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Latest Content
A Letter of Practical Advice on Sutra and Tantra – Part 10: The Two Truths and Mental Labeling
Dr. Alexander Berzin
Part 1
LPA54: The Two Truths in the Various Tibetan Traditions
Part 2
LPA55: Accurate and Inaccurate Mental Labeling
Part 3
LPA56: Bases for Labeling, Referent Objects and Referent Things
Part 4
LPA57: Mental Labeling and Convenional Truth
Part 5
LPA58: Misunderstandings of Voidness
Part 6
LPA59: The Connection between Cause and Effect
Part 7
LPA60: The Correct View of Voidness and the Two Truths
Part 8
LPA61: What Are Needed for Realizing Voidness
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A Letter of Practical Advice on Sutra and Tantra – Part 9: Emptiness Meditation
Dr. Alexander Berzin
Part 1
LPA49: Sutra &Tantra Voidness the Same; Self-Voidness & Other-Voidness
Part 2
LPA50: Object of Refutation That Is Neither One nor Many
Part 3
LPA51: Logic of the Refutation Neither One nor Many
Part 4
LPA52: Voidness of Cause and Effect Does Not Negate Functionality
Part 5
LPA53: Misconceptions about the Voidness of Cause and Effect
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A Letter of Practical Advice on Sutra and Tantra – Part 8: Shamatha Meditation
Dr. Alexander Berzin
Part 1
LPA44: Necessities for Achieving Shamatha
Part 2
LPA45: Obtsacles to Achieving Shamatha
Part 3
LPA46: Concentration, Meditation, Karmic Connections
Part 4
LPA47: Overcoming Obstacles for Achieving Shamatha
Part 5
LPA48: Nine Stages to Shamatha; Non-Conceptual Meditation
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A Letter of Practical Advice on Sutra and Tantra – Part 7: Tantric Practice & Visualization
Dr. Alexander Berzin
Part 1
LPA37: Purifying Death, Bardo, & Rebirth in Anuttarayoga Tantra
Part 2
LPA38: Explanation of the Anuttarayoga Method
Part 3
LPA39: Benefits of Generation Stage Practice
Part 4
LPA40: How To Visualize Oneself as a Deity in Tantra Practice
Part 5
LPA41: Questions about the Dissolution Process
Part 6
LPA42: Point of View When Visualizing Onself as a Deity
Part 7
LPA43: Detecting Faults in Visualization; Visualizing a Mandala
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A Letter of Practical Advice on Sutra and Tantra – Part 6: The Importance of Vows
Dr. Alexander Berzin
Part 1
LPA33: Common Root Tantric Vows Eleven to Thirteen
Part 2
LPA34: Transgressing Tantric Vows; Initiations
Part 3
LPA35: Importance of Vows on the Tantra Path
Part 4
LPA36: Importance of Vows on Mahayana Path
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A Letter of Practical Advice on Sutra and Tantra – Part 5: Tantric Vows and Close-Bonding Practices
Dr. Alexander Berzin
Part 1
LPA26: First Common Root Tantric Vow
Part 2
LPA27: Common Root Tantric Vows Two to Four
Part 3
LPA28: Common Root Tantric Vows Five to Seven
Part 4
LPA29: Common Root Tantric Vows Eight to Ten
Part 5
LPA30: Common Root Tantric Vows Eleven to Thirteen
Part 6
LPA31: The Fourteenth Common Root Tantric Vow
Part 7
LPA32: Close-Bonding Practices for the Five Buddha-Families
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Interview with Bhikshuni Thubten Chodron
Matt Lindén
Bhikshuni Thubten Chodron discusses the challenges of cultural adaptation, the transformative power of reasoning, and the real meaning of deity practice.
A Letter of Practical Advice on Sutra and Tantra – Part 4: Secondary Bodhisattva Vows
Dr. Alexander Berzin
Part 1
LPA20: Secondary Bodhisattva Vows for Generosity & Ethical Discipline
Part 2
LPA21: Secondary Bodhisattva Vows for Patience & Perseverance
Part 3
LPA22: Secondary Bodhisattva Vows for Mental Stability
Part 4
LPA23: Secondary Bodhisattva Vows for Discriminating Awareness
Part 5
LPA24: First Five Secondary Bodhisattva Vows to Benefit Others
Part 6
LPA25: Second Seven Secondary Bodhisattva Vows to Benefit Others
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A Letter of Practical Advice on Sutra and Tantra – Part 3: Lay Vows & Bodhisattva Vows
Dr. Alexander Berzin
Part 1
LPA14: Lay Vows against Killing, Stealing, and Lying
Part 2
LPA15: Lay Vows against Improper Sex & Intoxicants
Part 3
LPA16: Five Trainings for Developing a Bodhichitta Aim
Part 4
LPA17: Root Bodhisattva Vows One to Six
Part 5
LPA18: Root Bodhisattva Vows Seven to Fourteen
Part 6
LPA19: Root Bodhisattva Vows Fifteen to Eighteen
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A Letter of Practical Advice on Sutra and Tantra – Part 2: How to Meditate
Dr. Alexander Berzin
Part 1
LPA10: How to Meditate
Part 2
LPA11: Preliminaries; Factors Needed in Meditation
Part 3
LPA12: How to Meditate on Compassion and Bodhichitta
Part 4
LPA13: Keeping Motivation throughout Meditation Sessions
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Multi-Part
A Letter of Practical Advice on Sutra and Tantra – Part 1: Spiritual Teacher & Motivation
Dr. Alexander Berzin
Part 1
LPA 1: Need for a Qualified Spiritual Teacher
Part 2
LPA 2: What a Spiritual Teacher Must Know
Part 3
LPA3: Need for Relying on the Buddhist Classics
Part 4
LPA4: Motivating Mental Framework
Part 5
LPA5: Initial Level Motivation
Part 6
LPA6: Intermediate Level Motivation
Part 7
LPA7: Advanced Level Motivation
Part 8
LPA8: Developing Uncontrived Motivations
Part 9
LPA9: Rational & Emotional Approaches to Bodhichitta
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Dr. Alexander Berzin: My Autobiography
Dr. Alexander Berzin
Having reached the age of eighty, Dr. Berzin looks back on his life and provides a full picture from childhood up to the present.
Part 1
Dr. Alexander Berzin: My Childhood and Education at Rutgers University
Part 2
Dr. Alexander Berzin: My Education at Princeton and Harvard Universities
Part 3
Dr. Alexander Berzin: Dissertation Research in Dalhousie, India
Part 4
Dr. Alexander Berzin: Study and Training in Dharamsala, India
Part 5
Dr. Alexander Berzin: Translating for Serkong Rinpoche & HH the Dalai Lama
Part 6
Dr. Alexander Berzin: Teaching Tours & Projects for HH the Dalai Lama
Part 7
Dr. Alexander Berzin: The Second Serkong Rinpoche & Berzin Archives
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Wheel of Sharp Weapons – Part 5: Understanding Emptiness
Dr. Alexander Berzin
Part 1
WSW 52: May We Help One Another Uphold the Bodhichitta Aim
Part 2
WSW 53: May We Lead Beings Out of the Three Worse Rebirth States
Part 3
WSW 54: May Higher State Beings Attain the Causes for a Form Body
Part 4
WSW 55: Everything Dependently Arises, False Appearances Are Illusions
Part 5
WSW 56: Discussion of Dependent Arising and Illusion
Part 6
WSW 57: Like a Bubble or a Mirage, Our Life Has No Solid Core
Part 7
WSW 58: Appropriate Actions Despite Emptiness of Cause and Effect
Part 8
WSW 59: Countless Causes, Total Absorption on Emptiness, Dedication
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Wheel of Sharp Weapons – Part 4: Destroying Self-Grasping with Tonglen
Dr. Alexander Berzin
Part 1
WSW 46: Calling Yamantaka to Free Us from Self-Grasping Forever
Part 2
WSW 47: Smothering Self-Grasping by Taking On Disturbing Emotions
Part 3
WSW 48: Discussion of Smothering Self-Grasping through Tonglen
Part 4
WSW 49: Demolishing Self-Grasping, Meditating on Kindness
Part 5
WSW 50: Transforming Disturbing Emotions into Aids for Enlightenment
Part 6
WSW 51: Through Our Tonglen, May Others Quickly Attain Liberation
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Wheel of Sharp Weapons – Part 3: Problems Caused by Self-Grasping
Dr. Alexander Berzin
Part 1
WSW 25: Understanding the Two Truths Eliminates Self-Grasping
Part 2
WSW 26: Calling Yamantaka to Smash the Demon of Self-Grasping
Part 3
WSW 27: Calling Yamantaka to Free Us from Karma & Disturbing Emotions
Part 4
WSW 28: Pursuing Unhappiness, Neglecting Spiritual Practice
Part 5
WSW 29: Forming Fickle Friendships, Stealing Resources
Part 6
WSW 30: Flattering Others, Being Stingy, Boasting about Hardships
Part 7
WSW 31: Studying with Too Many Teachers, Neglecting Our Students
Part 8
WSW 32: Neglecting Helping Others While Following a Spiritual Path
Part 9
WSW 33: Pretending to Understand the Teachings, Being Ignored
Part 10
WSW 34: Although Highly Educated, Acting Worse Than Demons
Part 11
WSW 35: Letting Anger Fester Inside, Blaming Others for Our Problems
Part 12
WSW 36: Deceiving the Three Gems, Discarding Ethical Discipline
Part 13
WSW 37: Wasting a Precious Human Rebirth, Focusing on Worldly Things
Part 14
WSW 38: Expecting Attainments without Putting in the Work
Part 15
WSW 39: Betraying Those Who Trust Us, Being Hard to Get Along With
Part 16
WSW 40: Harming the Needy, Faulting Others, Getting Easily Offended
Part 17
WSW 41: Have Short-Lived Friendships, Make Ridiculous Claims
Part 18
WSW 42: Guessing about the Teachings, Generating Distorted Views
Part 19
WSW 43: Belittling the Teachings, Making Up Our Own
Part 20
WSW 44: Criticizing Dharmic Acts, Distorted Sense of Shame
Part 21
WSW 45: Calling Yamantaka, Destroyer of the Demon of Self-Grasping
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Wheel of Sharp Weapons – Part 2: Karmic Causes of Various Problems
Dr. Alexander Berzin
Part 1
WSW 9: Physical Pain, Mental Suffering
Part 2
WSW 10: Hunger, Mistreatment, Verbal Abuse
Part 3
WSW 11: Bad Conditions, Parted from Loved Ones, Gurus’ Displeasure
Part 4
WSW 12: Falsely Accusations, Loss of Possessions
Part 5
WSW 13: Unclear Mind, Unfulfilled Aims, Unable to Please Gurus
Part 6
WSW 14: Being Faulted, Disagreements, Close Ones Becoming Enemies
Part 7
WSW 15: Chronic & Infectious Illness, Lack of Discriminating Awareness
Part 8
WSW 16: Mental Disturbances When Practicing, Unrealized Plans
Part 9
WSW 17: Contrary Results of Practice, Unfulfilled Requests, Strokes
Part 10
WSW 18: Having No Home of Choice, Unwished Happenings, Feeling Needy
Part 11
WSW 19: Teacher Relationship, Being Unattractive, Being Insulted
Part 12
WSW 20: Being Overcome by Attachment and Anger
Part 13
WSW 21: Not Achieving Spiritual Aims, Untamed, Unfocused Mind
Part 14
WSW 22: Review, Regretting Constructive Behavior, Being Fickle
Part 15
WSW 23: Deceived by Others, Confused by Anger and Attachment
Part 16
WSW 24: Negative Responses to Positive Acts, Summary of Karmic Causes
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Wheel of Sharp Weapons – Part 1: An Equal Attitude toward Everyone
Dr. Alexander Berzin
Part 1
WSW 1: Foundation of the Text – Love and Compassion
Part 2
WSW 2: Equanimity Free of Attachment, Repulsion and Indifference
Part 3
WSW 3: Equal Attitude toward Everyone (Points 1-3)
Part 4
WSW 4: Equal Attitude (Points 4-9); Disadvantages of Self-Cherishing
Part 5
WSW 5: Homage to Yamantaka – Outer, Inner and Hidden Yamantakas
Part 6
WSW 6: Analogy of the Peacock Thriving on Difficult Situations
Part 7
WSW 7: Transforming Negative Emotions
Part 8
WSW 8: Self-Cherishing versus Cherishing Others
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