Dalai Lama Gives Key Teachings in Milan

Milan, Italy, 21 October 2106 - His Holiness the Dalai Lama began his public day by giving an interview to an old friend, Pio d'Emilia for SkyTG 24. d'Emilia opened his questions with an enquiry about whether His Holiness’s health is still good.

“Yes,” he told him, “but I’m getting older and sometimes late in the day I feel tired. However, I regularly get 8-9 hours’ sleep a night, so I wake fresh every morning.”

About the repeated Chinese accusation that he is a splittist, His Holiness remarked,

“Historically, Chinese documents show, there were three empires, Chinese, Mongolian and Tibetan. After 1951 as we tried to come to an arrangement, we signed the 17 Point Agreement, a precedent followed by no other Chinese province. In the 60s we raised the issue of Tibet at the UN to little effect. In the 70s we realized that ultimately we would have to enter talks with the Chinese government and in 1974 formally declared we were not seeking outright independence, but the implementation of rights for minorities guaranteed in the Chinese constitution.”

Regarding his travelling to Tibet or China, His Holiness stated that since 1954 he has expressed a wish to go to Wu Taishan on pilgrimage, which he would still like to do.

d'Emilia asked if the world should be worried about China and His Holiness told him that China is an ancient country, a Buddhist country, but it is also presently a totalitarian state where many people are isolated from reality. Some of its leaders are realistic, whereas others continue to take a hard line. About Xi Jinping His Holiness remarked that it is hard to say. His family is Buddhist. His father, who His Holiness knew, was friends with the late Panchen Rinpoche. His Holiness admires his efforts to tackle corruption.

Prompted to comment on not being invited to the recent reprise of the inter-religious meeting in Assisi, His Holiness made clear that he feels meeting the general public is more important and can be more effective than meeting leaders.

d'Emilia pressed him about his successor and after establishing once again that it will be up to the Tibetan people to decide whether they want to recognise another Dalai Lama, he mentioned several options for this to be done. One is for him to nominate someone already alive to be his reincarnation, another is for his successor to be elected, or for a senior lama to take on the responsibility on the basis of seniority, much in the way the Ganden Tripa is chosen. Conceding that he has been urging women to take more leading roles in promoting love and compassion, he remarked that if a likely young girl were to declare she was the Dalai Lama, “Then, why not?”

Noting that the Japanese Emperor has suggested he might abdicate and one Pope has already resigned, His Holiness was asked if he considered doing so too. He replied, “I’ve already retired from political responsibility. I suppose I could resign from being a monk, but I don’t think I could ever resign from being Dalai Lama.”

After yesterday’s misty early morning, today, skies were high and blue as His Holiness drove to the Rho Fiera Milano hall where he was to teach. Thamthog Rinpoche introduced him to the 8800 strong crowd. Translation into Italian, English, French, German, Spanish, Russian, Mongolian and Vietnamese is being provided.

The session began with Sri Lankan Theravadin monks reciting the Mangala Sutta in Pali, followed by a Vietnamese group, most of whom were women, who chanted the ‘Heart Sutra’ to a steady gentle rhythm in Vietnamese.

“Today, at the request of the Tibetan Institute of Buddhist Studies led by Thamthog Rinpoche, I’ve been asked to teach Je Tsongkhapa’s ‘Three Principal Aspects of the Path’ and ‘In Praise of Dependent Arising’,” His Holiness explained. “I’ll begin with the ‘Praise’ as an introduction to Buddhist teachings and follow it with the ‘Three Principals’ as a guide to how to practice.

“We human beings are physically, mentally and emotionally the same. We have two eyes, one nose and a mouth, wherever we are from. We all want to lead a happy life. This is the right of all human beings. While some material and technological development, of weapons for example, prompts fear, by and large it is intended to bring comfort and benefit. However, even in highly developed countries many are full of stress, worry and frustration. Material development, by itself, does not yield complete satisfaction.

“Since 1 billion out of 7 billion human beings have no interest in religion, and even the faithful are frequently not that serious, we need to find ways of developing inner values without touching on this or that religious tradition. Nevertheless, all religions have the potential to create better human beings and I’m very happy and honoured to see many representatives of other traditions among us here today.

“The collection of teachings in the Pali tradition, including the Four Noble Truths and the 37 Factors of Enlightenment, along with the practice of ethics, concentration and insight, comprise the very foundation of the Buddha’s teachings. On top of this are teachings, not given openly in public, of the six or ten perfections, the awakening mind of bodhichitta, and the clarification of what true cessation means on the basis of selflessness.

“This is why if it’s possible I like to begin teachings like these with a recitation of the Mangala Sutta followed by the Perfection of Wisdom in twenty-five lines—the ‘Heart Sutra’.”

His Holiness explained that since an earlier praise of Indian masters, the ‘Six Ornaments and Two Supremes’ did not include many of the Indian masters whose works have played a seminal role in the Tibetan tradition, he composed a ‘Praise to the 17 Masters of Nalanda’.

The Four Noble Truths, with their 16 characteristics and the 37 Factors of Enlightenment, the foundation of the Buddha’s teaching, belong to the first turning of the wheel of Dharma. The Perfection of Wisdom teachings expounded at Rajgir comprise the second turning. The ‘Unravelling of Thought Sutra’ and the ‘Tathagata Garbha Sutra’, which explains Buddha nature, the clear light nature of the mind, the basis for the practice of Highest Yoga Tantra, comprise the third turning.

His Holiness remarked that we can also consider the path to enlightenment in terms of progress through the five paths that can be associated with the mantra of the ‘Heart Sutra’. He said the first 'gate' indicates the path of accumulation, the second 'gate' the path of preparation, 'paragate' indicates the path of seeing, 'parasamgate' the path of meditation and 'bodhi svaha' the attainment of enlightenment.

After lunch, addressing more than 200 Tibetans who live in Italy, Switzerland and Spain, His Holiness told them:

“I’m happy we can have this brief meeting. We’ve been in exile 57 years now. In the 50s upheaval took place in Amdo and Kham, with protests against the Chinese who were imposing change on Tibet. Ours had been a feudal system, but it wasn’t all bad. Servants are reported to have informed their former overlords when they were in danger so they were able to escape, such was that standard of honesty and justice among us. When class struggle was imposed on Tibetans, it didn’t work out well. Anyway, by 1959 I had to escape.

“The generation who lived through those times have mostly gone, but the Tibetan spirit remains firm and strong. The hardliners who used force against us thought that once the Dalai Lama had gone, everything would go their way. They were wrong. I’ve heard it said that when Chairman Mao was told of the use of force in Tibet, he asked what had happened to the Dalai Lama. When he heard I’d escaped, he remarked, “In that case, we’ve lost.” Hardliners thought that if they crushed protest in Central Tibet they’d win—again they were wrong.

“Since the Chinese themselves are passionate about preserving and upholding their own culture, it’s surprising that they don’t understand that Tibetans are equally passionate about protecting theirs. It’s said that there are now 400 million Chinese Buddhists, many of them educated people, who have learned that Chinese monks don’t explain very much, whereas Tibetan monks are well trained to explain. All our Tibetan Buddhist traditions have roots in the Nalanda tradition, which means they study logic and reason in conjunction with philosophy. No other Buddhist tradition can boast of this.”

Back in the teaching hall His Holiness answered a series of questions from the audience before resuming his teachings. Reading through the verses of ‘In Praise of Dependent Arising’, he said verse 15 summarizes what had gone before.

Therefore, since no phenomena exist

Other than those originating in dependence,

No phenomena exist, you taught, 

Other than those devoid of intrinsic existence. 

The extremes of nihilism and eternalism are denied.

Verse 42 mentions that, for the author, Je Tsongkhapa, understanding the meaning of the teaching of dependent arising is consolation for not being able to hear it taught by the Buddha himself.

Seeing the excellent quality of this teaching

Pulls at my heart

As a hook does to a fish.

Sad is it not to have heard it from you.

His Holiness remarked that as a child his mind was quick and bright and he was able to memorize this text in one morning. 

He explained that the ‘Three Principal Aspects of the Path’ was written in response to a request from Ngawang Drakpa, not only one of Tsongkhapa’s closest disciples, but the one he predicted who will be his first when he manifests Buddhahood.

Despite running well past the announced time, His Holiness steadily read through the text explaining the determination to be free, the awakening mind of bodhichitta, as well as the relations between dependent arising and emptiness. Having completed both texts, His Holiness left the stage and emerged from the building into the brilliant sunshine of late afternoon.

original link & photos http://dalailama.com/news/post/1480-giving-key-teachings-in-milan

Dalai Lama Discusses Love & Compassion

New Delhi, India, 21 March 2014 - On behalf of the Foundation for Universal Responsibility, Rajiv Mehrotra welcomed His Holiness the Dalai Lama to a gathering of about 320 people in New Delhi today. He said they were blessed and honoured that he was with them again and dedicated any merit or insight that might arise as a result to the benefit of all sentient beings. In his response, His Holiness greeted everybody, saying it was good to see so many old friends. Asking how many were there for the first time, the raised hands indicated about two-thirds. He began:

“I usually describe myself as just a Buddhist monk and as a human being, one of the 7 billion alive today. There are no differences between us; emotionally, physically and mentally we are all the same. We all want to lead a happy life. In order to do that we need to develop peace of mind, this in turn requires knowledge of the mind and emotions. This is what we are here today to discuss.”

He spoke of his commitment to promoting inner peace by integrating secular ethics into our lives without necessarily depending on faith. He added, however, that faith, be it in God or like Jains and Buddhists in the law of causality, can be useful in developing peace of mind. He clarified that within Buddhism, the Pali tradition represents the foundation, on which the Sanskrit tradition with its emphasis on infinite altruism and deeper understanding of reality is based.

Before inviting everyone to join in reciting the ‘Praise to the 17 Masters of Nalanda’, he explained that he had composed it to honour not only the original eight Indian masters included among the Six Ornaments and the Two Supreme Ones - Nagarjuna, Aryadeva, Asanga, Vasubandhu, Dignaga, Dharmakirti, Gunaprabha, and Shakyaprabha, but also Buddhapalita, Bhavaviveka, Chandrakirti, Shantideva, Shantarakshita, Kamalashila, Vimuktisena, Haribadra and Atisha. He said he regards these masters as professors of Nalanda University, whose works have had great influence on the Tibetan Buddhist tradition. Their rigorous approach is exemplified by Nagarjuna and Chandrakirti who examined the Buddha’s words and noted that where they contradicted reason they should not be taken literally. He feels this is a scientific approach.

Dialogue with modern scientists over the last thirty years has taught Tibetan Buddhists a great deal about the material world, which has been of immense benefit. However, it has also revealed that modern psychology still has only a very basic understanding of the mind. He noted:

“As human beings we need to make an effort to promote awareness that the ultimate source of a happy life is within ourselves. Meanwhile, scientists have observed that a happy mind is essential if we are to enjoy physical health. The affection we receive as infants from our mothers equips us to develop the warm-heartedness that is the basis of this.”

Pointing out that the climate change, environmental problems and the global economy all indicate our need to work together, His Holiness stressed the importance of focussing on the whole of humanity. This is why our education systems must include a sense of ethics. In order to retain a universal appeal, such ethics need to have a secular basis. He cited the example of India’s secular constitution, which far from dismissing religion expresses respect for all religions and the right of those who choose to have none. This secular approach reflects the religious harmony that has flourished in India for thousands of years.

“All religious traditions foster a sense of love and compassion and because greed and desire can obstruct it, they also advise contentment. The idea of being created by God means that individuals possess a spark of God within them. This is a powerful concept that resembles the Buddhist explanation of Buddha nature. If you ask the purpose of such different philosophical ideas, it is to foster a sense of love and compassion.”

His Holiness repeated that if we choose to engage in religious practice, it is important to do so sincerely.

Following a short break for tea, he announced his intention to explain a verse that is sometimes referred to as the ‘essence of dependent origination.’ It comes from the Vinaya, is found in both the Pali and Sanskrit traditions and is often written on the walls of temples:

Ye dharma hetuprabhava hetum tesham tathagata hyavadat tesham cha yo nirodha evam vadi mahashramana

Of those things that arise from causes,
The Tathagata has taught those causes,
And also what their cessation is:
This is the doctrine of the Great Recluse.

The cessation of causes here refers to the cessation of the causes of suffering.

“What we seek is happiness and yet what we encounter is suffering because we are under the sway of ignorance. Consequently, what we need is insight into the true nature of things. The Buddha revealed the possibility of attaining a state free from suffering. This is consistent with the teaching of the Four Noble Truths and the basic Buddhist concept of the law of causality or cause and effect. Whether our actions are positive or negative depends entirely on our motivation. Suffering results from our being motivated by disturbing emotions such as anger, hatred and attachment that are very much related to ignorance.”

His Holiness talked of his meeting with the experienced American psychologist Aaron Beck who told him that when we are angry, the object of our anger seems entirely negative and yet that negativity is 90% mental projection. This accords with what Nagarjuna taught long ago.

His Holiness remarked that disturbing emotions are so called because they disturb our peace of mind and lead to harmful action. The Tibetan term has the sense of something that makes us unhappy, that brings trouble to ourselves and others. The ultimate cause of suffering is ignorance that is a misconception of reality. However, any misconception can be countered by knowledge no matter how strong it may seem, because knowledge is based on reality, while ignorance has no basis at all. As we become more familiar with reality, ignorance becomes thinner until it is eliminated altogether. The mind is clear and neutral so when combined with compassion it becomes positive, but when combined with anger or attachment it becomes negative.

When it comes to training the mind, His Holiness explained, once you reach a certain level there is no need for renewed effort, because of its continuity. The possibility of the cessation of suffering accords with the Third Noble Truth, the path to which involves wisdom derived from a threefold awareness involving hearing, reflection and meditation. To deepen understanding we need single-pointed concentration, for which mindfulness is important, and that in turn depends on morality. So, morality, concentration and wisdom are the three important factors here.

According to the Sanskrit tradition, the Second Turning of the Wheel of Dharma concerns the teaching of the Perfection of Wisdom. This consists of 20 volumes including the Perfection of Wisdom in 100,000 lines, 25,000 lines, 18,000 lines, 8,000 lines, 2,500 lines, 700 lines, 500 lines, 300 lines and 25 lines. The last two, the texts in 300 and 25 lines, the ‘Diamond Cutter Sutra’ and the ‘Heart Sutra’ are the most widely known. The ‘Heart Sutra’ contains a dharani, ‘Gate, Gate, Paragate, Parasamgate, Bodhi svaha’ or ‘Go, Go, Go beyond, Go completely beyond, lay the foundation of enlightenment.’

His Holiness explained how this represents the path of spiritual development. The first two words ‘Go, Go - Gate, Gate’ refer to the paths of accumulation and preparation respectively. ‘Go beyond - paragate’ refers to the path of seeing on which emptiness is seen directly without duality. ‘Go completely beyond - parasamgate’ refers to the path of meditation, while ‘lay the foundation of enlightenment - bodhi svaha’ refers to the path of no more learning. Enlightenment here could refer to the attainment of the paths of Hearers or Solitary Realizers or, motivated by altruism, to the enlightenment of a Buddha.

Common to the basic and greater vehicles are the 37 factors of enlightenment which include the Four Foundations of Mindfulness, the Four Right Efforts and the Four Bases of Power that relate to the path of accumulation; the Five Faculties and Five Strengths that relate to the path of preparation; the Seven Factors of Enlightenment that relate to the path of seeing; and the Eightfold Noble Path that relates to the path of meditation. Again, His Holiness explained that within the Eightfold Noble Path, right livelihood, right action and right speech concern morality; right mindfulness and right concentration concern concentration, while right view and right thought concern wisdom. He said that to attain the path of a noble being, you prepare from the beginning to integrate these practices in order to reach the path of seeing. This involves practising with honesty and contentment.

He reiterated that enlightenment can mean mere liberation from disturbing emotions or the great enlightenment of Buddhahood in which disturbing emotions are eliminated along with their imprints.

The basis of the Four Noble Truths is dependent origination. This can be interpreted as causality in common with all Buddhist paths or as referring to existence as mere designation, which is found only in the Madhyamaka explanation. Existence in dependence on other factors and the implied lack of independent existence resembles the account of Quantum Physics today, but was first described 2000 years ago by Nagarjuna.

His Holiness concluded the day’s talk, saying:

“Now it’s time for tea, a shower and sleep, then up again at 3am for analytical meditation, reflecting on the nature of the mind. Although everything appears to have independent existence, remembering that nothing exists that way produces an experience of things being like an illusion, which shakes up the basis of the disturbing emotions.”

Original link: http://www.dalailama.com/news/post/1096-his-holiness-the-dalai-lama-gives-teachings-in-the-indian-capital