Meditation Class Outline

Discovering Buddhism (Brisbane) Study Notes Stages of the Path Supplementary Notes 2

STAGES OF THE PATH CLASS NOTES 2

1. A BRIEF HISTORIC OUTLINE OF THE BUDDHA-DHARMA WITHIN INDIA. a. Dharma within the Buddhas lifetime i. There are at least three positions on when the Buddha was born in India and hence his death. According to the Kashmiri pandit Sakya Shri, the Buddha was born in India about 2500 years ago. This accords with the standard position of the Theravada position, but according to some Tibetan scholars (Sakya Pandita), the Buddha appeared in the world more than three thousand years ago. There is also a third opinion that dates the Buddha’s birth to sometime in the eighth century B.C.E. ‘The World of Tibetan Buddhism by HHDL p11 ii. The Buddha lived to be about 80 years of age passing away according to the Southern Buddhist Tradition in 486 BCE. Doubts as regards the accuracy of the 486 date is now so widespread among scholars that the one consensus that appears to be emerging is that the 486 BCE date commonly given in books on Buddhism is wrong. The death of the Buddha should be placed much nearer 400 BCE than 500 BCE. ‘Buddhist Thought’, by Paul Williams with Anthony Tribe p23 iii. Read from p12-13 The World of Tibetan Buddhism, HHDL “Despite conflicting assertions …) b. The passing away of the Buddha i. Shortly before his death he gathered his disciples together and provided them with a set of guidelines concerning the authority of teachings. ‘Introduction to Tibetan Buddhism’ by John Powers p46-47 & p87  The passing away and last words of the Buddha may be found in the Theravada scripture called the Sutra of the Great Decease (Maha-parinibbana-sutta) and in the Mahayana text Buddhacharita. ii. The 1st (3 baskets) 2nd (100 years later), and 3rd (230 years later) councils. (read from p191 The Beginnings of Buddhism, Kogen Mizuno) and (p76 Buddhism for Dummies, Jon Landaw) iii. The appearance and growth of the Mahayana – cult of stupa worship and laypersons practice (p82 Buddhism for Dummies, Jon Landaw) c. The texts of the Hinayana and Mahayana (p88-89 Buddhism for Dummies, Jon Landaw) i. Hinayana texts – more than 18 schools, many with own Vinaya ii. Mahayana texts – earliest appear 400 years after Buddha’s death, most between 100 BCE and 200 CE, e.g. Perfection of Wisdom and the Land of Bliss Sutras etc Buddhism for Dummies, by Jon Landaw p84-87 d. The goals and methods – the Arhat monk with personal liberation as the goal practicing the 37 limbs AND the layperson bodhisattva with perfect enlightenment to benefit others as the goal with the practice of the perfections with their bodhisattva levels and the two stages of Tantra as the means to accomplish it as its method.

2. A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE MAHAYANA IN INDIA AND TIBET. a. In India – Although the origins of the Mahayana still remain very obscure see above (b2) and (c) also refer to pages 86-97 Introduction to Tibetan Buddhism, John Powers) b. In Tibet pre 7th Century i. Official appearance sometime between 173 CE and 233 CE ii. Between 609-649 Buddhism makes its first definite appearance ‘Indestructible Truth’ by Reginald A Ray, p90 iii. Songtsen Gampo 620-649, two Buddhist princesses, court religion iv. Trisong Detsen 8th Century, 754-797, Shantarakshita & Padmasambhava arrive, building of monastery, ordination etc v. Ralpachen 9th Century, 815-836, supremacy of monastic order over royalty and the king, translations continue c. Mahayana meaning and texts – All Tibetan Buddhism is Mahayana with Hinayana referring to methods of shared practice (the lower and middle scopes of practice for beings of small and middling capacity) and also to the view of two of the philosophical schools. d. The goals and methods i. In Tibet Buddhist practice was of the Vajrayana variety with Buddhahood as its goal ii. Four major schools remain

ATISHA 982 – 1054  Arrives in Tibet 1042 at the age of 60  His primary aim was to reintroduce the monastic life as the centerpiece of Buddhist spirituality. Although Atisha himself was trained in tantra and made a place for it in his system, he taught that the highest form of religious life is to be a celibate Mahayanist monk who adheres to the Vinaya, studies the sacred texts, and follows the conventional Mahayana way of the gradual path to enlightenment, working for the welfare of beings.  Those Tibetans to whom Atisha accepted as disciples were required in particular to follow four rules: to abstain from marriage, intoxicants, travel, and possession of money. These rules made for a life of religious poverty and extreme simplicity.  He learned to read and write Tibetan fluently and composed the renowned ‘Bodhi-patha-pradipa’, A Lamp for the Path to Enlightenment.  Atisha had planned to stay in Tibet for three years. He ended up spending the rest of his life there, dying in 1054 at the age of seventy-two. By the time of his death, he had accomplished his mission and more, founding the first enduring monastic order in Tibet. Moreover, it was with such clarity, purity and integrity, that it would provide a model not only for Tsongkhapa’s Geluk order but also for the other monastic lineages in the Tibetan tradition, down to the present day. ‘Indestructible Truth’ by Reginald A Ray, pages 133-135

LAMA TSONG KHAPA 1357 - 1419  His birth was heralded by a number of auspicious signs.  He was ordained at the age of three by the fourth Karmapa, Rolpe Dorje and received novice vows at the age of seven.  Early on Tsongkhapa began travelling throughout Tibet, studying with some of the greatest masters at the most renowned monasteries. Throughout all of his study, Tsongkhapa was consistently able to memorize vast quantities of text and to understand quickly whatever was presented to him. He was moreover an accomplished and formidable debater and practitioner. He kept the rules of monastic discipline impeccably and was humble, free of arrogance.  At the age of thirty-three, over the objections of his primary teacher, Rendawa, Tsongkhapa gave up his scholarly studies, entered retreat, and turned to the practice of Tanta.  In the following years, he received a series of revelations from Manjushri, guiding both his study and his practice.  In 1398, at the age of forty-one, after having a dream in which he was blessed by the Indian Prasangika founder, Buddhapalita, Tsongkhapa attained realization.  When Tsongkhapa, looking from the vantage point of his attainment, surveyed the dharma traditions that existed in the Tibet of his time, he saw a need for purification and reform. He felt, in particular, that those following the monastic life had fallen into laziness and laxity, and that study and scholarship had become sloppy and confused. Tsongkhapa wanted to make his lifework the rectification of this situation. As the master set to work, several themes came to the fore. ‘Indestructible Truth’ by Reginald A Ray, p192-194 o A clear statement that the way of the fully ordained monk is the highest Buddhist practice o A reaffirmation of the importance of study, scholarship, and debate as critical elements of the Buddhist path o A reform of tantric practice so that it would be protected against excesses and abuses  Tsongkhapa was a prolific author, and, by the end of his life, he had composed 210 texts collected in twenty volumes. His most important work is perhaps his Lamrim Chenmo (Stages of the Buddhist Path), a summary of the path that distinguishes three main levels of spiritual development. This text, respecting Tsongkhapa’s respect for Atisha’s teachings is a kind of commentary on Atisha’s ‘Bodhipathapradipa’, itself an outline of the Mahayana path. You have a commentary on this text by HH Dalai Lama.  Read from page 197 “Another important work …” Indestructible Truth by Reginald A Ray.  Read from page 204-206 “In Tibet, once a monk had successfully completed each of the five …” Indestructible Truth by Reginald A Ray.

3. A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE FPMT IN AUSTRALIA.  July 1974 Lama Yeshe and Lama Zopa Rinpoche arrive in Australia o Give a thirty day course in Diamond Valley in Queensland o 160 acres of land donated – Chenrezig Institute established as first FPMT center  In 1982 Langri Tangpa Center formed  On 3rd of March 1984 Lama Yeshe passes away in Los Angeles aged 49  In 1990 Geshe Tashi Tsering arrives to teach at the Langri Tangpa Center. A History of Buddhism in Australia 1848-1988, by Paul Croucher, p91-93 & p112

RESOURCES ;

Dalai Lama HH; the World of Tibetan Buddhism, Boston: Wisdom Publications 1995 Williams Paul with Tribe Anthony; Buddhist Thought, London: Routledge Publications 2006 Powers John; Introduction to Tibetan Buddhism, Ithaca, New York: Snow Lion Publications 1995 Mizuno Kogen; the Beginnings of Buddhism, Tokyo: Kosei Publishing 1983 Landaw Jon; Buddhism for Dummies, Hoboken, NJ: Wiley Publishing Inc 2003 Ray Reginald A; Indestructible Truth, Boston, Massachusetts: Shambhala 2000 Croucher Paul; a History of Buddhism in Australia 1848-1988, NSW: NSW University Press 1989 Conze Edward; a Short History of Buddhism, Oxford: One World Publishing 1993