These morning talks were translated into English by Jim Scott.
Review notes kindly provided by Hanna Severin.
These morning talks were translated into English by Jim Scott.
Review notes kindly provided by Hanna Severin.
Topics: Distinguishing the Middle from the Extremes, chapter 4,
The Antidotes, A. Description of the five paths
1. 37 factors of enlightenment,
(d) 5 forms of mastery: 1. faith gives the mastery over aspiration, 2. diligence gives the mastery over application to the practice, 3. recollection gives the mastery over not forgetting the focal referent during meditation, 4.Samadhi gives the mastery over the mind not to wander to the focal referent, 5. knowledge gives the mastery to probably distinguish phenomena - the path of application, heat and peak
(e) 5 powers/ strengths: same as in the previous verse, each of the factors possesses a strength and leads to the next
(f) 7 branches of enlightenment: knowledge, recollection , diligence, joy, suppleness, samadhi, equanimity - the first bhumi, the path of vision
(g) the eightfold noble path: correct view, correct manner of thinking, correct speech, correct action, correct livelihood, correct effort, correct recollection, correct samadhi - the path of meditation , 2- 10th bhumi
Singing Milarepa songs
Topics: Distinguishing the Middle from the Extremes, chapter 4
2. The three phases of the path,
summarizing them all in terms of three, an approximation of genuine reality
the path of accumulation and application
one who has practicing one of the yanas, mastering the view,
summarized in 3 stages: 1) one who is not purified of the superficial stains, 2) one who is unpurified yet purified, 3) one with the purification is complete
3. the result of the path: 1. the fully mature result: the vessel, the human body, one has diligence, faith and knowledge, 2. the empowering result: do to the power one has attained purification, one possesses power , 3. the result concordant with the cause: wanting, 4. personal created result: increasing, ones virtue in previous life, drastically, 5. the result in the form of freedom: full purification
each previous stage leads to the next, the path of meditation enables habituations, the full completion is the path to buddhahood, concordant refers to the bhumis 2nd to 10th, the work together is leading to suchness, the special result referring to all the bhumis collectively they present the qualities which are for the benefit of others, they are specially higher and there is an unsurpassable result
Topics: Distinguishing the Middle from the Extremes, 5th chapter
The 6 aspects of unsurpassable practice
A. The focus and the accomplishment of the Mahayana is unsurpassable
1. The twelve Aspects
2. The essentials and the function of the paramitas
3. Practice in accord with the Dharma
(a) Shamatha Meditation, (b) Vipashana Meditation,
(a) Undistracted Shamatha which is free from 6 forms of distractions,
(b) Extended explanation of Vipashyana, (1) The letters, (2) The actual meaning, (3) Mental activity, (4) Not projecting, (5) The true character, (6) The Comprehensive character, (7) The pure and Impure, (8) Adventitious, (9) No aversion, (10) No arrogance
A heavy rain in the middle part of the talk renders the audio quality quite poor.
topic: Distinguishing the Middle from the Extremes, 5th chapter,
The 6 aspects of unsurpassable practice
3. Practice in accord with the Dharma
(B) Superior Insight or Vipashyana, (1) The letters, (2) The actual meaning, (3) Mental activity, (4) Not projecting, (5) The true character, (6) The Comprehensive character, (7) The pure and Impure, (8) Adventitious, (9) No aversion, (10) No arrogance
4. Abandoning the two Extremes
(A) The First Seven Pairs
The extremes of being separate or the same,
the extremes of both the tirthikas and the shravakas,
the two extremes of superimposition or denial in relation to either a
person or a phenomena,
the extremes of unfavorable conditions and their remedies,
the ideas of permanence and extinction,
and the extremes of a perceived object and a perceiving subject in
relation to the totally afflicted and the completely purified.
There are three aspects to the totally afflicted.
Topics: Distinguishing the Middle from the Extremes, 5th chapter
The 6 aspects of unsurpassable practice
4. Abandoning the two Extremes
(B) The Second Seven
The existence of an entity and the nonexistence of an entity,
what is to be pacified and what pacifies,
something to be feared and the fearing of it
perceived object and perceiving subject,
what is correct and what is mistaken,
acting as an agent and not acting as an agent,
and not arising and simultaneously present.
These are the extremes related to two concepts.
Different Milarepa songs, explanations by Rinpoche, sung by Ari
Topic: Distinguishing the Middle from the Extremes, 5th chapter
The 6 aspects of unsurpassable practice
5. Practice with the focus
6. Practice without a focus
B. The vast Mahayana View
The focuses are stated as:
The presentation, suchness or the dharmadhatu, what is to be
practiced, the practice (itself), comprehension, definitive
comprehension, perfect comprehension, perfect realization, perfectly
expanding, conceptualization, resting in naturalness, and perfectly
accomplished.
C. The vast Mahayana accomplishment
Perfect accomplishment embodies:
Nothing missing, not abandoning, not straying, perfect
accomplishment, perfect generation, increasing, completely
workable, not abiding, no obscurations, and no interruption.
Ari is leading the singing and dancing