[See post on the website to watch the video.]

With video BA5Q1 Rinpoche answers some of the first questions submitted regarding Chapter 5. To view the video, simply click on the triangle in the movie player on the left.

To view on the iPhone/iPad click here

If you prefer listening to the teaching in audio, use the audio player below.

[Audio clip: view full post to listen]

If you are not able to use the flash player, you can download the audio file here or on the RSS feed page.

A transcript of this teaching can be downloaded here and in the Library.

Please also join the Bodhicharya Communities, if you haven’t already. There is a community for the Online Shedra, and everybody is invited there. You can send study questions for Rinpoche through the Online Shedra community forum as well.

Audio translations / Übersetzung / Traduction / Tulkkaus

Deutsch – français – suomi

(will follow soon)

Ringu Tulku Rinpoche’s new book, entitled ‘Confusion Arises as Wisdom - Gampopa’s Heart Advice on the Path of Mahamudra’, is now available to pre-order via the publisher Shambhala Publications. It is also available through Wisdom Books or Amazon. The book is planned for release in September 2012.

“The Tibetan Buddhist teachings on the freedom that comes from perceiving the emptiness of all phenomena—teachings known collectively by the name Mahamudra—are presented here with remarkable clarity through commentary on a twelfth-century text. The text is “Gampopa’s Great Teachings to the Assembly,” by Gampopa, the foremost disciple of the legendary figure Milarepa and founder of Tibetan Buddhism’s Kagyu school. The commentary is by Ringu Tulku Rinpoche, a contemporary teacher of deep learning and profound practice with a remarkable gift for presenting these traditional teachings in a way that is accessible to Western hearts and minds.” (via Shambhala.com)

[See post on the website to watch the video.]

With video BA5_18-22 Rinpoche explains stanzas 18 to 22 of the fifth chapter of the Bodhicharyavatara. Now that we understand that all negative things – the sources of our suffering and pain – as well as all positive things – the sources of our happiness, peace and liberation – both are our mind itself, it is important to train and guard the mind. Guarding the mind with mindfulness and vigilant introspection is the discipline and the practice of dharma.

To view the video, simply click on the triangle in the movie player on the left.

To view on the iPhone/iPad click here

If you prefer listening to the teaching in audio, use the audio player below.

[Audio clip: view full post to listen]

If you are not able to use the flash player, you can download the audio file here or from the RSS feed.

We are also studying the commentary transcript on Chapter 5, which you can download here and in the Library section. Further recommended reading: the commentary book by Kunzang Pelden (Khenpo Kunpal), The Nectar of Manjushri’s Speech, p. 170-172.

You’re questions are most welcome. Please log in and leave your questions for Rinpoche as a comment below, or send them via email to studyquestions[at]bodhicharya.org. It is helpful if you can use one short paragraph and, if possible, less than 80 words. Any questions longer than that may have to be edited so please be concise. Questions will be collected from here on Friday, May 18, and included in Rinpoche’s answers video. After that date please send any questions relating to this video teaching via email to studyquestions[at]bodhicharya.org.

Please also join the Bodhicharya Communities, if you haven’t already. There is a community for the Online Shedra, and everybody is invited there. You can send study questions for Rinpoche through the Online Shedra community forum as well.

Audio translations / Übersetzung / Traduction / Tulkkaus

Deutsch – français – suomi

(will follow soon)

[See post on the website to watch the video.]

With video BA5_13-17 Rinpoche continues the section on how all positive things also come from the mind. The paramitas of patience, diligence, meditation and wisdom are discussed here with stanzas 13 to 17 of the fifth chapter of the Bodhicharyavatara.

To view the video, simply click on the triangle in the movie player on the left.

To view on the iPhone/iPad click here

If you prefer listening to the teaching in audio, use the audio player below.

[Audio clip: view full post to listen]

If you are not able to use the flash player, you can download the audio file here or from the RSS feed.

A transcript of this teaching can be downloaded here and in the Library.

We are also studying the commentary transcript on Chapter 5, which you can download here and in the Library section. Further recommended reading: the commentary book by Kunzang Pelden (Khenpo Kunpal), The Nectar of Manjushri’s Speech, p. 169-170.

You’re questions are most welcome. Please log in and leave your questions for Rinpoche as a comment below, or send them via email to studyquestions[at]bodhicharya.org. It is helpful if you can use one short paragraph and, if possible, less than 80 words. Any questions longer than that may have to be edited so please be concise. Questions will be collected from here on Friday, May 11, and included in Rinpoche’s answers video. After that date please send any questions relating to this video teaching via email to studyquestions[at]bodhicharya.org.

Please also join the Bodhicharya Communities, if you haven’t already. There is a community for the Online Shedra, and everybody is invited there. You can send study questions for Rinpoche through the Online Shedra community forum as well.

Audio translations / Übersetzung / Traduction / Tulkkaus

Deutsch – français – suomi

• Deutsch / German (will follow soon)
• Français / French (will follow soon)
• Suomi / Finnish (Minna Stenroos)
  Jos haluat kuunnella simultaanitulkkauksen samanaikaisesti videon kanssa, käynnistä ensin video- ja sen jälkeen ääninauhuri.
  [Audio clip: view full post to listen]

If you would like to volunteer in making audio translations to other languages, please email us at shedra@bodhicharya.org.

With video BA4Q8 Rinpoche answers the remaining three questions that were submitted regarding Chapter 4.

[See post on the website to watch the video.]

To view the video, simply click on the triangle in the movie player on the left.

To view on the iPhone/iPad click here

If you prefer listening to the teaching in audio, use the audio player below.

[Audio clip: view full post to listen]

If you are not able to use the flash player, you can download the audio file here or on the RSS feed page.

A transcript of this teaching can be downloaded here and in the Library.

Please also join the Bodhicharya Communities, if you haven’t already. There is a community for the Online Shedra, and everybody is invited there. You can send study questions for Rinpoche through the Online Shedra community forum as well.

Audio translations / Übersetzung / Traduction / Tulkkaus

Deutsch – français – suomi

• Deutsch / German (will follow soon)
• Français / French (will follow soon)
• Suomi / Finnish (Minna Stenroos)
  Jos haluat kuunnella simultaanitulkkauksen samanaikaisesti videon kanssa, käynnistä ensin video- ja sen jälkeen ääninauhuri.
  [Audio clip: view full post to listen]

If you would like to volunteer in making audio translations to other languages, please email us at shedra@bodhicharya.org.

With BA5_9-12 we come to the second point of this section: how every good thing and all virtue also come from the mind. The first three paramitas — giving, discipline and patience — are discussed here as Rinpoche explains stanzas from 9 to 12 of the fifth chapter of the Bodhicharyavatara.

[See post on the website to watch the video.]

To view the video, simply click on the triangle in the movie player on the left.

To view on the iPhone/iPad click here

If you prefer listening to the teaching in audio, use the audio player below.

[Audio clip: view full post to listen]

If you are not able to use the flash player, you can download the audio file here or on the RSS feed page.

A transcript of this teaching can be downloaded here and in the Library.

We are also studying the commentary transcript on Chapter 5, which you can download here and in the Library section. Further recommended reading: the commentary book by Kunzang Pelden (Khenpo Kunpal), The Nectar of Manjushri’s Speech, p. 168-169.

You’re questions are most welcome. Please log in and leave your questions for Rinpoche as a comment below, or send them via email to studyquestions[at]bodhicharya.org. It is helpful if you can use one short paragraph and, if possible, less than 80 words. Any questions longer than that may have to be edited so please be concise. Questions will be collected from here on Friday, May 4, and included in Rinpoche’s answers video. After that date please send any questions relating to this video teaching via email to studyquestions[at]bodhicharya.org.

Please also join the Bodhicharya Communities, if you haven’t already. There is a community for the Online Shedra, and everybody is invited there. You can send study questions for Rinpoche through the Online Shedra community forum as well.

Audio translations / Übersetzung / Traduction / Tulkkaus

Deutsch – français – suomi

• Deutsch / German (will follow soon)
• Français / French (will follow soon)
• Suomi / Finnish (Minna Stenroos)
  Jos haluat kuunnella simultaanitulkkauksen samanaikaisesti videon kanssa, käynnistä ensin video- ja sen jälkeen ääninauhuri. [Audio clip: view full post to listen]

If you would like to volunteer in making audio translations to other languages, please email us at shedra@bodhicharya.org.

With video BA5_2-8 Rinpoche begins the detailed explanation on the importance of guarding our mind with vigilant introspection. Stanzas from 2 to 8 of the fifth chapter of the Bodhicharyavatara cover the first of three points in this section: how all problems and harm come from our untrained mind.

[See post on the website to watch the video.]

To view the video, simply click on the triangle in the movie player on the left.

To view on the iPhone/iPad click here

If you prefer listening to the teaching in audio, use the audio player below.
[Audio clip: view full post to listen]

If you are not able to use the flash player, you can download the audio file here or on the RSS feed page.

A transcript of this teaching can be downloaded here and in the Library.

We are also studying the commentary transcript on Chapter 5, which you can download here and in the Library section. Further recommended reading: the commentary book by Kunzang Pelden (Khenpo Kunpal), The Nectar of Manjushri’s Speech, p. 165-168.

You’re questions are most welcome. Please log in and leave your questions for Rinpoche as a comment below, or send them via email to studyquestions[at]bodhicharya.org. It is helpful if you can use one short paragraph and, if possible, less than 80 words. Any questions longer than that may have to be edited so please be concise. Questions will be collected from here on Friday, April 27, and included in Rinpoche’s answers video. After that date please send any questions relating to this video teaching via email to studyquestions[at]bodhicharya.org.

Please also join the Bodhicharya Communities, if you haven’t already. There is a community for the Online Shedra, and everybody is invited there. You can send study questions for Rinpoche through the Online Shedra community forum as well.

Audio translations / Übersetzung / Traduction / Tulkkaus

Deutsch – français – suomi

• Deutsch / German (will follow soon)
• Français / French (Maryvonne Schopfer)
  [Audio clip: view full post to listen]
• Suomi / Finnish (Minna Stenroos)
  Jos haluat kuunnella simultaanitulkkauksen samanaikaisesti videon kanssa, käynnistä ensin video- ja sen jälkeen ääninauhuri.
  [Audio clip: view full post to listen]

If you would like to volunteer in making audio translations to other languages, please email us at shedra@bodhicharya.org.

With video BA5_1 Rinpoche gives the general outline and explains the essence of the fifth chapter of the Bodhicharyavatara, Vigilant Introspection. In brief, in order to follow the training of the Bodhisattva path, we have to guard and protect our mind constantly by applying mindfulness and awareness to it.

[See post on the website to watch the video.]

To view the video, simply click on the triangle in the movie player on the left.

To view on the iPhone/iPad click here

If you prefer listening to the teaching in audio, use the audio player below.
[Audio clip: view full post to listen]

If you are not able to use the flash player, you can download the audio file here or on the RSS feed page.

A transcript of this teaching can be downloaded here and in the Library.

We are also studying the commentary transcript on Chapter 5, which you can download here and in the Library section. Further recommended reading: the commentary book by Kunzang Pelden (Khenpo Kunpal), The Nectar of Manjushri’s Speech, p. 164-165.

You’re questions are most welcome. Please log in and leave your questions for Rinpoche as a comment below, or send them via email to studyquestions[at]bodhicharya.org. It is helpful if you can use one short paragraph and, if possible, less than 80 words. Any questions longer than that may have to be edited so please be concise. Questions will be collected from here on Friday, April 20, and included in Rinpoche’s answers video. After that date please send any questions relating to this video teaching via email to studyquestions[at]bodhicharya.org.

Please also join the Bodhicharya Communities, if you haven’t already. There is a community for the Online Shedra, and everybody is invited there. You can send study questions for Rinpoche through the Online Shedra community forum as well.

Audio translations / Übersetzung / Traduction / Tulkkaus

Deutsch – français – suomi

• Deutsch / German (will follow soon)
• Français / French (Maryvonne Schopfer)
  Cet enregistrement n’est pas en simultané.
  [Audio clip: view full post to listen]
• Suomi / Finnish (Minna Stenroos)
  Jos haluat kuunnella simultaanitulkkauksen samanaikaisesti videon kanssa, käynnistä ensin video- ja sen jälkeen ääninauhuri.
  [Audio clip: view full post to listen]

If you would like to volunteer in making audio translations to other languages, please email us at shedra@bodhicharya.org.

This is a set of questions you can use to self assess your knowledge and understanding of the teachings relating to the fourth chapter of the Bodhicharyavatara, Carefulness. Please feel free to use these questions as you find helpful.

You may answer these questions either from your memory alone or by referring to the materials you have available. Answers can be found in the video teachings listed below, but you can also refer to the root text The Way of the Bodhisattva, the transcript of Rinpoche’s teachings from 1997-2001 or the commentary book by Khenpo Kunpal, and the seven videos of Questions and Answers on Chapter 4.

BA4_1 Carefulness
BA4_2-12 Preventing Our Bodhichitta Aspiration from Degenerating
BA4_12-20 Diligence and Precious Human Life
BA4_21-27 The Sufferings of Samsara & The Need to Seize the Opportunity
BA4_28-32 Reflecting on the Faults of Negative Emotions
BA4_33-35 More on the Faults of Negative Emotions
BA4_36-43 Enduring the Hardships
BA4_43-48 How to Get Rid of the Defilements

Chapter 4 Questions

1. The Bodhicharyavatara can be divided to four main parts. The first three chapters form part one, which is about generating bodhichitta where bodhichitta has not yet arisen. The second part consists of chapters 4-6.  What is it about?  (Video BA4_1)

2. The first three chapters explored the bodhichitta aspiration. The fourth chapter of the Bodhicharyavatara begins the section on discipline. The title of this chapter is, in Tibetan, pag yü, which is translated here as Carefulness. What is pag yü, carefulness/heedfulness? What might this mean to you in your daily life? (Videos BA4_1, BA4_43-48)

3. What are the three main points, given in this chapter, to be considered regarding our practice of carefulness? (Video BA4_2-12)

4. What are the two main things to be careful of in the training itself? (Videos BA4_2-12, BA4_12-20)

5. What are the reasons why we should keep the bodhichitta aspiration from degenerating, and why is wavering in this aspiration not helpful? (Video BA4_2-12)

6. What are the three points to take into consideration when reflecting on our precious human life? (Video BA4_12-20)

7. In your opinion, why is it so necessary to reflect on the sufferings of samsara, the faults of the negative emotions and the necessity to seize the opportunity. Why do we need such a passionate attitude as proclaimed by Shantideva in these stanzas? (Videos BA4_21-27, BA4_28-32, BA4_33-35, BA4_36-43, BA4_43-48)

8. What are the three points to contemplate when examining the kleshas we wish to free ourselves of? (Video BA4_28-32)

9. How are the negative emotions different from any common enemies we might have and why are they so harmful? (Videos BA4_28-32, BA4_33-35, BA4_36-43)

10. What is our primary tool or weapon against the kleshas, our negative emotions? Elaborate on how it is possible to get rid of such powerful enemies. (Video BA4_43-48)

11. What can be taken as a measure of the effect of our practice? If you like, you can reflect on Gampopa’s words:  “Don’t do Dharma practice as work, do it as transformation.”  (Videos BA4_33-35, BA4_43-48)

12. In the light of these teachings what do you see as your enemy and how do you feel you are working on it with carefulness and presence of mind, considering all the points given in Chapter 4?

Download the Self Study Questions for Chapter 4 as a pdf file 

With BA4Q7 Rinpoche answers a few more questions submitted by Online Shedra students regarding Chapter 4.

[See post on the website to watch the video.]

To view the video, simply click on the triangle in the movie player on the left.

To view on the iPhone/iPad click here

If you prefer listening to the teaching in audio, use the audio player below.

[Audio clip: view full post to listen]

If you are not able to use the flash player, you can download the audio file here or on the RSS feed page.

A transcript of this teaching can be downloaded here and in the Library.

Please also join the Bodhicharya Communities, if you haven’t already. There is a community for the Online Shedra, and everybody is invited there. You can send study questions for Rinpoche through the Online Shedra community forum as well.

Audio translations / Übersetzung / Traduction / Tulkkaus

Deutsch – français – suomi

• Deutsch / German (will follow soon)
• Français / French (will follow soon)
• Suomi / Finnish (Minna Stenroos)
  Jos haluat kuunnella simultaanitulkkauksen samanaikaisesti videon kanssa, käynnistä ensin video- ja sen jälkeen ääninauhuri.
  [Audio clip: view full post to listen]

If you would like to volunteer in making audio translations to other languages, please email us at shedra@bodhicharya.org.

With BA4Q6 Rinpoche answers the second one of the many questions submitted by Online Shedra students during his recent journey to Bodhgaya.

[See post on the website to watch the video.]

To view the video, simply click on the triangle in the movie player on the left.

To view on the iPhone/iPad click here

If you prefer listening to the teaching in audio, use the audio player below.

[Audio clip: view full post to listen]

If you are not able to use the flash player, you can download the audio file here or on the RSS feed page.

A transcript of this teaching can be downloaded here and in the Library.

Please also join the Bodhicharya Communities, if you haven’t already. There is a community for the Online Shedra, and everybody is invited there. You can send study questions for Rinpoche through the Online Shedra community forum as well.

Audio translations / Übersetzung / Traduction / Tulkkaus

Deutsch – français – suomi

• Deutsch / German (will follow soon)
• Français / French (will follow soon)
• Suomi / Finnish (Minna Stenroos)
  Jos haluat kuunnella simultaanitulkkauksen samanaikaisesti videon kanssa, käynnistä ensin video- ja sen jälkeen ääninauhuri.
  [Audio clip: view full post to listen]

If you would like to volunteer in making audio translations to other languages, please email us at shedra@bodhicharya.org.

We have now come to the conclusion of Chapter Four, Carefulness. How do we actually get rid of the kleshas? With video BA4_43-48, Rinpoche discusses the stanzas 43 to 48 of the fourth chapter of the Bodhicharyavatara.

[See post on the website to watch the video.]

To view the video, simply click on the triangle in the movie player on the left.

To view on the iPhone/iPad click here

If you prefer listening to the teaching in audio, use the audio player below.

[Audio clip: view full post to listen]

If you are not able to use the flash player, you can download the audio file here or on the RSS feed page.

A transcript of this teaching can be downloaded here and in the Library.

We are also studying the commentary transcript on Chapter 4, which you can download here and in the Library section. Further recommended reading: the commentary book by Kunzang Pelden (Khenpo Kunpal), The Nectar of Manjushri’s Speech, p. 159-163.

You’re questions are most welcome. Please log in and leave your questions for Rinpoche as a comment below, or send them via email to studyquestions[at]bodhicharya.org. It is helpful if you can use one short paragraph and, if possible, less than 80 words. Any questions longer than that may have to be edited so please be concise. Questions will be collected from here on Monday, April 2, and included in Rinpoche’s answers video. After that date please send any questions relating to this video teaching via email to studyquestions[at]bodhicharya.org.

Please also join the Bodhicharya Communities, if you haven’t already. There is a community for the Online Shedra, and everybody is invited there. You can send study questions for Rinpoche through the Online Shedra community forum as well.

Audio translations / Übersetzung / Traduction / Tulkkaus

Deutsch – français – suomi

• Deutsch / German (will follow soon)
• Français / French (Maryvonne Schopfer)
  Cet enregistrement n’est pas en simultané.
  [Audio clip: view full post to listen]
• Suomi / Finnish (Minna Stenroos)
  Jos haluat kuunnella simultaanitulkkauksen samanaikaisesti videon kanssa, käynnistä ensin video- ja sen jälkeen ääninauhuri.
  [Audio clip: view full post to listen]

If you would like to volunteer in making audio translations to other languages, please email us at shedra@bodhicharya.org.

With BA4Q5 Rinpoche answers one of the many questions submitted by Online Shedra students during his recent journey to Bodhgaya for Kagyu Monlam.  Rinpoche will answer more questions in the next questions and answers video.

[See post on the website to watch the video.]

To view the video, simply click on the triangle in the movie player on the left.

To view on the iPhone/iPad click here

If you prefer listening to the teaching in audio, use the audio player below.

[Audio clip: view full post to listen]

If you are not able to use the flash player, you can download the audio file here or on the RSS feed page.

A transcript of this teaching can be downloaded here and in the Library.

Please also join the Bodhicharya Communities, if you haven’t already. There is a community for the Online Shedra, and everybody is invited there. Now you can send study questions for Rinpoche through the Online Shedra community forum as well.

Audio translations / Übersetzung / Traduction / Tulkkaus

Deutsch – français – suomi

• Deutsch / German (will follow soon)
• Français / French (Maryvonne Schopfer)
  Si vous désirez écouter la traduction française en simultané, lancez d’abord la vidéo et ensuite l’enregistrement audio.
  [Audio clip: view full post to listen]
• Suomi / Finnish (Minna Stenroos)
  Jos haluat kuunnella simultaanitulkkauksen samanaikaisesti videon kanssa, käynnistä ensin video- ja sen jälkeen ääninauhuri.
  [Audio clip: view full post to listen]

If you would like to volunteer in making audio translations to other languages, please email us at shedra@bodhicharya.org.

This is the teaser of a great new series of short video teachings given by Ringu Tulku Rinpoche on the Six Paramitas.

The whole series of six videos is available for viewing on YouTube: Wisdom in Action – The Six Paramitas

Films by tOM Zachmeier

While Rinpoche is in Bodhgaya participating the 29th Kagyu Monlam, we continue with Chapter Four. With video BA4_36-43 Rinpoche explains the stanzas from 36 to the first half of 43.  Here Shantideva declares he will not be discouraged and lose heart but will strive on diligently, enduring the hardships in order to eliminate the negative emotions.

[See post on the website to watch the video.]

To view the video, simply click on the triangle in the movie player on the left.

To view on the iPhone/iPad click here

If you prefer listening to the teaching in audio, use the audio player below.

[Audio clip: view full post to listen]

If you are not able to use the flash player, you can download the audio file here or on the RSS feed page.

A transcript of this teaching can be downloaded here and in the Library.

We are also studying the commentary transcript on Chapter 4, which you can download here and in the Library section. Further recommended reading: the commentary book by Kunzang Pelden (Khenpo Kunpal), The Nectar of Manjushri’s Speech, p. 157-159.

You’re questions are most welcome. Please log in and leave your questions for Rinpoche as a comment below, or send them via email to studyquestions[at]bodhicharya.org. It is helpful if you can use one short paragraph and, if possible, less than 80 words. Any questions longer than that may have to be edited so please be concise. Questions will be collected from here on Thursday, March 8, and included in Rinpoche’s answers video. After that date please send any questions relating to this video teaching via email to studyquestions[at]bodhicharya.org.

Please also join the Bodhicharya Communities, if you haven’t already. There is a community for the Online Shedra, and everybody is invited there. You can send study questions for Rinpoche through the Online Shedra community forum as well.

Audio translations / Übersetzung / Traduction / Tulkkaus

Deutsch – français – suomi

• Deutsch / German (Ena Meyer)
  Falls Ihr/Sie die deutsche Übersetzung simultan zu Rinpoche’s Belehrung anhören möchten, starten Sie bitte erst den Video Player and dann schnell den Audio Player dazu.
  [Audio clip: view full post to listen]
• Français / French (Maryvonne Schopfer)
  Si vous désirez écouter la traduction française en simultané, lancez d’abord la vidéo et ensuite l’enregistrement audio.
  [Audio clip: view full post to listen]
• Suomi / Finnish (Minna Stenroos)
  Jos haluat kuunnella simultaanitulkkauksen samanaikaisesti videon kanssa, käynnistä ensin video- ja sen jälkeen ääninauhuri.
  [Audio clip: view full post to listen]
  
  If you would like to volunteer in making audio translations to other languages, please email us at shedra@bodhicharya.org.

Dear Friends,

The 29th Kagyu Monlam Chenmo is soon starting in Bodhgaya, India. Before the actual Monlam His Holiness the Karmapa will give a three days teaching on Vajradhara Lineage Prayer and there will be live webcasts starting from February 26. In Europe that’ll be early Sunday morning. You’ll find the local times on the webcast site.

Ringu Tulku Rinpoche will again translate for the Karmapa.

http://www.kagyumonlam.org/Webcast/live_webcast.html

With video BA4_33-35 we conclude the section on the necessity of carefulness regarding the shortcomings of negative emotions, which are the real target of our practice.  This is Rinpoche’s explanation on the stanzas 33 to 35 of the fourth chapter of the Bodhicharyavatara.

[See post on the website to watch the video.]

To view the video, simply click on the triangle in the movie player on the left.

To view on the iPhone/iPad click here

If you prefer listening to the teaching in audio, use the audio player below.

[Audio clip: view full post to listen]

If you are not able to use the flash player, you can download the audio file here or on the RSS feed page.

A transcript of this teaching can be downloaded here and from the Library.

We are also studying the commentary transcript on Chapter 4, which you can download here and in the Library section. Further recommended reading: the commentary book by Kunzang Pelden (Khenpo Kunpal), The Nectar of Manjushri’s Speech, p. 156-157.

You’re questions are most welcome. Please log in and leave your questions for Rinpoche as a comment below, or send them via email to studyquestions[at]bodhicharya.org. It is helpful if you can use one short paragraph and, if possible, less than 80 words. Any questions longer than that may have to be edited so please be concise. Questions will be collected from here on Thursday, March 8, and included in Rinpoche’s answers video. After that date please send any questions relating to this video teaching via email to studyquestions[at]bodhicharya.org.

Please also join the Bodhicharya Communities, if you haven’t already. There is a community for the Online Shedra, and everybody is invited there. You can send study questions for Rinpoche through the Online Shedra community forum as well.

Audio translations / Übersetzung / Traduction / Tulkkaus

Deutsch – français – suomi

• Deutsch / German (Ena Meyer)
  Falls Ihr/Sie die deutsche Übersetzung simultan zu Rinpoche’s Belehrung anhören möchten, starten Sie bitte erst den Video Player and dann schnell den Audio Player dazu.
  [Audio clip: view full post to listen]
• Français / French (Maryvonne Schopfer)
  Si vous désirez écouter la traduction française en simultané, lancez d’abord la vidéo et ensuite l’enregistrement audio.
  [Audio clip: view full post to listen]
• Suomi / Finnish (Minna Stenroos)
  Jos haluat kuunnella simultaanitulkkauksen samanaikaisesti videon kanssa, käynnistä ensin video- ja sen jälkeen ääninauhuri.
  [Audio clip: view full post to listen]
  If you would like to volunteer in making audio translations to other languages, please email us at shedra@bodhicharya.org.

With this video BA4Q4 Rinpoche answers some more questions submitted by Online Shedra students during the past few weeks, regarding the choice we have and taking refuge.

[See post on the website to watch the video.]

To view the video, simply click on the triangle in the movie player on the left.

To view on the iPhone/iPad click here

If you prefer listening to the teaching in audio, use the audio player below.

[Audio clip: view full post to listen]

If you are not able to use the flash player, you can download the audio file here or on the RSS feed page.

A transcript of this teaching can be downloaded here and in the Library.

Please also join the Bodhicharya Communities, if you haven’t already. There is a community for the Online Shedra, and everybody is invited there. Now you can send study questions for Rinpoche through the Online Shedra community forum as well.

Audio translations / Übersetzung / Traduction / Tulkkaus

Deutsch – français – suomi

• Deutsch / German (will follow soon)
• Français / French (Maryvonne Schopfer)
  Si vous désirez écouter la traduction française en simultané, lancez d’abord la vidéo et ensuite l’enregistrement audio.
  [Audio clip: view full post to listen]
• Suomi / Finnish (Minna Stenroos)
  Jos haluat kuunnella simultaanitulkkauksen samanaikaisesti videon kanssa, käynnistä ensin video- ja sen jälkeen ääninauhuri.
  [Audio clip: view full post to listen]
  If you would like to volunteer in making audio translations to other languages, please email us at shedra@bodhicharya.org.

Ringu Tulku Rinpoche answers the questions submitted by Online Shedra students concerning stanzas 12 to 32 of the fourth chapter of the Bodhicharyavatara. This is the questions and answers video BA4Q3.

[See post on the website to watch the video.]

To view the video, simply click on the triangle in the movie player on the left.

To view on the iPhone/iPad click here

If you prefer listening to the teaching in audio, use the audio player below.

[Audio clip: view full post to listen]

If you are not able to use the flash player, you can download the audio file here or on the RSS feed page.

A transcript of this teaching can be downloaded here and in the Library.

Please also join the Bodhicharya Communities, if you haven’t already. There is a community for the Online Shedra, and everybody is invited there. Now you can send study questions for Rinpoche through the Online Shedra community forum as well.

Audio translations / Übersetzung / Traduction / Tulkkaus

Deutsch – français – suomi

• Deutsch / German (will follow soon)
• Français / French (Maryvonne Schopfer)
  Si vous désirez écouter la traduction française en simultané, lancez d’abord la vidéo et ensuite l’enregistrement audio.
  [Audio clip: view full post to listen]
• Suomi / Finnish (Minna Stenroos)
  Jos haluat kuunnella simultaanitulkkauksen samanaikaisesti videon kanssa, käynnistä ensin video- ja sen jälkeen ääninauhuri.
  [Audio clip: view full post to listen]
  If you would like to volunteer in making audio translations to other languages, please email us at shedra@bodhicharya.org.

Recently Ringu Tulku Rinpoche gave a week-long teaching in Brussels on Two Bodhichittas, which was recorded and shared with Bodhicharya by Ger Reinders. You can download and listen to the teachings at http://bodhicharya.intouch.net/pg/groups/103086/Recent+Teaching+of+Rinpoche/

To listen to the teachings simply register with the Bodhicharya Communities  – the social media for Bodhicharya – if you haven’t done so already, and then login and follow the link above or find the community Recent Teaching of Rinpoche on the community list at the community website.

A new video teaching of Rinpoche on the Bodhicharyavatara and his answers to some of the recent questions sent by the followers of the Online Shedra teachings will be posted here soon.

Photo: Francois Henrard

I have to inform you that Lama Riga who was in-charge of Rigul School passed away around 5 pm local time on 9th January 2012. He had a stroke and died suddenly.

Lama Riga was the main drive for the establishment and running of the Rigul School. He requested me to build a school when I went there in 2005 and promised me that he will do whatever needs to be done for it as long as he has life in his body. Since then he literally single handedly (he had only one arm as he lost his right arm in an accident) built the school and ran it till now. He took all kinds of responsibilities to rebuild and run the Rigul Monastery since the monastery was allowed to be re-established. Rigul Monastery have lost a very good monk and a very responsible and dedicated person in Lama Riga. The monastery is doing the usual practices for him and all are requested to dedicate some good thoughts and prayers for this simple and dedicated monk.

Khenpo Karma Senge assured me that the monastery is committed to continue to run the school as best as they could and make it even better. Since the school was his dream project I think it would be the best tribute to him to try to make the school continue and to develop it even further. Many children have already been benefitted by the school and all the people in and around Rigul appreciate and thank all who helped to build and run the school. I take this opportunity to thank all those who helped Rigul Trust in UK, Rigul Foundation in Belgium and the team led by Margaret Ford who helped to establish the school and the clinic at Rigul.

With Best wishes,

Ringu Tulku

With video BA4_28-32 Rinpoche gives a teaching on stanzas 28-32 of the fourth chapter of the Bodhicharyavatara, which are the beginning of the section on the importance of carefulness considering the kleshas, or the negative emotions, that we need to free ourselves from. First we reflect on the faults or shortcomings of these negative emotions.

[See post on the website to watch the video.]

To view the video, simply click on the triangle in the movie player on the left.

To view on the iPhone/iPad click here

If you prefer listening to the teaching in audio, use the audio player below.

[Audio clip: view full post to listen]

If you are not able to use the flash player, you can download the audio file here or on the RSS feed page.

A transcript of this teaching can be downloaded here and in the Library.

We are also studying the commentary transcript on Chapter 4, which you can download here and in the Library section. Further recommended reading: the commentary book by Kunzang Pelden (Khenpo Kunpal), The Nectar of Manjushri’s Speech, p. 155-156.

You’re questions are most welcome. Please log in and leave your questions for Rinpoche as a comment below, or send them via email to studyquestions[at]bodhicharya.org. It is helpful if you can use one short paragraph and, if possible, less than 80 words. Any questions longer than that may have to be edited so please be concise. Questions will be collected from here on Thursday, January 12th, and included in Rinpoche’s answers video. After that date please send any questions relating to this video teaching via email to studyquestions[at]bodhicharya.org.

Please also join the Bodhicharya Communities, if you haven’t already. There is a community for the Online Shedra, and everybody is invited there. You can send study questions for Rinpoche through the Online Shedra community forum as well.

Audio translations / Übersetzung / Traduction / Tulkkaus

Deutsch – français – suomi

• Deutsch / German (Ena Meyer)
  Falls Ihr/Sie die deutsche Übersetzung simultan zu Rinpoche’s Belehrung anhören möchten, starten Sie bitte erst den Video Player and dann schnell den Audio Player dazu.
  [Audio clip: view full post to listen]
• Français / French (Maryvonne Schopfer)
  Si vous désirez écouter la traduction française en simultané, lancez d’abord la vidéo et ensuite l’enregistrement audio.
  [Audio clip: view full post to listen]
• Suomi / Finnish (Minna Stenroos)
  Jos haluat kuunnella simultaanitulkkauksen samanaikaisesti videon kanssa, käynnistä ensin video- ja sen jälkeen ääninauhuri.
  [Audio clip: view full post to listen]
  If you would like to volunteer in making audio translations to other languages, please email us at shedra@bodhicharya.org.

You can now purchase your copy of Ringu Tulku Rinpoche’s new Heart Wisdom book, ‘Like Dreams and Clouds’, through the  Amazon website here.

Note that you need to click on the “2 new” link to purchase the book, as Amazon themselves have not got the book in stock yet.

To order multiple copies, please contact publications@bodhicharya.org

(A discount of 35% is available for orders of 10 or more books)

The year Two Thousand and Twelve has arrived.
Some say this is the end of the world.
Others predict it will be the beginning of a new awareness.
We have just lived through a challenging and eventful year
And it certainly will be another year with lots happening.
But what is the use worrying about the future?

Ringu Tulku

Thank you so much for all your donations, service, advice and help throughout 2011.

With all of us working together internationally through Rigul Trust, this year has brought funding for:

• 40,000  hot meals for sixty children at Rigul school for one year funded by Rigul Trust.
• 10,000 patients, approximately, have received health care, with Rigul Trust funding the advanced running costs of the health clinic, the salaries of Dr. Chuga, Ani Choden the nurse and Karma Tsisha, the doctor’s assistant, at Rigul Health clinic, Tibet.
• 5 teachers and 3 cooks in Rigul have received salaries funded by Rigul Trust.
• Sikkim earthquake victims receiving appropriate help through everyone’s generosity through Rigul Trust.

Chenrezig - ‘The Practice of Compassion’
a commentary by Ringu Tulku.

This is a Rigul Trust publication which  will see 100% of the money that people have given for this book going to Ringu Tulku’s monastery, and the health clinic and school in Rigul, Tibet.

We thank everyone who has worked tirelessly  for Rigul Trust and volunteered to sponsor 100% of all expenses, including the production of the Chenrezig book.

The three of us trustees have promised Rinpoche to do our best and continue raising awareness and funds for the health clinic, Doctor, nurse, assistant, 60 school children, 5 teachers, 3 cooks and the Khenpo’s salary in Rigul – for this, approximately £25,000 or 28,000 euros will be needed for 2012 for  very, very basic poverty relief.  This is not allowing for repairs, maintenance, perceived needs or urgent requests and ever rising costs of raw materials in China.

We look forward to working together in 2012 and welcome you to join with us and help Ringu Tulku Rinpoche with his health, education and poverty relief projects in his birthplace of Rigul, Kham, Tibet. Rinpoche is the abott of Rigul monastery.

Be happy, be joyful, go well,

The Rigul Trust team.

Bodhicharya Summer Camp 2012 in Portugal

Start: 14 / 07 / 2012 at 18:00
End: 20 / 07 / 2012 at 14:00

Location:
Casa da Torre – Centro de Retiros
Soutelo – Vila Verde – Braga | PORTUGAL

The Bodhicharya Summer Camp 2012 with Ringu Tulku Rinpoche will be organised by Bodhicharya Portugal in Braga, near Porto, in next July. The venue is a Christian retreat house with beautiful surroundings and excellent facilities. Rinpoche will continue his teaching on “Mahamudra the Moonlight: The Quintessence of Mind and Meditation” by Dakpo Tashi Namgyal (1512-1587), which was started at the previous summer camp in France.  Everybody is warmly welcome, even if you didn’t attend last year or don’t have a deep knowledge of the Buddhist path.

The registration for the summer camp is now open on the following pages, where you will find all the details and information:

Summer Camp 2012 – In English

Summer Camp 2012 – In French

Ringu Tulku Rinpoche is now on tour in Jakarta and  Singapore. In Jakarta he is attending a global Buddhist conference as the keynote speaker, and after that he will teach in Singapore. You can find the details in Rinpoche’s Travel Schedule.

Rinpoche may not send a new Bodhicharyavatara video teaching until he has returned home later in December, but he will try to send a new questions and answers video from the tour.

There is an extended timeline until Sunday December 11 for the questions regarding the latest teaching, BA4_21-27. As usual, you can send study questions after that date too, via email to studyquestions[at]bodhicharya.org.

We are now sharing some of Rinpoche’s wonderful teachings on the Dohas of the First Karmapa Düsum Khyenpa.

These three teachings, 6 videos in total, were recorded on Rinpoche’s spring tour 2011 and are now published here in the Online Shedra. The lifestory of Düsum Khyenpa and a teaching on one of the dohas have already been posted and three more videos will be added during the next two weeks.

You can send study questions also regarding Rinpoche’s Düsum Khyenpa teachings either by leaving a comment on the Doha teachings page or by email.

If you have any other questions or any wishes concerning the Online Shedra, just contact us through the contact form or send email to shedra[at]bodhicharya.org. We are happy to receive your feedback and develop the Online Shedra according to your needs.

Patron: Ringu Tulku Rinpoche

Dear Friends,

Sikkim Earthquake

We would like to thank everyone for their generosity in giving to the Sikkim Earthquake Relief Fund. The finer details of the distribution of this fund is work in progress with Ringu Tulku Rinpoche working on this in Sikkim at the moment. The roads in Northern Sikkim are not yet open.

Rinpoche travelling to Jakarta and Singapore.

Rinpoche tells us:

“I am invited to give a keynote address at the 7th Global Buddhist Conference at Jakarta and then a week long teaching at Singapore. I will be leaving Gangtok on the 7th.”

In Singapore, Rinpoche will be giving a teaching on Chenrezig. It is with great joy that we have managed to ship copies of the Chenrezig book, by Ringu Tulku, to Singapore costing ‘an arm and a leg’ (ie. very expensive!). This is a service to the Dharma and Dharma is paramount in this situation. Pat Murphy is receiving these and will be an ambassador for Rigul Trust for raising awareness and funds for Ringu Tulku’s homeland, his monastery, the health clinic and school in Rigul, Tibet.

We invite everyone to help Rinpoche with his humanitarian health, education and poverty relief projects through Rigul Trust. It is so heart warming to know that the work of Rigul Trust is becoming known internationally after 3 years with  Rinpoche and the three of us trustees endeavouring to build a sound foundation for the Trust to reach as many of Rinpoche’s students world wide as possible. We are so grateful to all the people who have been involved in translating and proof reading the latest Trust newsletter into French, German, Portuguese and now a Spanish translation is underway. Please spread the word of Rigul Trust and the name of Tibet with the great challenges the Tibetans in China face with a loss of human rights.

We invite you to join us with Tara prayers and mantra recitation for Rinpoche’s safe travels as he leaves home for his journey to Jakarta and Singapore.

Tara Mantra – Ani Choying Drolma
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MY5wxOhlPig

OM TARE TUTTARE TURE SOHA

OM. To the transcendent subduer, Arya Tara, I prostrate.
Homage to the glorious one, who frees with TARE.
With TUTTARE you calm all fears.
You bestow all success with TURE.
To the sound of SOHA, I pay great homage.

Dedicate the positive potential gained from meditating on Tara and her mantra to the perfect happiness, safety and well-being of Ringu Tulku Rinpoche and all beings.

Be happy, be joyful, go well,

Margaret Richardson, David Curtis and Jude Tarrant.

Trustees of Rigul Trust.

With video BA4_21-27 Rinpoche gives a commentary on stanzas 21-27 of the fourth chapter of the Bodhicharyavatara. Here we are reflecting on the necessity of carefulness from the point of view of how difficult it is to free ourselves from the lower realms and how we should not waste this great opportunity we now have.

[See post on the website to watch the video.]

To view the video, simply click on the triangle in the movie player on the left.

To view on the iPhone/iPad click here

If you prefer listening to the teaching in audio, use the audio player below.

[Audio clip: view full post to listen]

If you are not able to use the flash player, you can download the audio file here or on the RSS feed page.

A transcript of this teachings is available here and in the Library.

We are also studying the commentary transcript on Chapter 4, which you can download here and in the Library section. Further recommended reading: the commentary book by Kunzang Pelden (Khenpo Kunpal), The Nectar of Manjushri’s Speech, p. 151-155.

Please log in and leave your questions for Rinpoche as a comment below, or send them via email to studyquestions[at]bodhicharya.org. It is helpful if you can use one short paragraph and, if possible, less than 80 words. Any questions longer than that may have to be edited so please be concise. We now have an extended timeline for sending questions regarding this teaching. Questions will be collected from here on Sunday, December 11th, and included in Rinpoche’s answers video. After that date please send any questions relating to this video teaching via email to studyquestions[at]bodhicharya.org.

Please also join the new Bodhicharya Communities, if you haven’t already. There is a community for the Online Shedra, and everybody is invited there. Now you can send study questions for Rinpoche through the Online Shedra community forum as well.

Audio translations / Übersetzung / Traduction / Tulkkaus

Deutsch – français – suomi

• Deutsch / German (Ena Meyer)
  Falls Ihr/Sie die deutsche Übersetzung simultan zu Rinpoche’s Belehrung anhören möchten, starten Sie bitte erst den Video Player and dann schnell den Audio Player dazu.
  [Audio clip: view full post to listen]
• Français / French (Yumma Mudra)
  Si vous désirez écouter la traduction française en simultané, lancez d’abord la vidéo et ensuite l’enregistrement audio.
  [Audio clip: view full post to listen]
• Suomi / Finnish (Minna Stenroos)
  Jos haluat kuunnella simultaanitulkkauksen samanaikaisesti videon kanssa, käynnistä ensin video- ja sen jälkeen ääninauhuri.
  [Audio clip: view full post to listen]
  If you would like to volunteer in making audio translations to other languages, please email us at shedra@bodhicharya.org.

With video BA4Q2 Rinpoche answers the questions submitted by Online Shedra students concerning some of the recent teachings on the Bodhicharyavatara.

[See post on the website to watch the video.]

To view the video, simply click on the triangle in the movie player on the left.

To view on the iPhone/iPad click here

If you prefer listening to the teaching in audio, use the audio player below.

[Audio clip: view full post to listen]

If you are not able to use the flash player, you can download the audio file here or on the RSS feed page.

A transcript of this talk an be downloaded here and in the Library.

Please also join the Bodhicharya Communities, if you haven’t already. There is a community for the Online Shedra, and everybody is invited there. Now you can send study questions for Rinpoche through the Online Shedra community forum as well.

Audio translations / Übersetzung / Traduction / Tulkkaus

Deutsch – français – suomi

• Deutsch / German (will follow soon)
• Français / French (Yumma Mudra)
  Si vous désirez écouter la traduction française en simultané, lancez d’abord la vidéo et ensuite l’enregistrement audio.
  [Audio clip: view full post to listen]
• Suomi / Finnish (Minna Stenroos)
  Jos haluat kuunnella simultaanitulkkauksen samanaikaisesti videon kanssa, käynnistä ensin video- ja sen jälkeen ääninauhuri.
  [Audio clip: view full post to listen]
  If you would like to volunteer in making audio translations to other languages, please email us at shedra@bodhicharya.org.

With this video BA4_12-20 Rinpoche first explains stanzas 12 (second half) to 14. These stanzas continue on the consideration of carefulness from point of view of our training, and, in particular, of protecting the bodhichitta by reminding ourselves of not letting our diligence in working on it degenerate. Then Rinpoche explains stanzas 15-20, where carefulness is considered from point of view of the precious human life and how rare it is to get.

[See post on the website to watch the video.]

To view the video, simply click on the triangle in the movie player on the left.

To view on the iPhone/iPad click here

If you prefer listening to the teaching in audio, use the audio player below.

[Audio clip: view full post to listen]

If you are not able to use the flash player, you can download the audio file here or on the RSS feed page.

A transcript of this teaching can be downloaded here and in the Library.

We are also studying the commentary transcript on Chapter 4, which you can download here and in the Library section. Further recommended reading: the commentary book by Kunzang Pelden (Khenpo Kunpal), The Nectar of Manjushri’s Speech, p. 148-151.

Please log in and leave your questions for Rinpoche as a comment below, or send them via email to studyquestions[at]bodhicharya.org. It is helpful if you can use one short paragraph and, if possible, less than 80 words. Any questions longer than that may have to be edited so please be concise. Questions will be collected from here on Saturday, November 26th, and included in Rinpoche’s answers video. After that date please send any questions relating to this video teaching via email to studyquestions[at]bodhicharya.org.

Please also join the new Bodhicharya Communities, if you haven’t already. There is a community for the Online Shedra, and everybody is invited there. Now you can send study questions for Rinpoche through the Online Shedra community forum as well.

Audio translations / Übersetzung / Traduction / Tulkkaus

Deutsch – français – suomi

• Deutsch / German (will follow soon)
• Français / French (Yumma Mudra)
  Si vous désirez écouter la traduction française en simultané, lancez d’abord la vidéo et ensuite l’enregistrement audio.
  [Audio clip: view full post to listen]
• Suomi / Finnish (Minna Stenroos)
  Jos haluat kuunnella simultaanitulkkauksen samanaikaisesti videon kanssa, käynnistä ensin video- ja sen jälkeen ääninauhuri.
  [Audio clip: view full post to listen]
  If you would like to volunteer in making audio translations to other languages, please email us at shedra@bodhicharya.org.

With video BA4Q1 Rinpoche answers the questions submitted by Online Shedra students concerning the first stanza of the fourth chapter of the Bodhicharyavatara and some other topics.

[See post on the website to watch the video.]

To view the video, simply click on the triangle in the movie player on the left.

To view on the iPhone/iPad click here

If you prefer listening to the teaching in audio, use the audio player below.

[Audio clip: view full post to listen]

If you are not able to use the flash player, you can download the audio file here or on the RSS feed page.

A transcript of this teaching can be downloaded here and in the Library.

Please also join the new Bodhicharya Communities, if you haven’t already. There is a community for the Online Shedra, and everybody is invited there. Now you can send study questions for Rinpoche through the Online Shedra community forum as well.

Audio translations / Übersetzung / Traduction / Tulkkaus

Deutsch – français – suomi

• Deutsch / German (will follow soon)
• Français / French (Yumma Mudra)
  Si vous désirez écouter la traduction française en simultané, lancez d’abord la vidéo et ensuite l’enregistrement audio.
  [Audio clip: view full post to listen]
• Suomi / Finnish (Minna Stenroos)
  Jos haluat kuunnella simultaanitulkkauksen samanaikaisesti videon kanssa, käynnistä ensin video- ja sen jälkeen ääninauhuri.
  [Audio clip: view full post to listen]
  If you would like to volunteer in making audio translations to other languages, please email us at shedra@bodhicharya.org.

For those of you following Rinpoche’s commentary on the Bodhicharyavatara, we have now made these teachings available as a podcast. This means that you will be able to download all the past audio files and also keep up to date with new ones.

Click HERE to subscribe to the podcast in iTunes.

Users of other tools can connect via the RSS feed: http://www.bodhicharya.org/blog/category/study/study-teachings/feed/

Ani Karma Tsultrim invites the Bodhicharya Community and connected Sangha members to join a practice for Rinpoche’s health and long life:

Our beloved Root-Guru and Teacher Ringu Tulku Rinpoche is now in his 60th year of this life. He offered all his strength and effort for the Dharma, for the benefit of sentient beings, for the wellbeing of his students, and for guiding his practitioners on the path to liberation.

It is most important and the deep heartfelt wish of all of us, that Rinpoche’s health will be stable and that he will be able to continue these tasks also in the future for a long, long time.

Therefore, when I was in Sikkim with Rinpoche just end of October and begin of November, I offered him to do practice for his health, his long life, and to prevent obstacles. I also promised to ask the Bodhicharya Community and the connected Sangha members to join this practice.

So it is my wish to start this practice for Rinpoche today on fullmoon in November, an auspicious day for meditation, purification, and offering.

I invite all of you to do this together by contributing a regular daily or, if your time is limited, at least weekly practice and offer the merit and benefit to Rinpoche’s life and good health. You can count the Mantras, if you like. But most important is a wholehearted and devotional mental attitude during the practice.

Written by Ani Karma Tsultrim, 10th November 2011, on Fullmoon

The recommended practices are Amitayus for long life and balancing the 5 elements, White Tara for long life and deathlessness, Medicine Buddha for health and strength, Vajrakilaya for removing obstacles and Green Tara for protecting Rinpoche’s travels.

To read more about the invitation and the practices, please join the practice community “Long Life for Ringu Tulku Rinpoche” on the Bodhicharya Communities website, http://bodhicharya.intouch.net

With video BA4_2-12 we come to the detailed description of carefulness, with three main points to take into consideration: our training; the preciousness of human life; and the mind poisons to be transformed. Here Rinpoche explains stanzas 2 to 12 – actually the first half of stanza 12 – of the fourth chapter of the Bodhicharyavatara. These stanzas are about the training and especially about preventing our bodhichitta aspiration from degenerating after having taken the vows.

[See post on the website to watch the video.]

To view the video, simply click on the triangle in the movie player on the left.

To view on the iPhone/iPad click here

If you prefer listening to the teaching in audio, use the audio player below.

[Audio clip: view full post to listen]

If you are not able to use the flash player, you can download the audio file here.

A transcript of this teaching can be downloaded here and in the Library.

We are also studying the commentary transcript on Chapter 4, which you can download here and in the Library section. Further recommended reading: the commentary book by Kunzang Pelden (Khenpo Kunpal), The Nectar of Manjushri’s Speech, p. 144-148.

Please log in and leave your questions for Rinpoche as a comment below, or send them via email to studyquestions[at]bodhicharya.org. It is helpful if you can use one short paragraph and, if possible, less than 80 words. Any questions longer than that may have to be edited so please be concise. Questions will be collected from here on Wednesday, November 16th, and included in Rinpoche’s answers video. After that date please send any questions relating to this video teaching via email to studyquestions[at]bodhicharya.org.

Please also join the new Bodhicharya Communities, if you haven’t already. There is a community for the Online Shedra, and everybody is invited there. Now you can send study questions for Rinpoche through the Online Shedra community forum as well.

Audio translations / Übersetzung / Traduction / Tulkkaus

Deutsch – français – suomi

• Deutsch / German (Ena Meyer)
  Falls Ihr/Sie die deutsche Übersetzung simultan zu Rinpoche’s Belehrung anhören möchten, starten Sie bitte erst den Video Player and dann schnell den Audio Player dazu.
  [Audio clip: view full post to listen]
• Français / French (Maryvonne Schopfer)
  [Audio clip: view full post to listen]
• Suomi / Finnish (Minna Stenroos)
  Jos haluat kuunnella simultaanitulkkauksen samanaikaisesti videon kanssa, käynnistä ensin video- ja sen jälkeen ääninauhuri.
  [Audio clip: view full post to listen]
  If you would like to volunteer in making audio translations to other languages, please email us at shedra@bodhicharya.org.

This is a set of questions you can use to self assess your knowledge and understanding of the teachings and reference material relating to the third chapter of the Bodhicharyavatara, Taking Hold of Bodhichitta. You can use these questions if you find it helpful, but it is not compulsory.

You may answer these questions either from your memory alone or by referring to the materials you have available. All of the answers can be found in the video teachings, but you can also refer to the root text The Way of the Bodhisattva, the transcript of Rinpoche’s teachings from 1997-2001 or the commentary by Khenpo Kunpal. You can do this in whatever way suits you. For example you might like to set aside a certain amount of time to answer some or all of the questions in writing.

These questions are also posted to the Online Shedra Community forum on the Bodhicharya Communities website.

Chapter 3 questions

1. What are the four branches of the Eight (or Seven) branch practice discussed in the third chapter?
2. What are the three categories of beings for whom we are rejoicing in the beginning of the third chapter, and what are the cause and result of each of them that we rejoice in?
3. Please explain in your own words how rejoicing works as an antidote to jealousy.
4. The Eight (or Seven) branch practice is here discussed not only as a prayer but as something to practice in our daily life. From a practical, everyday point of view, what does it mean to request the teachings and request the enlightened beings to stay with us?
5. Dedicating all our merits and positive deeds is not only for the ultimate purpose of the enlightenment of all the sentient beings, but it is said that it’s also a practice of compassion. In a number of stanzas specific compassionate aspirations are made as a dedication – list as many of these as you can.
6. Please name the three bases of ego-clinging and the four mind training methods to work with them.
7. What are the meaning and purpose of ‘giving away the body’ as a practice of mind training?
8. What is the difference between dedication and aspiration? Why is it important to make a very vast dedication instead of a small one?
9. What are the three kinds of bodhisattva motivations?
10. What are the two traditions of taking the Bodhisattva’s vows?
11. Why is it important to rejoice after having generated the bodhichitta and taken the vows?
12. What are the metaphors or images used to describe the bodhichitta in the last few stanzas of the third chapter?

Download these questions as a pdf file

With this video BA4_1, we are starting the fourth chapter of the Bodhicharyavatara, Carefulness, in Tibetan pag yü. Here Rinpoche gives an overview of this chapter which begins the section on discipline, or how to prevent bodhichitta from decreasing, and then explains the first stanza which is a statement of this discipline.

[See post on the website to watch the video.]

To view the video, simply click on the triangle in the movie player on the left.

To view on the iPhone/iPad click here

If you prefer listening to the teaching in audio, use the audio player below.

[Audio clip: view full post to listen]

If you are not able to use the flash player, you can download the audio file here.

A transcript of this teaching can be downloaded here and in the Library.

We are also studying the commentary transcript on Chapter 4, which you can download here and in the Library section. Further recommended reading: the commentary book by Kunzang Pelden (Khenpo Kunpal), The Nectar of Manjushri’s Speech, p. 139-144.

Please log in and leave your questions for Rinpoche as a comment below, or send them via email to studyquestions@bodhicharya.org. It is helpful if you can use one short paragraph and, if possible, less than 80 words. Any questions longer than that may have to be edited so please be concise. Questions will be collected from here on Tuesday, November 8th, and included in Rinpoche’s answers video. After that date please send any questions relating to this video teaching via email to studyquestions@bodhicharya.org.

Please also join the new Bodhicharya Communities, if you haven’t already. There is a community for the Online Shedra, and everybody is invited there. Now you can send study questions for Rinpoche through the Online Shedra community forum as well.

Audio translations / Übersetzung / Traduction / Tulkkaus

Deutsch – français – suomi

• Deutsch / German (Ena Meyer)
  Falls Ihr/Sie die deutsche Übersetzung simultan zu Rinpoche’s Belehrung anhören möchten, starten Sie bitte erst den Video Player and dann schnell den Audio Player dazu.
  [Audio clip: view full post to listen]
• Français / French (Maryvonne Schopfer)
  Si vous désirez écouter la traduction française en simultané, lancez d’abord la vidéo et ensuite l’enregistrement audio.
  [Audio clip: view full post to listen]
• Suomi / Finnish (Minna Stenroos)
  Jos haluat kuunnella simultaanitulkkauksen samanaikaisesti videon kanssa, käynnistä ensin video- ja sen jälkeen ääninauhuri.
  [Audio clip: view full post to listen]
  If you would like to volunteer in making audio translations to other languages, please email us at shedra@bodhicharya.org.

Dear Friends,

We are pleased to share with you the news about Rigul, Tibet and the ways that your very generous donations are giving on going support to some of the survivors of the 2010 earthquake in Yushu. This money is from the special appeal that we had for the earthquake last year – a designated fund.

Please don’t miss clicking on the Rigul Trust video clip with Ringu Tulku talking about Rigul, Tibet and Rigul Trust in the Newsletter.

It is heartwarming that one of Ringu Tulku’s commentaries on Chenrezig – The Practice of Compassion is now in print and is selling really well.

In the last few weeks, after this newsletter was formatted, we have had the Sikkim earthquake and we will be updating you on this on http://rigultrust.wordpress.com

Sadly, there have been many self immolations in Tibet with people setting themselves on fire in desperation to raise awareness of the way the Chinese are treating the Tibetans with ongoing inhumane denial of human rights. For this we asked Ringu Tulku about prayers and mantras that we could do if we wish to, in solidarity for the Tibetan situation see below.

Dear Rinpoche-la,
We are getting many petitions to sign about the situation in Tibet.
Is there a puja, mantra that you would suggest for all of us to do collectively please? Thinking it would be nice for as many of us everywhere to feel some solidarity in joining together in prayer.
Hopefully some of us will write to our government leaders and officials too.
http://www.avaaz.org/en/save_tibetan_lives/?copy latest one in my inbox
Love and prayers,
Margaret

The Chenrezig mantra six syllable OM MA NI PAD ME HUNG is

the most suitable for the cause of Tibet and Tibetans I think.

Love,
RT

OM MA NI PAD ME HUNG – with prayers by His Holiness the Dalai Lama – click here:

Please forward this newsletter in emails, on blogs, websites, facebook etc.

We wish you all the very best.

Be happy, be joyful, go well,

Margaret Richardson
on behalf of the Rigul Trust team
Trustee of Rigul Trust

Click here for the Rigul Trust Newsletter

Rigul Trust
13, St. Francis Avenue, Southampton, SO18 5QL
023 8046 2926 info@rigultrust.org www.rigultrust.org
UK Charity Registration number 1124076

With video BA3Q8, Rinpoche answers some of the questions submitted by Online Shedra students after video teaching BA3_25-28.

[See post on the website to watch the video.]

To view the video, simply click on the triangle in the movie player on the left.

To view on the iPhone/iPad click here

If you prefer listening to the teaching in audio, use the audio player below.

[Audio clip: view full post to listen]

If you are not able to use the flash player, you can download the audio file here.

A transcript of this teaching can be downloaded here and in the Library.

Audio translations / Übersetzung / Traduction / Tulkkaus

Deutsch – français – suomi

• Deutsch / German (will follow soon)
• Français / French (Yumma Mudra)
  Si vous désirez écouter la traduction française en simultané, lancez d’abord la vidéo et ensuite l’enregistrement audio.
  [Audio clip: view full post to listen]
• Suomi / Finnish (Minna Stenroos)
  Jos haluat kuunnella simultaanitulkkauksen samanaikaisesti videon kanssa, käynnistä ensin video- ja sen jälkeen ääninauhuri.
  [Audio clip: view full post to listen] If you would like to volunteer in making audio translations to other languages, please email us at shedra@bodhicharya.org.

With this video BA3_29-34, Rinpoche explains the six concluding stanzas of the third chapter of the Bodhicharyavatara. With stanzas 29-33 we continue on rejoicing for ourselves after having taken the Bodhisattva’s vows. Finally, stanza 34 is about causing others to rejoice.

[See post on the website to watch the video.]

To view the video, simply click on the triangle in the movie player on the left.

To view on the iPhone/iPad click here

If you prefer listening to the teaching in audio, use the audio player below.

[Audio clip: view full post to listen]

If you are not able to use the flash player, you can download the audio file here.

A transcript of this teaching can be downloaded here and in the Library.

We are also studying the commentary transcript on Chapter 3, which you can download here and in the Library section. Further recommended reading: the commentary book by Kunzang Pelden (Khenpo Kunpal), The Nectar of Manjushri’s Speech, p. 134-136.

Please log in and leave your questions for Rinpoche as a comment below, or send them via email to studyquestions@bodhicharya.org. It is helpful if you can use one short paragraph and, if possible, less than 80 words. Any questions longer than that may have to be edited so please be concise. Questions will be collected from here on Friday, October 28th, and included in Rinpoche’s answers video. After that date please send any questions relating to this video teaching via email to studyquestions@bodhicharya.org.

Please also join the new Bodhicharya Communities, if you haven’t already. There is a community for the Online Shedra, and everybody is invited to meet other students there. Now you can send study questions for Rinpoche through the Online Shedra community forum as well.

Audio translations / Übersetzung / Traduction / Tulkkaus

Deutsch – français – suomi

• Deutsch / German (Ena Meyer)
  Falls Ihr/Sie die deutsche Übersetzung simultan zu Rinpoche’s Belehrung anhören möchten, starten Sie bitte erst den Video Player and dann schnell den Audio Player dazu.
  [Audio clip: view full post to listen]
• Français / French (Yumma Mudra)
  Si vous désirez écouter la traduction française en simultané, lancez d’abord la vidéo et ensuite l’enregistrement audio.
  [Audio clip: view full post to listen]
• Suomi / Finnish (Minna Stenroos)
  Jos haluat kuunnella simultaanitulkkauksen samanaikaisesti videon kanssa, käynnistä ensin video- ja sen jälkeen ääninauhuri.
  [Audio clip: view full post to listen] If you would like to volunteer in making audio translations to other languages, please email us at shedra@bodhicharya.org.

When Ringu Tulku Rinpoche came to visit Lerab Ling for a few days this summer, I had a chance to show him this website (whatmeditationreallyis.com). He really liked it. I asked him if he would share a few thoughts on meditation practice that we could share. He agreed and fortunately, I quickly found someone who could make the video. This is what he said spontaneously, no rehearsal, straight and direct from the wisdom of experience to you. Sorry it took so long to get this one up. But it was worth the wait!

Written by Erric Solomon

With thanks to: http://whatmeditationreallyis.com

With this video, BA3Q7, Rinpoche again answers some of the questions of the Online Shedra students. These questions were submitted after the teaching on stanzas 23 and 24 of the third chapter of the Bodhicharyavatara.

[See post on the website to watch the video.]

To view the video, simply click on the triangle in the movie player on the left.

To view on the iPhone/iPad click here

If you prefer listening to the teaching in audio, use the audio player below.

[Audio clip: view full post to listen]

If you are not able to use the flash player, you can download the audio file here.

A transcript of this teaching can be downloaded here and in the Library.

Audio translations / Übersetzung / Traduction / Tulkkaus

Deutsch – français – suomi

• Deutsch / German (will follow soon)
• Français / French (Yumma Mudra)
  Si vous désirez écouter la traduction française en simultané, lancez d’abord la vidéo et ensuite l’enregistrement audio.
  [Audio clip: view full post to listen]
• Suomi / Finnish (Minna Stenroos)
  Jos haluat kuunnella simultaanitulkkauksen samanaikaisesti videon kanssa, käynnistä ensin video- ja sen jälkeen ääninauhuri.
  [Audio clip: view full post to listen] If you would like to volunteer in making audio translations to other languages, please email us at shedra@bodhicharya.org.

With this video BA3_25-28, Rinpoche explains stanzas 25 to 28 of the third chapter of the Bodhicharyavatara. These stanzas are the beginning of the section on rejoicing after having taken the Bodhisattva’s vows. First we are rejoicing for ourselves.

[See post on the website to watch the video.]

To view the video, simply click on the triangle in the movie player on the left.

To view on the iPhone/iPad click here

If you prefer listening to the teaching in audio, use the audio player below.

[Audio clip: view full post to listen]

If you are not able to use the flash player, you can download the audio file here.

A transcript of this teaching can be downloaded here and in the Library.

We are also studying the commentary transcript on Chapter 3, which you can download here and in the Library section. Further recommended reading: the commentary book by Kunzang Pelden (Khenpo Kunpal), The Nectar of Manjushri’s Speech, p. 133.

Please log in and leave your questions for Rinpoche as a comment below, or send them via email to studyquestions@bodhicharya.org. It is helpful if you can use one short paragraph and, if possible, less than 80 words. Any questions longer than that may have to be edited so please be concise. Questions will be collected from here on Wednesday, October 12th, and included in Rinpoche’s answers video. After that date please send any questions relating to this video teaching via email to studyquestions@bodhicharya.org.

Please also join the new Bodhicharya Communities, if you haven’t already. There is a community for the Online Shedra, and everybody is invited to meet other students there. Now you can send study questions for Rinpoche through the Online Shedra community forum as well.

Audio translations / Übersetzung / Traduction / Tulkkaus

Deutsch – français – suomi

• Deutsch / German (Ena Meyer)
  Falls Ihr/Sie die deutsche Übersetzung simultan zu Rinpoche’s Belehrung anhören möchten, starten Sie bitte erst den Video Player and dann schnell den Audio Player dazu.
  [Audio clip: view full post to listen]
• Français / French (Maryvonne Schopfer)
  Si vous désirez écouter la traduction française en simultané, lancez d’abord la vidéo et ensuite l’enregistrement audio.
  [Audio clip: view full post to listen]
• Suomi / Finnish (Minna Stenroos)
  Jos haluat kuunnella simultaanitulkkauksen samanaikaisesti videon kanssa, käynnistä ensin video- ja sen jälkeen ääninauhuri.
  [Audio clip: view full post to listen]
  If you would like to volunteer in making audio translations to other languages, please email us at shedra@bodhicharya.org.

“The Shower of Blessings”

Full Pilmgrimage Depart ZA Friday 23 December. Return ZA Sunday 15 January 2012.
At beautiful Bodhicharya retreat centre, Sikkim, near Rumtek
(Pilgrimage dates slightly flexible; retreats dates are fixed)
Retreat: 16 people only each in single meditation room with med box!

 “The Shower of Blessings” is the theme of this Vajrayana retreat.
This is a guru yoga developed from the seven-line wish prayer of Guru Rinpoche
authored by Mipham Rinpoche (one of Ringu Tulku’s own practices).

How wonderful to have Christmas in Delhi – with the possibility of an audience with
HH Karmapa during the Karmapa 900 closing ceremonies.
And the New Year 2012 blossoms with showers of blessings and aspirations in Sikkim ─
- a beyul for powerful spiritual practice predicted never to be invaded by the violence of the world.

Travel by jeep through spectacular Teesta river pass
to remote magical monasteries and sacred Guru Rinpoche caves
with backdrop majestic Kanchendzonga 3^rd highest Himalayan peak –
symbolising the immensity, beauty, incomprehensibility, and sacredness of our planet.
Enjoy the natural beauty of Gangtok clinging to steep slopes with its floral paradise & art & crafts,
and shopping in pictureseque Darjeeling, amidst tea plantations.

Pilgrimage orchestrated by Erika van Greunen who has led groups to India for many years.
Email: exploring@icon.co.za; 0027 21 786 5261 (Cape Town, South Africa)/mobile: +27 84 604 9931
Please visit www.bodhicharya.org

With video BA3Q6 Rinpoche answers the questions submitted by Online Shedra students mainly regarding stanzas 18-22 of the third chapter of the Bodhicharyavatara.

[See post on the website to watch the video.]

To view the video, simply click on the triangle in the movie player on the left.

To view on the iPhone/iPad click here

If you prefer listening to the teaching in audio, use the audio player below.

[Audio clip: view full post to listen]

If you are not able to use the flash player, you can download the audio file here.

A transcript of this talk can be downloaded here and in the Library.

Audio translations / Übersetzung / Traduction / Tulkkaus

Deutsch – français – suomi

• Deutsch / German (will follow soon)
• Français / French (Maryvonne Schopfer)
  Si vous désirez écouter la traduction française en simultané, lancez d’abord la vidéo et ensuite l’enregistrement audio.
  [Audio clip: view full post to listen]
• Suomi / Finnish (Minna Stenroos)
  Jos haluat kuunnella simultaanitulkkauksen samanaikaisesti videon kanssa, käynnistä ensin video- ja sen jälkeen ääninauhuri.
  [Audio clip: view full post to listen] If you would like to volunteer in making audio translations to other languages, please email us at shedra@bodhicharya.org.

A devastating EARTHQUAKE of 6.9 in Sikkim and parts of northern India last week has been followed by 50 further after-shocks of up to 3.9 and has caused terrible destruction to buildings, loss of life and injuries, and closed roads challenge rescue efforts. The death toll is now 130 people but many more bodies are trapped in the rubble of buildings.

The remoteness of much of this underdeveloped mountainous region and road closures from land slips has made it a very difficult task to get any help to the region and 9 villages are still completely cut off. With rescue teams facing difficulties to reach some far-flung quake-hit areas in Sikkim, hundreds of survivors are trekking out of their cut-off villages, crawling sometimes to negotiate dangerous stretches where landslides and heavy rain have loosened huge boulders which have come down the mountainsides. Entire areas are cut off because of landslides – and more often than not people are without clean water, adequate food supplies, medicine and telephone contact with the outside world. Sikkim’s hospitals have seldom been so full.

We, at Rigul Trust, have offered Rinpoche help with setting up an appeal for the earthquake in Sikkim. Rinpoche wishes this to be called the Sikkim Earthquake Relief Work Appeal.

Disaster Relief by Rigul Trust

In the last two years we have set up two emergency appeals, one for the survivors of the Yushu earthquake 2010 and one for the Ladakh flood disaster last year where we supported the relief work that Khenpo Rangdol, Principal of Kagyu College, Dehradun was in charge of. 100% of all donations went to these projects. We also helped fund emergency relief work in Yushu province of Tibet and now we have an ongoing sponsorship programme for 14 little children who were orphaned as a result of Yushu earthquake. We sent money for the buying and distribution of barley.

And in Ladakh we sent money for emergency relief and the reforestation of trees. Khenpo Rangdol went to Ladakh, oversaw the projects and distributed the money.

This is background information for you to know that all of what we do is overseen by Rinpoche, 100% of your donations gets to the targeted projects. We are extremely careful with whom we deal with and Rinpoche always has the last say.

To donate to the Sikkim Earthquake Relief Work Appeal

100% of all donations sent through this secure PayPal site will go to the Sikkim Earthquake Relief Work. PayPal accepts all currencies.

An email from Rinpoche this evening 23rd September from Kathmandu:

Dear Margaret,
Maybe this is the time to help. There are lots of destruction. Even Rumtek Shedra’s new building is badly cracked. There was one earthquake last night and one today afternoon and destroyed at least one building in Gangtok. Lots of schools are destroyed fully. Many monasteries are also badly damaged. We do not get any news from tv and radio any more. Rain is still pouring.
Ringu Tulku

For more news on the Sikkim Earthquake see:
http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/sikkim-quake-victims-building-collapses-heavy-rain/1/152491.html

Rinpoche arrived safely in Delhi from South Africa and gave a talk at Delhi University on 14 September. He and Lama Yeten travelled to Dharamsala on 15 September where they spent a couple of days with HH Karmapa. All going well, they hope to travel back to Delhi today (18^th) and onwards home to Sikkim on 19 September.

Photo by Francois Henrard.

With video BA3_23-24, we have come to the actual taking of the Bodhisattva’s vows. Here Rinpoche explains stanzas 23 to 24 of the third chapter of the Bodhicharyavatara.

[See post on the website to watch the video.]

To view the video, simply click on the triangle in the movie player on the left.

To view on the iPhone/iPad click here

If you prefer listening to the teaching in audio, use the audio player below.

[Audio clip: view full post to listen]

If you are not able to use the flash player, you can download the audio file here.

A transcript of this teaching is available here and in the Library.

We are also studying the commentary transcript on Chapter 3, which you can download here and in the Library section. Further recommended reading: the commentary book by Kunzang Pelden (Khenpo Kunpal), The Nectar of Manjushri’s Speech, p. 130-132.

Please log in and leave your questions for Rinpoche as a comment below, or send them via email to studyquestions@bodhicharya.org. It is helpful if you can use one short paragraph and, if possible, less than 80 words. Any questions longer than that may have to be edited so please be concise. Questions will be collected from here on Wednesday, September 21th, and included in Rinpoche’s answers video. After that date please send any questions relating to this video teaching via email to studyquestions@bodhicharya.org.

Please also join the new Bodhicharya Communities, if you haven’t already. There is a community for the Online Shedra, and everybody is invited to meet other students there. Now you can send study questions for Rinpoche through the Online Shedra community forum as well.

Audio translations / Übersetzung / Traduction / Tulkkaus

Deutsch – français – suomi

• Deutsch / German (will follow soon)
• Français / French (Ena Meyer)
  Falls Ihr/Sie die deutsche Übersetzung simultan zu Rinpoche’s Belehrung anhören möchten, starten Sie bitte erst den Video Player and dann schnell den Audio Player dazu.
  [Audio clip: view full post to listen]
• Suomi / Finnish (Minna Stenroos)
  Jos haluat kuunnella simultaanitulkkauksen samanaikaisesti videon kanssa, käynnistä ensin video- ja sen jälkeen ääninauhuri.
  [Audio clip: view full post to listen] If you would like to volunteer in making audio translations to other languages, please email us at shedra@bodhicharya.org.

With video BA3Q5 Rinpoche answers the questions submitted by Online Shedra students mainly regarding stanzas 13-17 of the third chapter of the Bodhicharyavatara, as explained in the video teaching BA3_13-17 Giving Away the Body.

[See post on the website to watch the video.]

To view the video, simply click on the triangle in the movie player on the left.

To view on the iPhone/iPad click here

If you prefer listening to the teaching in audio, use the audio player below.

[Audio clip: view full post to listen]

If you are not able to use the flash player, you can download the audio file here.

A transcript of this talk can be downloaded here and in the Library.

Audio translations / Übersetzung / Traduction / Tulkkaus

Deutsch – français – suomi

• Deutsch / German (will follow soon)
• Français / French (Maryvonne Schopfer)
  Si vous désirez écouter la traduction française en simultané, lancez d’abord la vidéo et ensuite l’enregistrement audio.
  [Audio clip: view full post to listen]
• Suomi / Finnish (Minna Stenroos)
  Jos haluat kuunnella simultaanitulkkauksen samanaikaisesti videon kanssa, käynnistä ensin video- ja sen jälkeen ääninauhuri.
  [Audio clip: view full post to listen]
  If you would like to volunteer in making audio translations to other languages, please email us at shedra@bodhicharya.org.

Rinpoche in South Africa. Photo © Luke Younge

Rinpoche arrived in Cape Town South Africa at 4.30pm on 31st August after a 24 hour journey from Germany. It’s his first trip to Africa.  Today he wrote:

‘We had nice sight- seeing yesterday. We saw seals eating fish from hand and were photographed together. We saw Owls nesting and Sun birds. Today we might see whales.

Twenty people took refuge and many people came to the talk. Today we go to country side for the weekend.

All well’.

There will be a retreat at the weekend when over 100 people are expected to attend.

With video BA3_18-22, Rinpoche explains stanzas 18 to 22 of the third chapter of the Bodhicharyavatara. These five verses are the dedication of the results of our mind training.

[See post on the website to watch the video.]

To view the video, simply click on the triangle in the movie player on the left.

To view on the iPhone/iPad click here

If you prefer listening to the teaching in audio, use the audio player below.

[Audio clip: view full post to listen]

If you are not able to use the flash player, you can download the audio file here.

A transcript of this teaching can be downloaded here and in the Library.

We are also studying the commentary transcript on Chapter 3, which you can download here and in the Library section. Further recommended reading: the commentary book by Kunzang Pelden (Khenpo Kunpal), The Nectar of Manjushri’s Speech, p. 129-130.

Please log in and leave your questions for Rinpoche as a comment below, or send them via email to studyquestions@bodhicharya.org. It is helpful if you can use one short paragraph and, if possible, less than 80 words. Any questions longer than that may have to be edited so please be concise. Questions will be collected from here on Wednesday, September 7th, and included in Rinpoche’s answers video. After that date please send any questions relating to this video teaching via email to studyquestions@bodhicharya.org.

And please join the new Bodhicharya Communities, if you haven’t already. There is also a community for the Online Shedra, and everybody is invited to meet other students there. Now you can also send study questions for Rinpoche through the Online Shedra community forum.

Audio translations / Übersetzung / Traduction / Tulkkaus

Deutsch – français – suomi

• Deutsch / German (will follow soon)
• Français / French (Jonathan Nadeau)
  Si vous désirez écouter la traduction française en simultané, lancez d’abord la vidéo et ensuite l’enregistrement audio.
  [Audio clip: view full post to listen]
• Suomi / Finnish (Minna Stenroos)
  Jos haluat kuunnella simultaanitulkkauksen samanaikaisesti videon kanssa, käynnistä ensin video- ja sen jälkeen ääninauhuri.
  [Audio clip: view full post to listen] If you would like to volunteer in making audio translations to other languages, please email us at shedra@bodhicharya.org.

With this video (BA3Q4) Rinpoche answers the questions submitted by Online Shedra students mainly regarding stanzas 11-12 of the third chapter of the Bodhicharyavatara.

[See post on the website to watch the video.]

To view the video, simply click on the triangle in the movie player on the left.

To view on the iPhone/iPad click here

If you prefer listening to the teaching in audio, use the audio player below.

[Audio clip: view full post to listen]

If you are not able to use the flash player, you can download the audio file here.

A transcript of this talk can be downloaded here and in the Library.

Audio translations / Übersetzung / Traduction / Tulkkaus

Deutsch – français – suomi

• Deutsch / German (will follow soon)
• Français / French (Maryvonne Schopfer)
  Si vous désirez écouter la traduction française en simultané, lancez d’abord la vidéo et ensuite l’enregistrement audio.
  [Audio clip: view full post to listen]
• Suomi / Finnish (Minna Stenroos)
  Jos haluat kuunnella simultaanitulkkauksen samanaikaisesti videon kanssa, käynnistä ensin video- ja sen jälkeen ääninauhuri.
  [Audio clip: view full post to listen] 

  If you would like to volunteer in making audio translations to other languages, please email us at shedra@bodhicharya.org.

With video BA3_13-17, Rinpoche explains stanzas 13 to 17 of the third chapter of the Bodhicharyavatara. This section is about the special method of giving away our body.

[See post on the website to watch the video.]

To view the video, simply click on the triangle in the movie player on the left.

To view on the iPhone/iPad click here

If you prefer listening to the teaching in audio, use the audio player below.

[Audio clip: view full post to listen]

If you are not able to use the flash player, you can download the audio file here.

A transcript of this talk can be downloaded here and in the Library.

We are also studying the commentary transcript on Chapter 3, which you can download here and in the Library section. Further recommended reading: the commentary book by Kunzang Pelden (Khenpo Kunpal), The Nectar of Manjushri’s Speech, p. 128-129.

Please log in and leave your questions for Rinpoche as a comment below, or send them via email to studyquestions@bodhicharya.org. It is helpful if you can use one short paragraph and, if possible, less than 80 words. Any questions longer than that may have to be edited so please be concise. Questions will be collected from here on Wednesday, August 24rd, and included in Rinpoche’s answers video. After that date please send any questions relating to this video teaching via email to studyquestions@bodhicharya.org.

Audio translations / Übersetzung / Traduction / Tulkkaus

Deutsch – français – suomi

• Deutsch / German (Ena Meyer)
  Falls Ihr/Sie die deutsche Übersetzung simultan zu Rinpoche’s Belehrung anhören möchten, starten Sie bitte erst den Video Player and dann schnell den Audio Player dazu.
  [Audio clip: view full post to listen]
• Français / French (Jonathan Nadeau)
  Si vous désirez écouter la traduction française en simultané, lancez d’abord la vidéo et ensuite l’enregistrement audio.
  [Audio clip: view full post to listen]
• Suomi / Finnish (Minna Stenroos)
  Jos haluat kuunnella simultaanitulkkauksen samanaikaisesti videon kanssa, käynnistä ensin video- ja sen jälkeen ääninauhuri.
  [Audio clip: view full post to listen] If you would like to volunteer in making audio translations to other languages, please email us at shedra@bodhicharya.org.

Dear Online Shedra students,

As you may have noticed, during his summer tour Rinpoche has not been able to record and send new teachings for the Online Shedra. As he wrote for the new Bodhicharya Communities website,

I could not send a Bodhicharyavatara teaching from Summer Camp or here. I hope it would be OK as most people would be on holiday these days. Love and prayers to all. RT

We will continue with new teachings and questions and answers as soon as Rinpoche again can send them. In the meantime, please sign up with the new Bodhicharya Communities network and feel free to create your own space there, according to your interests and whatever you wish to share with others.

Happy summer days to all!

We would like to invite all Bodhicharya students and friends to join our new Bodhicharya community website.

This project has been developed over the past weeks with the support, and sponsorship, of the Dutch IT company InTouch. It was then put to the test at this years Summer Camp in France. As a result of that experiment, Ringu Tulku Rinpoche wished us to make it widely available to all Bodhicharya groups, students and friends.

To become a member and start your own community, just visit http://bodhicharya.intouch.net and click on the Sign Up Now text in the top right corner of the page.

In a nutshell, it’s a network which can contain a limitless amount of individual communities, enabling Rinpoche’s students to communicate, work together and share things much as they are already doing on facebook. It’s like a private Facebook, in a way. Except its just used for Bodhicharya things, there’s no ads, junk messages and its much more powerful. You can actually work together on projects/tasks/events within it. This can be done in a public or private way. So instead of endless cc’ed group emails that get longer and longer, you just make a community and write your message once in there. That message will then appear on the “wall” of all those who are members of that community.

The system works similar to Facebook and Twitter where you choose what and who you wish to follow or see on your “wall” (“My Page” is effectively your wall). Therefore, the content you see on your “My Page” will be different to what others see. It all depends on what, and who, you have decided to follow.  This is key. If you don’t join or follow people or communities, then you won’t see much. If you have an idea for a community, just create one! It can be public or private.

We hope that this flexibility will allow communities to be created around different activities, locations and languages. For example, lots of study groups are popping up around the Online Shedra. This will allow those groups to make individual communities so that they can communicate (in their own language) around the Shedra material.

This is very much an experiment, for everyone. Like Facebook, it is intuitive. There’s no manual and no support. We just have to experiment and help each other. The best thing to do is just to start using it. It’s like dancing. You just do it.

To join in, just visit http://bodhicharya.intouch.net and “sign up now”. You can’t login with your existing Bodhicharya website details as this is a separate system. But you can use those details again to sign up with so that they match your existing name and password. Please note, there is currently a mistake on the Bodhicharya Communities login page. It currently asks you for your name to login, but it actually needs your email address here instead.

This will then bring you into the main Network page. From there you can view your own page, see other members and follow them and see the current communities that have been created. You can also invite other Bodhicharians to join in too.

So, come on in! There’s lots of nice images from the summer camp to see already.

With this video (BA3Q3) Rinpoche answers the questions submitted by Online Shedra students mainly regarding stanzas 7-10 of the third chapter of the Bodhicharyavatara.

[See post on the website to watch the video.]

To view the video, simply click on the triangle in the movie player on the left.

To view on the iPhone/iPad click here

If you prefer listening to the teaching in audio, use the audio player below.

[Audio clip: view full post to listen]

If you are not able to use the flash player, you can download the audio file here.

A transcript of this talk can be downloaded here and in the Library.

Audio translations / Übersetzung / Traduction / Tulkkaus

Deutsch – français – suomi

• Deutsch / German (will follow soon)
• Français / French (Maryvonne Schopfer)
  Si vous désirez écouter la traduction française en simultané, lancez d’abord la vidéo et ensuite l’enregistrement audio.
  [Audio clip: view full post to listen]
• Suomi / Finnish (Minna Stenroos)
  Jos haluat kuunnella simultaanitulkkauksen samanaikaisesti videon kanssa, käynnistä ensin video- ja sen jälkeen ääninauhuri.
  [Audio clip: view full post to listen] If you would like to volunteer in making audio translations to other languages, please email us at shedra@bodhicharya.org.

With video teaching BA3_11-12 we come to the section of mind training, which is the second of the two preparations required in order to take hold of bodhichitta, the first being the 7-branch practice and refuge, which were discussed in the previous teachings. Here Rinpoche explains stanzas 11 and 12 of the third chapter of the Bodhicharyavatara. These two stanzas are about the actual mind training and why it is so important.

[See post on the website to watch the video.]

To view the video, simply click on the triangle in the movie player on the left.

To view on the iPhone/iPad click here

If you prefer listening to the teaching in audio, use the audio player below.

[Audio clip: view full post to listen]

If you are not able to use the flash player, you can download the audio file here.

A transcript of this teaching can be downloaded here and in the Library.

We are also studying the commentary transcript on Chapter 3, which you can download here and in the Library section. Further recommended reading: the commentary book by Kunzang Pelden (Khenpo Kunpal), The Nectar of Manjushri’s Speech, p. 125-128.

Please log in and leave your questions for Rinpoche as a comment below, or send them via email to studyquestions@bodhicharya.org. It is helpful if you can use one short paragraph and, if possible, less than 80 words. Any questions longer than that may have to be edited so please be concise. Questions will be collected from here on Wednesday, July 27th, and included in Rinpoche’s answers video. After that date please send any questions relating to this video teaching via email to studyquestions@bodhicharya.org.

Audio translations / Übersetzung / Traduction / Tulkkaus

Deutsch – français – suomi

• Deutsch / German (Ena Meyer)
  Falls Ihr/Sie die deutsche Übersetzung simultan zu Rinpoche’s Belehrung anhören möchten, starten Sie bitte erst den Video Player and dann schnell den Audio Player dazu.
  [Audio clip: view full post to listen]
• Français / French (Maryvonne Schopfer)
  Si vous désirez écouter la traduction française en simultané, lancez d’abord la vidéo et ensuite l’enregistrement audio.
  [Audio clip: view full post to listen]
• Suomi / Finnish (Minna Stenroos)
  Jos haluat kuunnella simultaanitulkkauksen samanaikaisesti videon kanssa, käynnistä ensin video- ja sen jälkeen ääninauhuri.
  [Audio clip: view full post to listen]
  If you would like to volunteer in making audio translations to other languages, please email us at shedra@bodhicharya.org.

Your loving messages on my birthday
Moved me and encouraged me.

Although a host of great masters taught me
And showered their blessings on me
I remained an idiot just because of my laziness.

If I can bring a slight smell of genuine dharma
In the mind stream of a single individual
I will feel that the efforts of those great teachers
Have not been completely wasted.

Your interest and appreciation of Dharma
Is my strength to live and work in this world.

Ringu Tulku

Gangtok

17.07.11

With this video (BA3Q2) Rinpoche answers the questions submitted by Online Shedra students regarding stanzas 1-4 and 5-6 of the third chapter of the Bodhicharyavatara.

[See post on the website to watch the video.]

To view the video, simply click on the triangle in the movie player on the left.

To view on the iPhone/iPad click here

If you prefer listening to the teaching in audio, use the audio player below.

[Audio clip: view full post to listen]

If you are not able to use the flash player, you can download the audio file here.

A transcript of this talk can be downloaded here and in the Library.

Audio translations / Übersetzung / Traduction / Tulkkaus

Deutsch – français – suomi

• Deutsch / German (will follow soon)
• Français / French (Jonathan Nadeau)
  Si vous désirez écouter la traduction française en simultané, lancez d’abord la vidéo et ensuite l’enregistrement audio.
  [Audio clip: view full post to listen]
• Suomi / Finnish (Minna Stenroos)
  Jos haluat kuunnella simultaanitulkkauksen samanaikaisesti videon kanssa, käynnistä ensin video- ja sen jälkeen ääninauhuri.
  [Audio clip: view full post to listen]
  If you would like to volunteer in making audio translations to other languages, please email us at shedra@bodhicharya.org.

Dear Friends,

Thank you so very much for the good wishes I have received from all of you. I am impressed and feel grateful for the good wishes that you all have sent me. I spent the day with my family listening to the rhythmic music of the rain on my roof and watching the monsoon clouds shedding off their last burden and disappear in to space.

Love and prayers
RT

Tomorrow, Saturday 16 July, will be Rinpoche’s 59th birthday.  We know that all his students and friends will want to join us in sending him our love and wishing him:

A VERY HAPPY, HAPPY BIRTHDAY and many happy returns.

Feel free to add your birthday wishes to the comments below.

Just click on the Happy Birthday Rinpoche title to reveal the comments, then login to leave a comment.

Here (BA3_7-10) Rinpoche gives a teaching on the last of the eight preliminaries: dedication. These are the stanzas from 7 to 10 of the third chapter of the Bodhicharyavatara.

[See post on the website to watch the video.]

To view the video, simply click on the triangle in the movie player on the left.

To view on the iPhone/iPad click here

If you prefer listening to the teaching in audio, use the audio player below.

[Audio clip: view full post to listen]

If you are not able to use the flash player, you can download the audio file here.

A transcript of this teaching can be downloaded here and in the Library.

We are also studying the commentary transcript on Chapter 3, which you can download here and in the Library section. Further recommended reading: the commentary book by Kunzang Pelden (Khenpo Kunpal), The Nectar of Manjushri’s Speech, p. 123-124.

Please log in and leave your questions for Rinpoche as a comment below, or send them via email to studyquestions@bodhicharya.org. It is helpful if you can use one short paragraph and, if possible, less than 80 words. Any questions longer than that may have to be edited so please be concise. Questions will be collected from here on Wednesday, July 20th, and included in Rinpoche’s answers video. After that date please send any questions relating to this video teaching via email to studyquestions@bodhicharya.org.

Audio translations / Übersetzung / Traduction / Tulkkaus

Deutsch – français – suomi

• Deutsch / German (Ena Meyer)
  Falls Ihr/Sie die deutsche Übersetzung simultan zu Rinpoche’s Belehrung anhören möchten, starten Sie bitte erst den Video Player and dann schnell den Audio Player dazu.
  [Audio clip: view full post to listen]
• Français / French (Jonathan Nadeau)
  Si vous désirez écouter la traduction française en simultané, lancez d’abord la vidéo et ensuite l’enregistrement audio.
  [Audio clip: view full post to listen]
• Suomi / Finnish (Minna Stenroos)
  Jos haluat kuunnella simultaanitulkkauksen samanaikaisesti videon kanssa, käynnistä ensin video- ja sen jälkeen ääninauhuri.
  [Audio clip: view full post to listen]If you would like to volunteer in making audio translations to other languages, please email us at shedra@bodhicharya.org.

This is the questions and answers session BA3Q1. Here Rinpoche answers the questions submitted by Online Shedra students regarding stanzas 1 to 4 of the third chapter of the Bodhicharyavatara.

[See post on the website to watch the video.]

Due to some unstabilities with internet connection it has taken some more time to send new videos, but they will be coming, thanks to Rinpoche’s unending kindness.

To view the video, simply click on the triangle in the movie player on the left.

To view on the iPhone/iPad click here

If you prefer listening to the teaching in audio, use the audio player below.

[Audio clip: view full post to listen]

If you are not able to use the flash player, you can download the audio file here.

A transcript of this talk can be downloaded here and in the Library.

Audio translations / Übersetzung / Traduction / Tulkkaus

Deutsch – français – suomi

• Deutsch / German (will follow soon)
• Français / French (Jonathan Nadeau)
  Si vous désirez écouter la traduction française en simultané, lancez d’abord la vidéo et ensuite l’enregistrement audio.
  [Audio clip: view full post to listen]
• Suomi / Finnish (Minna Stenroos)
  Jos haluat kuunnella simultaanitulkkauksen samanaikaisesti videon kanssa, käynnistä ensin video- ja sen jälkeen ääninauhuri.
  [Audio clip: view full post to listen]If you would like to volunteer in making audio translations to other languages, please email us at shedra@bodhicharya.org.

The title of the book that Rinpoche will use to teach during the Bodhicharya summer camp, 30 July until 5 August, is:

Mahamudra: The Moonlight — Quintessence of Mind and Meditation.

It can be bought at the following address:
http://www.amazon.com/Mahamudra-Moonlight-Quintessence-Mind-Meditation/dp/0861712994

All information about the summer camp is available at:
http://www.bodhicharya-france.fr/en/summercamp2011

With this video (BA3_5-6) Rinpoche explains the next two branches of accumulation practices, as given in stanzas 5 and 6 of the third chapter of the Bodhicharyavatara. These two are requesting the enlightened beings to turn the wheel of Dharma and requesting them to remain with us.

[See post on the website to watch the video.]

To view the video, simply click on the triangle in the movie player on the left.

To view on the iPhone/iPad click here

If you prefer listening to the teaching in audio, use the audio player below.

[Audio clip: view full post to listen]

If you are not able to use the flash player, you can download the audio file here.

A transcript of this teaching can be downloaded here and in the Library.

We are also studying the commentary transcript on Chapter 3, which you can download here and in the Library section. Further recommended reading: the commentary book by Kunzang Pelden (Khenpo Kunpal), The Nectar of Manjushri’s Speech, p. 121-123.

Please log in and leave your questions for Rinpoche as a comment below. It is helpful if you can use one short paragraph and, if possible, less than 80 words. Any questions longer than that may have to be edited so please be concise. Questions will be collected from here on Friday, July 8th, and included in Rinpoche’s answers video. After that date please send any questions relating to this video teaching via email to studyquestions@bodhicharya.org.

Audio translations / Übersetzung / Traduction / Tulkkaus

Deutsch – français – suomi

• Deutsch / German (Ena Meyer)
  Falls Ihr/Sie die deutsche Übersetzung simultan zu Rinpoche’s Belehrung anhören möchten, starten Sie bitte erst den Video Player and dann schnell den Audio Player dazu.
  [Audio clip: view full post to listen]
• Français / French (Jonathan Nadeau)
  Si vous désirez écouter la traduction française en simultané, lancez d’abord la vidéo et ensuite l’enregistrement audio.
  [Audio clip: view full post to listen]
• Suomi / Finnish (Minna Stenroos)
  Jos haluat kuunnella simultaanitulkkauksen samanaikaisesti videon kanssa, käynnistä ensin video- ja sen jälkeen ääninauhuri.
  [Audio clip: view full post to listen] If you would like to volunteer in making audio translations to other languages, please email us at shedra@bodhicharya.org.

This is a set of questions you can use to self assess your knowledge and understanding of the teachings and reference material relating to the second chapter of the Bodhicharyavatara, “Confession”. You can use these questions if you find it helpful, but it is not compulsory.

You may answer these questions either from your memory alone or by referring to the materials you have available. All of the answers can be found in the video teachings, but you can also refer to the root text The Way of the Bodhisattva, the transcript of Rinpoche’s teachings from 1997-2001 or the commentary by Khenpo Kunpal. You can do this in whatever way suits you. For example you might like to set aside a certain amount of time to answer some or all of the questions in writing. You are also welcome to  use the Discussion Forums area of the website to discuss these and other questions and your understanding with others who are following the Shedra teachings.

Chapter 2 questions

1. In the first chapter, one trains in understanding the importance and value of bodhichitta and why one needs to generate it in oneself. The second chapter is about purification. Why is purification needed when starting to generate bodhichitta?

2. What are the four main sections of the second chapter?

3. Why does one need to make offerings in order to generate bodhichitta?

4. How is an offering different from just giving?

5. What are the three objects of offering described in the text? Why does one want to give them offerings? Please elaborate.

6. What are the five different offerings and what are their meanings?

7. What is the meaning and purpose of making prostrations? You can also explain how to make a prostration and describe the key things to remember at each step of a five-point prostration.

8. What are the two aspects of Mahayana refuge? Please elaborate on them.

9. What are the three kinds of negative things one need to confess?

10. What are the four powers of purification? Elaborate on these four, for instance by describing the steps of the process of purification according to the Bodhicharyavatara. You can do this in your own words, as you understand them.

11. How does Rinpoche describe the difference between regret and guilt at the end of BA2_32-46? What are your own thoughts about this?

12.  In BA2_60-65, Rinpoche says that stanza 60 is regarded as the most important stanza of this chapter. What is the meaning of this stanza and why is it so important?

Here you can download the questions as a pdf file.

With video BA2Q9, Rinpoche answers the questions submitted by Online Shedra students regarding stanzas 60 to 65 of the second chapter of the Bodhicharyavatara.

[See post on the website to watch the video.]

To view the video, simply click on the triangle in the movie player on the left.

To view on the iPhone/iPad click here

If you prefer listening to the teaching in audio, use the audio player below.

[Audio clip: view full post to listen]

If you are not able to use the flash player, you can download the audio file here.

A transcript of this talk can be downloaded here or in the Library.

Audio translations / Übersetzung / Traduction / Tulkkaus

Deutsch – français – suomi

• Deutsch / German (will follow soon)
• Français / French (Jonathan Nadeau)
  Si vous désirez écouter la traduction française en simultané, lancez d’abord la vidéo et ensuite l’enregistrement audio.
  [Audio clip: view full post to listen]
• Suomi / Finnish (Minna Stenroos)
  Jos haluat kuunnella simultaanitulkkauksen samanaikaisesti videon kanssa, käynnistä ensin video- ja sen jälkeen ääninauhuri.
  [Audio clip: view full post to listen] If you would like to volunteer in making audio translations to other languages, please email us at shedra@bodhicharya.org.

Ringu Tulku Rinpoche has just sent a new video teaching on the first four stanzas of the Third Chapter of the Bodhicharyavatara, which you will find here.

The Bodhicharya Online Shedra was started in October 2010 and, since then, Rinpoche has recorded new video teachings on the Bodhicharyavatara and answered the students’ questions on weekly basis.

Bodhicharyavatara, ‘Entering the Bodhisattva’s Way of Life‘, was written by Shantideva and is regarded as one of the most important textbooks in the Mahayana Buddhist studies. It is also loved and revered because of its beauty and eloquency, which touches everybody regardless of time and place. This is a wonderful opportunity to receive teachings directly from Rinpoche on this great text.

Everybody is welcome to join in and study with the Online Shedra. It’s free and no registration is needed. All the videos posted so far can be watched online, starting from Chapter 1. If you have any questions, please see the guidelines or send an email to shedra@bodhicharya.org.

With this video (BA3_1-4) we come to the third chapter of the Bodhicharyavatara, Taking Hold of Bodhichitta. Here Rinpoche explains stanzas 1 to 4, which cover the fifth branch of the eight accumulation practices: rejoicing. The first four branches — offerings, prostrations, refuge and confession — were discussed in chapter 2. These practices are part of the preliminaries for generating or fully adopting the bodhichitta.

[See post on the website to watch the video.]

To view the video, simply click on the triangle in the movie player on the left.

To view on the iPhone/iPad click here

If you prefer listening to the teaching in audio, use the audio player below.

[Audio clip: view full post to listen]

If you are not able to use the flash player, you can download the audio file here.

A transcript of this talk can be downloaded here and in the Library.

Rinpoche is mainly using the Padmakara English translation of the Bodhicharyavatara, The Way of the Bodhisattva. Rinpoche has also  referred to these two translations which are available online: http://www.kunpal.com, http://www.lotsawahouse.org/bodhicharyavatara.html.

We are also studying the commentary transcript on Chapter 3, which you can download here and in the Library section. Further recommended reading: the commentary book by Kunzang Pelden (Khenpo Kunpal), The Nectar of Manjushri’s Speech, p. 119-121.

Please log in and leave your questions for Rinpoche as a comment below. It is helpful if you can use one short paragraph and, if possible, less than 80 words. Any questions longer than that may have to be edited so please be concise. Questions will be collected from here on Saturday, July 2nd, and included in Rinpoche’s answers video. After that date please send any questions relating to this video teaching via email to studyquestions@bodhicharya.org.

Audio translations / Übersetzung / Traduction / Tulkkaus

Deutsch – français – suomi

• Deutsch / German (Ena Meyer)
  Falls Ihr/Sie die deutsche Übersetzung simultan zu Rinpoche’s Belehrung anhören möchten, starten Sie bitte erst den Video Player and dann schnell den Audio Player dazu.
  [Audio clip: view full post to listen]
• Français / French (Jonathan Nadeau)
  Si vous désirez écouter la traduction française en simultané, lancez d’abord la vidéo et ensuite l’enregistrement audio.
  [Audio clip: view full post to listen]
• Suomi / Finnish (Minna Stenroos)
  Jos haluat kuunnella simultaanitulkkauksen samanaikaisesti videon kanssa, käynnistä ensin video- ja sen jälkeen ääninauhuri.
  [Audio clip: view full post to listen] If you would like to volunteer in making audio translations to other languages, please email us at shedra@bodhicharya.org.

With this video (BA2Q8) Rinpoche answers some of the questions submitted by Online Shedra students, mainly regarding stanzas 54-59 of the second chapter of the Bodhicharyavatara.

[See post on the website to watch the video.]

To view the video, simply click on the triangle in the movie player on the left.

To view on the iPhone/iPad click here

If you prefer listening to the teaching in audio, use the audio player below.

[Audio clip: view full post to listen]

If you are not able to use the flash player, you can download the audio file here.

A transcript of this talk can be downloaded here and in the Library.

Audio translations / Übersetzung / Traduction / Tulkkaus

Deutsch – français – suomi

• Deutsch / German (will follow soon)
• Français / French (Jonathan Nadeau)
  Si vous désirez écouter la traduction française en simultané, lancez d’abord la vidéo et ensuite l’enregistrement audio.
  [Audio clip: view full post to listen]
• Suomi / Finnish (Minna Stenroos)
  Jos haluat kuunnella simultaanitulkkauksen samanaikaisesti videon kanssa, käynnistä ensin video- ja sen jälkeen ääninauhuri.
  [Audio clip: view full post to listen]
  If you would like to volunteer in making audio translations to other languages, please email us at shedra@bodhicharya.org.

With this video (BA2_60-65) Rinpoche continues on the power of antidote and then finishes with the fourth and last power of purification, which is the power of resolution to not commit those negative deeds again. This teaching on stanzas 60 to 65 completes the second chapter of the Bodhicharyavatara, The Confession, or Purification.

[See post on the website to watch the video.]

To view the video, simply click on the triangle in the movie player on the left.

To view on the iPhone/iPad click here

If you prefer listening to the teaching in audio, use the audio player below.

[Audio clip: view full post to listen]

If you are not able to use the flash player, you can download the audio file here.

A transcript can be downloaded here or in the Library.

We are also studying the commentary transcript on Chapter 2, which you can download here and in the Library section. Further recommended reading: the commentary book by Kunzang Pelden (Khenpo Kunpal), The Nectar of Manjushri’s Speech, p. 115-118.

Please log in and leave your questions for Rinpoche as a comment below. It is helpful if you can use one short paragraph and, if possible, less than 80 words. Any questions longer than that may have to be edited so please be concise. Questions will be collected from here on Sunday, June 26th, and included in Rinpoche’s answers video. After that date please send any questions relating to this video teaching via email to studyquestions@bodhicharya.org.

Audio translations / Übersetzung / Traduction / Tulkkaus

Deutsch – français – suomi

• Deutsch / German (Ena Meyer)
  Falls Ihr/Sie die deutsche Übersetzung simultan zu Rinpoche’s Belehrung anhören möchten, starten Sie bitte erst den Video Player and dann schnell den Audio Player dazu.
  [Audio clip: view full post to listen]
• Français / French (Jonathan Nadeau)
  Si vous désirez écouter la traduction française en simultané, lancez d’abord la vidéo et ensuite l’enregistrement audio.
  [Audio clip: view full post to listen]
• Suomi / Finnish (Minna Stenroos)
  Jos haluat kuunnella simultaanitulkkauksen samanaikaisesti videon kanssa, käynnistä ensin video- ja sen jälkeen ääninauhuri.
  [Audio clip: view full post to listen] If you would like to volunteer in making audio translations to other languages, please email us at shedra@bodhicharya.org.

Rinpoche is now back home in Sikkim after his spring teaching tour. Here in this video (BA2Q7) Rinpoche answers the Online Shedra students’ questions which were submitted by June 2nd. These questions mainly concern purification and the stanzas 47-53 of the second chapter of the Bodhicharyavatara.

[See post on the website to watch the video.]

To view the video, simply click on the triangle in the movie player on the left.

To view on the iPhone/iPad click here

If you prefer listening to the teaching in audio, use the audio player below.

[Audio clip: view full post to listen]

If you are not able to use the flash player, you can download the audio file here.

A transcript can be downloaded here and in the Library.

Audio translations / Übersetzung / Traduction / Tulkkaus

Deutsch – français – suomi

• Deutsch / German (will follow soon)
• Français / French (Mustapha Zaidi) traduction pdf
  Si vous désirez écouter la traduction française en simultané, lancez d’abord la vidéo et ensuite l’enregistrement audio.
  [Audio clip: view full post to listen]
• Suomi / Finnish (Minna Stenroos)
  Jos haluat kuunnella simultaanitulkkauksen samanaikaisesti videon kanssa, käynnistä ensin video- ja sen jälkeen ääninauhuri.
  [Audio clip: view full post to listen] If you would like to volunteer in making audio translations to other languages, please email us at shedra@bodhicharya.org.

Rinpoche finishes his Spring teaching tour in Moscow today, 13 June, and travels home to India.  From Moscow, Rinpoche wrote: ‘About 100 people took refuge and they are all very excited’. 

In Russia they have also published Rinpoche’s Mind Training book and plan to publish Daring Steps towards Fearlessness by the end of this year.  They also want to publish more of his books in the future. While he was in Moscow, a documentary was made about Rinpoche which should be ready in about a month.   We don’t yet know if it will be widely available.

Rinpoche would like to thank all the people in the centres and groups in Europe who hosted him and worked so hard to make his visits so successful.   He is looking forward to seeing many of  his friends and students again in the Summer.

Rinpoche’s  Summer teaching schedule can be found at http://www.bodhicharya.org/ringu-tulku/schedule/

The third aspect of purification is the power of antidote, which is the topic of stanzas 54 to 59 of the second chapter of the Bodhicharyavatara explained by Rinpoche in this video (BA2_54-59).

[See post on the website to watch the video.]

To view the video, simply click on the triangle in the movie player on the left.

To view on the iPhone/iPad click here

If you prefer listening to the teaching in audio, use the audio player below.

[Audio clip: view full post to listen]

If you are not able to use the flash player, you can download the audio file here.

A transcript is available for downloading here and in the Library.

We are also studying the commentary transcript on Chapter 2, which you can download here and in the Library section. Further recommended reading: the commentary book by Kunzang Pelden (Khenpo Kunpal), The Nectar of Manjushri’s Speech, p. 112-115.

Please log in and leave your questions for Rinpoche as a comment below. It is helpful if you can use one short paragraph and, if possible, less than 80 words. Any questions longer than that may have to be edited so please be concise. Questions will be collected from here on Thursday, June 9th, and included in Rinpoche’s answers video. After that date please send any questions relating to this video teaching via email to studyquestions@bodhicharya.org.

Audio translations / Übersetzung / Traduction / Tulkkaus

Deutsch – français – suomi

• Deutsch / German (Ena Meyer)
  Falls Ihr/Sie die deutsche Übersetzung simultan zu Rinpoche’s Belehrung anhören möchten, starten Sie bitte erst den Video Player and dann schnell den Audio Player dazu.
  [Audio clip: view full post to listen]
• Français / French (Jonathan Nadeau)
  Si vous désirez écouter la traduction française en simultané, lancez d’abord la vidéo et ensuite l’enregistrement audio.
  [Audio clip: view full post to listen]
• Suomi / Finnish (Minna Stenroos)
  Jos haluat kuunnella simultaanitulkkauksen samanaikaisesti videon kanssa, käynnistä ensin video- ja sen jälkeen ääninauhuri.
  [Audio clip: view full post to listen]
  If you would like to volunteer in making audio translations to other languages, please email us at shedra@bodhicharya.org.

With this video (BA2Q6), Rinpoche answers some questions submitted by Online Shedra students regarding stanzas 27-46 of the second chapter of the Bodhicharyavatara, and other topics.

[See post on the website to watch the video.]

To view the video, simply click on the triangle in the movie player on the left.

To view on the iPhone/iPad click here

If you prefer listening to the teaching in audio, use the audio player below.

[Audio clip: view full post to listen]

If you are not able to use the flash player, you can download the audio file here.

A transcript of this talk is available here and in the Library.

Audio translations / Übersetzung / Traduction / Tulkkaus

Deutsch – français – suomi

• Deutsch / German (will follow soon)
• Français / French (Mustapha Zaidi) traduction pdf
  Si vous désirez écouter la traduction française en simultané, lancez d’abord la vidéo et ensuite l’enregistrement audio.
  [Audio clip: view full post to listen]
• Suomi / Finnish (Minna Stenroos)
  Jos haluat kuunnella simultaanitulkkauksen samanaikaisesti videon kanssa, käynnistä ensin video- ja sen jälkeen ääninauhuri.
  [Audio clip: view full post to listen]
  If you would like to volunteer in making audio translations to other languages, please email us at shedra@bodhicharya.org.

With this video (BA2_47-53) Rinpoche gives an explanation on stanzas 47 to 53 of the second chapter of the Bodhicharyavatara. After the first one, which was regret, the second power or strength of confession and purification is the power of support or reliance.

[See post on the website to watch the video.]

To view the video, simply click on the triangle in the movie player on the left.

To view on the iPhone/iPad click here

If you prefer listening to the teaching in audio, use the audio player below.

[Audio clip: view full post to listen]

If you are not able to use the flash player, you can download the audio file here.

A transcript of this teaching is available here and in the Library.

We are also studying the commentary transcript on Chapter 2, which you can download here and in the Library section. Further recommended reading: the commentary book by Kunzang Pelden (Khenpo Kunpal), The Nectar of Manjushri’s Speech, p. 107-111.

Please log in and leave your questions for Rinpoche as a comment below. It is helpful if you can use one short paragraph and, if possible, less than 80 words. Any questions longer than that may have to be edited so please be concise. Questions will be collected from here on Thursday, June 2nd 2011, and included in Rinpoche’s answers video. After that date please send any questions relating to this video teaching via email to studyquestions@bodhicharya.org.

Audio translations / Übersetzung / Traduction / Tulkkaus

Deutsch – français – suomi

• Deutsch / German (will follow soon)
• Français / French (Jonathan Nadeau)
  Si vous désirez écouter la traduction française en simultané, lancez d’abord la vidéo et ensuite l’enregistrement audio.
  [Audio clip: view full post to listen]
• Suomi / Finnish (Minna Stenroos)
  Jos haluat kuunnella simultaanitulkkauksen samanaikaisesti videon kanssa, käynnistä ensin video- ja sen jälkeen ääninauhuri.
  [Audio clip: view full post to listen]
  If you would like to volunteer in making audio translations to other languages, please email us at shedra@bodhicharya.org.

With this video (BA2Q5), Rinpoche answers the questions submitted by Online Shedra students regarding stanza 26, which is about the Refuge.

[See post on the website to watch the video.]

To view the video, simply click on the triangle in the movie player on the left.

To view on the iPhone/iPad click here

If you prefer listening to the teaching in audio, use the audio player below.
[Audio clip: view full post to listen]

If you are not able to use the flash player, you can download the audio file here.

A transcript of this talk is available here and in the Library.

Audio translations / Übersetzung / Traduction / Tulkkaus

Deutsch – français – suomi

• Deutsch / German (will follow soon)
• Français / French(Jonathan Nadeau)
  Si vous désirez écouter la traduction française en simultané, lancez d’abord la vidéo et ensuite l’enregistrement audio.
  [Audio clip: view full post to listen]
• Suomi / Finnish (Minna Stenroos)
  Jos haluat kuunnella simultaanitulkkauksen samanaikaisesti videon kanssa, käynnistä ensin video- ja sen jälkeen ääninauhuri.
  [Audio clip: view full post to listen]
  If you would like to volunteer in making audio translations to other languages, please email us at shedra@bodhicharya.org.

With this video (BA2_32-46) Rinpoche continues on the section of regret in the second chapter of the Bodhicharyavatara. In stanzas 32-46 we are vividly reminded of the uncertainty and impermanence of life and that we should act now at this very moment to purify our negative karma.

[See post on the website to watch the video.]

To view the video, simply click on the triangle in the movie player to the left.

To view on the iPhone/iPad click here

If you prefer listening to the teaching in audio, use the audio player below.

[Audio clip: view full post to listen]

If you are not able to use the flash player, you can download the audio file here.

A transcript of this talk is available here and in the Library.

We are also studying the commentary transcript on Chapter 2, which you can download here and in the Library section. Further recommended reading: the commentary book by Kunzang Pelden (Khenpo Kunpal), The Nectar of Manjushri’s Speech, p. 101-107.

Please log in and leave your questions for Rinpoche as a comment below. It is helpful if you can use one short paragraph and, if possible, less than 80 words. Any questions longer than that may have to be edited so please be concise. Questions will be collected from here on Wednesday, May 25th, and included in Rinpoche’s answers video. After that date please send any questions relating to this video teaching via email to studyquestions@bodhicharya.org.

Audio translations / Übersetzung / Traduction / Tulkkaus

Deutsch – français – suomi

• Deutsch / German (will follow soon)
• Français / French (Mustapha Zaidi) traduction pdf
  Si vous désirez écouter la traduction française en simultané, lancez d’abord la vidéo et ensuite l’enregistrement audio.
  [Audio clip: view full post to listen]
• Suomi / Finnish (Minna Stenroos)
  Jos haluat kuunnella simultaanitulkkauksen samanaikaisesti videon kanssa, käynnistä ensin video- ja sen jälkeen ääninauhuri.
  [Audio clip: view full post to listen]
  If you would like to volunteer in making audio translations to other languages, please email us at shedra@bodhicharya.org.

Offerings on Buddhist Festivals.

We are joyfully celebrating three years of Rigul Trust with suggestions for beautiful offerings that will accumulate merit in order to bring great benefit to the welfare of all beings.

By way of expressing heart felt gratitude to Ringu Tulku, Ani Sherab is dedicating her practice to Rigul Trust on each of the upcoming major Buddhist Festivals (when actions are many thousand times more powerful) and making an offering of £108.

Ani-la is inviting us all, as part of Rinpoche’s mandala worldwide, to have fun by coming together where ever we are on these auspicious days, offering whatever we can joyfully using the auspicious number 108.

Schedule

17th May – The Buddha reveals the Kalachakra Teachings
9 June – Birth of Buddha Sakyamuni at Lumbini
15 June – Enlightenment and Parinirvana
3 August – Teaching of the Four Noble Truths
13 August – Buddha’s entry into Mother’s womb
22 February – 7 March 2012 – Losar and the following fourteen days

(taken from Kagyu Samye Ling Diary)

This inspiring anniversary offering allows all of us to join in with the great spirit of belonging to one family worldwide, dedicating whatever practice we do and giving what we can on the Festival Days to Rigul Trust and to its’ continued success in supporting so many worthwhile projects.
We may like to do this individually or in a group making offerings, generating the merit and dedicating it to the welfare of all beings.

We will announce each of these Buddhist Festivals as they approach.

Rigul Trust 3rd Anniversary Celebration begins with the first of these Buddhist Festivals, The Buddha reveals the Kalachakra Teachings,
on Tuesday 17th May.

Offering to Rigul Trust of the day’s practice:
£108 or euros; £10.80 or euros; £1.08 or euros.

Please send a note of your offerings of Dharma Practice to dharma@rigultrust.org

Please send your offerings of money for Rigul Trust’s health, education, poverty relief and environmental projects by visiting: www.rigultrust.org and click on the donate page for how to pay by cheque, Paypal or direct bank transfer. If you are a UK taxpayer there are Gift Aid forms available for downloading on the donate page too. This would enable Rigul Trust to claim 25% back from tax you have paid.

We will keep you updated on the website.

May all beings be safe
May all beings be happy
May all beings be peaceful
May all beings awaken to the light of their true nature

I would like to personally invite all my students all over the world to the Bodhicharya Summer Camp in France (July 30 to August 5). I encourage all to come and join us if possible. I will try to present the essentials of Dharma that I understand and also make a support system through deeper social network so that they can work together and keep up the study and practice.

Hope to see you soon,
Ringu Tulku

For information about the Summercamp please go to:
http://www.bodhicharya-france.fr/en/summercamp2011

(You can also see this message on Rinpoche’s News page.)

I would like to personally invite all my students all over the world to the Bodhicharya Summer Camp in France (July 30 to August 5). I encourage all to come and join us if possible. I will try to present the essentials of Dharma that I understand and also make a support system through deeper social network so that they can work together and keep up the study and practice.

Hope to see you soon,
Ringu Tulku

For information about the Summercamp please go to:
http://www.bodhicharya-france.fr/en/summercamp2011

With this video (BA2_27-31) we come to the section of confession, which will be continued in Rinpoche’s next teachings as well. Stanzas from 27 to 31 of the second chapter of the Bodhicharyavatara are explained in this first part.

[See post on the website to watch the video.]

Here, we recognize and confess all our negative deeds of body, speech and mind in front of all the Buddhas and bodhisattvas and purify them through the power of genuine regret.

To view the video, simply click on the triangle in the movie player to the left.

To view on the iPhone/iPad click here

If you prefer listening to the teaching in audio, use the audio player below.

[Audio clip: view full post to listen]

If you are not able to use the flash player, you can download the audio file here.

A transcript of this talk is available here and in the Library.

We are also studying the commentary transcript on Chapter 2, which you can download here and in the Library section. Further recommended reading: the commentary book by Kunzang Pelden (Khenpo Kunpal), The Nectar of Manjushri’s Speech, p. 95-101.

Please log in and leave your questions for Rinpoche as a comment below. It is helpful if you can use one short paragraph and, if possible, less than 80 words. Any questions longer than that may have to be edited so please be concise. Questions will be collected from here on Wednesday, May 18th, and included in Rinpoche’s answers video. After that date please send any questions relating to this video teaching via email to studyquestions@bodhicharya.org.

Audio translations / Übersetzung / Traduction / Tulkkaus

Deutsch – français – suomi

• Deutsch / German (Ena Meyer)
  Falls Ihr/Sie die deutsche Übersetzung simultan zu Rinpoche’s Belehrung anhören möchten, starten Sie bitte erst den Video Player and dann schnell den Audio Player dazu.
  [Audio clip: view full post to listen]
• Français / French (Jonathan Nadeau)
  Si vous désirez écouter la traduction française en simultané, lancez d’abord la vidéo et ensuite l’enregistrement audio.
  [Audio clip: view full post to listen]
• Suomi / Finnish (Minna Stenroos)
  Jos haluat kuunnella simultaanitulkkauksen samanaikaisesti videon kanssa, käynnistä ensin video- ja sen jälkeen ääninauhuri.
  [Audio clip: view full post to listen] 

  If you would like to volunteer in making audio translations to other languages, please email us at shedra@bodhicharya.org.

With this video (BA2Q4), Rinpoche again answers some of the questions submitted by the Online Shedra students regarding prostration, which was discussed in Rinpoche’s teaching on stanzas 24 and 25 of the second chapter of the Bodhicharyavatara.

[See post on the website to watch the video.]

To view the video, simply click on the triangle in the movie player to the left.

To view on the iPhone/iPad click here

If you prefer listening to the teaching in audio, use the audio player below.
[Audio clip: view full post to listen]

If you are not able to use the flash player, you can download the audio file here.

A transcript of this talk is available here and in the Library.

Due to Rinpoche’s travel and teaching schedule, it has not been possible for all the submitted questions to be answered directly in the videos. Even those questions are often answered in the teachings. However, if you feel your question is still unresolved you are welcome to resubmit your question via studyquestions@bodhicharya.org and Rinpoche will endeavour to answer it in a next Questions and Answers video. When submitting a question in this way please state the chapter and stanza number to which your question relates.

Audio translations / Übersetzung / Traduction / Tulkkaus

Deutsch – français – suomi

• Deutsch / German (will follow soon)
• Français / French (Jet Mort) (traduction pdf)
  Si vous désirez écouter la traduction française en simultané, lancez d’abord la vidéo et ensuite l’enregistrement audio.
  [Audio clip: view full post to listen]
• Suomi / Finnish (Minna Stenroos)
  Jos haluat kuunnella simultaanitulkkauksen samanaikaisesti videon kanssa, käynnistä ensin video- ja sen jälkeen ääninauhuri.
  [Audio clip: view full post to listen]If you would like to volunteer in making audio translations to other languages, please email us at shedra@bodhicharya.org.

Here are some images taken from Rinpoche’s recent Easter weekend visit to Dzogchen Beara, Ireland. Just click on any of the images to see a slideshow of them all.

To see more images from our collection, visit our Bodhicharya Flickr Group. If you have images of Rinpoche on his travels that you would like to share, just visit http://www.flickr.com/groups/bodhicharya/ and click on “Join this Group”. Then just follow the Flickr instructions and notes on the Bodhicharya Group page to upload your images.

Jet Mort captured these happy images to share with us showing Rinpoche signing the Chenrezig book in the shop with a queue of those waiting to get their book signed, those engrossed in reading the book and Bernie Hartley doing a sterling job as Rigul Trust ambassador for distributing the books.

We, have received so much positive feedback from this beautiful book – it is a complete practice book with the commentary and the sadhana. The sadhana contains the Tibetan script, the phonetics and the English translation.

Please click on this link for further delights of the book: http://www.rigultrust.org/chenrezig_book.html

People are very surprised and very pleased to find that all of the money that they have paid for their book will go to supporting Rigul in Tibet – the monastery, the health clinic and the school. To think that the cost of one book will provide an education plus two hot meals a day at school for one child for one month – a win win situation – you buy the book and befriend a child in need at the same time – fits nicely with the practice of compassion.

The book came into being to commemorate the flourishing of Buddha Dharma in Ringu Tulku’s homeland of Rigul, Kham, Tibet where Rinpoche is still the Abbot of Rigul Monastery.

This book is available on-line at www.rigultrust.org and at Samye Ling shop: www.samyelingshop.com

We wish to thank Samye Ling shop for selling this book and honouring Rigul Trust’s pledge that 100% of the proceeds will go to Rigul,Tibet.

(BA2_26) Here Ringu Tulku Rinpoche gives us a teaching on the stanza 26 of the second chapter of the Bodhicharyavatara. This is about taking refuge in Buddha, Dharma and Sangha.

[See post on the website to watch the video.]

To view the video, simply click on the triangle in the movie player to the left.

To view on the iPhone/iPad click here

If you prefer listening to the teaching in audio, use the audio player below.

[Audio clip: view full post to listen]

If you are not able to use the flash player, you can download the audio file here.

A transcript of this talk is available here and in the Library.

We are also studying the commentary transcript on Chapter 2, which you can download here and in the Library section. Further recommended reading: the commentary book by Kunzang Pelden (Khenpo Kunpal), The Nectar of Manjushri’s Speech, p. 81-95.

Please log in and leave your questions for Rinpoche as a comment below. It is helpful if you can use one short paragraph and, if possible, less than 80 words. Any questions longer than that may have to be edited so please be concise. Questions will be collected from here on Wednesday, May 4th, and included in Rinpoche’s answers video. After that date please send any questions relating to this video teaching via email to studyquestions@bodhicharya.org.

Audio translations / Übersetzung / Traduction / Tulkkaus

Deutsch – français – suomi

• Deutsch / German (will follow soon)
• Français / French (Jonathan Nadeau)
  Si vous désirez écouter la traduction française en simultané, lancez d’abord la vidéo et ensuite l’enregistrement audio.
  [Audio clip: view full post to listen]
• Suomi / Finnish (Minna Stenroos)
  Jos haluat kuunnella simultaanitulkkauksen samanaikaisesti videon kanssa, käynnistä ensin video- ja sen jälkeen ääninauhuri.
  [Audio clip: view full post to listen]If you would like to volunteer in making audio translations to other languages, please email us at shedra@bodhicharya.org.

With this video (BA2_24-25) Rinpoche gives a detailed explanation of stanzas 24 and 25 of the second chapter of the Bodhicharyavatara. This section is about performing prostrations or paying homage.

[See post on the website to watch the video.]

To view the video, simply click on the triangle in the movie player on the left.

To view on the iPhone/iPad click here

If you prefer listening to the teaching in audio, use the audio player below.

[Audio clip: view full post to listen]

If you are not able to use the flash player, you can download the audio file here.

A transcript of this talk is available here and in the library.

We are also studying the commentary transcript on Chapter 2, which you can download here and in the Library section. Further recommended reading: the commentary book by Kunzang Pelden (Khenpo Kunpal), The Nectar of Manjushri’s Speech, p. 79-81.

Please log in and leave your questions for Rinpoche as a comment below. It is helpful if you can use one short paragraph and, if possible, less than 80 words. Any questions longer than that may have to be edited so please be concise. Questions will be collected from here on Wednesday, April 27th, and included in Rinpoche’s answers video. After that date please send any questions relating to this video teaching via email to studyquestions@bodhicharya.org.

Audio translations / Übersetzung / Traduction / Tulkkaus

Deutsch – français – suomi

• Deutsch / German (Ena Meyer)
  Falls Ihr/Sie die deutsche Übersetzung simultan zu Rinpoche’s Belehrung anhören möchten, starten Sie bitte erst den Video Player and dann schnell den Audio Player dazu.
  [Audio clip: view full post to listen]
• Français / French (Mustapha Zaidi) traduction pdf
  Si vous désirez écouter la traduction française en simultané, lancez d’abord la vidéo et ensuite l’enregistrement audio.
  [Audio clip: view full post to listen]
• Suomi / Finnish (Minna Stenroos)
  Jos haluat kuunnella simultaanitulkkauksen samanaikaisesti videon kanssa, käynnistä ensin video- ja sen jälkeen ääninauhuri.
  [Audio clip: view full post to listen]If you would like to volunteer in making audio translations to other languages, please email us at shedra@bodhicharya.org.

Here you will find Rinpoche’s answers to three questions regarding stanzas 10 to 19 of the second chapter of the Bodhicharyavatara, submitted by the Online Shedra students by April 6th. (BA2Q3)

[See post on the website to watch the video.]

Due to Rinpoches travel and teaching schedule, so far, it has not been possible for all the submitted questions to be answered directly in the videos. If you feel your question is still unresolved you are welcome to resubmit your question via studyquestions@bodhicharya.org and Rinpoche will endeavour to answer it as soon as possible. When submitting a question in this way please state the chapter and stanza number to which your question relates.

To view the video, simply click on the triangle in the movie player above.

To view on the iPhone/iPad click here

If you prefer listening to the teaching in audio, use the audio player below.
[Audio clip: view full post to listen]

If you are not able to use the flash player, you can download the audio file here.

A transcript is available here and in the Library.

Audio translations / Übersetzung / Traduction / Tulkkaus

Deutsch – français – suomi

• Deutsch / German (will follow soon)
• Français / French (Jonathan Nadeau)
  Si vous désirez écouter la traduction française en simultané, lancez d’abord la vidéo et ensuite l’enregistrement audio.
  [Audio clip: view full post to listen]
• Suomi / Finnish (Minna Stenroos)
  Jos haluat kuunnella simultaanitulkkauksen samanaikaisesti videon kanssa, käynnistä ensin video- ja sen jälkeen ääninauhuri.[Audio clip: view full post to listen] 

  If you would like to volunteer in making audio translations to other languages, please email us at shedra@bodhicharya.org.

Jetsün Khandro Rinpoche will teach in English on the topics MOTIVATION and DEVOTION, GENEROSITY and PROSPERITY

Date: 10th-11th May 2011

Location:
Bodhicharya Buddhist Centre for Peace and Understanding,
Kinzigstr. 25-29, 10247

All on donation basis.
Please arrive early to make sure you get a seat.

Please note Khandro Rinpoche will also teach 8th and 9th of May in Berlin at the Rigpa center on meditation. www.rigpa-zentrum-berlin.de

About Her Eminence Jetsün Khandro Rinpoche

Photo ©2011 Diana Blok

In the beginning of this video (BA2_20-23) Rinpoche first elaborates a little further on the imagined offerings discussed in the previous teaching. Then Rinpoche explains the three remaining offerings illustrated by Shantideva in stanzas 20 to 23 of the second chapter of the Bodhicharyavatara:

[See post on the website to watch the video.]

• the offerings made with the power of our aspirations
• the unexcelled offerings, and
• offering of melodious praise

To view the video, simply click on the triangle in the movie player above.

To view on the iPhone/iPad click here

If you prefer listening to the teaching in audio, use the audio player below.

[Audio clip: view full post to listen]

If you are not able to use the flash player, you can download the audio file here.

A transcript of this talk is available here and in the Library.

We are also studying the commentary transcript on Chapter 2, which you can download here and in the Library section. Further recommended reading: the commentary book by Kunzang Pelden (Khenpo Kunpal), The Nectar of Manjushri’s Speech, p. 75-79.

Please log in and leave your questions for Rinpoche as a comment below. It is helpful if you can use one short paragraph and, if possible, less than 80 words. Any questions longer than that may have to be edited so please be concise. Questions will be collected from here on Wednesday, April 20th 2011, and included in Rinpoche’s answers video. After that date please send any questions relating to this video teaching via email to studyquestions@bodhicharya.org.

Audio translations / Übersetzung / Traduction / Tulkkaus

Deutsch – français – suomi

• Deutsch / German (will follow soon)
• Français / French (will follow soon)
• Suomi / Finnish (Minna Stenroos)
  Jos haluat kuunnella simultaanitulkkauksen samanaikaisesti videon kanssa, käynnistä ensin video- ja sen jälkeen ääninauhuri.
  [Audio clip: view full post to listen]

If you would like to volunteer in making audio translations to other languages, please email us at shedra@bodhicharya.org.

Rinpoche has again kindly answered to the Online Shedra students’ questions – this time regarding stanzas 1 to 9 of the second chapter of the Bodhicharyavatara, as well as some other topics. (BA2Q2)

[See post on the website to watch the video.]

To view the video, simply click on the triangle in the movie player above.

To view on the iPhone/iPad click here

If you prefer listening to the teaching in audio, use the audio player below.

[Audio clip: view full post to listen]

If you are not able to use the flash player, you can download the audio file here.

A transcript of this talk is available here and in the Library.

Audio translations / Übersetzung / Traduction / Tulkkaus

Deutsch – français – suomi

• Deutsch / German (will follow soon)
• Français / French (Jet Mort)  traduction pdf
  Si vous désirez écouter la traduction française en simultané, lancez d’abord la vidéo et ensuite l’enregistrement audio.
  [Audio clip: view full post to listen]
• Suomi / Finnish (Minna Stenroos)
  Jos haluat kuunnella simultaanitulkkauksen samanaikaisesti videon kanssa, käynnistä ensin video- ja sen jälkeen ääninauhuri.
  [Audio clip: view full post to listen] 

  If you would like to volunteer in making audio translations to other languages, please email us at shedra@bodhicharya.org.

Here (in BA2_10-19) Rinpoche explains the offerings we create with our imagination. This section is covered in stanzas 10-19 of the second chapter of the Bodhicharyavatara.

[See post on the website to watch the video.]

To view the video, simply click on the triangle in the movie player to the left.

To view on the iPhone/iPad click here

If you prefer listening to the teaching in audio, use the audio player below.

[Audio clip: view full post to listen]

If you are not able to use the flash player, you can download the audio file here.

A transcript of this talk is available here and in the Library.

We are also studying the commentary transcript on Chapter 2, which you can download here and in the Library section. Further recommended reading: the commentary book by Kunzang Pelden (Khenpo Kunpal), The Nectar of Manjushri’s Speech, p. 70-75.

Please log in and leave your questions for Rinpoche as a comment below. It is helpful if you can use one short paragraph and, if possible, less than 80 words. Any questions longer than that may have to be edited so please be concise. Questions will be collected from here on Wednesday, April 6th 2011, and included in Rinpoche’s answers video. After that date please send any questions relating to this video teaching via email to studyquestions@bodhicharya.org.

To go to the Chapter 2 page, click here. To go to the Bodhicharyavatara teachings main page, click here.

Audio translations / Übersetzung / Traduction / Tulkkaus

Deutsch – français – suomi

• Deutsch / German (Ena Meyer)
  Falls Ihr/Sie die deutsche Übersetzung simultan zu Rinpoche’s Belehrung anhören möchten, starten Sie bitte erst den Video Player and dann schnell den Audio Player dazu.
  [Audio clip: view full post to listen]
• Français / French (Mustapha Zaidi) traduction pdf
  Si vous désirez écouter la traduction française en simultané, lancez d’abord la vidéo et ensuite l’enregistrement audio.
  [Audio clip: view full post to listen]
• Suomi / Finnish (Minna Stenroos)
  Mikäli haluat kuunnella käännöksen simultaanitulkkauksena videon kanssa, käynnistä ensin video- ja sen jälkeen ääninauhuri.
  [Audio clip: view full post to listen]

If you would like to volunteer in making audio translations to other languages, please email us at shedra@bodhicharya.org.

With video teaching BA2_8-9 Rinpoche explains the stanzas 8 and 9 of the second chapter of the Bodhicharyavatara.

[See post on the website to watch the video.]

To view the video, simply click on the triangle in the movie player to the left.

To view on the iPhone/iPad click here

If you prefer listening to the teaching in audio, use the audio player below.

[Audio clip: view full post to listen]

If you are not able to use the flash player, you can download the audio file here.

A transcript of this talk is available here and in the Library.

We are also studying the commentary transcript on Chapter 2, which you can download here and in the Library section. Further recommended reading: the commentary book by Kunzang Pelden (Khenpo Kunpal), The Nectar of Manjushri’s Speech, p. 69-70.

Please log in and leave your questions for Rinpoche as a comment below. It is helpful if you can use one short paragraph and, if possible, less than 80 words. Any questions longer than that may have to be edited so please be concise. Questions will be collected from here on Wednesday, March 30th, and included in Rinpoche’s answers video. After that date please send any questions relating to this video teaching via email to studyquestions@bodhicharya.org.

To go to the Chapter 2 page, click here. To go to the Bodhicharyavatara teachings main page, click here.

Audio translations / Übersetzung / Traduction / Tulkkaus

Deutsch – français – suomi

• Deutsch / German (Ena Meyer)
  Falls Ihr/Sie die deutsche Übersetzung simultan zu Rinpoche’s Belehrung anhören möchten, starten Sie bitte erst den Video Player and dann schnell den Audio Player dazu.
  [Audio clip: view full post to listen]
• Français / French (Jet Mort) traduction pdf
  Si vous désirez écouter la traduction française en simultané, lancez d’abord la vidéo et ensuite l’enregistrement audio.
  [Audio clip: view full post to listen]
• Suomi / Finnish (Minna Stenroos)
  Mikäli haluat kuunnella käännöksen simultaanitulkkauksena videon kanssa, käynnistä ensin video- ja sen jälkeen ääninauhuri.
  [Audio clip: view full post to listen]

If you would like to volunteer in making audio translations to other languages, please email us at shedra@bodhicharya.org.

With this video (BA2Q1) Rinpoche addresses the students’ questions regarding the first seven stanzas of the 2nd chapter of the Bodhicharyavatara.

[See post on the website to watch the video.]

To view the video, simply click on the triangle in the movie player.

To view on the iPhone/iPad click here

If you prefer listening to the teaching in audio, use the audio player below.

[Audio clip: view full post to listen]

If you are not able to use the flash player, you can download the audio file here.

A transcript is available here and in the Library.

To go to the Chapter 2 page, click here. To go to the Bodhicharyavatara teachings main page, click here.

Audio translations / Übersetzung / Traduction / Tulkkaus

Deutsch – français – suomi

• Deutsch / German (will follow soon)
• Français / French (Jet Mort) traduction pdf
  Si vous désirez écouter la traduction française en simultané, lancez d’abord la vidéo et ensuite l’enregistrement audio.
  [Audio clip: view full post to listen]
• Suomi / Finnish (Minna Stenroos)
  Mikäli haluat kuunnella käännöksen simultaanitulkkauksena videon kanssa, käynnistä ensin video- ja sen jälkeen ääninauhuri.
  [Audio clip: view full post to listen]

If you would like to volunteer in making audio translations to other languages, please email us at shedra@bodhicharya.org.

A Commentary by Ringu Tulku Rinpoche.

This new book, available from 31st of March 2011, presents a wonderful introduction to both new comers and old timers – it’s so nourishing and warms the cockles of our hearts! An inspiring and beautiful book by Ringu Tulku Rinpoche, it presents a complete approach for generating and working with loving kindness and compassion in our every day lives, making ourselves, and the world, a better place.

The book is beautifully illustrated with colour diagrams to aid visualisation and includes both a drawing and print of a traditional Tibetan painting of Chenrezig, the Buddha of Compassion, by the renowned thanka painter R. D. Salga.

Pre-order this inspiring and beautiful book now at www.rigultrust.org.

The book is in three sections:

The Commentary: Ringu Tulku’s accessible commentary on the sadhana is full of clarity, sound advice and warmth of language on how we can enhance and extend our loving kindness and compassion. How to feel, how to visualize, how to aspire to our true compassionate nature; how to clear our negativities and let our inner selves shine out and benefit ourselves and all other beings; and to open up our hearts and minds to greater loving kindness.

The Sadhana: The sadhana is complete with the Tibetan script, the phonetics for this script and the English translation. This makes it easy to understand and to chant or say in Tibetan or English.

The Commemoration of Rigul: The third part of this book is commemorating Rigul, Kham, Tibet, the birthplace and homeland of Ringu Tulku Rinpoche, the abbot of Rigul Monastery. It is with such good news of the flourishing of the Dharma in Rigul that this book has come into being.

100% of all the proceeds received by Rigul Trust from the sale of this book will go to fund Rigul Trust health, education and poverty relief projects. This will help to bring benefit to all the children, the teachers, the cooks, the health clinic, the doctor, his assistant, the nurse, and all the people in Rigul, Tibet.

And finally we dedicate this book to the people of Rigul, Tibet, for all who find inspiration and joy in their hearts from Ringu Tulku Rinpoche’s commentary on this Chenrezig sadhana and for the benefit of all beings everywhere.

Special thanks to Francois Henrard, whose photos of Rigul, Tibet are amazing; and to Paul O’Connor for the visual delight and quite stunning design and typesetting of this book. Thanks also to the kind sponsors of this book.

Rigul Trust is a UK registered Charity

In this video (BA2_2-7), Rinpoche continues with explaining the offering of material things which are not owned by anybody, as described in stanzas 2-7 of the second chapter of the Bodhicharyavatara.

[See post on the website to watch the video.]

Rinpoche will be on teaching tour for the next few months. We hope that Rinpoche will on tour have the circumstances to record and send Online Shedra teachings during the spring as often as possible.

To view the video, simply click on the triangle in the movie player to the left.

To view on the iPhone/iPad click here

If you prefer listening to the teaching in audio, use the audio player below.

[Audio clip: view full post to listen]

If you are not able to use the flash player, you can download the audio file here.

A transcript of his talk is available here and in the Library.

We are also studying the commentary transcript on Chapter 2, which you can download here and in the Library section. Further recommended reading: the commentary book by Kunzang Pelden (Khenpo Kunpal), The Nectar of Manjushri’s Speech, p. 66-69.

Please log in and leave your questions for Rinpoche as a comment below. It is helpful if you can use one short paragraph and, if possible, less than 80 words. Any questions longer than that may have to be edited so please be concise. Questions will be collected from here on next Wednesday, March 16th, and included in Rinpoche’s answers video. After that date please send any questions relating to this video teaching via email to studyquestions@bodhicharya.org.

To go to the Chapter 2 page, click here. To go to the Bodhicharyavatara teachings main page, click here.

Audio translations / Übersetzung / Traduction / Tulkkaus

Deutsch – français – suomi

• Deutsch / German (Ena Meyer)
  Falls Ihr/Sie die deutsche Übersetzung simultan zu Rinpoche’s Belehrung anhören möchten, starten Sie bitte erst den Video Player and dann schnell den Audio Player dazu.
  [Audio clip: view full post to listen]
• Français / French (Jet Mort) traduction pdf
  Si vous désirez écouter la traduction française en simultané, lancez d’abord la vidéo et ensuite l’enregistrement audio.
  [Audio clip: view full post to listen]
• Suomi / Finnish (Minna Stenroos)
  Mikäli haluat kuunnella käännöksen simultaanitulkkauksena videon kanssa, käynnistä ensin video- ja sen jälkeen ääninauhuri.
  [Audio clip: view full post to listen]

If you would like to volunteer in making audio translations to other languages, please email us at shedra@bodhicharya.org.

Dear Friends,

I was a little sick on 8th March due to high blood pressure on my way to Varanasi to see and translate for HH the Karmapa. I am now going through all the check ups at the Medica North Bengal Clinic, Siliguri. I am already feeling better and my b.p. is under control. Hopefully I will be discharged tomorrow.

I am confident that I can continue my Spring Tour. There is nothing to worry about.

Looking forward to see many of you in Europe.

Best wishes,

RT

The Bodhicharya Ireland Weekend Teachings, on 9th and 10th April 2011, will be on ‘Turning Suffering and Happiness into Enlightenment’ by Dodrupchen Jigmé Tenpé Nyima (1865 – 1926), who was the third incarnation of the Dodrupchen Lineage. The talk takes place at the Hilton Hotel Kilmainham, Dublin. These teachings raise funds for Rinpoche’s charity projects. To find out more visit Bodhicharya Ireland’s blog.

Also, three evening talks will take place at Kagyu Samye Dzong. The topic will be ‘The Works of the First Karmapa‘, Düsom Khyenpa. This year is the 900th anniversary of the Karmapa lineage and to mark this, Rinpoche will be giving progressive teachings from the same text at centres throughout Europe. The evening talks at Kagyu Samye Dzong run from Wednesday 6th – Friday 8th April.

To book your place and for further information about both events please contact Kagyu Samye Dzong, Kilmainham, tel 00353 (0)1 4537427 or email info@buddhism.ie

With this video (QA12) Rinpoche answers again some questions regarding the first chapter of the Bodhicharyavatara. These questions were collected from the Online Shedra students after teaching BA16 which covers stanzas 27-28.

[See post on the website to watch the video.]

To view the video, simply click on the triangle in the movie player to the left.

To view on the iPhone/iPad click here

If you prefer listening to the teaching in audio, use the audio player below.

[Audio clip: view full post to listen]

If you are not able to use the flash player, you can download the audio file here.

A transcript is available for downloading here and in the Library.

Due to Rinpoches travel and teaching schedule, so far, it has not been possible for all the submitted questions to be answered directly in the videos. If you feel your question is still unresolved you are welcome to resubmit your question via studyquestions@bodhicharya.org and Rinpoche will endeavour to answer it as soon as possible. When submitting a question in this way please state the chapter and stanza number to which your question relates.

To go to the Chapter 1 page, click here. To go to the Bodhicharyavatara teachings main page, click here.

Audio translations / Übersetzung / Traducción / Traduction / Tulkkaus

Deutsch – español – français – suomi

• Deutsch / German (will follow soon)
• Español / Spanish (Margaret Mora)
  Si desea escuchar la traducción simultaneamente con la enseñanza de Rinpoche, primero comienze el video y luego el reproductor de audio.
  [Audio clip: view full post to listen]
• Français / French (Mustapha Zaidi) traduction pdf
  Si vous désirez écouter la traduction française en simultané, lancez d’abord la vidéo et ensuite l’enregistrement audio.
  [Audio clip: view full post to listen]
• Suomi / Finnish (Minna Stenroos)
  Mikäli haluat kuunnella käännöksen simultaanitulkkauksena videon kanssa, käynnistä ensin video- ja sen jälkeen ääninauhuri.
  [Audio clip: view full post to listen]

If you would like to volunteer in making audio translations to other languages, please email us at shedra@bodhicharya.org.

We have come to the beginning of the second chapter of the Bodhicharyavatara, the Chapter of Purification, or the Confession. In order to generate and establish bodhichitta in ourselves we first need to create positive habitual tendencies, and the first preparation is making offerings. In this video (BA2_1) Rinpoche explains the first stanza of this chapter.

[See post on the website to watch the video.]

To view the video, simply click on the triangle in the movie player to the left.

To view on the iPhone/iPad click here

If you prefer listening to the teaching in audio, use the audio player below.

[Audio clip: view full post to listen]

If you are not able to use the flash player, you can download the audio file here.

A transcript of this talk is available here and in the Library.

We are also studying the commentary transcript on Chapter 2, which you can download here and in the Library section. Further recommended reading: the commentary book by Kunzang Pelden (Khenpo Kunpal), The Nectar of Manjushri’s Speech, p. 65-66.

Please log in and leave your questions for Rinpoche as a comment below. It is  helpful if you can use one short paragraph and, if possible, less than 80 words. Any questions longer than that may have to be edited so please be concise. Questions will be collected from here on next Monday, March 7th, and included in Rinpoche’s answers video. After that date please send any questions relating to this video teaching via email to studyquestions@bodhicharya.org.

To go to the Chapter 2 page, click here. To go to the Bodhicharyavatara teachings main page, click here.

Audio translations / Übersetzung / Traduction / Tulkkaus

Deutsch – français – suomi

• Deutsch / German (Ena Meyer)
  Falls Ihr/Sie die deutsche Übersetzung simultan zu Rinpoche’s Belehrung anhören möchten, starten Sie bitte erst den Video Player and dann schnell den Audio Player dazu.
  [Audio clip: view full post to listen]
• Français / French (Mustapha Zaidi) traduction pdf
  Si vous désirez écouter la traduction française en simultané, lancez d’abord la vidéo et ensuite l’enregistrement audio. Vous pouvez poser vos questions en français à mike.jet@btinternet.com.
  [Audio clip: view full post to listen]
• Suomi / Finnish (Minna Stenroos)
  Mikäli haluat kuunnella käännöksen simultaanitulkkauksena videon kanssa, käynnistä ensin video- ja sen jälkeen ääninauhuri. Halutessasi voit lähettää opetusta koskevia kysymyksiä myös suomeksi osoitteeseen shedra@bodhicharya.org.
  [Audio clip: view full post to listen]

If you would like to volunteer in making audio translations to other languages, please email us at shedra@bodhicharya.org.

The registration for the next Bodhicharya summer camp with Rinpoche is now open.

All the information about the summer camp is available on the following page:
http://www.bodhicharya-france.fr/en/summercamp2011

Rinpoche has returned from the tour in Thailand and now, with this video (QA11), answers some of the questions of the Online Shedra students again.

[See post on the website to watch the video.]

To view the video, simply click on the triangle in the movie player to the left.

To view on the iPhone/iPad click here

If you prefer listening to the teaching in audio, use the audio player below.

[Audio clip: view full post to listen]

If you are not able to use the flash player, you can download the audio file here.

A transcript is available for downloading here and in the Library.

Audio translations / Übersetzung / Traducción / Traduction / Tulkkaus

Deutsch –español – français – suomi

• Deutsch / German (will follow soon)
• Español / Spanish (Margaret Mora)
  Si desea escuchar la traducción simultaneamente con la enseñanza de Rinpoche, primero comienze el video y luego el reproductor de audio.
  [Audio clip: view full post to listen]
• Français / French (Mustapha Zaidi) traduction pdf
  Si vous désirez écouter la traduction française en simultané, lancez d’abord la vidéo et ensuite l’enregistrement audio. Vous pouvez poser vos questions en français à mike.jet@btinternet.com.
  [Audio clip: view full post to listen]
• Suomi / Finnish (Minna Stenroos)
  Mikäli haluat kuunnella käännöksen simultaanitulkkauksena videon kanssa, käynnistä ensin video- ja sen jälkeen ääninauhuri. Halutessasi voit lähettää opetusta koskevia kysymyksiä myös suomeksi osoitteeseen shedra@bodhicharya.org.
  [Audio clip: view full post to listen]

If you would like to volunteer in making audio translations to other languages, please email us at shedra@bodhicharya.org.

This is a set of questions you can use to self assess your knowledge and understanding of the teachings and reference material relating to the first chapter of the Bodhicharyavatara, “The Excellence of Bodhichitta”.


It is suggested you see how you answer them yourself, either from your memory alone or by referring to the materials you have available. You might refer to Rinpoche’s online teachings on the first chapter, the root text The Way of the Bodhisattva, the transcript of Rinpoche’s teachings from 1997-2001 or the commentary book by Khenpo Kunpal. You can do this in whatever way suits you. For example you might like to set aside a certain amount of time to answer some or all of the questions in writing.

In the traditional Shedra testing one’s knowledge and understanding is a crucial component of dharma study. So in this online Shedra we can also take advantage of this tool of learning without feeling the burden of being right or wrong in our answers.

Chapter 1 questions

1. What is the meaning of the title of this text, the Bodhicharyavatara?
2. What does the “translator’s homage” in the beginning of the text signify?
3. What are the three objects of homage in the first stanza?
4. How is the Bodhicharyavatara generally divided into four parts?
5. What kind of conditions are necessary in order to generate bodhichitta in ourselves?
6. What are the five examples given in the first chapter to establish the general benefits of bodhichitta?
7. What are the two kinds of bodhichitta and what is the difference between them?
8. What are the four limitless aspects of bodhichitta, as taught by the Buddha?
9. In which two ways are the benefits of action bodhichitta established by Shantideva?
10. Why is a person who has bodhichitta the best friend for everybody and why is a connection with such a person always beneficial?

EXTRA QUESTIONS 11-13:

11. Rinpoche explained that the first and last chapter is about the paramita of generosity. Can you explain how that is so?
12. Describe, in your own words, what the central idea of the first chapter is?
13. With what you understand, from the teachings and text, how would you prove the benefits of action bodhichitta by reasoning?

The set of questions is also available as pdf.

Maybe you would also like to consider using the Discussion Forums area of the website to discuss these questions and your understanding with others who are following the Shedra teachings. As the guidelines for a proper way of discussing, please refer to the instructions Rinpoche has given with the video QA9. In brief:

• Discuss something that you can understand instead of things that are too high and complicated.
• Use logic and reasons to prove your argument.
• If you don’t understand and can’t prove your argument by reasoning, then refer to textual sources by others who have more understanding, such as quotations of the scriptures.

Dear Friends

Many Roads is changing!  Following discussions about how best we can present all the great articles etc that we have received for sharing in Many Roads, we have decided to take forward the idea of our e-magazine in a slightly different form.  Instead of posting two or three issues a year, we will, from now on, post articles and poems; reviews and photographs; personal stories; advice on health issues; recipes and just anything of interest, on an on-going basis. Perhaps once a week, or even more frequently depending on the material we receive.

I will still be chasing those people who have promised me contributions for the magazine but I want to hear from many more of you! Do you have anything you want to share?

 And to start off our new style magazine, we have a very special article which comes highly recommended by Ringu Tulku.   Please go to http://www.bodhicharya.org/manyroads/2011/02/12/editorial-many-roads-time-for-a-change/ where I will explain more.

 Margaret Ford

For Many Roads

Here Ringu Tulku Rinpoche explains the greatness of the bodhisattvas who have generated the bodhichitta in themselves and who are always trying to help others to have lasting peace and happiness. A contact with such a person is always beneficial to the beings.

[See post on the website to watch the video.]

With this video (BA1_31-36) we have completed the first chapter of the Bodhicharyavatara. Please note that we have changed the naming of the sessions.  BA1 indicates the chapter and numbers 31-36 indicate the stanzas covered in this teaching.

To view the video, simply click on the triangle in the movie player to the left.

To view on the iPhone/iPad click here

If you prefer listening to the teaching in audio, use the audio player below.

[Audio clip: view full post to listen]

If you are not able to use the flash player, you can download the audio file here.

A transcript is available for downloading here and in the Library.

We are also studying the commentary transcript, which you can download here or in the Library section. Further recommended reading: the commentary book by Kunzang Pelden (Khenpo Kunpal), The Nectar of Manjushri’s Speech, p. 60-64.

Please log in and leave your questions for Rinpoche as a comment below. It is helpful if you can use one short paragraph and, if possible, less than 80 words. Any questions longer than 80 words may have to be edited so please be concise. Questions will be collected from here on next Thursday, February 17th 2011, and included in Rinpoche’s answers video. After that date please send any questions relating to this video teaching via email to studyquestions@bodhicharya.org.

Audio translations / Übersetzung / Traducción / Traduction / Tulkkaus

Deutsch – español – français – suomi

• Deutsch / German (Ena Meyer)
  Falls Ihr/Sie die deutsche Übersetzung simultan zu Rinpoche’s Belehrung anhören möchten, starten Sie bitte erst den Video Player and dann schnell den Audio Player dazu.
  [Audio clip: view full post to listen]
• Español / Spanish (Margaret Mora)
  Si desea escuchar la traducción simultaneamente con la enseñanza de Rinpoche, primero comienze el video y luego el reproductor de audio.
  [Audio clip: view full post to listen]
• Français / French (Jet Mort) traduction pdf
  Si vous désirez écouter la traduction française en simultané, lancez d’abord la vidéo et ensuite l’enregistrement audio. Vous pouvez poser vos questions en français à mike.jet@btinternet.com.
  [Audio clip: view full post to listen]
• Suomi / Finnish (Minna Stenroos)
  Mikäli haluat kuunnella käännöksen simultaanitulkkauksena videon kanssa, käynnistä ensin video- ja sen jälkeen ääninauhuri. Halutessasi voit lähettää opetusta koskevia kysymyksiä myös suomeksi osoitteeseen shedra@bodhicharya.org.
  [Audio clip: view full post to listen]

If you would like to volunteer in making audio translations to other languages, please email us at shedra@bodhicharya.org.

In this video (BA17) Rinpoche continues with proving the benefits of action bodhichitta through reasoning – why it is truly so special and why we should generate it in ourselves and help others do so too – and explains the stanzas 29 and 30 of the first chapter of the Bodhicharyavatara.

[See post on the website to watch the video.]

To view the video, simply click on the triangle in the movie player to the left.

To view on the iPhone/iPad click here

If you prefer listening to the teaching in audio, use the audio player below.

[Audio clip: view full post to listen]

If you are not able to use the flash player, you can download the audio file here.

A transcript is available for downloading here and in the Library.

We are also studying the commentary transcript, which you can download here or in the Library section. Further recommended reading: the commentary book by Kunzang Pelden (Khenpo Kunpal), The Nectar of Manjushri’s Speech, p. 59.

Please  leave your questions for Rinpoche as a comment below. It is helpful if you can use one short paragraph and, if possible, less than 80 words. Any questions longer than 80 words may have to be edited so please be concise. Questions will be collected from here on next Thursday, February 10th 2011, and included in Rinpoche’s answers video. After that date please send any questions relating to this video teaching via email to studyquestions@bodhicharya.org.

Audio translations / Übersetzung / Traducción / Traduction / Tulkkaus

Deutsch – español – français – suomi

• Deutsch / German (Ena Meyer)
  Falls Ihr/Sie die deutsche Übersetzung simultan zu Rinpoche’s Belehrung anhören möchten, starten Sie bitte erst den Video Player and dann schnell den Audio Player dazu.
  [Audio clip: view full post to listen]
• Español / Spanish (Margaret Mora)
  Si desea escuchar la traducción simultaneamente con la enseñanza de Rinpoche, primero comienze el video y luego el reproductor de audio.
  [Audio clip: view full post to listen]
• Français / French (Jet Mort) traduction pdf
  Si vous désirez écouter la traduction française en simultané, lancez d’abord la vidéo et ensuite l’enregistrement audio. Vous pouvez poser vos questions en français à mike.jet@btinternet.com.
  [Audio clip: view full post to listen]
• Suomi / Finnish (Minna Stenroos)
  Mikäli haluat kuunnella käännöksen simultaanitulkkauksena videon kanssa, käynnistä ensin video- ja sen jälkeen ääninauhuri. Halutessasi voit lähettää opetusta koskevia kysymyksiä myös suomeksi osoitteeseen shedra@bodhicharya.org.
  [Audio clip: view full post to listen]

If you would like to volunteer in making audio translations to other languages, please email us at shedra@bodhicharya.org.

Well, Spaff, our posting/ discussion is coming to an end.  Again, for those reading what we’ve discussed,  our topic “beyond mind” or “non-conceptual” was not a topic taken from Shantideva’s material although of course, like all Buddhist topics,  it is relevant.  Nor, was it meant to be an “advanced” topic at all. My intention was to rather

1. introduce a focus on direct “experience” as opposed to something that happens in the realm of mind’s thoughts or creations.  When we just sit and relax, as Ringu Tulku has said again and again, and just let thoughts come and go…our frame of reference and support becomes something other than…those thoughts and emotions.  The relaxation of non-grasping is something to aim for.  To refer to Ringu Tulku’s words:   The purpose of Buddhist philosophy is to exhaust the mind and to bring us to experience beyond mind.

2. Secondly, and personally, I wanted to explore with another practitioner, a conversation that grounded any kind of “high” teaching in basic instructions of shamatha, or Calm Abiding meditation;    Watching the breath or counting the breath.  Using an object as a focus of meditation.  Or using awareness as a focus of meditation.  Without this stability, how can anything happen for long?   Nothing can continue if there is not an effort at remaining undistracted, even it is washing the dishes.  It will never get done.

Thank you for the opportunity to introduce and communicate this topic.

I do have a few very practical observations that might be useful.  Observations from what we have all learned together here as a sangha.  All of these came in handy for me Spaff, while having our discussion (and more than once!)  I’ll just list them as they occur to me. The following are directions I use for myself;

1. Check what you assume english words to mean when using them in dharma.  A note:  In our southern state, some english words have misled Buddhist understanding.
2. Avoid using quotations from Buddhist masters as “weapons” to prove a point you assume to be true.  Check out the understanding you are working with first!  And admit you might not know.
3. Work hard to understand what your real questions are; the questions that matter to increasing understanding.  And,
4. Practice in a very very practical and doable way…but practice something.   Otherwise, there is no frame of reference for improvement. And no frame of reference while sitting in the driveway with an out of joint knee.   Note:  There was great excitement here over Rinpoche’s teaching on “humility” and we created a practice from it.     Lastly, what has been helpful to us here:
5. Remember Buddhism is returning to the same point again and again and that all teachings are going to this.  Different teachings teach the same thing in different ways.

So that’s it.  Thank you,
jackie

I thought it would be helpful to at least post Rinpoche’s recommendations here in this area, so they appear in support of whatever comes next.

Rinpoche’s Debating recommendations.  From Q&A 9.   Page 6,7.

“We have to work on our actual experience. We have to work on our actual experience. If we have to work on patience, then we have to work on when we are becoming impatient, then we have to work on that. We have to remind (ourselves) how important (it is) not to be so impatient, that it doesn’t work, it is not good for me, it is not good for others.  So this way, you have to learn that being impatient doesn’t do any good anyway, so by understading this, you allow yourself to let be. So this way, step by step. So you can’t expect to progress too quickly also. This is important.

“And also I must say here that when people are debating, like they are doing now, also try to debate on something you understand. Don’t deviate on something you don’t understand at all.  So, go down, down to the ground.  Don’t talk about to high things and too complicated things and too much deep things that we don’t know anything about.  If I don’t know anything about anything then how can I debate on it?  How can I discuss it?  So try to come down and talk about things that we understand that are on the ground level:  things that we can actually understand and see.  And then use logic, don’t say that I think like this.  No, it’s not like that.  We should use logic, we should use reasons. And those things that we don’t understand we should use the experience of others, like quotations from the texts and from the scriptures, from the experience of Buddhas and great Bodhisattvas.  That’s the way to discuss and that’s the way to work.”

With Questions and Answers video 10 (QA10) Rinpoche answers the questions of the Online Shedra students regarding the teaching BA14, or the stanza 20 of the first chapter of the Bodhicharyavatara.

[See post on the website to watch the video.]

While Rinpoche is currently travelling in Thailand, the next Questions and Answers video may not be available before mid-February. However, as usual, you are welcome to submit your questions as comments under the latest BA teaching –or, after the given date for submitting questions regarding that teaching, to send them by email to studyquestions@bodhicharya.org– and Rinpoche will address them with new QA videos as soon as possible.

To view the video, simply click on the triangle in the movie player above.

To view on the iPhone/iPad click here

If you prefer listening to the teaching in audio, use the audio player below.

[Audio clip: view full post to listen]

If you are not able to use the flash player, you can download the audio file here.

A transcript is available for downloading here and in the Library.

Audio translations / Übersetzung / Traducción / Traduction / Tulkkaus

Deutsch – español – français – suomi

• Deutsch / German (will follow soon)
• Español / Spanish (Margaret Mora)
  Si desea escuchar la traducción simultaneamente con la enseñanza de Rinpoche, primero comienze el video y luego el reproductor de audio.
  [Audio clip: view full post to listen]
• Français / French (Jet Mort) traduction pdf
  Si vous désirez écouter la traduction française en simultané, lancez d’abord la vidéo et ensuite l’enregistrement audio.
  [Audio clip: view full post to listen]
• Suomi / Finnish (Minna Stenroos)
  Mikäli haluat kuunnella käännöksen simultaanitulkkauksena videon kanssa, käynnistä ensin video- ja sen jälkeen ääninauhuri.
  [Audio clip: view full post to listen]

If you would like to volunteer in making audio translations to other languages, please email us at shedra@bodhicharya.org.

Dear Friends

I’ve decided to extend the deadline for contributions to the second issue of Many Roads magazine until the end of March.   A few people have promised articles for the magazine but they need more time.  I also need more contributions and I’ll be contacting others whom I know will be able to write interesting and helpful articles.  But can you? I’m looking for personal stories;  fiction; poems; photographs; articles on health and diet and exercise; interviews.  This is your platform! If you are interested but not sure how you can contribute then please email me to discuss.

Rinpoche has expressed a wish that we continue with our e-magazine but I need your help. If you don’t think you can send an article but wish to help with putting the magazine together I would also like to hear from you.  I do need help!!

Please email me at manyroads@bodhicharya.org

All best wishes,

Margaret Ford

With this video (BA16), Rinpoche explains the stanzas 27 and 28 of the first chapter of the Bodhicharyavatara. In the previous stanzas we talked about proving the benefits of bodhichitta in intention. Now the benefits of bodhichitta in action are established through reasoning.

[See post on the website to watch the video.]

To view the video, simply click on the triangle in the movie player to the left.

To view on the iPhone/iPad click here

If you prefer listening to the teaching in audio, use the audio player below.

[Audio clip: view full post to listen]

If you are not able to use the flash player, you can download the audio file here.

A transcript is available for downloading here and in the Library.

We are also studying the commentary transcript, which you can download here or in the Library section. Further recommended reading: the commentary book by Kunzang Pelden (Khenpo Kunpal), The Nectar of Manjushri’s Speech, pp. 58-59.

Please  leave your questions for Rinpoche as a comment below. It is helpful if you can use one short paragraph and, if possible, less than 80 words. Any questions longer than 80 words may have to be edited so please be concise. Questions will be collected from here on next Wednesday, February 2nd 2011, and included in Rinpoche’s answers video. After that date please send any questions relating to this video teaching via email to studyquestions@bodhicharya.org.

Audio translations / Übersetzung / Traducción / Traduction / Tulkkaus

Deutsch – español – français – suomi

• Deutsch / German (Ena Meyer)
  Falls Ihr/Sie die deutsche Übersetzung simultan zu Rinpoche’s Belehrung anhören möchten, starten Sie bitte erst den Video Player and dann schnell den Audio Player dazu.
  [Audio clip: view full post to listen]
• Español / Spanish (Margaret Mora)
  Si desea escuchar la traducción simultaneamente con la enseñanza de Rinpoche, primero comienze el video y luego el reproductor de audio.
  [Audio clip: view full post to listen]
• Français / French (Frank Billot)
  Si vous désirez écouter la traduction française en simultané, lancez d’abord la vidéo et ensuite l’enregistrement audio. Vous pouvez poser vos questions en français à mike.jet@btinternet.com.
  [Audio clip: view full post to listen]
• Suomi / Finnish (Minna Stenroos)
  Mikäli haluat kuunnella käännöksen simultaanitulkkauksena videon kanssa, käynnistä ensin video- ja sen jälkeen ääninauhuri. Halutessasi voit lähettää opetusta koskevia kysymyksiä myös suomeksi osoitteeseen shedra@bodhicharya.org.
  [Audio clip: view full post to listen]

If you would like to volunteer in making audio translations to other languages, please email us at shedra@bodhicharya.org.

Hi Spaff!   sorry for the delay….

I had a slip on the ice with a knee injury and have not been able to post. This so reminds me how we depend on body to practice dharma.
I’m going to bring together the topics;  grasping, non-conceptual and non-dualistic. Grasping onto anything is panic. I race toward thinking to problem solve. It’s me and them.  Or me and pain.
Meditation practice where first “relax” and then regard thoughts and emotions as hotel guests that I do not follow home, root me in a stable place where all this movement doesn’t disturb me.
In my ice fall, I remained conscious, so I was able to remember this table place, this shamatha and I was much better able to allow the pain to have at least more space. With less grasping, I did have less pain.
And I will add, remembering the bodhichitta motivation, to frame all within that, this brought the experience of lying in the driveway, waiting for someone to hear me calling for help, to a whole new level.  The pain was reduced to very very strong sensation.  When I panicked, the pain was greater and all I wanted to do was to get rid of it.
In this Shamatha state, I’m less conceptual, less dualistic and certainly less grasping.  Becoming familiar with grasping is the first step. When this becomes completely non-dualistic experience, it is very un-conceptual.
Lying on the driveway in pain, when my thinking mind was reduced, my grasping was reduced, I was very much aware and knowing what was going on. Much more able to think how to help myself.
Is the hotel keeper enlightened?  It depends on how much he/she is able to enjoy the guests, the red hat etc. without grasping onto getting more out of it.  This doesn’t mean not going home with a guest for dinner if invited, but it does mean letting this even happen naturally in a relaxed way.

Here in video QA9 Rinpoche answers the questions of the Online Shedra students regarding the stanzas 17-19 of the first chapter of the Bodhicharyavatara as well as some other topics.

[See post on the website to watch the video.]

Rinpoche also gives a very helpful instruction concerning the lively debate and discussion in the Online Shedra. It’s best to debate topics we can understand — to come to the ground level — and use arguments based on logic and reasoning, or — if we don’t really understand — use quotations of scriptures, rather than our opinions. That’s the way to discuss and that’s the way to work, says Rinpoche here in this Q&A video.

To view the video, simply click on the triangle in the movie player above.

To view on the iPhone/iPad click here

If you prefer listening to the teaching in audio, use the audio player below.

[Audio clip: view full post to listen]

If you are not able to use the flash player, you can download the audio file here.

A transcript is available for downloading here and in the Library.

Audio translations / Übersetzung / Traduction / Tulkkaus

Deutsch – français – suomi

• Deutsch / German (will follow soon)
• Español / Spanish (Margaret Mora)
  Si desea escuchar la traducción simultaneamente con la enseñanza de Rinpoche, primero comienze el video y luego el reproductor de audio.
  [Audio clip: view full post to listen]
• Français / French (Mustapha Zaidi)
  Si vous désirez écouter la traduction française en simultané, lancez d’abord la vidéo et ensuite l’enregistrement audio.
  [Audio clip: view full post to listen]
• Suomi / Finnish (Minna Stenroos)
  Mikäli haluat kuunnella käännöksen simultaanitulkkauksena videon kanssa, käynnistä ensin video- ja sen jälkeen ääninauhuri.
  [Audio clip: view full post to listen]

If you would like to volunteer in making audio translations to other languages, please email us at shedra@bodhicharya.org.

Rinpoche kindly explains in this teaching (BA15) the stanzas 21-26 of the first chapter of the Bodhicharyavatara. Here the limitless benefits of aspiration bodhichitta are proved by reasoning.

[See post on the website to watch the video.]

To view the video, simply click on the triangle in the movie player to the left.

To view on the iPhone/iPad click here

If you prefer listening to the teaching in audio, use the audio player below.

[Audio clip: view full post to listen]

If you are not able to use the flash player, you can download the audio file here.

Download a transcript of this talk here.

We are also studying  the commentary transcript, which you can download here or in the Library section. Further recommended reading: the commentary book by Kunzang Pelden (Khenpo Kunpal), The Nectar of Manjushri’s Speech, pp. 56-58.

Please leave your questions for Rinpoche as a comment below. It is helpful if you can use one short paragraph and, if possible, less than 80 words. Any questions longer than 80 words may have to be edited so please be concise. Questions will be collected from here on next Sunday, January 23rd 2011, and included in Rinpoche’s answers video.  After that date please send any questions relating to this video teaching via email to studyquestions@bodhicharya.org.

Audio translations / Übersetzung / Traducción / Traduction / Tulkkaus

Deutsch – español -  français – suomi

• Deutsch / German (Ena Meyer)
  Falls Ihr/Sie die deutsche Übersetzung simultan zu Rinpoche’s Belehrung anhören möchten, starten Sie bitte erst den Video Player and dann schnell den Audio Player dazu.
  [Audio clip: view full post to listen]
• Español / Spanish (Margaret Mora)
  Si desea escuchar la traducción simultaneamente con la enseñanza de Rinpoche, primero comienze el video y luego el reproductor de audio.
  [Audio clip: view full post to listen]
• Français / French (Frank Billot)
  Si vous désirez écouter la traduction française en simultané, lancez d’abord la vidéo et ensuite l’enregistrement audio. Vous pouvez poser vos questions en français à mike.jet@btinternet.com.
  [Audio clip: view full post to listen]
• Suomi / Finnish (Minna Stenroos)
  Mikäli haluat kuunnella käännöksen simultaanitulkkauksena videon kanssa, käynnistä ensin video- ja sen jälkeen ääninauhuri. Halutessasi voit lähettää opetusta koskevia kysymyksiä myös suomeksi osoitteeseen shedra@bodhicharya.org.
  [Audio clip: view full post to listen]

If you would like to volunteer in making audio translations to other languages, please email us at shedra@bodhicharya.org.

OK, I am the hotel keeper – “a family checks in … the woman has an interesting red hat …” – for me and my ordinary mind, it’s all conceptual, would you agree? Is there attachment? I think so – subtle and not so subtle grasping – the red color, the family, the recognition of it all. Sometimes I wonder if “conceptual” denotes “thinking”; do you equate the two? I think in English, conceptual might be synonymous with words or ideas or discursive thought: “After 10 years … you think of them so often…” – that’s conceptual. But my Buddhist (vague) understanding is that conceptual = dualistic. The whole structure of perception (of my ordinary mind) is dualistic. Every sensation, twitch, perception, acknowledgement (and of course the entirety of thinking) – it’s all dualistic conceptual, for my ordinary mind. A newborn baby recognizes her mother’s smell, or her mother’s face, or feels comfort in her presence – that’s conceptual/dualistic (no words)  – do you think so? BTW, is the hotel keeper enlightened?

So here’s my question. You own a hotel. a Family checks in. A women in an interesting red hat. No one wears hats these days. The two children are not shy, unafraid to ask you questions about the hotel. As a hotel keeper, you have complete access to their room,,.which you never abuse and only use to make sure the atmosphere for guests is clean and good. In rooms like this, you have an intimate look at guests. Dental floss, shoes lying about, letters left open. But you’ve been in this business so many years, it doesn’t interest you. They stay for the whole summer and you know you will miss them. After ten years, you are still debating whether…this one family….you think of them so often and the red hat, the kids….who are now twenty….you want to know. You can’t stop thinking about knowing them some more. When does that attachment kick in? What happened? Is it attachment? What is happening in the mind to the picture of them with the thinking and thinking that is becoming slightly obsessive…is it obsessive? Thinking about the hotel like this, my “conceptual” thinking is certainly becoming nourished!

Jackie

Hi Spaff,

My instinct is to have us stay awhile on discussing “conceptual” and “less-conceptual.” Perhaps with more experiential examples of those two from both of us, we will arrive slowly at non-conceptual! How does that sound to you? Have a go at that and I’ll be thinking too.

Thank you,
Jackie

Yes, this is very helpful – I am trying to relate our discussion to my experience in meditation, and I can relate to ‘more conceptual’ and ‘less conceptual’ experiences; and, I have heard that non-conceptual experience is possible. So, the  first question that comes to mind is, can an ordinary person (like me) have a non-conceptual experience in meditation? What is your experience with this?

I have another question, but I will save it till the next post

Hi again Spaff….good to talk to you again. And to our listeners! (comment away)

To talk about my “experience” as you suggested, I’m going to use words I’m familiar with. Is that okay? “Beyond mind” is equal and the same as “non-conceptual” which also refers to complete enlightenment. Anything remaining in the realm of thinking mind is still samsara. So with either of these terms, we are referring to enlightenment.

A big turning point in my own practice was first identifying anything remotely approaching the “less-conceptual.” For me this meant; when my thoughts and emotions became even slightly less important and did not compel me to act. More space was present both in my meditation and in post meditation. I reacted less and in a less extreme way. So I think we are on the same page here; Shamatha, or calm abiding is always the support. I use the example of a hotel and guests for myself. I’m the hotel. My thoughts and emotions check in and out. I don’t have to follow them home. Or even be interested in them. It’s possible for me to have guests without making “thoughts” about them. Another way, it’s possible to have thoughts without making thoughts about them.

Jackie

With this video (QA7-8) Rinpoche answers the questions of the Online Shedra students regarding the stanzas 11-16 of the first chapter of the Bodhicharyavatara as well as some other topics.

[See post on the website to watch the video.]

Rinpoche also sends his best wishes for Christmas and New Year with this video. Our sincerest apologies to all of you for not being able to post this sooner!

To view the video, simply click on the triangle in the movie player above.

To view on the iPhone/iPad click here

If you prefer listening to the teaching in audio, use the audio player below.
[Audio clip: view full post to listen]

If you are not able to use the flash player, you can download the audio file here.

A transcript is available for downloading here and in the Library.

Audio translations / Übersetzung / Traducción / Traduction / Tulkkaus

Deutsch– español – français – suomi

• Deutsch / German (will follow soon)
• Español / Spanish (Margaret Mora)
  Si desea escuchar la traducción simultaneamente con la enseñanza de Rinpoche, primero comienze el video y luego el reproductor de audio.
  [Audio clip: view full post to listen]
• Français / French (Frank Billot)
  Si vous désirez écouter la traduction française en simultané, lancez d’abord la vidéo et ensuite l’enregistrement audio. Vous pouvez poser vos questions en français à mike.jet@btinternet.com.
  [Audio clip: view full post to listen]
• Suomi / Finnish (Minna Stenroos)
  Mikäli haluat kuunnella käännöksen simultaanitulkkauksena videon kanssa, käynnistä ensin video- ja sen jälkeen ääninauhuri. Halutessasi voit lähettää opetusta koskevia kysymyksiä myös suomeksi osoitteeseen shedra@bodhicharya.org.[Audio clip: view full post to listen]

If you would like to volunteer in making audio translations to other languages, please email us at shedra@bodhicharya.org.

Full details of Rinpoche’s forthcoming teaching tour of Thailand in February 2011 can now be found in his travel schedule at http://www.bodhicharya.org/ringu-tulku/schedule/

Dear Friends,

Please have a look at the latest discussion “Going Beyond
Mind in Meditation” on the debate blog of the Online Shedra:
http://www.bodhicharya.org/bodhicharya-online-shedra/debate/

We’ve also re-launched  the general  discussion forum for all kinds of interaction
and discussion:
http://www.bodhicharya.org/bodhicharya-online-shedra/discussion-area/

Your comments and involvement would be appreciated and we look forward to hearing from you.

Ringu Tulku Rinpoche explains in this video (BA14) the 20th stanza of the first chapter of the Bodhicharyavatara. This stanza refers to another text – the sutra requested by Subahu – where the Buddha taught the 4 limitless aspects of bodhichitta.

[See post on the website to watch the video.]iPhone/iPad streaming

Those aspects are the reason why the merit of generating active bodhichitta in one’s mind is also limitless.

To view the video, simply click on the triangle in the movie player. If you prefer listening to the teaching in audio, use the audio player below.

[Audio clip: view full post to listen]

If you are not able to use the flash player, you can download the audio file here.

A transcript is available for downloading here and in the Library.

We should also study the commentary transcript, which you can download here or in the Library section. Further recommended reading: the commentary book by Kunzang Pelden (Khenpo Kunpal), The Nectar of Manjushri’s Speech, pp. 56.

Your questions for Rinpoche are warmly welcome. Please be concise and use one short paragraph no more than 80 words, if possible. You can leave your question below as a comment. The timeline for questions is Saturday, January 8th, 2011. After that date please send your questions by email to studyquestions@bodhicharya.org.

If you would like to volunteer in making audio translations to other languages, please email us at shedra@bodhicharya.org.

Audio translations / Übersetzung / Traducción / Traduction / Tulkkaus
Deutsch – español – français – suomi

Deutsch / German (Ena Meyer)
Falls Ihr/Sie die deutsche Übersetzung simultan zu Rinpoche’s Belehrung anhören möchten, starten Sie bitte erst den Video Player and dann schnell den Audio Player dazu.

[Audio clip: view full post to listen]

Español / Spanish (Margaret Mora)
Si desea escuchar la traducción simultaneamente con la enseñanza de Rinpoche, primero comienze el video y luego el reproductor de audio.

[Audio clip: view full post to listen]

Français / French (Jet Mort)
Si vous désirez écouter la traduction française en simultané, lancez d’abord la vidéo et ensuite l’enregistrement audio. Vous pouvez poser vos questions en français à mike.jet@btinternet.com.

[Audio clip: view full post to listen]

Suomi / Finnish (Minna Stenroos)
Mikäli haluat kuunnella käännöksen simultaanitulkkauksena videon kanssa, käynnistä ensin video- ja sen jälkeen ääninauhuri. Halutessasi voit lähettää opetusta koskevia kysymyksiä myös suomeksi osoitteeseen shedra@bodhicharya.org.

[Audio clip: view full post to listen]

Another year has passed like a dream.
We observed calamity after calamity.
Are we about to make our world unliveable
With our greed, short sightedness and ignorance?

Watching the Dalai Lama and a host of great beings
I find courage to look at the brighter side.
There is no use lamenting and losing heart.
We all have the fortune to choose what we do.

A little bird poured a mouthful of water on the forest fire.
“This may not put down the fire,” she said,
“But I like to be counted among those who tried to help”.
Let us do something that might help us and our fellow beings.

What an immense challenge we face!
What a great opportunity we have!
With a joyful smile and heart filled with kindness
Let us embrace the challenges of the coming New Year.

Wishing you a most wonderful new year in 2011.

Ringu Tulku

Hi Jackie. Our conversation has become an opportunity for me to revisit my meditation experience, and to reflect on how it might feel “to go beyond mind” in meditation. I appreciate the variety of perspectives that you raised – that we must all have the potential to go beyond mind (otherwise it wouldn’t be a teaching), that it must be a skill we already have (otherwise it could not be done), and that it is not entirely familiar (otherwise it would be easy).  I like this!

You also allude to varieties and dimensions of mind, such as the thinking mind, beginners mind, and the nature of mind, and other varieties come to mind as well–conceptual  mind, non-conceptual mind, ordinary mind, enlightened mind, and so on.

Interestingly, when I sit to meditate, I suppose that I can discern qualities and states of mind that come and go, and, I generally aspire to “calm” my mind, and to be more aware and more mindful. But, I wonder, how would it be to “go beyond mind”? Maybe I have glimpses of going beyond the thinking mind, or beyond conceptual or dualistic mind (or at least proxy’s of what this might be).

I think I have a very simple notion that “mind” (in the context of meditation) is my experience, and while experience (mind) is ever-shifting and ever-changing, I’ve never gone beyond it (or beyond mind) – wouldn’t that be sort of like walking ahead of yourself walking? What kind of experience are you referring to, of going beyond mind in meditation?  Can you describe it, or point to some of its qualities? Or, is there another aspect that would be helpful to explore?

Here Rinpoche goes on with clarifying the meaning of the two kinds of bodhichitta and explains the difference in the benefits of the bodhichitta in intention and the active bodhichitta, as stated in the stanzas 17, 18 and 19 of the first chapter of the Bodhicharyavatara.

[See post on the website to watch the video.]iPhone/iPad streaming

To view the video, simply click on the triangle in the movie player. If you prefer listening to the teaching in audio, use the audio player below.

[Audio clip: view full post to listen]

If you are not able to use the flash player, you can download the audio file here.

A transcript is available for downloading here and in the Library.

We should also study the commentary transcript, which you can download here or in the Library section. Further recommended reading: the commentary book by Kunzang Pelden (Khenpo Kunpal), The Nectar of Manjushri’s Speech, pp. 55-56.

Your questions for Rinpoche are warmly welcome. Please be concise and use one short paragraph no more than 80 words, if possible. You can  leave your question below as a comment. The timeline for questions is Sunday, January 2nd, 2011. After that date please send your questions by email to studyquestions@bodhicharya.org.

If you would like to volunteer in making audio translations to other languages, please email us at shedra@bodhicharya.org.

Audio translations / Übersetzung / Traducción / Traduction / Tulkkaus
Deutsch – español –  français – suomi

Deutsch / German (Ena Meyer)
Falls Ihr/Sie die deutsche Übersetzung simultan zu Rinpoche’s Belehrung anhören möchten, starten Sie bitte erst den Video Player and dann schnell den Audio Player dazu.

[Audio clip: view full post to listen]

Español / Spanish (Margaret Mora)
Si desea escuchar la traducción simultaneamente con la enseñanza de Rinpoche, primero comienze el video y luego el reproductor de audio.

[Audio clip: view full post to listen]

Français / French (Jet Mort)
Si vous désirez écouter la traduction française en simultané, lancez d’abord la vidéo et ensuite l’enregistrement audio. Vous pouvez poser vos questions en français à mike.jet@btinternet.com.

[Audio clip: view full post to listen]

Suomi / Finnish (Minna Stenroos)
Mikäli haluat kuunnella käännöksen simultaanitulkkauksena videon kanssa, käynnistä ensin video- ja sen jälkeen ääninauhuri. Halutessasi voit lähettää opetusta koskevia kysymyksiä myös suomeksi osoitteeseen shedra@bodhicharya.org.

[Audio clip: view full post to listen]

Hi Spaff.   This kind of conversation can bring different perspectives on dharma reflection.  So thank you.  Many dharma “phrases” stay with me for years and years.   One of those phrases I bring with me to dharma teachings to find new ways to think about it so I can recognize it in practice is “going beyond mind.”

There seem to be various phrases for “going beyond mind;”  Beginner’s mind;  beyond mind; dropping mind.  Obviously, this is something we all have the potential to do; engage in a sustained moment in meditation. Otherwise, it would not be mentioned as a teaching.  Since it brings us to enlightenment itself as an potentially sustainable experience, this refers to the essence of our identity; the nature of mind.  Another conclusion I have made about it from reflection is it’s a skill we already have in some way, otherwise it could not be done.  Another logical conclusion from reflecting is it is something not entirely familiar, otherwise it would be easy!   And as we all know from meditation experience, it takes “experimenting” with teachings and applying these to our meditation experience to see if we are indeed less grasping, more relaxed and awake.

Spaff, I’m thinking that you and I could discuss  “going beyond mind” in several possible directions; also speaking in terms of the reflection process and the meditation process.  People might be interested in seeing a conversation between two practitioners just conversing about dharma from this point of entry into the teaching;  “beyond mind.”

Another reoccurring thought I have;  I’d also like to touch on some basics that often get overlooked when we think of higher teachings like Nature of Mind, such as;  how to get to this place of “going beyond mind” unfiltered by thinking mind, by practicing everyday ordinary kindness!   Lets not forget about that!

Do you have some practice perspective on “going beyond mind” that you use to stay in touch with the phrase?  Or is there another phrase that feels more helpful to you?  I’m sure those reading this will relate to various aspects of what we are going to talk about, no matter how we phrase it.  So I’ve presented a variety of approaches here that are personal for me. These are some of the things I hold in my own “thinking” mind as I go on with my efforts to “Effortlessly rest in the nature of mind” or as Ringu Tulku says, “to know reality as it is instead of how I want it to be!”

Thanks,
Jackie

With this teaching ( BA12) Rinpoche talks briefly about the different ways of categorizing bodhichitta and the five causes and conditions that can awaken the bodhichitta in us. The two kinds of bodhichitta– the bodhichitta in intention and the active bodhichitta–are introduced to us in stanzas 15 and 16.

[See post on the website to watch the video.]iPhone/iPad streaming

To view the video, simply click on the triangle in the movie player. If you prefer listening to the teaching in audio, use the audio player below.

[Audio clip: view full post to listen]

If you are not able to use the flash player, you can download the audio file here.

A transcript is available for downloading here and in the Library.

We should also study the commentary transcript, which you can download here or in the Library section. Further recommended reading: the commentary book by Kunzang Pelden (Khenpo Kunpal), The Nectar of Manjushri’s Speech, pp. 51-55.

Your comments and questions for Rinpoche are warmly welcome. Please be concise and use one short paragraph no more than 80 words. You can leave your question below as a comment –it may help others in their study and contemplation. Timeline for questions is Thursday, December 23th, 2010. After that date please send your questions by email to studyquestions@bodhicharya.org.

If you would like to volunteer in making audio translations to other languages, please email us at shedra@bodhicharya.org.

Audio translations / Übersetzung / Traducción / Traduction / Tulkkaus
Deutsch – español – français – suomi

Deutsch / German (Ena Meyer)
Falls Ihr/Sie die deutsche Übersetzung simultan zu Rinpoche’s Belehrung anhören möchten, starten Sie bitte erst den Video Player and dann schnell den Audio Player dazu.

[Audio clip: view full post to listen]

Español / Spanish (Margaret Mora)
Si desea escuchar la traducción simultaneamente con la enseñanza de Rinpoche, primero comienze el video y luego el reproductor de audio.

[Audio clip: view full post to listen]

Français / French (Mustapha Zaidi)
Si vous désirez écouter la traduction française en simultané, lancez d’abord la vidéo et ensuite l’enregistrement audio. Vous pouvez poser vos questions en français à mike.jet@btinternet.com.

[Audio clip: view full post to listen]

Suomi / Finnish (Minna Stenroos)
Mikäli haluat kuunnella käännöksen simultaanitulkkauksena videon kanssa, käynnistä ensin video- ja sen jälkeen ääninauhuri. Halutessasi voit lähettää opetusta koskevia kysymyksiä myös suomeksi osoitteeseen shedra@bodhicharya.org.

[Audio clip: view full post to listen]

With this sixth questions and answers video (QA6) Rinpoche answers the questions of the Online Shedra students regarding the teaching BA9–the stanzas 9 and 10 of the first chapter of the Bodhicharyavatara–as well as some other topics.

[See post on the website to watch the video.]iPhone/iPad streaming

To view the video, simply click on the triangle in the movie player to the left. If you prefer listening to the teaching in audio, use the audio player below.

[Audio clip: view full post to listen]

If you are not able to use the flash player, you can download the audio file here.

A transcript is available for downloading here and in the Library.

If you would like to volunteer in making audio translations to other languages, please email us at shedra@bodhicharya.org.

Audio translations / Übersetzung / Traducción / Traduction / Tulkkaus
Deutsch – español – français – suomi

Deutsch / German (will follow soon)

Español / Spanish (Margaret Mora)
Si desea escuchar la traducción simultaneamente con la enseñanza de Rinpoche, primero comienze el video y luego el reproductor de audio.

[Audio clip: view full post to listen]

Français / French (Frank Billot)
Si vous désirez écouter la traduction française en simultané, lancez d’abord la vidéo et ensuite l’enregistrement audio.

[Audio clip: view full post to listen]

Suomi / Finnish (Minna Stenroos)
Mikäli haluat kuunnella käännöksen simultaanitulkkauksena videon kanssa, käynnistä ensin video- ja sen jälkeen ääninauhuri.

[Audio clip: view full post to listen]

In BA11 Rinpoche explains the stanzas 13 and 14, where two more examples demonstrating the benefits of generating bodhichitta are given: a heroic guard and the fire at the end of the world. Stanza 14 also refers to other examples given in other sutras.

[See post on the website to watch the video.]iPhone/iPad streaming

To view the video, simply click on the triangle in the movie player. If you prefer listening to the teaching in audio, use the audio player below.

[Audio clip: view full post to listen]

If you are not able to use the flash player, you can download the audio file here.

A transcript is available for downloading here and in the Library.

We should also study the commentary transcript, which you can download here or in the Library section. Further recommended reading: the commentary book by Kunzang Pelden (Khenpo Kunpal), The Nectar of Manjushri’s Speech, pp. 49-51.

Your comments and questions for Rinpoche are warmly welcome. Please be concise and use one short paragraph no more than 80 words. You can leave your question below as a comment –it may be helpful for others in their study and contemplation. Timeline for questions is Wednesday, December 15th, 2010. After that date, please send your questions by email to studyquestions@bodhicharya.org.

If you would like to volunteer in making audio translations to other languages, please email us at shedra@bodhicharya.org.

Audio translations / Übersetzung / Traducción / Traduction / Tulkkaus
Deutsch – español – français – suomi

Deutsch / German (Ena Meyer)
Falls Ihr/Sie die deutsche Übersetzung simultan zu Rinpoche’s Belehrung anhören möchten, starten Sie bitte erst den Video Player and dann schnell den Audio Player dazu.

[Audio clip: view full post to listen]

Español / Spanish (Margaret Mora)
Si desea escuchar la traducción simultaneamente con la enseñanza de Rinpoche, primero comienze el video y luego el reproductor de audio.

[Audio clip: view full post to listen]

Français / French (Frank Billot)
Si vous désirez écouter la traduction française en simultané, lancez d’abord la vidéo et ensuite l’enregistrement audio. Vous pouvez poser vos questions en français à mike.jet@btinternet.com.

[Audio clip: view full post to listen]

Suomi / Finnish (Minna Stenroos)
Mikäli haluat kuunnella käännöksen simultaanitulkkauksena videon kanssa, käynnistä ensin video- ja sen jälkeen ääninauhuri. Halutessasi voit lähettää opetusta koskevia kysymyksiä myös suomeksi osoitteeseen shedra@bodhicharya.org.

[Audio clip: view full post to listen]

In this teaching (BA10), the next two of the five examples demonstrating the general benefits of generating bodhichitta are explained by Rinpoche.

[See post on the website to watch the video.]iPhone/iPad streaming

These two examples–a precious jewel and a fruit-bearing, wish-fulfilling tree–are given in stanzas 11 and 12 of the first chapter. The first example, alchemy, was explained in the previous teaching.

To view the video, simply click on the triangle in the movie player. If you prefer listening to the teaching in audio, use the audio player below.

[Audio clip: view full post to listen]

If you are not able to use the flash player, you can download the audio file here.

A transcript is available for downloading here and in the Library.

We should also study the commentary transcript, which you can download here or in the Library section. Further recommended reading: the commentary book by Kunzang Pelden (Khenpo Kunpal), The Nectar of Manjushri’s Speech, pp. 48-49.

Comments and questions for Rinpoche are warmly welcome. Please be concise and use one short paragraph no more than 80 words. You can leave your question below as a comment –it may be helpful for others in their study and contemplation. Timeline for questions is Sunday, December 12th, 2010. After that date please send your questions by email to studyquestions@bodhicharya.org.

If you would like to volunteer in making audio translations to other languages, please email us at shedra@bodhicharya.org.

Audio translations / Übersetzung /Traducción / Traduction / Tulkkaus
Deutsch – español – français – suomi

Deutsch / German (Ena Meyer)
Falls Ihr/Sie die deutsche Übersetzung simultan zu Rinpoche’s Belehrung anhören möchten, starten Sie bitte erst den Video Player and dann schnell den Audio Player dazu.

[Audio clip: view full post to listen]

Español / Spanish (Margaret Mora)
Si desea escuchar la traducción simultaneamente con la enseñanza de Rinpoche, primero comienze el video y luego el reproductor de audio.

[Audio clip: view full post to listen]

Français / French (Frank Billot)
Si vous désirez écouter la traduction française en simultané, lancez d’abord la vidéo et ensuite l’enregistrement audio. Vous pouvez poser vos questions en français à mike.jet@btinternet.com.

[Audio clip: view full post to listen]

Suomi / Finnish (Minna Stenroos)
Mikäli haluat kuunnella käännöksen simultaanitulkkauksena videon kanssa, käynnistä ensin video- ja sen jälkeen ääninauhuri. Halutessasi voit lähettää opetusta koskevia kysymyksiä myös suomeksi osoitteeseen shedra@bodhicharya.org.

[Audio clip: view full post to listen]

Ringu Tulku is presently at home in Gangtok, Sikkim. In November he gave teachings to a retreat group at the Bodhicharya retreat centre near Rumtek, with participants from South Africa and several other countries. The retreatants returned home very inspired and hopefully you will be able to read more about their retreat on our web site including some photographs. They are already planning another retreat for 2011.  At the moment another retreat group, organised by Myriam, is in Sikkim at the retreat centre for three weeks.

Rinpoche will go to Bodhgaya on December 6^th for the teachings of HH Karmapa on the occasion of the 900th anniversary of the birth of the First Karmapa Düsum Khyenpa. You can find more information on the official website of HH Karmapa www.kagyuoffice.org 

On December 13th Rinpoche will return to Sikkim to help organise an international Science and Spiritual Conference with HH the Dalai Lama, which begins on December 20th.

Rinpoche’s Spring 2011 travel schedule can now be seen on this web site, just click the Travel Schedule button on our home page.  Also, two dates have already been confirmed for Rinpoche’s Summer 2011 teaching schedule. They are: the Kamalashila summer school, July 23 – 29th, and the Bodhicharya Summer camp in France, Saturday 30th July until Friday 5th August. This time the summer camp will be in the south-east of France in the Vercors mountains, in the village Vassieux en Vercors, between the cities of Lyon, Grenoble and Valence. We will publish more information about this soon.

Dear Friends,

We bring you our latest news and some wonderful photos of Rigul, Kham, Tibet. Please click here to download our latest Newsletter. Francois took these amazing photos when he visited Rigul again this summer on a family trip with his two daughters.

The needs for health care and education are considerable in this very remote area of the world. Please forward this newsletter to friends, colleagues, mailing lists, blog spots, website and tell people about Rigul.

Ringu Tulku is very appreciative of all the help that each and everyone of us can give to raising the profile and awareness of Rigul, his birthplace. No effort is too small and Rinpoche’s gratitude is great.

Today I received a request for photos suitable to make into general greetings cards for Rigul Trust. If you can offer photos for this purpose please contact at the email address below.

With every best wish for the festive season and the new year,

Margaret Richardson and the Rigul Trust team.

www.rigultrust.org info@rigultrust.org

With this fifth questions and answers video (QA5) Rinpoche kindly answers the questions of the Online Shedra students regarding the teaching BA8–the stanzas 7 and 8 of the first chapter of the Bodhicharyavatara–as well as some other topics.

[See post on the website to watch the video.]iPhone/iPad streaming

One of the questions concerned the length of an Aeon. Here is some more clarification from Rinpoche in addition to the answer given on the video: – There is a great Kalpa which is usually translated as Aeon. That is the life of living planet like earth. One great Aeon has 80 small Kalpas. So Kalpa or Aeon can be 1/80th of a Great Kalpa or a whole life of the world. Both could be the duration of the text.

To view the video, simply click on the triangle in the movie player to the left. If you prefer listening to the teaching in audio, use the audio player below.

[Audio clip: view full post to listen]

If you are not able to use the flash player, you can download the audio file here.

A transcript is available for downloading here and in the Library.

If you would like to volunteer in making audio translations to other languages, please email us at shedra@bodhicharya.org.

Audio translations / Übersetzung / Traduccion / Traduction / Tulkkaus
Deutsch – español – français – suomi

Deutsch / German (will follow soon)

Español / Spanish (Margaret Mora)
Si desea escuchar la traducción simultaneamente con la enseñanza de Rinpoche, primero comienze el video y luego el reproductor de audio.

[Audio clip: view full post to listen]

Français / French (Frank Billot)
Si vous désirez écouter la traduction française en simultané, lancez d’abord la vidéo et ensuite l’enregistrement audio.

[Audio clip: view full post to listen]

Suomi / Finnish (Minna Stenroos)
Mikäli haluat kuunnella käännöksen simultaanitulkkauksena videon kanssa, käynnistä ensin video- ja sen jälkeen ääninauhuri.

[Audio clip: view full post to listen]

BA9 is Ringu Tulku Rinpoche’s teaching on the 9th and 10th stanzas of the first chapter of the Bodhicharyavatara. This continues on the general benefit of bodhicitta which was started in stanza six.

[See post on the website to watch the video.]iPhone/iPad streaming

Stanza 9 is about how the generation of bodhicitta — the highest aspiration and motivation to work for the highest benefit for all beings — changes one’s identity and status. Five different examples demonstrating the benefits of generating bodhicitta are given in the next few following stanzas, starting from stanza 10 which Rinpoche explains in this teaching.

To view the video, simply click on the triangle in the movie player. If you prefer listening to the teaching in audio, use the audio player below.

[Audio clip: view full post to listen]

If you are not able to use the flash player, you can download the audio file here.

A transcript is available for downloading here and in the Library.

We should also study the commentary transcript, which you can download here or in the Library section. Further recommended reading: the commentary book by Kunzang Pelden (Khenpo Kunpal), The Nectar of Manjushri’s Speech, pp. 47-48.

Questions are warmly welcome. Please be concise and use one short paragraph no more than 80 words. Timeline for questions is Wednesday, December 1st, 2010. After that date you can send your question by email to studyquestions@bodhicharya.org.

If you would like to volunteer in making audio translations to other languages, please email us at shedra@bodhicharya.org.

Audio translations / Übersetzung /Traducción / Traduction / Tulkkaus
Deutsch – español – français – suomi

Deutsch / German (Ena Meyer)
Falls Ihr/Sie die deutsche Übersetzung simultan zu Rinpoche’s Belehrung anhören möchten, starten Sie bitte erst den Video Player and dann schnell den Audio Player dazu.

[Audio clip: view full post to listen]

Español / Spanish (Margaret Mora)
Si desea escuchar la traducción simultaneamente con la enseñanza de Rinpoche, primero comienze el video y luego el reproductor de audio.

[Audio clip: view full post to listen]

Français / French (Frank Billot)
Si vous désirez écouter la traduction française en simultané, lancez d’abord la vidéo et ensuite l’enregistrement audio. Vous pouvez poser vos questions en français à mike.jet@btinternet.com.

[Audio clip: view full post to listen]

Suomi / Finnish (Minna Stenroos)
Mikäli haluat kuunnella käännöksen simultaanitulkkauksena videon kanssa, käynnistä ensin video- ja sen jälkeen ääninauhuri. Halutessasi voit lähettää opetusta koskevia kysymyksiä myös suomeksi osoitteeseen shedra@bodhicharya.org.

[Audio clip: view full post to listen]

Rinpoche answers the questions of the Online Shedra students regarding the teaching BA7–the sixth stanza of the first chapter of the Bodhicharyavatara–as well as other topics. This is the fourth questions and answers video (QA4).

[See post on the website to watch the video.]iPhone/iPad streaming

To view the video, simply click on the triangle in the movie player to the left. If you prefer listening to the teaching in audio, use the audio player below.

[Audio clip: view full post to listen]

If you are not able to use the flash player, you can download the audio file here.

A transcript is available for downloading here and in the Library.

If you would like to volunteer in making audio translations to other languages, please email us at shedra@bodhicharya.org.

Audio translations / Übersetzung / Traducción / Traduction / Tulkkaus
Deutsch –español -  français – suomi

Deutsch / German (Ena Meyer)
Falls Ihr/Sie die deutsche Übersetzung simultan zu Rinpoche’s Belehrung anhören möchten, starten Sie bitte erst den Video Player and dann schnell den Audio Player dazu.

[Audio clip: view full post to listen]

Español / Spanish (Margaret Mora)
Si desea escuchar la traducción simultaneamente con la enseñanza de Rinpoche, primero comienze el video y luego el reproductor de audio.

[Audio clip: view full post to listen]

Français / French (Mustapha Zaidi)
Si vous désirez écouter la traduction française en simultané, lancez d’abord la vidéo et ensuite l’enregistrement audio.

[Audio clip: view full post to listen]

Suomi / Finnish (Minna Stenroos)
Mikäli haluat kuunnella käännöksen simultaanitulkkauksena videon kanssa, käynnistä ensin video- ja sen jälkeen ääninauhuri.

[Audio clip: view full post to listen]

With the video BA8 Rinpoche gives an explanation of the 7th and the 8th stanza of the first chapter of the Bodhicharyavatara. These verses continue on the general benefits of bodhicitta which was started in stanza six.

[See post on the website to watch the video.]iPhone/iPad streaming

To view the video, simply click on the triangle in the movie player. If you prefer listening to the teaching in audio, use the audio player below.

[Audio clip: view full post to listen]

If you are not able to use the flash player, you can download the audio file here.

A transcript is available for downloading here and in the Library.

We should also study the commentary transcript, which you can download here or in the Library. Further recommended reading: the commentary book by Kunzang Pelden (Khenpo Kunpal), The Nectar of Manjushri’s Speech, pp. 46-47.

Comments and questions are warmly welcome. Please be concise and use one short paragraph no more than 80 words. Timeline for questions is Wednesday, November 24th, 2010. –If you wish to send a study question to Rinpoche after this date, please do so via sending email to studyquestions@bodhicharya.org.

If you would like to volunteer in making audio translations to other languages please email us at shedra@bodhicharya.org.

Audio translations / Übersetzung / Traducción / Traduction / Tulkkaus
Deutsch – español – français – suomi

Deutsch / German (Ena Meyer)
Falls Ihr/Sie die deutsche Übersetzung simultan zu Rinpoche’s Belehrung anhören möchten, starten Sie bitte erst den Video Player and dann schnell den Audio Player dazu.

[Audio clip: view full post to listen]

Español / Spanish (Margaret Mora)
Si desea escuchar la traducción simultaneamente con la enseñanza de Rinpoche, primero comienze el video y luego el reproductor de audio.

[Audio clip: view full post to listen]

Français / French (Frank Billot)
Si vous désirez écouter la traduction française en simultané, lancez d’abord la vidéo et ensuite l’enregistrement audio.

[Audio clip: view full post to listen]

Suomi / Finnish (Minna Stenroos)
Mikäli haluat kuunnella käännöksen simultaanitulkkauksena videon kanssa, käynnistä  ensin video- ja sen jälkeen ääninauhuri.

[Audio clip: view full post to listen]

Rinpoche answers the questions of the Online Shedra students regarding the teachings on the stanzas 4 and 5 of the first chapter of the Bodhicharyavatara (videos BA5 and BA6) and other topics.

[See post on the website to watch the video.]iPhone/iPad streaming

This is the third questions and answers session (QA3) and this time it comes in two parts. The first part is a video with three questions and answers. The second part is an audio recording with more questions and answers, and you will find it below. Please watch/listen to both of these two recordings.

To view the video with first three questions and answers, simply click on the triangle in the movie player. To listen to the first three questions and answers in audio, use the audio player below.

[Audio clip: view full post to listen]

To listen to the part two of QA3 with the rest of the questions and answers, use the audio player here:

[Audio clip: view full post to listen]

If you are not able to use the flash player, you can download the audio file part 1 here and audio file part 2 here.

A transcript is available for downloading here and in the Library.

Audio translations to other languages will be added gradually as they become available. If you would like to volunteer in making audio translations, please email us at shedra@bodhicharya.org.

Audio translations / Übersetzung / Traducción / Traduction / Tulkkaus
Deutsch – español – français – suomi

Deutsch / German (Ena Meyer)
Falls Ihr/Sie die deutsche Übersetzung simultan zu Rinpoche’s Belehrung anhören möchten, starten Sie bitte erst den Video Player and dann schnell den Audio Player dazu.

[Audio clip: view full post to listen]

Español / Spanish (Margaret Mora)
Si desea escuchar la traducción simultaneamente con la enseñanza de Rinpoche, primero comienze el video y luego el reproductor de audio.

[Audio clip: view full post to listen]

Français / French (Frank Billot)
En simultané avec la partie vidéo.

[Audio clip: view full post to listen]

Suomi / Finnish (Minna Stenroos)
Mikäli haluat kuunnella käännöksen simultaanitulkkauksena videon kanssa, käynnistä  ensin video- ja sen jälkeen ääninauhuri. Huom. Video päättyy vastaukseen nr 3, mutta käännös sisältää myös osan 2 (QA3_continued).

[Audio clip: view full post to listen]

Bodhicharya Berlin has pioneered a thriving and much needed Hospice Project. Set up four years ago through the collaborative efforts of  Ringu Tulku Rinpoche, Lisa Freund and the Ricam Hospice in Berlin, the project aims to maintain the quality of life of critically ill or dying people, especially through the use of appropriate care, competent treatment of pain, and compassionate concern.

Ilga Stoeppler writes:

“The Bodhichayra hospice has a Buddhist orientation. The work is founded on the understanding of death as transition. An especial value is therefore placed on attending to mental and emotional aspects until the very end.  The development and unfolding of spiritual potential of both those seeking advice,as well as the caregiver is important to us in terms of awareness, compassionate presence, loving kindness, composure, and inner peace.

As a hospice service with a Buddhist orientation, one of the main focal points of our work is the spiritual accompaniment of people with an expressed desire for such support at the end of their life. Learning meditation and mind training techniques, the foundation of our schooling for volunteer caregivers, provides a valuable means of taking care of one self, an aid in relaxation, and the emotional strengthening of the patients.”

“We would like to act as pillars of support, when confusion and desperation emerge, or when questions arise that seem only to have unsatisfactory answers.”

Please go to the Bodhicharya Hospice Link, in the Projects Section, to read Ilga’s inspiring article in full.

A beautiful CD of Buddhist prayers and mantras recorded by Gabriela Jaensch and Friends is now available on Amazon UK.

The CD contains recordings of prayers such as Dorje Chang, E Ma Ho, Long Life Prayer for Ringu Tulku Rinpoche and also various mantras. The CD also features a poem written and recited by Ringu Tulku Rinpoche.

Dedicated to the welfare of all sentient beings, His Holiness Gyalwang Karmapa, the Bodhicharya sangha and their spiritual director, the Venerable Ringu Tulku Rinpoche.

100% of all proceeds received by Rigul Trust, from the sale of these CDs, will go to fund social, environmental and medical projects in Rigul, Kham, Eastern Tibet.

We are looking for someone who would be willing to assist our news editor with posting news and events on the Bodhicharya web site.  If you have very good IT skills and willing to be flexible and able to work quickly as part of a team, please contact Margaret Ford at news@bodhicharya.org 

In this video (BA7), Rinpoche explains the sixth stanza of the first chapter of the Bodhicharyavatara, which is about the general benefit of bodhichitta.

To view the video, simply click on the triangle in the movie player. If you prefer listening to the teaching in audio, use the audio player below.

[Audio clip: view full post to listen]

If you are not able to use the flash player, you can download the audio file here.

A transcript is available for downloading here and in the Library.

We are also studying the commentary transcript, which you can download here or in the Library section. Further recommended reading: the commentary book by Kunzang Pelden (Khenpo Kunpal), The Nectar of Manjushri’s Speech. This stanza is explained on page 46.

If you wish to post a study question to Rinpoche, you can do so via sending email to studyquestions@bodhicharya.org.

Audio translation / Übersetzung / Traducción / Traduction / Tulkkaus
Deutsch – español – français – suomi

Deutsch / German (Ena Meyer)
Falls Ihr/Sie die deutsche Übersetzung simultan zu Rinpoche’s Belehrung anhören möchten, starten Sie bitte erst den Video Player and dann schnell den Audio Player dazu.

[Audio clip: view full post to listen]

Español / Spanish (Margaret Mora)
Si desea escuchar la traducción simultaneamente con la enseñanza de Rinpoche, primero comienze el video y luego el reproductor de audio.

[Audio clip: view full post to listen]

Français / French (Mustapha Zaidi)
Si vous désirez écouter la traduction française en simultané, lancez d’abord la vidéo et ensuite l’enregistrement audio.

[Audio clip: view full post to listen]

Suomi / Finnish (Minna Stenroos)
Mikäli haluat kuunnella käännöksen simultaanitulkkauksena videon kanssa, käynnistä  ensin video- ja heti sen jälkeen ääninauhuri.

[Audio clip: view full post to listen]

Rinpoche answers the questions of the Online Shedra students regarding the teachings on the first three stanzas of the first chapter of the Bodhicharyavatara (videos BA3 and BA4) and some other topics. This is the second questions and answers video (QA2).

[See post on the website to watch the video.]iPhone/iPad streaming

To view the video, simply click on the triangle in the movie player to the left. If you prefer listening to the teaching in audio, use the audio player below.

[Audio clip: view full post to listen]

If you are not able to use the flash player, you can download the audio file here.

A transcript is available for downloading here and in the Library.

Audio translation / Übersetzung / Traducción / Traduction / Tulkkaus
Deutsch – español – français – suomi

Deutsch / German (Ena Meyer)
Falls Ihr/Sie die deutsche Übersetzung simultan zu Rinpoche’s Belehrung anhören möchten, starten Sie bitte erst den Video Player and dann schnell den Audio Player dazu.

[Audio clip: view full post to listen]

Español / Spanish (Margaret Mora)
Si desea escuchar la traducción simultaneamente con la enseñanza de Rinpoche, primero comienze el video y luego el reproductor de audio.

[Audio clip: view full post to listen]

Français / French (Mustapha Zaidi)
Si vous désirez écouter la traduction française en simultané, lancez d’abord la vidéo et ensuite l’enregistrement audio.

[Audio clip: view full post to listen]

Suomi / Finnish (Minna Stenroos)
Mikäli haluat kuunnella käännöksen simultaanitulkkauksena videon kanssa, käynnistä  ensin video- ja sen jälkeen ääninauhuri.

[Audio clip: view full post to listen]

Thank you everybody for such great contributions to this debate. Let’s keep this first debate on topic – which is ‘Acting –or not acting’, initiated by Bernhard. And the topic is not specificly connected with the teachings of the Bodhicharyavatara. More topics will be initiated soon and the instructions will be made more clear.

The original idea was actually that these would be demo debates between Bernhard and Tsering, and everybody could comment on their arguments and counter-arguments if they wish to do so. After this first experiment it seems, however, that there are many students who wish to discuss and debate, and so we will soon create more facilities for that purpose. Thank you all so much – it is wonderful to read your posts.

Keep up the good conversations!

In the previous video, Rinpoche explained the right conditions of the body for generating the bodhicitta. Now, in this sixth video teaching (BA6), Rinpoche gives the explanation of the right conditions of the mind.

“Just as on a dark night black with clouds,
The sudden lightning glares and all is clearly shown,
Likewise rarely, through the Buddhas’ power,
Virtuous thoughts rise, brief and transient, in the world.”
Bodhicharyavatara, C1 S5

To view the video, simply click on the triangle in the movie player. If you prefer listening to the teaching in audio, use the audio player below.

[Audio clip: view full post to listen]

If you are not able to use the flash player, you can download the audio file here.

A transcript is available for downloading here and in the Library.

We should also study the commentary transcript, which you can download here. You can also find it in the Library section. Further recommended reading: the commentary book by Kunzang Pelden (Khenpo Kunpal), The Nectar of Manjushri’s Speech, pp. 45-46.

Questions are warmly welcome. Please try to keep your question under 80 words if possible. You can leave the questions below or send them by email by November the 9th (2010). Rinpoche will address the questions sent by this date with the next week’s Q&A video. –If you wish to send a study question to Rinpoche after this date, please do so via sending email to studyquestions@bodhicharya.org.

Audio translation / Übersetzung / Traducción / Traduction / Tulkkaus
Deutsch – español – français – suomi

Deutsch / German (Ena Meyer)
Falls Ihr/Sie die deutsche Übersetzung simultan zu Rinpoche’s Belehrung anhören möchten, starten Sie bitte erst den Video Player and dann schnell den Audio Player dazu.

[Audio clip: view full post to listen]

Español / Spanish (Margaret Mora)
Si desea escuchar la traducción simultaneamente con la enseñanza de Rinpoche, primero comienze el video y luego el reproductor de audio.

[Audio clip: view full post to listen]

Français / French (Frank Billot)
Si vous désirez écouter la traduction française en simultané, lancez d’abord la vidéo et ensuite l’enregistrement audio.

[Audio clip: view full post to listen]

Suomi / Finnish (Minna Stenroos)
Mikäli haluat kuunnella käännöksen simultaanitulkkauksena videon kanssa, käynnistä  ensin video- ja sen jälkeen ääninauhuri.

[Audio clip: view full post to listen]

This is the fifth video teaching (BA5).

“So hard to find the ease and wealth
Whereby the aims of beings may be gained.
If now I fail to turn it to my profit,
How could such a chance be mine again?”
Bodhicharyavatara, C1 S4

Rinpoche first gives a brief overview of the structure of the Bodhicharyavatara text and then explains the fourth stanza of the first chapter. This stanza is about the precious human life, and how we need to appreciate what we have and not waste it, but use this unique chance for something good and beneficial for ourselves and others.

To view the video, simply click on the triangle in the movie player. If you prefer listening to the teaching in audio, use the audio player below.

[Audio clip: view full post to listen]

If you are not able to use the flash player, you can download the audio file here.

A transcript of this talk can be downloaded here and in the Library.

We should also study the commentary transcript, which starts from this fourth stanza. The commentary can be downloaded here. You can also find it in the Library section. Further recommended reading: the commentary book by Kunzang Pelden (Khenpo Kunpal), The Nectar of Manjushri’s Speech, pp. 43-45.

Audio translations / Übersetzung / Traducción/ Traduction / Tulkkaus
Deutsch –  español – français – suomi

Deutsch / German (Ena Meyer)
Falls Ihr/Sie die deutsche Übersetzung simultan zu Rinpoche’s Belehrung anhören möchten, starten Sie bitte erst den Video Player and dann schnell den Audio Player dazu.

[Audio clip: view full post to listen]

Español / Spanish (Margaret Mora)
Si desea escuchar la traducción simultaneamente con la enseñanza de Rinpoche, primero comienze el video y luego el reproductor de audio.

[Audio clip: view full post to listen]

Français / French (Jet Mort)
Si vous désirez écouter la traduction française en simultané, lancez d’abord la vidéo et ensuite l’enregistrement audio.

[Audio clip: view full post to listen]

Suomi / Finnish (Minna Stenroos)
Mikäli haluat kuunnella käännöksen simultaanitulkkauksena videon kanssa, käynnistä  ensin video- ja sen jälkeen ääninauhuri.

[Audio clip: view full post to listen]

In this video Rinpoche answers the questions of the Online Shedra students regarding the first two teachings, Motivation (BA1) and Title, Translator’s Homage, Author (BA2).

[See post on the website to watch the video.]iPhone/iPad streaming

This is the first questions and answers video (QA1).

To view the video, simply click on the triangle in the movie player to the left. If you prefer listening to the teaching in audio, use the audio player below.

[Audio clip: view full post to listen]

If you are not able to use the flash player, you can download the audio file here.

A transcript is available for downloading here and in the Library.

Audio translation / Übersetzung / Traducción / Traduction / Tulkkaus
Deutsch – español – français – suomi

Deutsch / German (by Ena Meyer)
Falls Ihr/Sie die deutsche Übersetzung simultan zu Rinpoche’s Belehrung anhören möchten, starten Sie bitte erst den Video Player and dann schnell den Audio Player dazu.

[Audio clip: view full post to listen]

Español / Spanish (Margaret Mora)
Si desea escuchar la traducción simultaneamente con la enseñanza de Rinpoche, primero comienze el video y luego el reproductor de audio.

[Audio clip: view full post to listen]

Français / French (Frank Billot)
Cet enregistrement n’est pas en simultané.

[Audio clip: view full post to listen]

Suomi / Finnish (by Minna Stenroos)
Mikäli haluat kuunnella käännöksen simultaanitulkkauksena videon kanssa, käynnistä  ensin video- ja heti sen jälkeen ääninauhuri.

[Audio clip: view full post to listen]

Rinpoche continues the teaching on the first stanza of the first chapter of the Bodhicharyavatara, and explains the second and third stanzas as well. This is the fourth video teaching (BA4).

[See post on the website to watch the video.]iPhone/iPad streaming

To view the video, simply click on the triangle in the movie player to the left. If you prefer listening to the teaching in audio, use the audio player below.

[Audio clip: view full post to listen]

If you are not able to use the flash player, you can download the audio file here.

A transcript is available here and in the Library.

Audio translation / Übersetzung / Traducción / Traduction / Tulkkaus
Deutsch – español – français – suomi

Deutsch / German (Ena Meyer)
Falls Ihr/Sie die deutsche Übersetzung simultan zu Rinpoche’s Belehrung anhören möchten, starten Sie bitte erst den Video Player and dann schnell den Audio Player dazu.

[Audio clip: view full post to listen]

Español / Spanish (Margaret Mora)
Si desea escuchar la traducción simultaneamente con la enseñanza de Rinpoche, primero comienze el video y luego el reproductor de audio.

[Audio clip: view full post to listen]

Français / French (Jet Mort)
En simultané – ou presque. Si vous désirez écouter la traduction française en simultané, lancez d’abord la vidéo et ensuite l’enregistrement audio.

Noter la différence entre la traduction anglaise et la traduction française pour le dernier vers de la deuxième strophe :
« I wrote it ONLY to habituate my mind” devient “…pour y accoutumer mon esprit, que j’ai composé cet ouvrage ». Le mot « seulement » disparaît.

Noter la différence entre la traduction anglaise et la traduction française pour l’avant dernier vers de la troisième strophe :
« BUT others who now chance…” devient “ ET ceux qui…”

[Audio clip: view full post to listen]

Suomi / Finnish (Minna Stenroos)
Mikäli haluat kuunnella käännöksen simultaanitulkkauksena videon kanssa, käynnistä  ensin video- ja heti sen jälkeen ääninauhuri.

[Audio clip: view full post to listen]

Here Rinpoche explains to us the meaning of the first stanza of the first chapter of the Bodhicharyavatara, or actually the first half of the first stanza, which is the Homage. This is the third video teaching (BA3).

[See post on the website to watch the video.]iPhone/iPad streaming

A transcript can be downloaded here or in the Library.

To view the video, simply click on the triangle in the movie player to the left. If you prefer listening to the teaching in audio, use the audio player below.

[Audio clip: view full post to listen]

If you are not able to use the flash player, you can download the audio file here.

Audio translations / Übersetzung / Traducción / Traduction / Tulkkaus
Deutsch – español – français – suomi

Deutsch / German (by Ena Meyer)
Falls Ihr/Sie die deutsche Übersetzung simultan zu Rinpoche’s Belehrung anhören möchten, starten Sie bitte erst den Video Player and dann schnell den Audio Player dazu.

[Audio clip: view full post to listen]

Español / Spanish (Margaret Mora)
Si desea escuchar la traducción simultaneamente con la enseñanza de Rinpoche, primero comienze el video y luego el reproductor de audio.

[Audio clip: view full post to listen]

Français / French (Jet Mort)
Cet enregistrement n’est pas en simultané. Les citations en français sont empruntées à La Voie du Bodhisattva des éditions Padmakara. Définition de «Sugata»: empruntée et adaptée du glossaire de Une Musique venue du Ciel de Michelle Martin. La citation de Rinpoche en tibétain n’est pas reproduite.

[Audio clip: view full post to listen]

Suomi / Finnish (by Minna Stenroos)
Mikäli haluat kuunnella käännöksen simultaanitulkkauksena videon kanssa, käynnistä  ääninauhuri videon ollessa lukeman 00:07 kohdalla.

[Audio clip: view full post to listen]

Dear Tsering

Thanks for your post. I will try to give a short answer. First I will try to explain what I meant by “middle way between acting and non-acting”. This formulation is of course an analogy  to the “middle way” to enlightenment found by the Buddha, a way between nihilism and eternalism, or non-existence and existence. I often thought about the word “between”. I think it is a bit misleading because it belongs to the same realm or dimension as “existence” and “non-existence”, the realm of dualism or samsara. In my view the middle way belongs to a realm where all dualisms are transcended. It is “there” where I wanted to locate the “action” beyond “action” and “non-action”. This is near to your “spontaneous appropriate action free from second thought”.

I think this is the way a bodhisattva acts.

- Bernhard Kaiser

PS. Brevity is the soul of wit.

As you all know buddhist debate is a traditional system of  o r a l confrontation where “blow” and response follow each other rather quickly. I would therefore propose not to post too long “teachings” but short arguments.

We are very happy to announce the launch of the new Bodhicharya Channel on Youtube.

To start things off we have posted two interviews, one with Ringu Tulku Rinpoche and another with Tsering Paldron where they both talk about The Eightfold Path. We will be posting more videos in the very near future.

The direct link to the channel is http://www.youtube.com/user/TheBodhicharya    Please add it  to your bookmarks so that you can visit it often!

You can also watch the two very first Bodhicharya Channel videos here:

All are very welcome to enjoy these videos but if have a Youtube/Google account you can also subscribe to the Youtube channel.

Ringu Tulku Rinpoche on Eightfold Path

Tsering Paldron on Eightfold Path

In the second teaching on the Bodhicharyavatara (BA2) Rinpoche explains the meaning of the title of the text and the translator’s homage, and tells the story of Shantideva.

[See post on the website to watch the video.]iPhone/iPad streaming

To view the video, simply click on the triangle in the movie player to the left. If you prefer listening to the teaching in audio, use the audio player below.

[Audio clip: view full post to listen]

If you are not able to use the flash player, you can download the audio file here.

A transcript can be downloaded here and in the Library.

Audio translation / Übersetzung / Traducción / Traduction / Tradução / Tulkkaus
Deutsch – español – français – português – suomi

Deutsch / German (Ena Meyer)
Falls Ihr/Sie die deutsche Übersetzung simultan zu Rinpoche’s Belehrung anhören möchten, starten Sie bitte erst den Video Player and dann schnell den Audio Player dazu.

[Audio clip: view full post to listen]

Español / Spanish (Margaret Mora)
Si desea escuchar la traducción simultaneamente con la enseñanza de Rinpoche, primero comienze el video y luego el reproductor de audio.

[Audio clip: view full post to listen]

Français / French (Jet Mort)
L’enregistrement n’est pas en simultané.

[Audio clip: view full post to listen]

Português / Portuguese (Alexandre Pimenta)
Se desejar ouvir a tradução simultaneamente, em primeiro lugar inicie o video e depois inicie a tradução audio.

[Audio clip: view full post to listen]

Suomi / Finnish (Minna Stenroos)
Mikäli haluat kuunnella käännöksen simultaanitulkkauksena videon kanssa, käynnistä  ensin video- ja heti sen jälkeen ääninauhuri.

[Audio clip: view full post to listen]

Rinpoche has very kindly sent the first video teaching on the Bodhicharyavatara (BA1). It is about the motivation in our study and in everything we do.

[See post on the website to watch the video.]iPhone/iPad streaming

To view the video, simply click on the triangle in the movie player to the left. If you prefer listening to the teaching in audio, use the audio player below.

A transcript of this teaching is available here.

[Audio clip: view full post to listen]

If you are not able to use the flash player, you can download the audio file here.

Comments are warmly welcome. If you wish to post a study question to Rinpoche, please do so in the comment section under the latest video teaching post on the Teachings page or by email to studyquestions@bodhicharya.org.

If you would like to volunteer in making audio translations to other languages, please email us at shedra@bodhicharya.org.

Audio translation / Übersetzung / Traducción / Traduction / Tulkkaus
Deutsch – español – français – suomi

Deutsch / German (Ena Meyer)
Falls Ihr/Sie die deutsche Übersetzung simultan zu Rinpoche’s Belehrung anhören möchten, starten Sie bitte den Audio Player ca. 01:05 Minuten nach Beginn des Videos.

[Audio clip: view full post to listen]

Español / Spanish (Margaret Mora)
Esta no es una traducción simultanea.

[Audio clip: view full post to listen]

Français / French (Jet Mort)
Si vous désirez écouter la traduction française en simultané, cliquez après 00:47 sur la vidéo de Rimpoché.

[Audio clip: view full post to listen]

Suomi / Finnish (Minna Stenroos)
Mikäli haluat kuunnella käännöksen simultaanitulkkauksena videon kanssa, käynnistä ääninauhuri videonauhurin lukeman 00:55 kohdalla.

[Audio clip: view full post to listen]

Rinpoche has very kindly sent the first video teaching on the Bodhicharyavatara from his home in Sikkim. It is about the motivation in our study and in everything we do.

You can view the video here in the Online Shedra Teachings section.

Well, I think it depends on what you mean by middle way. In common sense, there is no middle way: either you act or you don’t. But not acting is, quite often, an action in itself in the sense that it also brings consequences. So, in most cases, our dilemma is which consequences to choose: the ones that come with acting or those coming with non-acting?

I have recently been thinking about the nature of samsara and how, actually, even though there are better and worse choices, there is never a way to be completely out of suffering. It is not as we generally think that there is “a good and a bad choice”, one that will definitely bring happiness and the other suffering. Within the samsaric state of mind there will always be suffering.

Once you enter the mind frame of Dharma there is some hope, however. The dharmic way to avoid this samsaric’s shortcomings is intention and view. Altruistic intention should make it easier to take decisions. Texts say that it if you have the right motivation “it all ends up well”. I am not quite sure if this means what we would like it to mean: that we will be out of suffering. What it probably means is that, even if there is suffering it will be “for a good cause”, meaning that it will be part of the process of spiritual transformation for us and for others, and somehow will bring us closer to enlightenment.

Then there is view. Even a good intellectual understanding of emptiness or interdependence brings a lot lightness to our experience. But it is said that the actual experience of the nature of things transforms it all. We can only imagine how it would feel if we actually saw things as dreamlike. Without the notion of I, there should be spontaneous appropriate action totally free from second thoughts. And if view is associated with right intention then maybe that’s what is called “non-action”. A totally unselfish spontaneous acting.

My question is, will this protect us and others from suffering?

-Tsering Paldron

We are very happy to announce that the Online Shedra has now been launched.

Bernhard Kaiser begins the first debate with a topic that cuts directly to the heart of the matter: “Acting — or not acting”.  Also the Study Group is starting with the first chapter of the Bodhicharyavatara and everyone is welcome to follow the teachings and participate. You won’t need any separate registration to join in.  We hope you will enjoy the Shedra and find it useful!

Please visit the Shedra and find out more.

The Excellence of Bodhicitta

HOMAGE TO ALL BUDDHAS AND BODHISATTVAS.

To those who go in bliss, and the dharmakaya they possess, and all their heirs,
To all those worthy of respect, I reverently bow.
According to the scriptures, I shall now briefly describe
The practice of the Bodhisattva discipline.

Here I shall say nothing that has not been said before,
And in the art of prosody I have no skill.
I therefore have no thought that this might be of benefit to others;
I wrote it only to habituate my mind.

My faith will thus be strengthened for a little while,
That I might grow accustomed to this virtuous way.
But others who now chance upon my words
May profit also, equal to myself in fortune.

With these verses the Bodhicharyavatara begins.

Rinpoche will soon start his teachings for the Online Shedra on the first chapter of the Bodhicharavatara.

We can now start reading the first chapter of the root text, which is in English translation The Way of the Bodhisattva, and the first chapter of the commentary transcript by Rinpoche.

If you don’t have the root text available yet, here is a Google book with the first three chapters. Most of the stanzas are also included in Rinpoche’s commentary.

You can download the study text here.

The Bodhicharyavatara was written by Shantideva, a famous scholar and yogi of India in the 8th century. Shantideva was a prince who became a monk and studied in the legendary Nalanda university. He was always very devoted to Manjushri, the Bodhisattva of Wisdom.

This is the story of Shantideva, and how the Bodhicharyavatara came to be, as told by Rinpoche.

He was born in South of India. His father was a king called Kalyanavarman and his name was Shantivarman. When he was young he had great faith in Mahayana. He was generally a Mahayana type, a bodhisattva type of person. He had great respect to his teachers, was a diligent person in studies and was very helpful and always benefiting his ministers and all the subjects. He was very compassionate to the poor, sick and lowly and used to help and protect them. He was always naturally acting in the way of a bodhisattva. He also became very learned and skilful in the different arts and sciences.

In his youth, he met a yogi from whom he received a teaching on Manjushri, called the Sadhana of Sharp Manjushri. When he practised the sadhana he actually saw Manjushri. He had a vision of Manjushri. And so he reached a certain level of attainment.

At a certain stage, his father passed away. They wanted him to become the king and wanted to enthrone him. The day before he was to be enthroned, he had a dream. In the dream he saw the big throne on which he was to be enthroned and saw Manjushri sitting on his throne. Manjushri was saying, ‘My son, this is my place, and I am your teacher. How can we two sit on the same seat?’ This is what he saw in the dream. When he woke up he understood that it was not right to become a king. It was an indication from Manjushri that it is no use to become a king. So he fled away. He just left everything and went away.

Then he went to Nalanda and met the pandita Jinadeva, who was the head teacher of Nalanda. There were five hundred teachers and Jinadeva was the most senior over them all. Shantideva became a monk under Jinadeva, and so he was given the name Shantideva, coming from the name of his teacher.

Shantideva studied and practised secretly and was not showing off. He studied more inwardly and all the time he practised on his own. He practised on the meaning. And then he also wrote three great treatises. One of these three books is the collection of instructions, the other is the collection of the sutras, and then there is the Bodhicharyavatara.

Although he had these great qualities, he remained in the Nalanda University without doing anything. He was the laziest person. People used to call him Busuku. Bu comes from bukta, which means eating. And su comes from susta, which is sleeping and ku comes from kuchiwa, that’s just walking. One who can do just eating, sleeping and going out to the toilet. So he was called Busuku.

The people in Nalanda thought he was a disgrace to them. Everybody else was studying, giving teachings, doing something, and he was just doing nothing. He was just sleeping in his small room. So they wanted to expel him. But they couldn’t find a way to expel him because he had done nothing wrong. If you don’t do anything you can’t do anything wrong. He didn’t break any rules. He didn’t do anything that was against the law. They couldn’t just ask him to go away. So they tried to find a way of driving him away.

Somebody had a great idea. They said, ‘Well, if we make a new system that anybody who is staying in this University has to give a teaching, then his turn will come very quickly and he wouldn’t know how to teach, so he will just run away.’ But their plan didn’t work.

They asked him to give a teaching but he didn’t listen to them and said, ‘I don’t know, please don’t ask me, I don’t know.’ He didn’t give his consent. But then they asked his teacher to give him an order. So the teacher gave him an order. Then he said, ‘Alright, I will read something.’ But they wanted to really embarrass him, so they made a big throne at the centre of a big field and asked everybody to come in, the whole community and from outside also. They wanted to really make him run away. But when the time came for him to give the teaching, he just sat on the throne. They didn’t even know how he had come and how he had climbed up on the throne, he just was there. And then he said, ‘What should I read, what kind of teaching should I give? Something that has been given before or something which has never been given before?’ And everybody shouted, ‘Something which has never been given before, of course!’ And Shantideva said, ‘Of these three teachings that I have, this one is too long, and that one is too short, so I will give you the Bodhicharyavatara which is in the middle.’

Then he recited the Bodhicharyavatara from his mind. It is said that many people saw Manjushri in front of him at that time. And when he reached the ninth chapter, the Wisdom chapter, he and Manjushri rose higher and higher and disappeared. That’s the usual way of describing it. He disappeared from this place.

You can also read Shantideva’s biography in The Nectar of Manjushri’s Speech on pages 17-22.

In this video, Ringu Tulku Rinpoche introduces the Online Study Group and the object of the study, Shantideva’s Bodhicharyavatara—a core textbook in a traditional Shedra and one of the most important texts to study on the Buddhist path.

According to the great Tibetan Master Patrul Rinpoche, says Rinpoche on the video,

“If you really understand this book, then you understand more or less everything about Buddhism. This book contains not only the understanding, but also the heart, the practice, the meditation, the action – therefore you don’t need anything else to study but this book, Bodhicharyavatara.”

The Online Study Group

The Online Study Group will start in October here on the Bodhicharya website.

During the course of the study, Ringu Tulku Rinpoche will give key explanations and answer students’ questions on a regular basis. A new teaching will be published online approximately once in every two weeks. We will also share and study the complete commentary that Rinpoche has given on the text through his teaching on Bodhicharyavatara over many years. In those teachings Rinpoche expanded on and drew from the root text of Bodhicharyavatara along with the important 19th century commentary by Khenpo Kunpal.

Khenpo Kunpal was one of the closest students of Patrul Rinpoche and it is said that he received the teaching on Bodhicharyavatara from him more than forty times. Thus his understanding of the text was profound and so it is extremely beneficial to make a heart connection with his understanding.

Text Resources

The English translation of the Bodhicharyavatara that will be used is The Way of the Bodhisattva, translated by Padmakara translation group and published by Shambhala Publications.

The Nectar of Manjushri’s Speech by Kunzang Pelden is a Padmakara translation into English of Khenpo Kunpal’s original text and it is published by Shambala Publications in 2007. This is recommended by Rinpoche as a very useful reference book for the study group.

You can also consult other translations if you wish.

The study commitment

The requested commitment is simply to listen, read and study all the lessons without skipping any. The lessons include Rinpoche’s teachings and the related text that are posted online. All shedra students will be able to access the study materials at any time on the website, so they can connect and avail of the most current material or catch up on past ones if required. The study group will progress in such a way that everyone can follow at a level they feel most comfortable with. So we warmly invite all who wish to study online under the guidance of Ringu Tulku Rinpoche to avail of this wonderful opportunity.

Rinpoche arrived home safely in Gangtok on 30th September.  He is well and is now resting for a few days.

Rinpoche is resting well in Bodhicharya Berlin and is growing a bit stronger every day.  All is well.  He intends to fly to Delhi on 28th September and travel on to Gangtok on 30th.

Thanks again for all your kind comments and concern.

Margaret Richardson of the Rigul Trust has asked us to pass on the following most recent news from Ladakh that she has received from Khenpo Rangdol. You can also see pictures from Ladakh on the Rigul Trust web site at www.rigultrust.org

Dear Dharma brothers and sisters,

Greetings!  Hope this mail finds you well with the blessings lord Buddha and Achi Dolma.

I arrived at Dehradun day before yesterday from Ladakh would like to share the latest news from Ladakh with you.

I was fortunate to be at Ladakh at the same time as HH Dalai Lama. HH visited some devastated areas and gave his condolences to the people and offered prayers for them.  He also led prayers with the Sangha members for the victims of the flash floods and there were thousands of monks at this prayer meeting.

On Sept. 10 I took a flight from Delhi to Leh and went directly to Tingmosgang village.

On Sept. 11 I had an all day meeting with our working committee members regarding the utilization of flood relief funds. We came know that many other NGOs had distributed lots of materials to the flood affected families such as blankets, mattresses and other household stuff.

The flood affected families had been camping out in tents and we learnt that the govt. only gives a limited amount of money for rebuilding damaged or washed out houses. The feedback from the flood affected people suggested that rebuilding their houses was their topmost priority and they needed funds to finish building and stocking their houses for the approaching winter. Therefore, our committee decided to distribute the relief funds by cash and cheque only to those families whose houses had been damaged.

Donations of varying amounts were given to different families depending on their actual needs, ranging from Rs. 40,000 to Rs. 5,000 per family. We did not give the donations as per village committee lists, instead we gave according to their real situation on ground.

Thousands of trees and many fields in the villages had been badly affected by the flash floods. Therefore, some funds were allocated for tree plantation which will only take place when spring comes to Ladakh in 2011. We will urge the people to plant thousands of different kinds of trees.   This tree plantation programme will be
supported by the Achi Dolma Flood Relief Fund. This is essential to prevent soil erosion and to provide fodder  for the animals and firewood for fuel in the villages.

On Sept. 12 I visited with the committee members of Tai,Tingmosgang,Khaling and Ang villages. There were two families who had lost their homes entirely and eight families who had suffered partial damage to their homes.

On the Sept. 13 we visited villages in lower ladakh—-  Achinathang, Skurbucan and Ledo. There were 11 families who had lost their homes completely and 21 families who had incurred partial damage to their homes in these villages.

On Sept. 14 and 15 we attended HH Dalai Lama teachings and empowerment of compassion Buddha at Bodh Kharbu village. I was so fortunate to see HH in person and I requested him to visit our Stupa project area next year when he comes to Ladakh.  Surprisingly he agreed to do so.

On the Sept. 16 we visited a village called Sabu near Leh and found that there were 7 families whose had lost their homes entirely and 33 families who had suffered partial damage to their homes. Also we visited some other villages such as Nyimo and Choglamsar where we gave some donations to the relief committee.

The All Ladakhi Gonpa Association will be hosting big puja by inviting all the monks from Ladakh on the 49 th day ceremony of  the flood victims which will be on Sept. 22.  We offered Rs. 50,000 as donation for this prayer ceremony. We also donated Rs. 50,000 to the Youth Committee of lower Ladakh who are working very hard for rehabilitating the  flood  affected families.

All the people who received donations from the Alchi Dolma Flood Relief Fund send their heartfelt thanks to you for supporting them in their hour of need. They said that they will never forget your generous contribution and they pray for a long and prosperous life for you.

Last but not the least we the team of Vision Himalaya would like to thank you very much for all the support received. We also pray for your health, prosperity and spiritual progress. Here I have attached some photos during the distributing donations and some affected areas.  Please share those photos to the donors with the thanking letter.

With lots of prayers
and metta

Vision Himalaya

Khenpo Konchok Rangdol

Khenpo Konchok Rangdol
(Principal Kagyu College)

Kagyu College
P.O. Kulhan
Sahastradhara Road,
Dehra Dun-248001
(U.K.) India

Ph: +91 135 6534398
Mobile:+91 9837258952

E-mail:khanporangdol@rediffmail.com
website:www.visionhimalaya.net
www.drikung-kagyu.org
www.dharmakirti.de
www.treasurehimalaya.eu
Face book id is: Khenpo Rangdol

Rinpoche will leave hospital tomorrow, Sunday 19 September.  All being well, he will rest in Berlin until around 28 September and then consider travelling home to India if he feels well enough.

Rinpoche has been very touched and is very grateful for all your good wishes and friendship.