Liberation in the Palm of Your Hand
9:30 -11:30 am, 3 - 5 pm, 7:30 - 9:30 pm
Jan 25th and Jan. 31st
Geshe Tenzing Tamding will guide each class through Liberation In The Palm Of Your Hand, the sacred text by Pabongka Rinpoche. This concise text outlines the Path to Enlightenment in a straight-forward and easily understandable format. Each class, we will read a portion of the text as our teacher, Geshe Tenzing will offer insight and explanation to each topic covered. We will be able to apply the tools we learn in class to our daily life, which will help us heal and find peace and happiness throughout our lives, especially in moments of suffering.
The Process of Death
2 pm Jan 27th
It may seem odd, depressing, even painful to think and talk about death. Death is a difficult, painful, mysterious, and terrifying subject. Most religions do not talk about it. If you ask people who believe in reincarnation, the chances are that most of them do not know what death is. However, Buddhism treats death as a great opportunity to spiritually purify a person. Conventional wisdom calls us to find out of what we are afraid so that we know the face of evil, know the name of evil, and cease to live in fear, in torment, or in shadow. That is the psychological reason why we picked death as the topic.
Buddhism has extensive knowledge and text on death, including the process of death and what happens after death, such as bardos, etc. Since we, lay people, do not have foundation knowledge to receive the entire text on death, Geshe Tenzing Tamding will give the teaching on the basic knowledge of death that can be shared with us. He will be teaching the first part of death," Process of Dying", as the beginning of a serial lecture on the topic of death in Jan. The lecture will describe the stages that a dying person is going through, physically, mentally, and spiritually.
The Heart Sutra
8 pm Jan 27th
The heart sutra is the essence of all Buddha Shakyaminni's teachings. It describes the nature of all phenomenon that can be seen by our eyes, which are impermanent and lack of self existence. The true nature of the mind is omniscient and free of ego and other forms of self interest.
The Sutra Of The Heart Of Wisdom
Thus have I heard at one time. The Lord was dwelling at Rajagriha, on Vulture-peak mountain, together with a great host of monks and a great host of Bodhisattvas. At that time the Lord was composed in the concentration on the course of dharmas called 'Profound Illumination.' At that time also the noble Lord Avalokita, the Bodhisattva and Mahasattva, in the practice of the profound Perfection of Wisdom, looked down; he beheld but five skandhas and that in their own-being they were empty.
Then, through the inspiration of the Buddha, the Venerable Sariputra said to the noble Lord Avalokita, the Bodhisattva and Mahasattva: "How should any child of good family train, who wishes to engage in the practice of the profound Perfection of Wisdom?" And the noble Lord Avalokita, the Bodhisattva and Mahasattva, spoke to the venerable Sariputra as follows.
"Sariputra, any son or daughter of good family who wishes to engage in the practice of the profound
Perfection of Wisdom should look upon it thus: he or she beholds but five skandhas and that in their
own- being they are empty.
Form is Emptiness, Emptiness is form. Emptiness does not differ from form, and form does not differ
from Emptiness. Likewise feelings, recognitions, volitions and consciousnesses are empty.
So, Sariputra, all dharmas are Emptyness, without differentiating marks; they are not produced or
stopped, not defiled and not immaculate, not deficient and not complete. Therefore, Sariputra, in Emptyness there is no form, no feeling, no recognition, no volitions, no consciousness; no eye, no ear, no nose, no tongue, no body, no mind; no visible form, no sound, no smell, no taste, no tangible, no mental object; no eye-element, and so forth, up to no mind-element and no mental-consciousness-element; no ignorance and no extinction of ignorance, and so forth, up to no aging and death and no extinction of aging and death; likewise there is no Suffering, Origin, Cessation or Path, no wisdom-knowledge, no attainment and non- attainment.
Therefore Sariputra, because there is no attainment, Bodhisattvas abide relying on the Perfection of
Wisdom, without obscurations of thought, and so are unafraid. Transcending perverted views, they attain the end, Nirvana. All Buddhas existing in the three times, relying on the Perfection of Wisdom, fully awaken to the highest, perfect Enlightenment. Therefore one should know that the mantra of the Perfection of Wisdom is the mantra of great knowledge, the highest mantra, the unequaled mantra, the mantra that allays all suffering, the Truth, since it has nothing wrong. The mantra of the Perfection of Wisdom is proclaimed:
TADYATHA OM/ GATE /GATE/ PARAGATE/ PARASAMGATE/ BODHI/ SVAHA. (3x7x)
In this way, Sariputra, should a Bodhisattva and Mahasattva train in the profound Perfection of
Wisdom."
Then the Lord rose from that concentration and commended the noble Lord Avalokita, the Bodhisattva
and Mahasattva, saying: "Well said, well said, O son of good family! So it is, O son of good family, so it is. Just as you have taught should the profound Perfection of Wisdom be practiced, and the Tathagatas will rejoice.
Thus spoke the Lord.
The Venerable Sariputra, the noble Lord Avalokita, the Bodhisattva and Mahasattva, and the whole
world, that assembly with devas, human beings, asuras and gandharvas, were delighted and applauded
the Lord's speech.
9:30 -11:30 am, 3 - 5 pm, 7:30 - 9:30 pm
Jan 25th and Jan. 31st
Geshe Tenzing Tamding will guide each class through Liberation In The Palm Of Your Hand, the sacred text by Pabongka Rinpoche. This concise text outlines the Path to Enlightenment in a straight-forward and easily understandable format. Each class, we will read a portion of the text as our teacher, Geshe Tenzing will offer insight and explanation to each topic covered. We will be able to apply the tools we learn in class to our daily life, which will help us heal and find peace and happiness throughout our lives, especially in moments of suffering.
The Process of Death
2 pm Jan 27th
It may seem odd, depressing, even painful to think and talk about death. Death is a difficult, painful, mysterious, and terrifying subject. Most religions do not talk about it. If you ask people who believe in reincarnation, the chances are that most of them do not know what death is. However, Buddhism treats death as a great opportunity to spiritually purify a person. Conventional wisdom calls us to find out of what we are afraid so that we know the face of evil, know the name of evil, and cease to live in fear, in torment, or in shadow. That is the psychological reason why we picked death as the topic.
Buddhism has extensive knowledge and text on death, including the process of death and what happens after death, such as bardos, etc. Since we, lay people, do not have foundation knowledge to receive the entire text on death, Geshe Tenzing Tamding will give the teaching on the basic knowledge of death that can be shared with us. He will be teaching the first part of death," Process of Dying", as the beginning of a serial lecture on the topic of death in Jan. The lecture will describe the stages that a dying person is going through, physically, mentally, and spiritually.
The Heart Sutra
8 pm Jan 27th
The heart sutra is the essence of all Buddha Shakyaminni's teachings. It describes the nature of all phenomenon that can be seen by our eyes, which are impermanent and lack of self existence. The true nature of the mind is omniscient and free of ego and other forms of self interest.
The Sutra Of The Heart Of Wisdom
Thus have I heard at one time. The Lord was dwelling at Rajagriha, on Vulture-peak mountain, together with a great host of monks and a great host of Bodhisattvas. At that time the Lord was composed in the concentration on the course of dharmas called 'Profound Illumination.' At that time also the noble Lord Avalokita, the Bodhisattva and Mahasattva, in the practice of the profound Perfection of Wisdom, looked down; he beheld but five skandhas and that in their own-being they were empty.
Then, through the inspiration of the Buddha, the Venerable Sariputra said to the noble Lord Avalokita, the Bodhisattva and Mahasattva: "How should any child of good family train, who wishes to engage in the practice of the profound Perfection of Wisdom?" And the noble Lord Avalokita, the Bodhisattva and Mahasattva, spoke to the venerable Sariputra as follows.
"Sariputra, any son or daughter of good family who wishes to engage in the practice of the profound
Perfection of Wisdom should look upon it thus: he or she beholds but five skandhas and that in their
own- being they are empty.
Form is Emptiness, Emptiness is form. Emptiness does not differ from form, and form does not differ
from Emptiness. Likewise feelings, recognitions, volitions and consciousnesses are empty.
So, Sariputra, all dharmas are Emptyness, without differentiating marks; they are not produced or
stopped, not defiled and not immaculate, not deficient and not complete. Therefore, Sariputra, in Emptyness there is no form, no feeling, no recognition, no volitions, no consciousness; no eye, no ear, no nose, no tongue, no body, no mind; no visible form, no sound, no smell, no taste, no tangible, no mental object; no eye-element, and so forth, up to no mind-element and no mental-consciousness-element; no ignorance and no extinction of ignorance, and so forth, up to no aging and death and no extinction of aging and death; likewise there is no Suffering, Origin, Cessation or Path, no wisdom-knowledge, no attainment and non- attainment.
Therefore Sariputra, because there is no attainment, Bodhisattvas abide relying on the Perfection of
Wisdom, without obscurations of thought, and so are unafraid. Transcending perverted views, they attain the end, Nirvana. All Buddhas existing in the three times, relying on the Perfection of Wisdom, fully awaken to the highest, perfect Enlightenment. Therefore one should know that the mantra of the Perfection of Wisdom is the mantra of great knowledge, the highest mantra, the unequaled mantra, the mantra that allays all suffering, the Truth, since it has nothing wrong. The mantra of the Perfection of Wisdom is proclaimed:
TADYATHA OM/ GATE /GATE/ PARAGATE/ PARASAMGATE/ BODHI/ SVAHA. (3x7x)
In this way, Sariputra, should a Bodhisattva and Mahasattva train in the profound Perfection of
Wisdom."
Then the Lord rose from that concentration and commended the noble Lord Avalokita, the Bodhisattva
and Mahasattva, saying: "Well said, well said, O son of good family! So it is, O son of good family, so it is. Just as you have taught should the profound Perfection of Wisdom be practiced, and the Tathagatas will rejoice.
Thus spoke the Lord.
The Venerable Sariputra, the noble Lord Avalokita, the Bodhisattva and Mahasattva, and the whole
world, that assembly with devas, human beings, asuras and gandharvas, were delighted and applauded
the Lord's speech.