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by Sangharakshita

In the West, Tibetan Buddhism has an exotic, even glamorous image - there are books about secret teachings, and films about mysterious lamas. But if Western Buddhists are to learn anything of real value, they must look beyond the merely exotic. The English author of this book has spent many years in contact with Tibetan lamas of all schools within the context of a wide exp ...more In the West, Tibetan Buddhism has an exotic, even glamorous image - there are books about secret teachings, and films about mysterious lamas. But if Western Buddhists are to learn anything of real value, they must look beyond the merely exotic. The English author of this book has spent many years in contact with Tibetan lamas of all schools within the context of a wide experience of the Buddhist tradition as a whole. The book provides a down-to-earth account of the origin and history of Buddhism in Tibet, and explains the essentials of the tradition.

A very useful introduction to some of the key areas in history, culture, and practice of Tibetan Buddhism. It includes intermediate and some advanced concepts for mind training and meditation. The speaker has an excellent voice & style and is a well-known master in the U.K. This series was given in 1968. It can be downloaded free in individual files (link below); here is the compiled series and transcripts.

The series:

055 How Buddhism Came to Tibet

The lecture describes the introduction of Buddhism into Tibet in the seventh century, and the extraordinary events which culminated in its firm establishment by the eleventh century.

1. Tibetan Buddhism as a major form of Buddhism; Sangharakshita's personal contact with it (7:12)

2. Intrinsic and extrinsic interest; relationship to Indian Buddhism (5:32)

3. The wonder of Buddhism reaching Tibet; differences between India and Tibet (3:51)

4. Historical differences between Indians and Tibetans: i.mystical versus practical (3:24)

5. ii.peaceful versus war-like (3:26)

6. iii.cultured versus rough (2:38)

7. The introduction and spread of Buddhism into Tibet (5:28)

8. King Songtsen Gampo: political, administrative, social and cultural reforms (4:31)

9. Gampo's wives; the Jokhang (the Lord's house) in Lhasa; Tönmi Sambhota and the Tibetan alphabet; first translations of Indian Buddhist scriptures into Tibetan; the Manikabum; paper, ink, the civil law (7:57)

10. King Trisong Detsen; Shantarakshita; Padmasambhava; Samye monastery (11:57)

11. The council of Lhasa: Kamalashila and the Ch'an monk; The Triyana character of Tibetan Buddhism (3:29)

12. King Ralpachen; commission for the translation of scriptures; an assassination (4:13)

13. King Yeshe Ö; bringing Atisha to Tibet; Atisha's reforms and achievements (5:16)

Total running time: 1:08:54

056 Schools of Tibetan Buddhism

A general introduction to three of the four major Schools of Tibetan Buddhism: Nyingmapa, Kargyupa, and Sakyapa.

1. Four great religious kings (6:21)

2. The meaning of 'school' (3:42)

3. What is a school of Tibetan Buddhism? Buddhism and non-exclusivity (6:27)

4. Unreformed and reformed schools (3:40)

5. Some common characteristics; the Triyana character of Tibetan Buddhism; the three yanas (8:34)

6. Successive stages of the spiritual path (2:49)

7. scriptures: Kangyur and Tangyur (4:27)

8. The Nyingmapa school; a Nyingmapa temple (8:35)

9. The nine yanas of the Nyingmapa (9:30)

10. The Nyingmapa tantras and the Rinchen Termas; the Bardo Thödol (2:57)

11. A definite emphasis on meditation (5:22)

12. The nature of the Nyingmapa lama (8:27)

13. The Kagyupa school; Milarepa and the Jetsun Guru Bhum (6:40)

14. The Kagyupa emphasis on practise; the six teachings of Naropa (2:30)

15. The Sakyapa school; the great scholar Butön (5:04)

16. The great historian Taranatha; the Sakyapas' conversion of the Mongols; consolidation of political power (5:06)

17. The Gelugpa school (2:28)

Total running time: 1:32:39

057 The Dalai Lama: His Reincarnations

Sangharakshita describes the life of Tsongkhapa and the foundation of the Gelukpa School, and places the Dalai Lamas and Panchen Lamas in their historical context. N.B. Last few words missing.

1. Religious kings and scholar-saints (2:54)

2. Misunderstandings about the Dalai Lama; the scholar-saint Tsongkhapa (Je Rimpoche) (8:58)

3. The first 25 years of Tsongkhapa's life (8:38)

4. The Gelugpa school; Yellow Hats and Red Hats; three great monasteries; the Festival of Lights; Tsongkhapa's principal works (11:03)

5. The third abbot of Ganden; 'Hubbleganic succession': succession by reincarnation; the Dalai Lama and the Panchen Lama; the Bodhisattva Ideal; Tibetan Wheel of Life (9:02)

6. Being reborn out of compassion; Avalokiteshvara; Tibetans and the Bodhisattva Ideal (8:47)

7. The Dalai Lama as a manifestation of Avalokiteshvara, the Panchen Lama as a manifestation of Amitabha; the functions of the Dalai and Panchen Lamas; the 3rd Dalai Lama; titles of the Dalai Lama; the 5th Dalai Lama; the 13th Dalai Lama and Mongolian schola (10:52)

8. The Dalai Lama as temporal ruler of Tibet; a living Bodhisattva (7:08)

Total running time: 1:07:22

058 Monks and Laymen in Buddhist Tibet

How orthodox is the Tibetan monastic tradition? This lecture explains the grades of seniority among Tibetan monks, their day-to-day life, and their interaction with the laity.

1. Four jewels of Tibetan Buddhism, including three levels of sangha (9:05)

2. Precedence in Tibetan Buddhism (6:42)

3. The place of Tibetan monks in Buddhist lineages (8:17)

4. Four grades of monk, up to Geshe (17:40)

5. Lamas and Khanpos (11:32)

6. Tulkus (4:12)

7. Traapas; usage of 'Rimpoche' (3:35)

8. The everyday life of monks (13:16)

9. Nuns, laymen, and laywomen (11:29)

10. Connections between monks and laity (9:02)

Total running time: 1:34:50

059 Symbols of Tibetan Buddhist Art

Every aspect of traditional Tibetan life is infused with religious significance, not least Tibetan architecture and iconographical painting, the topics of this lecture.

1. Introduction (4:30)

2. The blend of Indian and Chinese elements (6:43)

3. Tibetan religious architecture and colour sense (11:31)

4. Commissioning a Tibetan painting (6:24)

5. Tibetan art as religious art (4:29)

6. Symbols as correspondences (4:23)

7. The stupa (7:52)

8. The three-storeyed temple (7:37)

9. Colour in thangkas (7:03)

10. Ignorance defied by wrath (3:16)

11. Avalokiteshvara and Green Tara; conclusion (5:23)

Total running time: 1:09:11

060 The Four Foundation Yogas of the Tibetan Buddhist Tantra

Here the four indispensable preparatory practices (mula-yogas) of the Vajrayana devotee are outlined: the Going for Refuge and Prostration practice, the Development of the Bodhichitta practice, the Vajrasattva practice and the offering of the Mandala.

1. The gateway to the practice of the Tantra (12:18)

2. The meaning of 'yoga'; The union of Wisdom and Compassion (4:38)

3. The Tantra - synthesis of the three yanas (5:15)

4. The four mula yogas from the Nyingmapa tradition (2:05)

5. i. Going for refuge and Prostration: visualisation, recitation, prostration (23:19)

6. ii. Development of the Bodhichitta: cultivating compassion (10:31)

7. iii. The Meditation and Mantra Recitation of Vajrasattva: purification (12:15)

8. iv. The Offering of the Mandala: the giving of all to the Buddhas (8:09)

Total running time: 1:18:30

061 Tibetan Buddhist Meditation

This lecture gives an outline of Tibetan meditation, in the context of the five stages common to all Buddhist meditation systems, and concludes with a description of the Green Tara visualisation practice.

1. Buddhist meditation (5:55)

2. The withdrawl of the mind from the senses (4:03)

3. Suppression of the hindrances to meditation (10:06)

4. Elimination of discursive thought (4:38)

5. Development of higher states of awareness (2:27)

6. The arising of Insight (3:17)

7. What Tantric meditation is (4:19)

8. What is transmitted? (5:39)

9. Initiations (3:48)

10. Acquisition of the three kayas (4:17)

11. Correspondences between: initiations, body, speech, and mind, and the three kayas; (1:50)

12. Initiations and four yogas (4:31)

13. The unorganised nature of the material (3:13)

14. Introduction to the Green Tara practice (4:59)

15. Going for Refuge (3:51)

16. Brahma Viharas (2:09)

17. Meditation on shunyata (1:49)

18. Visualisation of the 'seed syllable' (1:57)

19. Green Tara herself (5:53)

20. The mantra (2:15)

21. Dissolving (1:51)

22. Tara and the voidness (shunyata) (2:05)

23. Dedication of merits (0:49)

24. Simplifying the practice (3:30)

25. Integrating practice into daily life (3:10)

Total running time: 1:32:21

062 The Future of Tibetan Buddhism

The Chinese occupation has had enormous effects on Tibetan Buddhism. What future does it have, and what can Western Buddhists learn from its unique heritage?

1. Introduction and résumé of series (7:40)

2. Changes for Tibetans since 1950 (18:19)

3. Refugees; Buddhism in retreat in the East (15:16)

4. The essence of different traditions (8:35)

5. The three Yanas as one path in Tibetan Buddhism (7:20)

6. Intellect and devotion, study and meditation (12:03)

7. Organisation and freedom (6:07)

8. Balance and tolerance (5:56)

9. Sincerity and strenuousness (4:15)

Total running time: 1:25:31

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