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SUMMER COURSE 2003 HIGHLIGHTS OF GESHE SOPA’S TEACHING JULY 7 TO AUGUST 1, 2003 TOUR TO PUERTO RICO & MEXICO by Linda Atkins Je Tsong Khapa’s Illumination of the Thought, Our most kind teacher Geshe Lhundub Sopa was invited to An Extensive Explanation of Candrakirti’s Puerto Rico and Mexico to give teachings during five weeks in ‘Supplement to the Middle Way’ mid-November and early December. Lobsang Thapkey, a resi- dent monk at Deer Park, accompanied him. The following is a summary of their itinerary based on interviewing Thapkey-la. DEER PARK NEWSLETTER Ven. Geshe Sopa will continue for the third summer Je Tsong Khapa’s dGongs pa rab gsal, a Nov 11 - 24, 2002 San Juan, Puerto Rico commentary on Candrakirti’s Madyamakavatara. 85 people attended Lam Rim teachings. Geshe-la focused February 2003 mainly on The Three Principal Paths and briefly on the Four The primary subject of this text is the Ten Noble Truths. divides everyone into three types of Perfections. Geshe-la will pick up from where beings. When Atisha talks about begin- Nov 24 - 27 Mexico City, Mexico ners, he says that the first type or first he left off at the end of the 2002 Course at the Geshe-la attended a meeting regarding Casa Tibet Project: scope of being includes both of these, point in the Wisdom chapter where Je Tsong plans to build a monastery complex on land outside Mexico the special small and the mere small. He says: Khapa identifies and discusses the eight difficult City in Valle de Bravo. He also gave an evening Lam Rim Seeking only samsaric pleasures by any method points in the Prasangika system. teaching. whatsoever, Nov 27 - Dec 2 Monterrey, Mexico Striving after their own goals, that is known as the smallest. Tentative schedule: Geshe-la taught on The Three Principal Paths and gave Tara Je This means that if one is just inter- Nang to 80 people during a 5-day Lam Rim retreat. ested in merely the pleasure of this Geshe Sopa-la will teach Monday through Friday life, not seeking any goals beyond that, from 10:00 AM–noon and from 2:00 PM – 4:00 Dec 4 Mexico City, Mexico or not even believing in future lives, among the beings, that is the small- PM. Although Geshe-la’s commentary is offered Geshe-la gave Tara Je Nang to 200 people. est. However, special small beings are primarily in English, a reading knowledge of Dec 5 - 8 Tonalli, Mexico interested in learning about future lives, and are concerned about falling into a Tibetan is recommended. 180 people attended a Lam Rim retreat. Geshe-la taught on miserable life after this one. Therefore Formal announcements are being emailed to The Three Principal Paths. they seek freedom from that and strive for a higher rebirth as a human or deva. attendees of the last three summer courses. Dec 9 - 12 Valle de Bravo, Mexico The special small being worries about future lives in accordance with the spiri- Others can obtain further information and the Geshe-la visited the site of the future monastery complex Recent group photo of Deer Park resident monks. From left to right: Venerables Yangsi Rinpoche, Lobsang Thapkey, Geshe Lhundub Sopa, Lhundup Sherab, and Geshe Sherab Thabkay. tual teachings which explain that as a registration form under “What’s New” at: planned by the Casa Tibet organization. result of evil negative karma, one will be www.deerparkcenter.org born in three lower realms, called hell, Dec 13 - 15 Guadalajara, Mexico preta and animal. These are all lives in Geshe-la taught on the Meditation Chapter of Shantideva’s A THE THREE SCOPES which one constantly experiences only Questions should be mailed to: Guide to the Bodhisattva’s Way of Life (Bodhicharyavatara). 80 misery and suffering. By Ven. Geshe Sopa The special type of being is one who is people attended. 50 people attended Tara Je Nang. Geshe-la [email protected] or Every being in the world is looking for who are concerned mainly with this life, interested in learning what will happen gave blessing and refuge to 20 children. Deer Park Summer Course at address below. some kind of peace or happiness, and and ‘special small beings’ who are pur- to them after this life. If one is born in trying to solve their problems and avoid suing samsaric goals, for future lives. these kinds of realms, what kind of mis- undesirable things. On that basis, we For that reason, according to Buddhism, ery and problems will one face? If one are all equal. But Buddhist teachings the special small being is considered to is born in a good rebirth, as a god or Deer Park Buddhist Center discuss differences between beings, be pursuing a spiritual life. Buddhist human, as explained in the teachings, Non-Profit Org. what will one experience? Then, based 4548 Schneider Drive mainly based on their spiritual capaci- teachings offer special methods based Standard ties and on the objectives or goals they on the goals of those beings who seek on learning what one may experience in Oregon, WI 53575 US Postage are seeking. Basically, there are two a spiritual life. future lives, one tries to analyze to see PAID types of goals. One type of goal is tem- The mere small being is not special, what the causes of those experiences Permit No. 2548 porary, where one seeks a worldly good and can include everyone, even beings are. Understanding that, the special Madison, WI life or higher rebirth; the other is the in lower realms. Most small beings are being will try to develop positive causes final highest goal, called complete lib- mainly interested in the pleasures and as much as possible in this life, and to eration from misery and problems. We happiness of this life--that is, they are get rid of negative causes. Even though humans mostly spend our time pursuing interested mainly in a samsaric type of these second beings, the ‘special small’ temporary or worldly goals. life and mainly seek higher rebirths. But beings, are not seeking emancipation Anybody who is seeking samsaric hap- the small beings who are called special or Buddhahood, but merely a future life piness, which is the temporary goal of do not think only of this life. Instead, after this life in which they are born in happiness and peace merely in this life they have started learning a little about a higher rebirth and are free from lower or after this life, is called a small being what comes after this life, and know life and its miseries. According to in Buddhism. According to the teachings that there are higher lives that are the Buddhism, that is the beginning of the of Buddha, when one is looking not just result of wholesome virtuous actions, first type of spiritual being. to solve the problems of this life and to and much lower lives that are the result A person who is mainly involved in find happiness in this life, that is called of bad actions or karma. In his sum- methods that are wholesome and virtu- spirituality. Small beings are divided mary of Buddhist teachings, Lamp on ous actions that stop evil karma and into two types, ‘mere small beings,’ the Path to Enlightenment, Lord Atisha (CONTINUED ON PAGE 2) THE THREE SCOPES - from cover nated, then of course their result can karma. Such a person, who is merely becoming abbot, I was able to concen- produce positive future lives is a ‘spe- be eliminated. But if the causes cannot seeking perfect or everlasting peace trate on religious training and responsi- cial’ small being. In general, this special be eliminated, then there is no way to for oneself, is called an intermediate bilities. In Tibetan society recognized level of small beings can develop higher seek cessation. being. Tulkus would normally give initiations. spiritually, looking beyond just the sam- Buddha taught the truth of suffering In many Buddhist teachings, one may However, at that time His Holiness saric happiness of this or future lives, and the cause of suffering, showing hear of the ‘Hinayana’ and ‘Mahayana’ and seeing that samsaric pleasures are what kinds of sufferings beings expe- systems. ‘Hinayana’ practitioners are of had a very strong idea that the abbot not the final goal, not the solution. They rience, from those of hell all the way this intermediate type, mainly seeking could give Yamantaka, Guhyasamaja, can begin to seek to be completely free up to those of the deva realms, and their own goal of complete emancipa- and other initiations in the monas- from all types of problems, including showing that this suffering cannot hap- tion without too much emphasis on tery. So that is what I did. This was those of gods, humans and, of course, pen without a cause. This cause is not others. The term ‘Hinayana’ in Sanskrit not established in earlier times, but lower beings. Each of these types of purely outside; the main cause is within means lesser or lower vehicle. Usually His Holiness asked that we do that. existence has different kinds of suffer- each individual: mental afflictions which small vehicles carry a small load, and ing, and freedom from those sufferings are mainly prime ignorance, or egotistic big vehicles can carry huge loads. In I served as abbot for three years. can be achieved by completely removing view, and then attachment to one’s own the same way here, the mental attitude During that time, I took one tour out- their causes. side and hatred towards others.