Category Archives: Dalai Lama Lam Rim Cenmo Lehigh Un 08 EN

1 H.H. Dalai Lama ’08: Teachings on Lamrim Chenmo

Posted on by

His Holiness the Dalai Lama: the Buddha’s body came into being from myriads of causes.

1st day, July 10, 2008. His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s Teachings on Lam-rim Chen-mo.

In July 2008, His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama gave a historic six-day teaching on The Great Treatise on the Stages of the Path to Enlightenment (Lamrim Chenmo), Tsongkhapa’s classic text on the stages of spiritual evolution. Translator for His Holiness was Thupten Jinpa, Ph.D.

This event at Lehigh University, Pennsylvania, marked the culmination of a twelve-year effort by the Tibetan Buddhist Learning Center (TBLC), New Jersey, to translate the Great Treatise into English. The transcripts were kindly provided to LYWA by the Tibetan Buddhist Learning Center, which holds the copyright. Webcast recordings of these teachings are available through His Holiness’ official website.

The transcripts have been published in a wonderful book, From Here to Enlightenment, edited by Guy Newland and published by Shambhala Publications. We encourage you to buy the book from your local Dharma center, bookstore, or directly from Shambhala.

His Holiness the Dalai Lama.

Good afternoon, everybody. Indeed I am very, very happy to be here to lecture on the Lamrim Chenmo. Firstly, I visited the late Geshe Wangyal’s Center many years ago, during my first visit to America, that was… ’79, because of the historically very close link between Tibetan and Mongolian peoples, and particularly since the Third Dalai Lama’s very unique, close relations with Mongolia. So when we say with Mongolian, this includes Kalmyk, Buryat, all these Mongolian types. There is a very unique sort of relation. Then also in my own case, one of the best Tsenshap [study partner], Ngodrub Chowanyi, was Mongolian. So he helped a lot. So with this Mongolian there was something very close, personally, some close connection, link.

Continue reading »

2 H.H. Dalai Lama ’08: Teachings on Lamrim Chenmo

Posted on by
His Holiness the Dalai Lama: We tend to relate to the external world as if the physical world that is out there possesses some kind of independent reality of its own that is independent of my perception and has some kind of discrete reality. 

His Holiness the Dalai Lama: We tend to relate to the external world as if the physical world that is out there possesses some kind of independent reality of its own that is independent of my perception and has some kind of discrete reality.

2 Day One, Afternoon Session, July 10, 2008. Opening Verse: The Buddha’s Qualities. Tsongkhapa’s Motivation for Composing the Text. Listeners Need Three Qualities. Atisha and the Four Schools of Tibetan Buddhism. Attainment of the Two Aims. Four Greatnesses of Atisha’s Teaching.

Opening Verse: The Buddha’s Qualities

His Holiness the Dalai Lama

So, now … [continues in Tibetan]

Thupten Jinpa: The text opens with a salutation to Manjushri in the Sanskrit language. This is partly to indicate that the source of the Tibetan tradition is the Sanskrit tradition and Sanskrit became, as explained before, the dominant language, the medium through which Buddhadharma was presented in the Nalanda tradition. Therefore in Tibet the custom evolved to acknowledge that source, and often at the beginning of a Tibetan text there would be a salutation in Sanskrit.

His Holiness about him: [in Tibetan] [Referring to an un-translated exchange with scholars on stage] Everybody failed to recall that sentence. Of course, understandable. All scholars are now quite old. I know gradually forgetting.

Thupten Jinpa: So the first verse of salutation is salutation to the Buddha. And here, the way in which Tsongkhapa pays homage to the Buddha is by reflecting upon the qualities of the Buddha’s body, speech and mind. And in the first line he reflects upon the qualities of the Buddha’s body. And here he identifies causation, the fact that the Buddha’s physical body, or Buddha’s form body, came into being as a result of its causes.

Continue reading »

3 H.H. Dalai Lama ’08: Teachings on Lamrim Chenmo

Posted on by
His Holiness the Dalai Lama: Aryadeva points out that the most skillful way of doing this is to first understand the Buddha’s teaching on emptiness, Buddha’s teaching on no-self.

His Holiness the Dalai Lama: Aryadeva points out to first understand the Buddha’s teaching on emptiness, Buddha’s teaching on no-self.

3. Day Two, Morning Session, July 11, 2008, Part one. Using Human Intelligence to Transform Our Minds. Perfection of Wisdom. Goals and Conditions for Learning. How to Guide Students. Understanding Emptiness as the Key. Chanting of Heart Sutra in Vietnamese.

Using Human Intelligence to Transform Our Minds

His Holiness the Dalai Lama. Now, I think in the beginning of the afternoon session, perhaps some questions may be useful.

So, Buddhadharma. Some scholars described, “Buddhism is not a religion but a science of mind.” I think it’s quite true, because in Buddhism, like any other non-theistic religion, the basic concept is law of causality—cause-and-effect, cause-and-effect, goes like that.

So the thing which we are very much concerned with, that is suffering, pain, and the joyful or pleasant, happy…

Thupten Jinpa: …happiness.

His Holiness: So the pains and pleasures, these things are feelings. So feelings means: part of our mind. So the causes of that (of course external factors are also there) but mainly within our own mind. So logically, in order to reduce suffering, pains, worry, sadness, fear: they ultimately depend upon our mental attitude.

So shaping in new ways our mind, just mere determination, or mere wish, to some extent it has some effect, but that cannot sort of affect us in a more profound way. So here I think conviction, firm conviction, that is something important. Continue reading »

4 H.H. Dalai Lama ’08: Teachings on Lamrim Chenmo

Posted on by

His Holiness the Dalai Lama: Aryadeva says that, at first, one must avert all the de-meritorious activities, and then in the middle, one must cease grasping at self, and finally one must cease grasping at all views, false views.

His Holiness the Dalai Lama: Aryadeva says that, at first, one must avert all the de-meritorious activities, and then in the middle, one must cease grasping at self, and finally one must cease grasping at all views, false views.

4 His Holiness the Dalai Lama: Teachings on Lam-rim Chen-mo

Day Two, Morning Session, July 11 2008, Part two. Four Noble Truths: Instructions for Liberation. Order of the Four Noble Truths. Why Our Minds Can be Transformed. Understanding Dependent Origination as the Reason for Emptiness. Realization of the Two Aims: Favorable Rebirth and Liberation.

Four Noble Truths: Instructions for Liberation

His Holiness: [in Tibetan]

Thupten Jinpa: So we will now move on to the next section, which is the section: stages of the path for persons of middle capacity. Continue reading »

5 H.H. Dalai Lama ’08: Teachings on Lamrim Chenmo

Posted on by

His Holiness the Dalai Lama: Within the mind, all the mental states are by their very nature subject to change.

His Holiness the Dalai Lama: Within the mind, all the mental states are by their very nature subject to change.

5. Day Two, Afternoon Session, July 11, 2008. Part one. Qualities of the Teacher. Relying on the Spiritual Teacher. The Process and Meaning of Meditation. Analyzing Afflictions and Their Antidotes.

Questions for the Dalai Lama

His Holiness the Dalai Lama: Sorry. 15 minutes late. Oh, some questions, yes.

Thupten Jinpa: [The questions below in quotation marks are from members of the audience.]

“Your Holiness, how is it possible to go about living an everyday life working at a job, paying bills, taking care of family and so on, but without grasping?”

His Holiness: Without grasping…[continues in Tibetan]

Thupten Jinpa: So the question is how do you understand the idea of grasping here? So for example, in relation to others, if in your engagement with others, if the engagement is tainted by forms of grasping such as strong attachment, craving, or aversion, anger and so on, then that form of grasping is undesirable. Continue reading »

6 H.H. Dalai Lama ’08: Teachings on Lamrim Chenmo

Posted on by

His Holiness the Dalai Lama: Karma, karmic law, refers to a causal process that is begun by an agent with an intention.

His Holiness the Dalai Lama: Karma, karmic law, refers to a causal process that is begun by an agent with an intention.

6. Day Two, Afternoon Session, July 11, 2008. Part two. Stages of Training the Mind: Practices for Persons of Three Capacities. The Sequence of Practice. Beginning the Practice: Impermanence. Taking Refuge in the Three Jewels. Selflessness and Liberation. Emptiness and Refuge. The Law of Causality, Karma.

Thupten Jinpa: [continued] So in Tsongkhapa’s text he then explains that…

His Holiness the Dalai Lama: [in Tibetan]

Thupten Jinpa: So, having relied upon a spiritual teacher then he explains how to make one’s…

His Holiness: [in Tibetan]

Stages of Training the Mind: Practices for Persons of Three Capacities

Thupten Jinpa: … the stages by which one then trains one’s mind. And this is divided into two sections. The first is how to motivate oneself into training the mind, and the second is the actual training process itself. Continue reading »

7 H.H. Dalai Lama ’08: Teachings on Lamrim Chenmo

Posted on by

His Holiness the Dalai Lama: So that’s the way to improve oneself.

His Holiness the Dalai Lama: So that’s the way to improve oneself.

7 His Holiness the Dalai Lama: Teachings on Lam-rim Chen-mo

Day Three, Morning Session, July 12, 2008. Part one. Different Religious Traditions All Serve Humanity. Answering Three Big Questions: What is the Self? Is There an End to the Self?

Chanting of the Heart Sutra in Tibetan.

Different Religious Traditions All Serve Humanity

His Holiness: Now today, I think in the beginning I want to say that on this planet there are different religious traditions, and at different times, in different locations, these different traditions developed. Each tradition is suitable to the people where these traditions started. So therefore, for the last more than a thousand years, in some cases two thousand, in some cases more than one thousand, these traditions really served humanity. And even today millions of people get inspiration from these traditions. It is a fact. And in the future also these major traditions will remain, serving humanity. Continue reading »

8 H.H. Dalai Lama ‘08: Teachings on Lamrim Chenmo

Posted on by

His Holiness the Dalai Lama: Asanga says that: “An affliction is defined as a phenomenon that, when it arises, is disturbing in character and that, through arising, disturbs the mind-stream.”

His Holiness the Dalai Lama: Asanga says that: “An affliction is defined as a phenomenon that, when it arises, is disturbing in character and that, through arising, disturbs the mind-stream.”

8. Day Three, Morning Session, July 12, 2008 at Lehigh University, Pennsylvania, USA. Part two. Deeper Understanding of the Three Jewels. The Truth of Suffering. The Sufferings of Change and of Conditioning. The Four Seals and the Suffering of Conditioning. The Origin of Suffering: Afflictions and Karma.

Deeper Understanding of the Three Jewels

His Holiness the Dalai Lama: Now… [continues in Tibetan]

Thupten Jinpa: So, yesterday we were talking about taking refuge in the three jewels, and, generally, when the object of the refuge is described in the texts, Buddha is described as the supreme among the two-legged human beings. And the Dharma is described as the supreme teaching or supreme truth that is devoid of, or that is free from, attachment and that is tranquil. That is peace. And the Sangha is described as the supreme assembly. Continue reading »

9 H.H. Dalai Lama ‘08: Teachings on Lamrim Chenmo

Posted on by

His Holiness the Dalai Lama: Geshe Pabongka Rinpoche says: “If one is capable, liberation can be found even while remaining as an householder”.

His Holiness the Dalai Lama: Geshe Pabongka Rinpoche says “If one is capable, liberation can be found even while remaining as an householder”.

9. Day Three, Afternoon Session, July 12, 2008 at Lehigh University, Pennsylvania, USA. Part one. Ten Types of Afflictions and Their Antidotes. How Afflictions Give Rise to Karmic Actions. Ten Questions for the Dalai Lama.

Ten Types of Afflictions and Their Antidotes

His Holiness: [in Tibetan]

Thupten Jinpa: So the next outline is “Identifying the afflictions,” and broadly, ten types of afflictions are identified: five of which belong to the category of ‘view,’ and five which are ‘non-view’ afflictions.But actually, experientially speaking, when it comes to afflictions— this is a category of phenomena which we are all very familiar with.

His Holiness the Dalai Lama: If we analyze carefully in our experience, then it’s quite clear. If we pay attention, then I think it’s quite clear most disturbances of mind are those negative emotions we call nyo mong…[continues in Tibetan]

Thupten Jinpa: So these klesas (or nyo mong in Tibetan), afflictions which (as Asanga defined) these are mental states whose arising…

His Holiness: [in Tibetan]

Thupten Jinpa: … these are mental states arising…

His Holiness: [in Tibetan] Continue reading »

10 H.H. Dalai Lama ‘08: Teachings on Lamrim Chenmo

Posted on by
His Holiness the Dalai Lama: So when we talk about the aspiration to bring about others’ welfare, here the principal element is the cultivation of compassion.

His Holiness the Dalai Lama: So when we talk about the aspiration to bring about others’ welfare, here the principal element is the cultivation of compassion.

10. Day Three, Afternoon Session, July 12, 2008 at Lehigh University, Pennsylvania, USA. Part two. The Twelve Links of Dependent Origination. Links 1-3: Ignorance, Karma, Consciousness. Links 4-12 Name and Form, Senses, Contact, Feeling, Craving, Grasping, Becoming, Birth, Aging and Death. Interactions of the Twelve Links Over Lifetimes. Benefits of Reflecting on the Twelve Links. Interdependence of Ethics, Concentration and Wisdom, The Three Higher Trainings. The Stages of the Path for the Practitioner of Greatest Capacity.

The Twelve Links of Dependent Origination

Thupten Jinpa: So the next outline we’ll be dealing with is the one on twelve links of dependant origination.

His Holiness: [in Tibetan]

Thupten Jinpa: So now when you look at the teachings on the twelve links of dependant origination, effectively this is an elaboration of the Buddha’s teachings on the four noble truths, where two sets of causes and conditions, causes and effects, were presented. So in the twelve links of dependant origination beginning with ignorance, Buddha explains how the origins of suffering, including the afflictions and karma, give rise to suffering. Continue reading »

11 H.H. Dalai Lama ‘08: Teachings on Lamrim Chenmo

Posted on by
His Holiness the Dalai Lama: Then Tsongkhapa explains what exactly is bodhicitta.

His Holiness the Dalai Lama: Then Tsongkhapa explains what exactly is bodhicitta.

11. Day Four, July 13, 2008 at Lehigh University, Pennsylvania, USA. Part one. Altruism and Interdependence. Compassion and bodhicitta, the Awakening Mind. Two Methods for Generating Bodhicitta. Seven Point Cause-and-Effect Method. Equalizing and Exchanging of Self and Others.

His Holiness the Dalai Lama: A short prayer. Short…short prayer in Pali.

Reverend Bodhi: This is the Metta Sutta. A short prayer. [Chanting in Pali]

His Holiness: Thank you. [leads chanting in Tibetan]

Altruism and Interdependence

His Holiness: Now today, about the bodhicitta, altruism. Basically all religious traditions carry the importance of altruism. Then the, I think, unique thing about Buddhism is the concept of interdependency. Or pratityasamutpada. I think that’s very, very unique about Buddhism. Continue reading »

12 H.H. Dalai Lama ‘08: Teachings on Lamrim Chenmo

Posted on by

His Holiness the Dalai Lama: When the meditation object is explained in general, four main types of objects are identified.

12. Day Five, Morning Session, July 14, 2008 at Lehigh University, Pennsylvania, USA. Part one. Becoming a Buddha. Tranquil Abiding and Special Insight. Preconditions for Tranquil Abiding. Meditation Posture. Flawless Concentration: The Five Faults and their Eight Antidotes. Choosing an Object of Meditation.

His Holiness: [Chanting in Tibetan]

Becoming a Buddha

His Holiness: Now we… Buddhist refuges are Buddha, Dharma, Sangha. So we usually recite buddha saranam gachame, dharma saranam gachame, sangha saranam gachame. Or namo buddhaya, namo dharmaya, namo sanghaya. Continue reading »

13 H.H. Dalai Lama ‘08: Teachings on Lamrim Chenmo

Posted on by

His Holiness the Dalai Lama: The only way in which we can do this is by means of reasoning and analysis.

His Holiness the Dalai Lama: The only way in which we can do this is by means of reasoning and analysis.

13. Day Five, Morning Session, July 14, 2008 at Lehigh University, Pennsylvania, USA. Part two. Meditating on the Mind. Meditating on an Image of the Buddha. Mindfulness and Meta-Awareness (Vigilance). Breath Meditation; Length of Meditation Sessions. Special Insight: Why Insight Is Needed, Why Serenity Is Not Enough. Special Insight: Why Insight Is Needed, Why Serenity Is Not Enough. Relying on Definitive Sources.

Meditating on the Mind

His Holiness the Dalai Lama: [in Tibetan]

Thupten Jinpa: So then Tsongkhapa explains, identifies, the particular object that is relevant to our present context. And here, generally speaking, when we are talking about an appropriate object that we choose for our meditation of tranquil abiding or shamatha, one can choose, as explained before, something… an external object, a material object or one can also choose internal phenomena…

His Holiness: [in Tibetan] Continue reading »

14 H.H. Dalai Lama ‘08: Teachings on Lamrim Chenmo

Posted on by

His Holiness the Dalai Lama: Nagarjana states that, “So long as grasping at the aggregates remains, there will be grasping at self present.”

His Holiness the Dalai Lama: Nagarjana states that, “So long as grasping at the aggregates remains, there will be grasping at self present.”

14 His Holiness the Dalai Lama: Teachings on Lam-rim Chen-mo

Day Five, Afternoon Session, July 14, 2008 at Lehigh University, Pennsylvania, USA. Part one. Relying on Definitive Sources. Buddha’s Purpose in Teaching Emptiness. The Madhyamaka Tradition. The Stages of Entry into Reality.

Questions for the Dalai Lama

Thupten Jinpa: “Your Holiness, in American culture, for many people it is considered disgraceful or unacceptable to show weakness, to show pain or to show need.”

Thupten Jinpa: “How can one show compassion by helping someone who is unwilling to admit their pain or need by asking for help?”

His Holiness: I don’t know. I think… I think better to ask some experts. Maybe they have some sort of ideas. I don’t know. Continue reading »

15 H.H. Dalai Lama ‘08: Teachings on Lamrim Chenmo

Posted on by


His Holiness the Dalai Lama: Buddha states that, “That which has arisen from conditions is devoid of arising”.

His Holiness the Dalai Lama: Buddha states that, “That which has arisen from conditions is devoid of arising”.

15 His Holiness the Dalai Lama: Teachings on Lam-rim Chen-mo

Day Five, Afternoon Session, July 14, 2008 at Lehigh University, Pennsylvania, USA. Part two. Identifying the Object of Negation: Grasping at Self. Dream Analogy; Critical Analysis; 5-fold and 7-fold Reasonings. Ways of Avoiding Nihilism. Dependent Origination as the Meaning of Emptiness.

Identifying the Object of Negation: Grasping at Self

His Holiness: [in Tibetan] Thupten Jinpa: So then the second, which is the actual presentation of the ultimate reality, this Tsongkhapa explains in terms of three main subheadings: identifying the object of negation of the reason; and what method should one adopt, whether by means of consequential reasoning or syllogism; and the manner in which the view arises in one on the basis of that method.

And then the first one is explained further in terms of three outlines: “why the object of negation must be carefully identified”; “refuting other systems that refute without identifying the object to be negated”; and “how our system identifies the object of negation.” Continue reading »

16 H.H. Dalai Lama ‘08: Teachings on Lamrim Chenmo

Posted on by

His Holiness the Dalai Lama: Nagarjuna’s Precious Garland says that: “The person is neither the earth element nor the water element” and so on.

His Holiness the Dalai Lama: Nagarjuna’s Precious Garland says that: “The person is neither the earth element nor the water element” and so on.

16 His Holiness the Dalai Lama: Teachings on Lam-rim Chen-mo

Day Six, Morning Session, July 15, 2008 at Lehigh University, Pennsylvania, USA. Part one. Generating the Awakening Mind: Introduction. Visualization and the Seven-Limbed Practice. Ceremony for Generating the Awakening Mind. Avoiding Nihilism (cont.). Dependent Origination and Emptiness (cont.).

Heart Sutra in Chinese and English

Generating the Awakening Mind: Introduction.

His Holiness: [in Tibetan] Thupten Jinpa: So today, at the beginning of the session, I thought we could do the ceremony for generating the awakening mind.

His Holiness: [begins in Tibetan (translated further below)] I think, since we already have the translation of Lam-rim Chen-mo, Continue reading »

17 H.H. Dalai Lama ‘08: Teachings on Lamrim Chenmo

Posted on by

His Holiness the Dalai Lama: Tsongkhapa then writes: “How does one determine whether something exists conventionally?” 

His Holiness the Dalai Lama: Tsongkhapa then writes: “How does one determine whether something exists conventionally?”

16 His Holiness the Dalai Lama: Teachings on Lam-rim Chen-mo

Day Six, Morning Session, July 15, 2008 at Lehigh University, Pennsylvania, USA. Part two. The Two Truths and the Four Noble Truths. Finding the Middle Way: Analysis Refutes Intrinsic Nature. Svatantrika School and Intrinsic Existence. Conventional Knowledge.

The Two Truths and the Four Noble Truths

His Holiness: [in Tibetan] Thupten Jinpa: So this actually points towards the important understanding that it is when you have a developed understanding of the two truths, then you have the basis for a deeper understanding of the significance for the four noble truths. We already discussed that earlier.

So for example, Tsongkhapa here writes on page 135, second paragraph, he says that, “This being the case,” (he is referring to the understanding of emptiness in terms of intrinsic existence) Continue reading »

18 H.H. Dalai Lama ‘08: Teachings on Lamrim Chenmo

Posted on by

His Holiness the Dalai Lama: So the main point of contention really is whether or not one accepts the notion of inherent existence.

His Holiness the Dalai Lama: So the main point of contention really is whether or not one accepts the notion of inherent existence.

18 His Holiness the Dalai Lama: Teachings on Lam-rim Chen-mo

Day Six, Afternoon Session, July 15, 2008 at Lehigh University, Pennsylvania, USA. Part one. The Challenge of Maintaining Reality after Negating Inherent Existence. Using Critical Reasoning in Meditative Practice. How Ignorance Is Related to the Afflictions. Two Types of Madhyamaka.

The Challenge of Maintaining Reality after Negating Inherent Existence

His Holiness: [in Tibetan] Thupten Jinpa: In this, Tsongkhapa’s text Lam-rim Chen-mo, at some point in his section on… Continue reading »

19 H.H. Dalai Lama ‘08: Teachings on Lamrim Chenmo

Posted on by

His Holiness the Dalai Lama: the view of emptiness cuts the root of cyclic existence and is the heart of the path to liberation.

His Holiness the Dalai Lama: the view of emptiness cuts the root of cyclic existence and is the heart of the path to liberation.

18 His Holiness the Dalai Lama: Teachings on Lam-rim Chen-mo

Day Six, Afternoon Session, July 15, 2008 at Lehigh University, Pennsylvania, USA. Part two. Two Types of Madhyamaka. How to Proceed, Valid Forms of Reasoning. The Heart of the Path to Liberation. The Great Treatise “A Thousand Doses in One Dose”, “Every Day, Learn One Page”.

Two Types of Madhyamaka (cont.)

His Holiness: [in Tibetan] Thupten Jinpa: So here, for example in Chandrakirti’s Entering the Middle Way, Continue reading »