The Connection between Karmic Aftermath and Karmic Results What connects the different kinds of karmic aftermath and the karmic results? This is an issue that is much debated and each of the Indian Buddhist tenet systems has a different explanation. All the tenet systems...

Review In this formulation, karma is exclusively a mental factor, an urge or impulse. It is the impulse that, while focused on an object, drives the primary consciousness and its accompanying mental factors to engage, in the next moment, in a specific action directed toward or...

The remainder of the Umayyad period over the ensuing years of the first half of the eighth century saw a bewildering frequent change of alliances as even more powers entered the fray for control of West Turkistan and the Silk Route. Through a review of the main events, it will...

Going from a Conceptual to a Non-Conceptual Cognition of Voidness Let us go back to what we were discussing before about voidness meditation. The earlier Tibetan traditions were saying that to attain the non-conceptual cognition of voidness, first we need to attain conceptual...

We can only gain confidence in the tantra path based on confidence in the sutra path, with conviction that liberation and enlightenment are possible and understanding of how the tantra methods work to bring about their attainment.

(1) With pleasure, I rejoice in the positive actions that relieve the sufferings of the worse rebirth states for all limited beings and that place these, who suffer, in better rebirth states. (2) I rejoice in that build up of positive (force) that became the causes for the...

Cognition Theory: Cognition of Commonsense Objects Last session we looked at several unique points that Tsongkhapa made and contrasted some of them with the non-Gelug positions on them. Since the presentation I gave was quite sophisticated and advanced, I’d like to start this...

Drepung Monastery was founded by Jamyang Choje Tashi Palden, a direct disciple of Tsongkhapa. Since the time of the First Dalai Lama, also a direct disciple of Tsongkhapa, the lineage of the Dalai Lamas has had a special connection with this monastery.

Ganden Nampar Gyalweling Monastery was founded in 1409 by Tsongkhapa, who named the monastery Ganden, Tushita in Sanskrit, after the pure land realm of the future Buddha, Maitreya. Since its founding, Ganden has been the seat of the Ganden Tripa, the Holder of the Golden...

Tsongkhapa was keen for his disciples to carry on his tantric teachings. Gyuto was established in 1433 by his disciple Gyu Sherab Sengge, followed by Gyume in 1474 by Gyuchen Kunga Dondrub, a disciple of Gyu Sherab Sengge. The main study at Gyume and Gyuto is of the tantric...