Quote 14

DHARMA READING Corner

Whatever dharma books we like to refer to should be from great enlighten beings and from my personal point of view, these books should be from proper unbroken lineage, unstained with broken samayas with the gurus, not too much exaggeration and not too much self comment, rather refer to the root enlightened great masters. This is because the purpose for us to read dharma books is for us to gain proper knowledge which is the unmistaken advice on the stages of the path such as in sutra and tantra. Even though we commemorate the hundreds and thousands of dharma books available for reference, in my opinion one should not refer based on one’s own assumption that it is easy and sounds supportive in one’s way of thinking, rather even though it looks very deep, profound and may face some difficulties in root text of enlightenment beings, there are greater benefits to explore the beneath and valid meaning of the teachings. So that is in general but in today’s language, the most relevant and most complete thing that relates to our lifestyle with deep and complete understanding on the whole stages of the path is to refer to His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s books. Although there are many different writers and publishers out there, I will always recommend people His Holiness’s books as they are safe and easy to relate. His Holiness’s books are well polished from every expect in particularly his advise and teachings and one is able to apply into one’s daily practice without any doubt. His Holiness’s books are also available and easily found world wide with topics covering study on stages of the path such as renunciation, bodhicitta, emptiness, loving kindness compassion, six perfections, understanding one’s mind, various methods of meditation, samadhi (single pointed concentration), karma abiding, different methods on mind transformation, different stages on tantric meditation, ground and paths, four noble truths , life and rebirth, cause and effect, twelve dependent origination, heart sutra, etc.

I am happy to share with everyone some of my personal book collections and I will continue to do so from time to time. I am certain these books will be able to benefit everyone from all levels.

AN OPEN HEART by The Dalai Lama

About this book - Compassion – sympathy for the suffering of others and the desire to free from it – is wrested with in all spiritual traditions. Yet how does one actually become a compassionate person? What are the mechanisms by which a selfish heart is transformed into a generous heart? An Open Heart is a clear and simple introduction to the Buddhist path of enlightenment, by its greatest teacher, His Holiness the Dalai Lama.

Contents

The Desire For Happiness

Meditation, A Beginning

The Material and Immaterial World

Karma

The Afflictions

The Vast and the Profound: Two Aspects of the Path

Compassion

Meditation on emptiness

Cultivating Equanimity

Bodhicitta

Calm Abiding

The Nine Stages of Calm Abiding Meditation

Wisdom

Buddhahood

DHARMA READING Corner

A GUIDE TO THE BODDHISATTVA’S WAY OF LIFE by Shantideva

About this book – Shantideva’s Bodhisattvacharyavatara (A Guide to the Bodhisattva’s Way of Life) holds unique place in Mahayana Buddhism akin to that of the Dhammapada in Hinayana Buddhism and the Bhagavadgita in Hinduism. In combining those rare qualities of scholastic precision, spiritual depth and poetical beauty, its appeal extends to a wide audience of Buddhists and non-Buddhists alike. Composed in India during the 8^th century of the Christian era, it has since been an inspiration to millions of people throughout the world.

Contents

The benefits of the Awaking Mind

Disclosure of Wrongdoing

Full Acceptance of the Awakening Mind

Conscientiousness

Guarding Alertness

Patience

Enthusiasm

Meditation

Wisdom

Dedication

Generating Bodhicitta

DHARMA READING Corner

ESSENCE OF THE HEART SUTRA by The Dalai Lama

About this book - In Essesnce of the Heart Sutra, The Dalai Lama masterfully unpacks the Heart Sutra so that any reader can benefit from its teachings – teachings meant to help us release ourselves from suffering and live with true compassion. Comprised of his “Heart of Wisdom” talks, originally delivered to thousands of listeners in 2001, the book offers the Dalai Lama’s commentary as well as his easy-to-follow overview of Buddhist philosophy that places the sutra within its historical and philosophical content. With additional contributions by scholar and translator Thubten Jinpa, Essence of the Heart Sutra is the authoritative presentation of a text seminal to the world’s religious heritage.

Contents

The Quest for Inner Development

Religion in Today’s World

The Foundations of Buddhism

The Great Vehicle

Freedom from Suffering

The Opening

Entering the Bodhisattva Path

Selfness in Context

Interpreting Emptiness

Developing an Unmistaken View of Reality

Attaining the Result

Generating Bodhicitta

DHARMA READING Corner

THE HEART OF THE BUDDHA’S PATH by His Holiness the Dalai Lama

About this book – In The Heart of the Buddha’s Path the Dalai Lama describes in a clear and simple style how to bring wisdom and compassion into our daily lives. He explores the fundamentals of the Buddha’s teachings, from basic advice on how to deal with anger and other emotions to the importance of compassion.

Contents

Contentment, Joy and Living Well

Facing Death and Dying Well

Dealing with Anger and Emotion

Giving and Receiving: A Practical Way of Directing Love and Compassion

Interdependence, Inter-connectedness and the Nature of Reality

The Challenge for Humanity: An Interfaith Address

Questions and Answers on Various Problems of Modern Age

Note

This section is STRICTLY not for commercial purpose but for the purpose of sharing with students and friends of Geshe Tenzin Zopa worldwide.

Write up “About this book” and “Contents” extracted from the book itself.

Photography / Design by Belinda Chong

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Losar And Chinese New Year 2008 Greetings

Tashi Delek,

During the next 15 days of Losar and Chinese New Year which starts from Feb 7 till Feb 21, karma multiplies one hundred million times. We must try our very best to do more meritorious deeds and most importantly try to develop more compassion and more loving, more forgiving and more detachment. It’s very important to learn the true nature of ourselves and try to recognize the Buddha nature in us and to live a life as happy as possible in the year 2008. Happiness brings positive energies and creates more conditions for greater future happiness and success and by understanding this brings 2008 a more meaningful year for all.

I like to wish all of you Happy Losar and Gong Xi Fa Chai! May you be most happy, most healthy, most successful and have the most meaningful life.

Quote 12

A prayer for the Beginning, Middle and End of Practice

A prayer for the Beginning, Middle and End of Practice

By Lama Tsongkhapa

I bow before the conquering buddhas, budhisattvas, and arhats of all directions and of all times.

I offer this boundless prayer with the purest of minds to free countless beings from cycles of existence.
By the power of the unfailing Three Jewels and of great rishis possessed of the force of truth, may these sincere words bear fruit.

Life after life, may I never be born into realms of great suffering or unfavorable circumstance
but gain always a precious human form blessed with every conducive provision.

From the moment of birth may I never be lured by the pleasure of existence, but, guided by renunciation intent on freedom, be resolute in seeking the pure life.

May there be no hindrance to becoming a monk, from friends, family or possessions, and for every conducive circumstance,by mere thought may it appear.

Once a monk, may I be untainted as long as I live, by breech of vow or natural fault, as promised in the presence of my preceptor.

I pray that on such pure foundation,and for every mother sentient being,I devote myself with hardship for countless eons to every aspect, profound and vast, of the Mahayana.

May I be cared for by true spiritual friends, filled with knowledge and insight, senses stilled, minds controlled, loving, compassionate and with courage untiring in working for others.

As Sada Prarudita devoted himself to Dharma Arya, may I sincerely please my spiritual master with body, life and wealth, never disappointing him for an instant.

I pray that the Perfection of Wisdom, forever profound,a bringer of peace, unbound by identification,be taught to me as taught to Sada Prarudita,unsullied by the muddy waters of false views.

May I never fall under the swayof false teachers and misleading friends,their flawed views of existence and nonexistence well outside the Buddha’s intention.

With sail hoisted of the sincerest of minds, driven by winds of unflagging effort, on this well-built ship of study, thought and meditation, may I bring living beings from samsara’s ocean.

As much as I excel in learning, as much as I give to others, as pure as my morality grows, as much as I become wise, by as much may I be empty of pride.

I pray that I listen insatiably to countless teachings at the feet of a master, single-handedly with logic unflawed, prizing open scriptures’ meanings.

Having examined day and night with fourfold logic all that I have heard,may I banish every doubt
with the discerning understandingthat arises from such contemplation.

With conviction on dharmas profound gained from understanding born of contemplation,I pray that I retreat to solitude with a perseverance severing life’s attachments to devote myself to proper practice.

When the Buddha’s thoughts dawn upon me through study, thought and meditation, I pray that things of this life forever bonded to samsara and thoughts of my happiness alone never arise in my mind.

Unattached to my possessions I pray that I destroy parsimony, gathering disciples around me
by giving first of material wealth to satisfy them with Dharma.

With a mind renounced may I never transgress even the smallest precept, though it may cost my life,flying forever, therefore, the flag of freedom.

When I see, hear or think of those who struck, beat or maligned me, may I be without anger, speak of their virtues, and meditate upon patience.

I pray I will apply myself to enthusiasm,achieving virtues unachieved, improving those attained,
banishing utterly threefold debilitating laziness.

I pray to abandon the meditative absorption that lacks the power of insight to quell samsara,
that is divorced from the moist compassion to quash nirvana’s passivity, and that mostly throws one back to cycles of existence, but develop instead the meditative absorption that unites compassion and insight.

I pray that I banish false views of emptiness, mentally fabricated and partially known, born from fear of the most profound truth, cherished as supreme,and that I realize all phenomena to be forever empty.

May I bring to faultless morality those so-called practitioners with their wayward ethics, shamelessly empty of pure practice, rashly pursuing path shunned by the wise.

May I bring to the path praised by buddhas those lost and fallen onto wrong paths, swayed by deluded teachers and misleading friends.

I pray that my lion-like roar of teaching, argument and composition flattens the pride of fox-like false orators, and, gathering well-trained disciples about me, I fly the banner of the teachings forever.

In whatever life I may drink the nectar of Buddha’s teachings, I pray to be born into good family and be of handsome build, wealthy, powerful and wise, blessed with long life and sound health.

May I develop the unique love of a mother for those who malign me and harbor ill designs upon my life,
my body or my possessions.

By growing within myself the pure and extraordinary bodhi mind whose nature is to cherish others more than self, may I soon give them unsurpassable enlightenment.

Whoever hears, sees or call these verses to mind, may they be undaunted in fulfilling the powerful prayers of the bodhisattvas.

By the power of these vast prayers, made with the purest intention, may I attain the perfection of prayer and fulfill the hopes of every living being.