Geshe Tashi Tsering - The Awakening Mind, Volume 4: The Foundation of Buddhist Thought

THE AWAKENING MIND

T HE F OUNDATION OF B UDDHIST T HOUGHT S ERIES

1. The Four Noble Truths

2. Relative Truth, Ultimate Truth

3. Buddhist Psychology

4. The Awakening Mind

5. Emptiness

6. Tantra

The Awakening Mind

THE FOUNDATION of
BUDDHIST THOUGHT

V O L U M E I V

GESHE TASHI TSERING

FOREWORD BY LAMA ZOPA RINPOCHE

EDITED BY GORDON MCDOUGALL

WISDOM PUBLICATIONS BOSTON

Wisdom Publications, Inc.

199 Elm Street

Somerville MA 02144 USA

www.wisdompubs.org

2007 Geshe Tashi Tsering and Jamyang Buddhist Centre

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No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any other information storage and retrieval system or technologies now known or later developed, without permission in writing from the publisher.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Tashi Tsering, Geshe, 1958

The awakening mind / Geshe Tashi Tsering ; foreword by Lama Zopa Rinpoche ; edited by Gordon McDougall.

p. cm. (Foundation of Buddhist thought ; v. 4)

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN 0-86171-510-1 (pbk. : alk. paper)

1. Bodhicitta (Buddhism) 2. CompassionReligious aspectsBuddhism. 3. Bodhisattvas. 4. Spiritual lifeMahayana Buddhism. I. McDougall, Gordon, 1948-II. Title.

BQ4398.5.T37 2008

294.3420423dc22 2008012117

Cover and interior design by Gopa&Ted2, Inc. Set in Goudy 10.5/16 pt.

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Dedicated to my late mother, Dolma Buti.

CONTENTS

T HE B UDDHAS MESSAGE is universal. We all search for happiness but somehow fail to find it because we are looking for it in the wrong direction. Only when we start cherishing others will true happiness grow within us. And so the Buddhas essential teaching is one of compassion and ethics, combined with the wisdom that understands the nature of reality. The teachings of the Buddha contain everything needed to eliminate suffering and make life truly meaningful, and as such the teachings are not only relevant to todays world, but vital.

This is the message my precious teacher, Lama Thubten Yeshe, gave to his Western students. His vision to present the Dharma in a way that was accessible and relevant to everyone continues and grows as his legacy. His organization, the Foundation for the Preservation of the Mahayana Tradition (FPMT), now has centers all over the world, and Lamas work is carried on by many of his students.

The Foundation of Buddhist Thought , developed by Geshe Tashi Tsering, is one of the core courses of the FPMTs integrated education program. The essence of Tibetan Buddhist philosophy can be found within its curriculum, consisting of six different subjects in Buddhist thought and practice. The Foundation of Buddhist Thought serves as a wonderful basis for further study in Buddhism, as well as a tool to transform our everyday lives into something meaningful.

Geshe Tashi has been the resident teacher at Jamyang Buddhist Centre, London, since 1994. He has been incredibly beneficial in skillfully guiding the students both in London and in many other centers where he teaches. Besides his profound knowledgehe is a Lharampa Geshe, the highest educational qualification within our traditionhis excellent English and deep understanding of Western students means that he can present the Dharma in a way that is both accessible and relevant. His wisdom, compassion, and humor are combined with a genuine gift as a teacher. You will see within the six books of The Foundation of Buddhist Thought series the same combination of profound understanding and heart advice that can guide both beginner and experienced Dharma practitioner alike on the spiritual path.

Whether you read this book out of curiosity or as part of your spiritual journey, I sincerely hope that you find it beneficial and that it shows you a way to open your heart and develop your wisdom.

Lama Zopa Rinpoche

Spiritual Director

The Foundation for the Preservation of the Mahayana Tradition

L OOKING BACK ON MY LIFE , I feel both grateful and humble that I have had so many opportunities to learn about the wonderful awakening mind, called bodhichitta in Sanskrit, the mind wishing to attain enlightenment for the sake of all living beings. Not only have I studied the great texts again and again in the monastery, but I have also heard many precious masters such as His Holiness the Dalai Lama teach on the subject often.

Despite the little I have been able to assimilate within my mental continuum, I still feel my continued exposure to the teachings on the awakening mind has done me much good. Im not sure how far down the road to altruism I have gone, but I am completely convinced from all that I have studied that were I to cultivate such a mind at some distant time in the future, it would have immeasurable benefits for me and for all those I came into contact with over the course of my lifetime. Moreover, there would be both immediate benefits, such as the freedom from the fears, worries, and uncertainties that are now part and parcel of daily life, as well as long-term benefits, such as attaining the fully awakened state of enlightenment.

It is very interesting how Western students, utterly unabashed, often ask His Holiness the Dalai Lama if he has such a mind, a question no Tibetan would ever dare ask. His answer, invariably given with great humor, is that he has been trying since he was a boy to get a glimpse of such a mind, and that the day he cultivates the mind of enlightenment will be the day he can finally take a good rest.

This answer tells us how crucial the awakening mind of enlightenment is, and it is not just the present Dalai Lama who understands its importance. There is a long tradition of teachings on bodhichitta and many, many generations of great masters have understood this, beginning with the Buddha himself.

All of the Mahayana traditions say that to achieve full enlightenment both the wisdom and the method sides of the practice are needed. Wisdom refers to the profound heart-level understanding of subjects such as selflessness, impermanence, and lack of inherent existence, and method refers to the development of the emotional, intuitive side of the mindkindness, love, ethics, and so on. Paramount to the method side is the cultivation of bodhichitta.