Review We’ve been talking about the various mental factors, and we’ve seen that there are ten that function all the time and help mental activity to function. We don’t want to get rid of them. In fact, we can’t get rid of them without destroying mental activity itself....

According to the Dalai Lama, there is no point in discussing whether or not to revive the bhikshuni ordination; the question is merely how to do so properly within the context of the Vinaya code of monastic procedure.

Sometimes we have problems with our work, sometimes with our personal life. Learn how to harmonize them so as to lead a more satisfying life.

Setting the Motivation To differentiate from the non-Buddhists, there is the taking of refuge or safe direction, and to differentiate from the Hinayana path, there is the taking of the Mahayana refuge. We look to the Buddha Shakyamuni as our main example of a source of safe...

If we are aware of the ten mental factors that are involved with every single moment of our experience, we can mold situations in such a way that they optimize the experience.

The Buddha-Nature Factors Going from the basis level to the resultant level through the pathway level in tantra involves working with our Buddha-nature factors. Let’s look at what they are. There are evolving factors and abiding factors, as they are called. The evolving...

An overview of a workshop entitled “Training Camp on Buddhist Translation Methodology” at the Sri Aurobindu Ashram, New Delhi, for Tibetan translators from Tibetan to English to improve their written translation skills.

To overcome fascination, repugnance, or bewilderment about the dazzling array of Buddha-figures (yidams, tantric deities) used in tantra and about their unusual forms, Westerners need to understand their place and purpose on the Buddhist path. They also need to differentiate...

Nonexistent phenomena can be objects of cognition, but not objects of valid cognition, only of distorted cognition.

When we receive inspiration, the uplifting transformation arises dependently on many causes and conditions.