No edit summary |
No edit summary |
||
| Line 36: | Line 36: | ||
==Tonglen== | ==Tonglen== | ||
The above instructions, especially the exchange of self and other, would have a profound influence on the Tibetan Kadam school and their propagation of the teachings introduced by Atiśa that came to be known collectively under the banner of mind training, ''lojong'' (''blo sbyong''). | The above instructions, especially the exchange of self and other, would have a profound influence on the Tibetan Kadam school and their propagation of the teachings introduced by Atiśa that came to be known collectively under the banner of mind training, ''lojong'' (''blo sbyong''). Certain passages from the ''Bodhicaryāvatāra'' are often highlighted as a potential source of ''tonglen'' (''gtong len''), the practice of ''giving'' happiness and ''taking'' suffering. For example, | ||
{{PullBcaVerses|8.131|128}} | {{PullBcaVerses|8.131|128}} | ||
Though the specifics of these two | Though the specifics of these two are quite distinct in practice, they share a similar theoretical basis and there is considerable overlap in circumstances surrounding their propagation. As Thupten Jinpa, referring to the ''Bodhicaryāvatāra'' as the ''Guide'', explains, | ||
{{QuoteCite | {{QuoteCite | ||
|quote-text=On the surface, the relationship between the ''Guide'' and Tibetan mind training appears fairly straightforward. First and foremost, there seems to be a direct link, if not an equivalence, between the exchanging of self and others as outlined in chapter 8 of the ''Guide'' and <i>lojong</i>'s "giving and taking" (''tonglen'') meditation, which involves imaginatively taking on others' suffering, misfortune, and negative karma and giving to others one's happiness, good fortune, and positive karma. Second, the ''Guide'' is listed as one of the "six treatises of Kadam," which also include Śāntideva's ''Compendium of Training''. Third, most ''lojong'' texts, especially since the appearance of Chekawa's "Seven-Point Mind Training" in the twelfth century, seem to contain disproportionately high numbers of citations from the ''Guide''. Fourth, Atiśa's explicit acknowledgment of Serlingpa (literally, "the one from the Island of Sumatra") as the principal source for his instruction on generating ''bodhicitta'', combined with the fact that Serlingpa's approach is thought to emphasize the exchanging of self and others, suggest the ''Guide'' to be the direct source of ''lojong'''s approach to cultivating ''bodhicitta''. Finally, it cannot be a matter of pure coincidence that most Tibetan masters who have been ''Guide'' enthusiasts were also great advocates of ''lojong''. This is true from the earliest Tibetan ''lojong'' teachers, especially Langri Thangpa (1054-1123) and Chekawa (1101-75), to Ngulchu Thokmé Sangpo (1297-1371) and Tsongkhapa (1357-1419), and from Yongzin Yeshé Gyaltsen in the eighteenth century to Dza Paltrül in the nineteenth century. | |quote-text=On the surface, the relationship between the ''Guide'' and Tibetan mind training appears fairly straightforward. First and foremost, there seems to be a direct link, if not an equivalence, between the exchanging of self and others as outlined in chapter 8 of the ''Guide'' and <i>lojong</i>'s "giving and taking" (''tonglen'') meditation, which involves imaginatively taking on others' suffering, misfortune, and negative karma and giving to others one's happiness, good fortune, and positive karma. Second, the ''Guide'' is listed as one of the "six treatises of Kadam," which also include Śāntideva's ''Compendium of Training''. Third, most ''lojong'' texts, especially since the appearance of Chekawa's "Seven-Point Mind Training" in the twelfth century, seem to contain disproportionately high numbers of citations from the ''Guide''. Fourth, Atiśa's explicit acknowledgment of Serlingpa (literally, "the one from the Island of Sumatra") as the principal source for his instruction on generating ''bodhicitta'', combined with the fact that Serlingpa's approach is thought to emphasize the exchanging of self and others, suggest the ''Guide'' to be the direct source of ''lojong'''s approach to cultivating ''bodhicitta''. Finally, it cannot be a matter of pure coincidence that most Tibetan masters who have been ''Guide'' enthusiasts were also great advocates of ''lojong''. This is true from the earliest Tibetan ''lojong'' teachers, especially Langri Thangpa (1054-1123) and Chekawa (1101-75), to Ngulchu Thokmé Sangpo (1297-1371) and Tsongkhapa (1357-1419), and from Yongzin Yeshé Gyaltsen in the eighteenth century to Dza Paltrül in the nineteenth century. | ||
The purpose of this website is to provide a resource hub for trustworthy information for learning about and teaching Bodhicitta ("bodhichitta") and Śāntideva's ("Shantideva's") related texts. Unique content will be shared here and the site will act as a broker for other projects and authors that have already created quality materials, which we will curate for a wide range of audiences.
See General disclaimer for more information.