The Bodhicittavivarana by Nagarjuna
September 28-29, 2013
Saturday 10:00am to 4:30pm
Sunday 9am to noon
Chapman University, Orange CA.
Beckman Hall, Rm. 214
Ven. Tenzin Priyadarshi will give a commentary on the work by Nagarjuna called the Bodhicittavivarana and show us how to apply these teachings to our daily lives.
“It is with a mind moistened by compassion
that you must cultivate the awakening mind with effort.”
In this text Nagarjuna presents reasons for generating within oneself the compassionate mind which seeks complete enlightenment, called Bodhicitta, which arises out of a correct view of ultimate truth.
The text starts by presenting a sequence of reasonings that reveal the Middle Way between extreme views of reality. This view has come to be called the Madhyamaka, which identifies the ultimate truth as “emptiness”.
The text then delves into reasonings showing why one must combine the Wisdom realizing emptiness with extensive compassionate concern and action for others' welfare. Nagarjuna tells us that “By understanding the truth one attains freedom”, but goes on to show that: “The true Awakening that is the sole fruit of altruism – this the conqueror's children cultivate.” To become a child of the Buddhas, a Bodhisattva, one must cultivate Altruism along with Wisdom.
Predicted by Buddha Shakyamuni, one of the Six Ornaments, a Second Buddha, Master and Abbot of Nalanda, philosopher, alchemist, Maha-Siddha - Nagarjuna is a central figure of Mahayana Buddhism. From the watery world of the Nagas, he retrieved the Prajnaparamita Sutra, and with his commentaries upon it, pioneered the Mahayana, and began the Madhyamaka tradition which sharpened the focus on many Buddhist concepts, especially the view of "Emptiness".
Beckman Hall, Rm. 214
Ven. Tenzin Priyadarshi will give a commentary on the work by Nagarjuna called the Bodhicittavivarana and show us how to apply these teachings to our daily lives.
“It is with a mind moistened by compassion
that you must cultivate the awakening mind with effort.”
In this text Nagarjuna presents reasons for generating within oneself the compassionate mind which seeks complete enlightenment, called Bodhicitta, which arises out of a correct view of ultimate truth.
The text starts by presenting a sequence of reasonings that reveal the Middle Way between extreme views of reality. This view has come to be called the Madhyamaka, which identifies the ultimate truth as “emptiness”.
The text then delves into reasonings showing why one must combine the Wisdom realizing emptiness with extensive compassionate concern and action for others' welfare. Nagarjuna tells us that “By understanding the truth one attains freedom”, but goes on to show that: “The true Awakening that is the sole fruit of altruism – this the conqueror's children cultivate.” To become a child of the Buddhas, a Bodhisattva, one must cultivate Altruism along with Wisdom.
Predicted by Buddha Shakyamuni, one of the Six Ornaments, a Second Buddha, Master and Abbot of Nalanda, philosopher, alchemist, Maha-Siddha - Nagarjuna is a central figure of Mahayana Buddhism. From the watery world of the Nagas, he retrieved the Prajnaparamita Sutra, and with his commentaries upon it, pioneered the Mahayana, and began the Madhyamaka tradition which sharpened the focus on many Buddhist concepts, especially the view of "Emptiness".
