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“The Stages of the Path” in tibetan

will begin on Sunday, July, 21st, 10am for some months

Lam Rim means “The Stages of the Path” in tibetan. It is the teaching that presents complete compendium of all the Buddhas teachings. Original Lam Rim had existed in many different forms and version in Tibetan History. Lam Rim presented in all four Buddhist schools, and taught by different teachers of the Nyingma, Kagyu and Gelug. But all these versions are an actual elaborations of Atisha Dipamkarashri Jana text “A Lamp for the Path to Enlightenment”. This text expounds entire stages of path, beginning from the ordinary level up to complete Enlightenment, fully awakened state of Buddhahood. Lam Rim text presents stages on the Path to Enlightenment in accordance with three scopes of disciples. Initially, Lam Rim began to flourish in Tibet in the Kadampa school, when Atisha brought his teachings to Tibet at the beginning of the 9th century. But in the later part of 14th century, Gelug founder, Lama Tsongkhapa, wrote a new complete Lam Rim text, that later became one of his masterpieces called “The Great Treatise on the Stages of the Path of Enlightenment “ or Lam-rim Chenmo.
The Lam Rim course was recommended to us by His Eminence Choden Rinpoche during this summer events. He instructed Ananda Dharma Center's new Geshe, Geshe Namgyal, and his translator, Ven. Tsondue, to begin teaching “The Stages of the Path to Enlightenment” “as soon as possible”. Choden Rinpoche also gave an oral transmission of the Lam Rim text called the “Easy Path”.
Our teachings of Lam Rim will be based on this text, the composed by the Fourth Panchen Lama - Lobsang Chökyi Gyaltsen. (Lobsang Chökyi Gyaltsen was the Fourth Panchen Lama of Tibet, but the first to be given this title during his lifetime, and, sometimes, because of this called “the First”). This particular text was written during the 16th Century and was based on the root text called “The Easy Path” (“Blissful Path to Omniscience, Guide to the Graded Path to Enlightenment” sometimes simply known as “The Easy Path “(bde lam) by Panchen Lobsang Chökyi Gyaltsen). As Panchen Lobsang Chökyi Gyaltsen himself stated:
“The true thoughts of unequalled Buddha Shakyamuni
elucidated by glorious Atisha and his spiritual sons
the second conqueror Lob-sang Dakpa
this compilation of condensed stages of practices
which serves as factors for liberation seekers
I, Chokyi Gyaltsen laid down this text”
This Lam Rim, as he says, “was based on Lama Tsonghkapa's Lam Rim Chenmo, encompassing all the critical points in the form of practices.” Lam Rim text composed by Lama Tsongkhapa summarized the essentials of entire Buddha's doctrine as well as three faculties of the person based on their understanding of these instructions. To summarize, Lam Rim is a great pathway of spiritual pioneers: glorious Nagarjuna and Arya Asanga and the profound heart essence instructions of Atisha and Je Tsongkhapa. They presenting the Entire Path for the three capacities of human mind in its complete form.
This Lam Rim text is adorned with four greatness and three qualities: it deals with cultivating a loving kindness through refraining from three negative actions of three doors (body, speech and mind); it presents dependent origination, dependent arising and necessity of bringing the ignorance of the mind to its end; it emphasis developing the mind of ultimate Bodhichitta, that strives for the welfare of others. All the instructions and advise, presented in this text, is also very relevant in our everyday life, in today's society. We can learn the ancient path and also apply these in ones daily lives, to make it more meaningful, more inspired and full of joy.
If we practices the Lam Rim in this manner we will certainly come to appreciate its Four Greatnesses:
• the greatness of enabling one to know that all of the Buddha's teachings are free of
contradiction
• the greatness of enabling one to understand, that all of the Buddha's scriptures are instructions
of a practice
• the greatness of enabling one to easily realize the Buddha's intend
• the greatness of enabling one to refrain from any wrongdoing
In brief, study of Lam Rim explains to us how to properly meditate on the path, how to train in the three higher trainings and how practice the six perfections. This course is also not simply dry intellectual program. We will complement this course with weekly meditation classes that will include meditation on the Special Insight, as well as all other Lam Rim topics.
- See more at: http://anandadharma.org/LamRim#sthash.ZccuslYp.dpuf

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