Dalai Lama.
Dharamsala, December 26, 2013: Dalai Lama has began teachings on the 18 Great Stages of the Path (Lam Rim) Commentaries at Sera Monastery at the request of H.E. Ling Choktrul Rinpoche and Gaden Shartse Monaster, in Bylakuppe, Karnataka, India, on 24th December 2013
In his introductory address, His Dalai Lama said: “I’m very glad to see how many of you have come today. We started this teaching of the Lam Rim or stages of the path texts last year. We’ve finished some of them already. Let’s see how we get on and how much I can do without straining my eyes. We’ve gathered here to try to make the most of this life, which will ensure a good life in the next. First we’ll recite the Praise to Shakyamuni Buddha and then the Lam Rim Lineage Prayer.”
He advised that whatever the topic of the discourse, we need to set a proper motivation. “Whether an action is positive or not depends on the motivation with which we do it. Once it is tainted by any of the eight worldly concerns it ceases to be a proper practice of the Dharma,” he said.
“It’s not enough to take refuge in the Buddha, Dharma and Sangha only for this life, or for the good of the next life, or even to attain liberation; we need to take refuge until the attainment of complete enlightenment. The verse we recite includes the word ‘I’, when we say ‘may I attain enlightenment’. What we have to do is examine whether that I or self exists the way it appears.”
Dalai Lama said that there were about 30,000 people present, with translations being done into 10 languages. Each one of these people wants happiness and does not want suffering. The Buddha explained the drawbacks of having an undisciplined mind and the advantages of taming it. Taming the mind is what we need to do to fulfil our wish for happiness, not to please anyone else. The mind is clouded by a misconception that things have true existence, to overcome which we need to understand selflessness. And in order to overcome self-centredness, loving kindness is not enough; we need to develop the awakening mind of bodhichitta. Therefore, we need to make the most of our human intelligence and develop a warm heart.