Following in the Buddha's Footsteps

🤓 Admin Zone 🛠️ hidden to non-admins
view on research edit on research Add an excerpt Add a bilingual page Add full text subpage

Book

Conduct

LibraryBooksBibliography PDF Link

Please note that many items in our library are simply pages that represent a detailed library catalog entry and citation of someone else's work, presentation, or performance. Read our General Disclaimer for more information. You can find more information about this item on the publisher website.

Descriptionངོ་སྤྲོད།

Delve into the substance of spiritual practice in this fourth volume of the Dalai Lama's definitive series on the path to awakening, Following in the Buddha's Footsteps. You’ll first hear His Holiness’s explanation of the Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha, why they are reliable guides on the path, and how to relate to them. His Holiness then describes the three essential trainings common to all Buddhist traditions: the higher trainings in ethical conduct, concentration, and wisdom. These chapters show us how to live a life free of harm to self or others and give us detailed instructions on how to develop single-pointed concentration as well as the higher states of concentration available to an earnest practitioner. In addition, the chapters on wisdom contain in-depth teachings on the noble eightfold path and the four establishments of mindfulness for developing greater awareness and understanding of our body, feelings, mind, and other phenomena. Together, these topics form the core of Buddhist practice.

This is a book to treasure and refer to repeatedly as you begin the path, progress on it, and near the final goal of nirvāṇa. (Source: Wisdom Publications)

Citation

Dalai Lama, 14th, and Thubten Chodron. Following in the Buddha's Footsteps. Library of Wisdom and Compassion 4. Somerville, MA: Wisdom Publications, 2019.

Publisher Link

https://wisdomexperience.org/product/following-in-the-buddhas-footsteps/

Table of contents

Preface by Bhikṣuṇī Thubten Chodronxiii
Abbreviationsxix

1. TRUSTWORTHY SPIRITUAL GUIDANCE3
- The Entrance to the Buddhist Path3
- Reasons for Taking Refuge in the Three Jewels6
- The Mind's Potential and the Existence of the Three Jewels7
- The Three Jewels according to the Fundamental Vehicle10
- The Three Jewels according to the Perfection Vehicle16
- Eight Excellent Qualities of the Buddha Jewel19
- Eight Excellent Qualities of the Dharma Jewel22
- Eight Excellent Qualities of the Saṅgha Jewel25
- Final and Provisional Refuges28
- The Three Jewels according to the Vajra Vehicle34

2. QUALITIES OF THE BUDDHA, DHARMA, AND SAṄGHA39
- The Four Kinds of Self-Confidence39
- The Ten Powers of the Tathāgata41
- The Eighteen Unique Qualities of a Buddha47
- Qualities of the Buddha's Body, Speech, and Mind51
- The Buddha as a Reliable Guide54
- Recollection of the Buddha, Dharma, and Saṅgha61
- Distinguishing Features of the Three Jewels73
- Causal and Resultant Refuge75

3. HEARTFELT CONNECTION TO THE THREE JEWELS79
- Formally Taking Refuge79
- Deepening Our Refuge82
- Maintaining Proper Refuge85
- Bodhisattvas' Refuge89

4. THE HIGHER TRAINING IN ETHICAL CONDUCT91
- The Three Higher Trainings91
- The Importance of Ethical Conduct92
- The Prātimokṣa Ethical Code94
- Vinaya Schools98
- The Benefits of Practicing the Prātimokṣa Ethical Conduct99
- Intoxicants104
- Why Celibacy?105
- Bodhisattva and Tantric Ethical Codes108
- Making Mistakes and Rectifying Them109

5. SAṄGHA: THE MONASTIC COMMUNITY113
- The Value of the Monastic Community113
- The Flourishing of the Dharma and the Existence of the Dharma115
- The Intent and Purpose of Monastic Life115
- Maintaining the Purity of the Saṅgha118
- Tibetan Monastics and Monastic Institutions127
- Challenges for Western Monastics130
- Full Ordination for Women132
- Advice for Monastics136
- The Joy of Monastic Discipline139

6. THE HIGHER TRAINING IN CONCENTRATION AND THE PERFECTION OF MEDITATIVE STABILITY143
- Concentration and Serenity143
- The Importance of Developing Serenity145
- Conditions Conducive to the Development of Serenity148
- Observed Objects153
- Choosing Our Meditation Object162
- Structuring the Meditation Session163
- Working with the Body164

7. OBSTACLES AND ANTIDOTES167
- The Five Hindrances167
- Taming the Five Hindrances177
- Overcoming Hindrances184
- The Five Faults and Eight Antidotes187
- The Nine Stages of Sustained Attention196
- Mental and Physical Pliancy and the Bliss of Physical and Mental Pliancy201
- A Diagram Illustrating the Process of Attaining Serenity207

8. THE MEDITATIVE ABSORPTIONS211
- Cultivating Mundane Insight212
- Meditative Absorptions of the Form Realm218
- Meditative Absorptions of the Formless Realm221
- Meditative Absorptions on the Four Truths224
- The Eight Liberations235
- The Nine Serial Absorptions239
- The Superknowledges243
- The Value of the Superknowledges for Bodhisattvas253
- Serenity in Buddhist Practice257
- Words of Advice259

9. CONCENTRATION IN THE PĀLI TRADITION261
- Objects of Meditation261
- The Four Dhyānas272
- The Four Formless Absorptions279
- Four Kinds of Development of Samādhi282
- Samādhi and Insight283

10. THE PRACTICE OF SERENITY IN CHINESE BUDDHISM289
- Meditation289
- Creating Balance at the Beginning and End of a Meditation Session291
- Cultivating Serenity and Insight in Sitting Meditation295
- Cultivating Serenity and Insight while Interacting with the Environment296
- Deviant Meditation and Correct Meditation300
- Counteracting the Work of Māra301

11. HIGHER TRAINING IN WISDOM: THE ROLE OF MINDFULNESS AND INTROSPECTIVE AWARENESS305
- Introduction to the Thirty-Seven Harmonies with Awakening305
- The Importance of Mindfulness and Introspective Awareness306
- Mindfulness307
- Introspective Awareness312
- Mindfulness and Introspective Awareness Working in Tandem319
- Mindfulness in Modernity322
- The Thirty-Seven Harmonies with Awakening323

12. THE FOUR ESTABLISHMENTS OF MINDFULNESS: BODY, FEELINGS, AND MIND327
- Introduction to the Four Establishments of Mindfulness329
- Shared and Specific Characteristics333
- Mindfulness of the Body (kāyasmṛti, kāyagatāsati)336
- Mindfulness of Feelings355
- Mindfulness of the Mind365

13. THE FOUR ESTABLISHMENTS OF MINDFULNESS: PHENOMENA375
- Mindfulness of Phenomena375
- Mindfulness of the Five Hindrances377
- Mindfulness of the Five Aggregates381
- Mindfulness of the Six Sources385
- Mindfulness of the Seven Awakening Factors387
- Mindfulness of the Four Truths391
- Mindfulness in Vajrayāna393
- Bodhisattvas' Practice of the Four Establishments of Mindfulness393
- The Selflessness of Phenomena and the Four Establishments of Mindfulness394
- The Benefits of the Four Establishments of Mindfulness408

14. THE THIRTY-SEVEN HARMONIES WITH AWAKENING413
- The Four Supreme Strivings414
- The Four Bases of Spiritual Power417
- The Five Faculties and Five Powers422
- The Seven Awakening Factors427
- The Āryas' Eightfold Path432
- Relationships among the Thirty-Seven Harmonies with Awakening446
- The Thirty-Seven Harmonies and the Five Paths448
- Conventional and Ultimate Thirty-Seven Harmonies452
- The Thirty-Seven Harmonies for Fundamental Vehicle and Mahāyāna Practitioners453
- The Thirty-Seven Harmonies in Tibetan Buddhism455

Notes461
Glossary473
Further Reading487
Index489
About the Authors519

Interconnections

Works related to this item