infants to animated images of children helping each other. They show misgivings about similar animated images of children hindering and obstructing each other. From these responses among children too young to speak, scientists conclude that human nature is essentially positive and compassionate. He said it is a sign of the inadequacy of contemporary education that it fails to preserve and develop this essential good-naturedness. He mentioned a draft curriculum for schools that is under development that is intended to redress this imbalance.

Mentioning the importance of harmony and respect among the world’s religions, His Holiness drew comparisons between their variety and the various Buddhist traditions and even the different schools of Tibetan Buddhism. Variety springs from differences of need, time and circumstances. He affirmed that although he has retired from responsibility for Tibetan political affairs, he remains dedicated to protecting the natural environment and keeping Tibetan language, culture and religion alive.

Taking up his copy of ‘Guide to the Bodhisattva’s Way of Life’, His Holiness said he had heard it explained by a remarkable scholar and practitioner, Khunu Lama Tenzin Gyaltsen. He asked him to teach it as much as he could, a request His Holiness has been dedicated in fulfilling. Khunu Lama Rinpoche told him that there has been no greater work on the cultivation of the awakening mind since this book was composed by Shantideva in the 8th century CE.

His Holiness pointed out that Chapter Six and Chapter Eight are the two most important chapters on the awakening mind, while Chapter Nine deals with wisdom.

In the absence of anyone who could chant in Pali, His Holiness invited Ven Tenzin Priyadarshi to recite the ‘Heart Sutra’ in Sanskrit. He himself led recitation of the accompanying verse and mantra from the same sutra in Tibetan, which was followed by the ‘Heart Sutra’ again in Russian.

After fielding an array of questions from the audience His Holiness told them he wanted to read the opening verses of Chapter Nine of the ‘Guide’.

All these branches of the Doctrine

The Enlightened Sage expounded for the sake of wisdom.

Therefore, they must cultivate this wisdom

Who wish to have an end of suffering.

Relative and ultimate,

These the two truths are declared to be.

The ultimate is not within the reach of intellect,

For intellect is said to be the relative.

In light of this, within the world, two kinds of people are observed: 

Those with yogic insight and the common run of people.

In this regard, the views of ordinary folk

Are undermined by yogis who themselves are in the world.

In contrast to common people, enthralled by appearances, His Holiness explained that yogis are those who see the nature of things as they really are. He quoted Nagarjuna:

There does not exist anything 

That is not dependently arisen. 

Therefore there does not exist anything 

That is not empty.

He then joked that both yogis and common people feel hungry and need to take lunch and, with his advice that the audience attend a review of what had been covered in the afternoon, the first session came to an end.

Original link with photos: http://www.dalailama.com/news/post/1514-teachings-for-russian-buddhists-begin-in-delhi

Dalai Lama Teaches the Eight Great Tantric Commentaries

Hunsur, Karnataka, India, 12 December 2015 - His Holiness the Dalai Lama took his seat this morning and looking out into the temple and beyond saw monks distributing copies of the text he was to teach. They were in small traditional woodblock format and wrapped in yellow cloth. He intervened to announce that the ‘Eight Great Tantric Commentaries of Gyumey’ were not for everyone.

“It’s a sealed and restricted text that can only be seen by someone who does the practice of Vajrabhairava or Guhyasamaja. Only someone who can keep the commitments should take a copy. If those of you who have taken it are determined to do the practice, you’re welcome, but only a few hundred have been printed. In Gyutö too I taught the 'Seven Chapters of Vajrabhairava' which was similarly restricted and I said then please only take it if you’ll do the practice.

“Sakya Dagtri is here with us today to listen to this teaching, so he will become not only a holder of the ‘Path and Fruit’ tradition but also of Se-gyu. At the end his work on Guhyasamaja, at the end to the Guhyasamaja Prayer Je Tsongkhapa says: ‘This is a means to lead you to enlightenment in one lifetime.’”

His Holiness explained that the eight texts deal mostly with completion stage practices related to the various tantric traditions upheld at Gyumey Monastery, which are based upon the Guhyasamaja system. He said that Kalachakra has its own system and the Ka-gye of the Nyingmas has its own system. Dzogchen too distinguishes between the unenlightened mind and pristine awareness.

“In Tibet, Gyumey Monastery had a custom of 32 monks doing a strict sealed Guhyasamaja retreat at Chumiglung. I don’t know if they would really meditate on Guhyasamaja, but the abbot would teach these texts. Even if someone died they wouldn’t open it up; the doors were sealed. When Jamyang Shyepa Ngawang Tsöndrü was in such a retreat at Chumiglung he also managed to meditate on the 173 aspects of the three types of knowledge.

“I’ve suggested to Sera, Drepung and Ganden Monasteries that they should have retreat places too. As the Arhat Sagara said: “Through meditation extract the essence of this life. Don’t be content merely with wearing a monk’s robes. Meditate on the Dharma. Extract the essence by study, concentration and practice.”

“Je Rinpoche made his life meaningful without engaging in the eight worldly concerns. He turned down the Chinese Emperor’s invitation, which others might have happily gone along with.

“If we can set up retreat centres with appropriate facilities, we should. As Jamyang Shyepa did, we should also try to meditate on the 173 aspects of the three types of knowledge. It’s not enough just to spend the time saying mantras. Gyumey Tantric College has a plan to introduce a study curriculum based on texts by the previous Dalai Lamas. They brought the books to me and the one I picked out to look at was a commentary to the ‘Ornament for Clear Realization’ by the 5th Dalai Lama. Preserving and studying the works of the Dalai Lamas is a tradition that used to be kept by Deyang Monastery.”

Before beginning to read the texts, His Holiness said that he had received these Eight Commentaries from Ling Rinpoche and that most of them are to do with completion stage practices. In calm and steady tones His Holiness read until lunch and resumed when everyone reassembled afterwards, completing his reading of the final text on Kalachakra by mid-afternoon. Noting that there is also a thorough explanation of Kalachakra in Khedrup-je’s Collected Works he was reminded that during the preparatory rites yesterday he had looked up at the altar and reflected that where there are statues of Je Rinpoche above the Buddha, there should be copies of the Kangyur and Tengyur.

“Not so long ago I was invited to consecrate a colossal statue of Guru Padmasambhava at Tsopema. If you look back at history, Guru Padmasambhava was immensely important in bringing Buddhism to Tibet. He made great prayers for the Tibetan people. I recognise his kindness, but I said this statue of him would last long into the future, but it will never speak. Similarly, we pay great respect to the statue of Buddha in Bodhgaya, but it too will never speak.

“I firmly believe that if Je Tsongkhapa were to appear and we were to ask him questions he would say, 'The answers are already recorded in the 18 volumes of my collected works.' Please make an effort to study. We have to be Buddhists of the 21st century; we need to understand as well as being able to repeat the words. What’s more, as well as reading Je Tsongkhapa’s works, it would be good to read his critics too. See what Daktsang Lotsawa, Shakya Chokden, Gorampa and Rongton Sheja Kunrig had to say. These days many of our monks restrict their reading only to their own monastery’s standard texts.

“In conclusion, let’s pray for the flourishing of the Buddha’s teachings.”

Finally His Holiness gave advice about approaching and viewing the sand mandala.

“Viewing the mandala with devotion you can purify the misdeeds of countless lives. So approach it with a good motivation, recalling the awakening mind and your understanding of emptiness. There’s no rush, the monks will continue to perform prayers in front of it for several days before it is dismantled. I expect many of us will meet again at Tashi Lhunpo, but anyone who is interested to attend the Mind & Life conference at Sera is welcome.”

Original link & photos http://dalailama.com/news/post/1342-teaching-the-eight-great-tantric-commentaries-of-gyumey-tantric-college

His Holiness the Dalai Lama Visits St Xavier’s College Mumbai

Mumbai, India, 23 January 2013 - His Holiness the Dalai Lama fulfilled a long-standing invitation and visited St Xavier’s, the venerable Roman Catholic college in the heart of Mumbai. The principal, Fr Frazer Mascarenhas escorted him from his car into the main courtyard, which erupted in cheers as excited students, not only on the ground, but also at the windows and balconies of the upper floors, called out their warm welcome.

When he entered the hall where he was invited to speak, the audience were again welcoming in a way that seemed not just curious, but genuinely pleased to see him.

In his brief words of introduction, Fr Frazer said,

“We share in the Jesuit tradition. We strive not only for academic excellence, but also to enrich the heart and spirit. We are grateful to see you here, for you are one of the few people alive today who are like a conscience for the world. We believe you have a message for the twenty-first century.”

His Holiness responded in a characteristic way, “Spiritual brothers and sisters, young brothers and sisters, when I meet other people like you, I always think we are the same as human beings. This is important. Today, we 7 billion human beings are all the same, emotionally, mentally and physically. We all want to live a happy and successful life and we all have a right to do so.”

He explained that despite this we face many problems and many of them are our own creation. Why? Because we focus on the secondary differences between us - race, nationality or faith and within them whether we are rich or poor, educated or uneducated. At the same time we neglect the fact that we are all members of one human family. We bully, cheat and exploit each other. When this is what goes on, how can we be happy?

He said we are now in the twenty-first century and with our education and all our technical development we ought to be happier, but often even the well-off are unhappy inside. They are stressed, frustrated, mistrustful and suspicious. Yet, we human beings are social animals; we have to live in communities.

Material development alone will not make human beings happier. His Holiness mentioned that he sometimes wonders if animals, when they are not living under threat or danger, are not more content and peaceful than human beings. On the other hand, we have intelligence, this wonderful human brain. And the key to opening up our intelligence is education. But our modern education system often seems to have something missing. It lacks a moral outlook. Today, intelligent, educated people completely devoid of values are not unusual. He mentioned the perpetrators of the 11th September attack on New York as an example. The people who planned that were very sharp. Dull individuals could not have pulled it off, but the result was appalling.

“We need not only a trained intelligence, but also a warm heart. Then a sense of community and a sense of responsibility will arise naturally. Besides imparting knowledge, you Jesuits take care of our moral well being. Christians have made a great contribution to providing an all round education in so many parts of the world. It no longer surprises me to find that in places where people are deeply impoverished, there are Christian brothers and sisters working to uplift the poor and needy.”

Meanwhile, he added, there are also missionaries who explicitly seek to convert others to their faith and of that he does not approve. He says this only leads to trouble. Faith is a matter for personal and individual decision. Fostering harmony among spiritual traditions is one of his life commitments. And in this respect India observes a 1000 year old tradition of different religions live amicably side by side. During his travels abroad, His Holiness often points to India as an example of living religious harmony. This is not just some ancient custom, but something of immediate significance today. The essence of spiritual practice in terms of love, compassion, tolerance and contentment are part of a common message that is supported by various different philosophical points of view.

His Holiness declared that our religious traditions provide humanity with tremendous benefit and he envisages they will continue to do so into the future. However, of the 7 billion people alive today, apparently 1 billion consider themselves to be irreligious. Of the remaining 6 billion, many appear not to be sincere about the faith they profess. Here in India, which is a deeply religious country, countless families make prayers and offerings every day before a religious image or symbol. But when we look at how they lead their day to day lives, we have to wonder if what they are saying is not, “Please bless me that my corrupt and exploitative work is successful. How can you ask god something like that?”

The challenge today, he said, is to convince such people of the value of truth, honesty, compassion and a concern for others. How can we do this? Education has universal appeal. We need to find ways to introduce warm-heartedness into education. One way to do this is to show that warm-heartedness is the source of inner peace, that it brings inner strength and confidence. Today, scientific findings suggest that living in constant fear and anger eats up our immune system, with negative consequences for our physical health.

He also spoke of reading a report that people who tell lies tend to experience greater stress.

“I have some experience of this myself. Between 1952 and 1958, when Tibet was first dominated by Chinese Communist officials, I often had to smile and lie about how wonderful things were. Then in 1959 I escaped from Lhasa and came to India. For nine years I lived like a hypocrite and only shook it off when I reached the freedom of India. “My life has not been easy. At 16 I lost my freedom and at 24 I lost my country. Now in my homeland Tibet, things have if anything got worse. Tibetans continue to place their trust in me, so I carry a heavy responsibility.”

He told the story of one of his attendant monks who was imprisoned for 18 years in a Chinese prison, but who eventually came to India during one of the brief opportunities in the 1980s. During a  conversation with His Holiness this monk mentioned that he had been in danger several times while he was in prison. Thinking he meant a danger to his life, His Holiness asked what he meant and he said that he had been in danger of losing patience and abandoning his sense of compassion for his Chinese gaolers. This His Holiness considers to be an example of spiritual practice in action.

Students asked a series of intelligent questions. The first was about moral values to which he said that what brings joy can be seen as good and what brings pain can be seen as negative. What we have to do is to learn how to abandon the negative and foster the good. Just as observe physical hygiene for our physical health, we need to develop an emotional hygiene for our mental health.

As a proponent of non-violence, His Holiness was asked if the use of force can ever be justified. He replied,

“Violence creates more suffering. War is legalized and organized violence. In ancient times communities could afford to think of themselves as isolated, but today climate change and difficulties in the global economy have no regard for national boundaries; they affect us all. Our interests are bound up with others. For this reason war is out of date. The twentieth century was an era of violence and bloodshed. We should hope the twenty-first century can be different. It should instead be a century of dialogue.

“Theoretically speaking, in the Buddhist view, the difference between non-violence and violence lies in the motivation not so much the action. I hope that young people today can cultivate a vision not only that disputes and conflicts are solved through dialogue, but also that our world in future will become demilitarized.”

Another questioner asked about science and spirituality and His Holiness talked about the six day meeting he has just attended between scientists and monastics at Drepung, one of the monasteries re established in Karnataka. Asked about how to balance materialism and spirituality, he said that spirituality deals with ways to achieve peace of mind, whereas materialism is about physical comfort. We need both. But we also have to address such difficulties as the huge gap between rich and poor.

His Holiness ended with an appeal.

“Young people, those of us here today who are over 50 or 60 years old belong to the twentieth century a time that his gone, that we cannot change. It’s a memory that at best we can learn from. I believe that those of you who belong to the twenty-first century must cultivate a vision that this can be century of compassion, an era in which man made problems are reduce and peace prospers. You are the ones who can act and bring about change; those of us belong to the twenty-first century must cultivate a vision that this can be century of compassion, an era in which man made problems are reduce and peace prospers. You are the ones who can act and bring about change; those of us belonging to my generation will remain only as observers of how you get on. The future is in your hands.”