Dharamshala: Drawing to a close the final of three days of teachings to Korean guests, His Holiness the Dalai Lama of Tibet concluded His guidance on chapter 24 of ‘Nagarjuna's Fundamental Treatise of the Middle Way' with a series of prayers, initiations and vows.
Addressing the audience of the main temple in His exile home of Dharamshala; North India, the final day of teachings were rounded off on 31st October 2012 under consecutive clear blue skies and amid a jubilant atmosphere.
Drawing upon the sacred text, His Holiness educated the audience on the basic principles of attaining Buddhahood; highlighting that through the understanding of emptiness, you can see the possibility of achieving liberation. His Holiness added that the nature of the mind is both empty and luminous, stating:
‘It is always better for us to take spiritual practices on one's own level. In this way, you will be able to attain your goal'.
The spiritual leader of Tibet then led a series of vows, consisting of the precepts; not kill, not to steal, not to perform sexual misconduct, not to lie and to avoid alcohol. The majority of the audience participated in the vows, including the Korean delegation, under the patient guidance of the revered spiritual leader.
His Holiness also reiterated the importance of cherishing all sentient beings, as well as the power of the human mind:
‘Because of the self-cherishing attitude we have, we need also to think of others; and of liberating all sentient beings. If you poke an insect, it will fly away. This shows that it does not want suffering. We should try to use our human minds to understand the true nature of things'.
A Bodhicitta ceremony, which involves the intention to achieve omniscient Buddhahood, was carefully led by His Holiness as the morning drew to a close. His Holiness stressed that it is important to cultivate Bodhicitta and the cherishing of others among ourselves. A permission initiation, as well as prayers, a Mandala offering, and vows were made, followed by a blessing of the body, speech and mind. The morning session concluded with prayers after a successful ceremony. A question and answer session for the Korean delegation was also held at 1.30 in the afternoon, to the delight of the guests.
In an interview for the Tibet Post International, Korean guest and Buddhist monk Bumguk (whose master is Jinok Sunim of the Korean delegation) described his feelings at the teachings, highlighting:
‘Even just a few days of teachings from His Holiness the Dalai Lama are very important. I am very happy today. Many of the guests today [from Korea] have been studying for ten years; this is a very special event. I am very happy; my mind feels clean and pure'.
The teachings on Nagarjuna's Fundamental Treatise of the Middle Way are available in video and audio format on: http://dalailama.com/webcasts/post/259-nagarjunas-fundamental-treatise-on-the-middle-way
