Interesting facts about the Dalai Lama. The Dalai Lama on Dzogchen Teachings on the path of great perfection, transmitted in the West by His Holiness the Dalai Lama

Official site - http://dalailama.com

Love and compassion. Lecture by His Holiness the XIV Dalai Lama. Elista, December 1, 2004. - http://buddhisminkalmykia.ru/?page\u003ddalai-lama-elista

His Holiness the Dalai Lama speaks to a Russian audience. Text of the address of His Holiness the Dalai Lama to pilgrims from Russia and Mongolia Dharamsala, India. March 25, 2006 - http://buddhisminkalmykia.ru/?page\u003dshownews&newsid\u003d88

Dalai Lama Teacher Tenzin Gyatso

OM AH GURU VAJRADHARA VAGINDRA SUMATI SHASANA DHARA SAMUDRA SRI BHADRA SARVA SIDDHI HUM HUM

Prayer for the Long Life of His Holiness the Dalai Lama

The source of goodness and happiness
from the edge of snow-capped mountains -
All-compassionate-seeing
Lord Tenzin Gyatso
May it be indestructible
In the world - while life remains.
Biography of the Dalai Lama Teacher Tenzin Gyatso

His Holiness the Dalai Lama is the traditional head of Tibet - spiritual and political. The current Dalai Lama is the fourteenth in the line of reincarnations identified as the reincarnation of Gendun Dub, the 1st Dalai Lama, yogi and teacher who was a direct disciple of Lama Tsongkhapa. Since the time of the Great Fifth Dalai Lama, the figure of the Dalai Lama has been associated with religious breadth and openness. The Dalai Lamas were interested not only in the Gelug tradition, but also in other traditions, primarily the Nyingma, and acted as patrons of all four schools. This is especially true for the current Fourteenth Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso. He personally transmits the teachings of all four schools of Tibetan Buddhism. He holds meetings and conferences with the heads of four schools. He also supports the fifth tradition - the pre-Buddhist Tibetan religion Bon.

Regarding the role of the Dalai Lama in spreading the Circle of Time tradition, it is explained that the connection of the Circle of Time tantra with our planet is great thanks to the first two kings of Shambhala. Rigden Pema Karpo, the second of the twenty-five kings of Shambhala, was the embodiment of Avalokitershvara (the Bodhisattva of compassion). His Holiness the Dalai Lama is also the embodiment of this deity. The father of that king, Rigden Jampel Tapa, was the embodiment of Manjushri (the Bodhisattva of wisdom), of which the Panchen Lama is considered to be the embodiment. Therefore, these two kings and these two great lamas, Avalokiteshvara and Manjushri, have always acted for peace in the past and will continue their work in the present and future. They act for harmony in Tibet and harmony between religions.

While still in Tibet, His Holy Dalai Lama gave the Kalachakra initiation two times. The main Teacher of the Dalai Lama in the Circle of Time tantra was his senior teacher, Ling Rinpoche. Later in India, Serkong Rinpoche also gave comments on the Circle of Time to him. Kirti Tsenshab Rinpoche is currently the teacher of His Holiness in the commentary on the Circle of Time tantra "Unclouded Light" (Vimalaprabha).

To date, His Holiness has passed the initiation more than 30 times in many countries of the world - in India, America, Europe, Australia. The reason He imparts this initiation so much is because it brings harmony to the world, which is the purpose of the teachings of the Circle of Time.

Dalai Lama Tenzin Gyatso was born on July 6, 1935. In the face of the impending danger of the country's loss of independence after the Chinese communist revolution, he assumed the powers of the ruler of Tibet and tried to defend the most important rights of the Tibetan people in negotiations with Mao Zedong, especially in terms of religious life. When this failed and all attempts culminated in the tightening of the military Chinese rule in Tibet and the popular Tibetan uprising on March 10, 1959, he left Tibet, emigrating to India to pursue the work of saving Tibetan religious tradition and culture there. As a result of his efforts in India in exile, the most important monasteries of all four schools of Tibetan Buddhism were recreated, with the corresponding educational traditions and religious practices.

Demonstrating within the framework of Tibetan society the breadth and position of an open inter-confessional, intra-Buddhist dialogue, the Dalai Lama made the same positions in relation to other religions of the world from the side of Buddhism. In fact, the principle of interfaith dialogue is a striking characteristic of the practitioner of the Circle of Time system.

Another striking characteristic of His Holiness, corresponding to the Kalachakra system, is his attitude towards science and modern civilization. His St. Dalai Lama during his life in the West was the initiator of many international conferences and round tables on the dialogue between religion and science, religion and politics, etc. and was proclaimed as a guest of honor by the largest universities and other scientific and cultural centers of Europe, Asia, America and Australia.

His St. Dalai Lama is not only the world's largest Buddhist leader, but also an outstanding public figure, thinker, Nobel Peace Prize laureate, the author of many books on philosophy, Buddhist practice and also books on universal human problems and values, in particular, ethics. new millennium.

DALAI LAMA XIV Lhamo Dhondrup (or Tenzin Gyatso - "the ocean that stores the teachings") was born on JULY 6, 1935 in a small village called Taktser in the northern Tibetan province of Amdo. His parents were simple peasants.

The XIII Dalai Lama left behind a prediction describing the exact place of his next birth, which was then confirmed by traditional methods. In 1937, a special group of lamas came to the village of Taktser in search of a new reincarnation of the Dalai Lama. In his book My Land and My People, the 14th Dalai Lama recalls: “Young children who are rebirths usually remember things and people from their previous lives. Some of them can read religious texts, although no one has taught them yet. Everything I said to the lama gave him reason to believe that he had finally found the rebirth he was looking for. " After appropriate tests, the four-year-old Lhamo Dhondrup was recognized as the Reborn by the XIII Dalai Lama. The eastern region of Tibet, where the village of Taktser was located, was under Chinese control. After lengthy negotiations between the Tibetan government and the local administration, in October 1939 His Holiness left his parents' home and headed for Lhasa. On February 22, 1940, his enthronement ceremony took place, and a 5-year-old boy was proclaimed the head of all Tibetan Buddhists.

His Holiness Tenzin Gyatso studied under the traditional system at the Potala and Nor-bu Ling, the Dalai Lama's winter and summer residences. His training program included "five large" and "five small sciences". The "Five Big Sciences" are logic, Tibetan art and culture, Sanskrit, medicine, Buddhist philosophy. The Five Minor Sciences are poetry, music and drama, astrology and literature. At the age of 24, the Dalai Lama was taking multi-stage exams. The final exams were held in Jokhang, the first Buddhist temple in Tibet, founded in 641. The exams were traditionally timed to coincide with the annual New Year's Monlam Chhenmo, the largest prayer holiday. Tenzin Gyatso brilliantly passed the examinations in the presence of 20,000 scholarly monks and received the highest title of Doctor of Theology (Geshe Lharamba).

In 1949, Tibetan-Chinese relations deteriorated sharply. The Chinese government insisted that Tibet was part of China. In 1956, an extraordinary session of the National Assembly of Tibet asked His Holiness, who was 16 at the time, to assume full spiritual and secular authority. The Dalai Lama's efforts to normalize the situation were unsuccessful. On March 10, 1959, armed clashes broke out in Lhasa between units of the Chinese army and the local population. In order to avoid bloodshed, the Dalai Lama, who always proceeded from the concept of non-violence, was forced to leave Lhasa and go to India, where he established a government in exile. The government and people of India hospitably received the Dalai Lama and his seventy-eight thousand spiritual followers. Since 1960, His Holiness has been living in India, in the city of Dharamsala. This city is often called "Little Lhasa". His Holiness did and is doing everything possible to preserve in India the treasures of the Tibetan civilization, which was almost completely destroyed in Tibet between 1955 and 1979 (99% of the monasteries were completely destroyed, countless works of Buddhist art and literature were destroyed, for a long time under religion itself was forbidden).

In 1979, the Dalai Lama re-launched a dialogue with the Chinese side on the settlement of relations between Tibet and China.

In 1987, he put forward a Five Point Peace Plan, which called for negotiations to begin on the future status of Tibet and on relations between the Tibetan and Chinese peoples. The plan was supported throughout the world.

The XIV Dalai Lama became famous as an outstanding philosopher, fighter for peace and human rights. The Dalai Lama visited 41 countries, met with politicians, clergy, cultural figures, businessmen. Wherever he spoke, he spoke everywhere about his confidence in the unity of mankind, about the sense of responsibility of each person for the fate of the whole world. In 1973, the Dalai Lama met with Pope Paul VI, several times with Pope John Paul II.

The XIV Dalai Lama published 17 of his books, including works on Buddhist philosophy and autobiographical essays, speeches and articles. His works have been translated into dozens of languages. The Dalai Lama was elected an honorary doctor of universities in India, the USA, France and other countries, and was awarded prizes from a number of major research centers.

TRADITIONAL BUDDHISTS IN RUSSIA venerate the Dalai Lama as the highest spiritual authority. The Buryat and Kalmyk monasteries maintained constant contact with the Tibetan monasteries of Drapun-Goman, Lavran and Sera. Diplomatic contacts between Russia and Tibet began in the late 1880s, when the 13th Dalai Lama began to communicate with Tsar Nicholas II. A number of historical circumstances hindered the development of relations between the two countries. A special sign of the outlined rapprochement between Russia and Tibet is the Buddhist temple "Datsan Gunzechoynei" founded in 1909 in St. Petersburg (the temple is currently operating, located near the metro station Staraya Derevnya near the Kirov Central Park of Culture and Leisure). Built in the capital of the Russian Empire, this temple was to become not only an important spiritual center for traditional Buddhists of Russia, but also the diplomatic representation of the Dalai Lama in this country.

The 14th Dalai Lama attracts the world's attention with his humility and dedication to the idea of \u200b\u200bnon-violence. He has always advocated mutual understanding between peoples and followers of different religions of the world. In his famous speech "GENERAL RESPONSIBILITY AND MERCY" (1973)
He said: “The need for simple relationships between people is becoming more and more necessary ... Today the world has become smaller and more dependent on everyone. National problems cannot be solved entirely by one country. Thus, if there is no sense of personal responsibility for everyone, our survival is at risk. Basically, responsibility for everyone is about feeling the suffering of others in the same way you feel your own suffering. It should be understood that our enemies are also driven by the idea of \u200b\u200bseeking happiness. All living beings want what we want too "

In 1989, the Dalai Lama was awarded the Nobel Prize for his peacekeeping activities.

His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama Tenzin Gyatso was born into a peasant family on 6 July 1935 in the small village of Tagtser, located in Amdo, northeastern Tibet. At the age of two, He was recognized as the reincarnation of the Great XIII Dalai Lama and was brought to Lhasa, where on February 22, 1941 he was officially enthroned as the spiritual and secular head of Tibet.

At the age of 6, He began to study religion and in 1959, in the presence of 20,000 monks, passed the exam for the title of Geshe, which corresponds to a doctorate in Buddhist philosophy.

Shortly before the Dalai Lama assumed full power (November 1950), the PRC army occupied Tibet (late 1949). In 1950-59, the Dalai Lama made every possible effort to ensure that his people peacefully coexist with the Chinese.

In 1954, at the invitation of the Chinese government, His Holiness paid a visit to the PRC and met with Mao Zedong, Zhou Enlai, and Deng Xiaoping. He also had meetings with N.S. Khrushchov and J. Nehru, who were also visiting Beijing at that time.

However, His efforts were unsuccessful, and in 1959 the Dalai Lama was forced to leave for India.

About 100,000 Tibetans followed their leader. In India, the Dalai Lama created a Tibetan government in exile, which did not take care of the adaptation of Tibetan refugees to the Indian conditions and the preservation of the national religious culture.

Over the 30 years that have passed since that time, His Holiness the Dalai Lama, in his numerous lectures and books, translated into dozens of languages, carries a message of love, compassion and wisdom, calls for universal responsibility and the resolution of controversial issues by non-violent methods.

In 1979, a dialogue with the Chinese side began again.

On September 21, 1987, His Holiness put forward a 5 Point Peace Plan for Tibet, which is as follows:

1. Transformation of the entire Tibet into a zone of peace.

2. Cessation of the mass resettlement of Chinese to Tibet.

3. Respect for fundamental human rights in Tibet.

4. Restoring and protecting the natural environment in Tibet and ending China's use of Tibet for the production of nuclear weapons and the disposal of nuclear waste.

5. The beginning of serious negotiations on the future status of Tibet and on relations between the Tibetan and Chinese peoples.

This peace plan was widely supported all over the world, including the US Congress, the German Bundestag, the parliaments of the Netherlands and Sweden, and the European Parliament. In 1989, the Dalai Lama's peacekeeping work was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.

For centuries, the Dalai Lamas of Tibet have been the main religious leaders in Central Asia and the entire Himalayan region. But for the rest of the world, this title was something very distant and exotic. This perception of the spiritual and political leader of Tibet radically changed the fate of the current Dalai Lama. His availability, frequent travel and personal interest in the many issues of the modern world - from protecting the environment to protecting human rights - made the Dalai Lama one of the most famous political figures in the world. In the course of his political activities, he organized a very effective, talented and energetic support for Tibet throughout the world.

The decision of the Norwegian Nobel Committee to award the Peace Prize to His Holiness the Dalai Lama in 1989 received the approval of the entire world community (with the exception of China). On this occasion, the Committee emphasized that “The Dalai Lama, in his fight for the liberation of Tibet, has continually refrained from calling for the use of force. Instead, he has called for a peaceful solution based on mutual tolerance and respect to preserve the cultural heritage of his people. Lama consistently implements his philosophy of peace, which is based on deep respect for all living things and a sense of universal responsibility towards all mankind and all nature. "

His Holiness the XIV Dalai Lama Tenzin Gyatso (Ocean Holder of the Teaching) was born on July 6, 1935 (the year of the Pig Tree according to the Tibetan calendar) in a small village called Taktser in the Dokham region of northeastern Tibet. His father Choikyon Tsering and mother Sonam Tsomo (her name was later changed to Diki Tsering) were simple peasants. At birth, he was given the name Lhamo Dhondrup. In his autobiography, My Land and My People, His Holiness writes: “If I were born into a wealthy aristocratic family, I would not have been able to feel the feelings and aspirations of the poorest Tibetans. But thanks to my simple origin, I can understand them, anticipate their thoughts, and that is why I have so much compassion for them and have always tried to do everything to make their lot easier. ”

In 1909, Dalai Lama XIII, during a pilgrimage to places associated with Zhe Tsonghava, visited the village of Taktser. He noted the beauty of this place and said that he would like to return there again. In 1937, a special group of lamas came to the village of Taktser in search of a new reincarnation of the Dalai Lama. In his book My Land and My People, the XIV Dalai Lama recalls: “Young children who are rebirths usually remember things and people from their previous lives. Some of them can read religious texts, although no one has taught them yet. Everything I said to the lama gave him reason to believe that he had finally found the rebirth he was looking for. ” After appropriate trials, the four-year-old Lhamo Dhondrup was recognized as the Reincarnated Dalai Lama XIII. The eastern region of Tibet, where the village of Taktser was located, was under Chinese control. After lengthy negotiations between the Tibetan government and the local administration, in October 1939 His Holiness left his parents' home and headed for Lhasa. The ceremony of his enthronement took place on February 22, 1940.

His Holiness Tenzin Gyatso studied according to the traditional system in Potala and Nor-bu Ling, his winter and summer residences. His Holiness had two official mentors - Yongzin Ling Rinpoche and Yongzin Trichang Rinpoche. His curriculum included "five big" and "five small sciences" "Five big sciences" - this is logic, Tibetan art and culture, Sanskrit, medicine, Buddhist philosophy. The Five Minor Sciences are poetry, music and drama, astrology and literature. At the age of 24, His Holiness took the preliminary examinations for the Doctor of Theology degree at three major monastic universities: Drepung (founded in 1416), Sera (1419), Ganden (1409). He passed the final exams in Jokhang, the first Buddhist temple in Tibet, founded in 641. The exams were traditionally timed to coincide with the annual New Year's Monlam, the largest prayer holiday. On the morning of the exam day, He passed the examinations in logic to thirty scientists. In the afternoon, His Holiness participated in a philosophical debate with fifteen scholars. In the evening thirty-five scholars examined Him on matters of monastic discipline and metaphysics. His Holiness brilliantly passed the examinations in the presence of 20,000 scholarly monks and received the title of Doctor of Theology (Geshe Lharamba).

In 1949, Tibetan-Chinese relations sharply deteriorated. The Chinese government insisted that Tibet was part of China. Expressing the point of view of his people, the Dalai Lama wrote: "From 1912 until the fateful 1950, Tibet was de facto a state, independent of any other power, and our status to this day remains the same as in 1912" In 1950, Chinese troops entered Eastern Tibet, which further complicated the situation. On October 26, 1950, the Indian Foreign Ministry sent the following note to Beijing: “Now that the Chinese government has launched an invasion of Tibet, it is hardly possible to combine peace negotiations with these events, and, naturally, some Tibetans will fear that these negotiations will be under pressure. Given the current state of affairs, the Chinese invasion of Tibet cannot be viewed as anything other than a depressing event, inconsistent with China's own interests in establishing peace in the region. That's what the Indian government thinks. "

In 1956, an extraordinary session of the National Assembly of Tibet asked His Holiness, who was 16 at the time, to assume full spiritual and secular authority. Driven by the Buddhist idea of \u200b\u200bnon-violence, He dedicated himself to the struggle for peace, the prosperity of Buddhism and the well-being of the Tibetan people. In his book “My Land and My People,” the XIV Dalai Lama writes: “I am a staunch follower of the doctrine of non-violence, which was first preached by Buddha, whose wisdom is absolute and undeniable. This teaching was practiced by an outstanding public figure of India, saint Mahatma Gandhi. I vehemently objected to any attempt to reclaim our freedom with weapons. ” In 1954, His Holiness visited China at the invitation of the Chinese government. In 1956, He visited India to attend the 2,500th anniversary of Buddha's birthday, where he met with Indian Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru and Chinese Prime Minister Jou En-lai to discuss the situation in Eastern Tibet. ...

Dalai Lama leaves Tibet On March 10, 1959, armed clashes broke out in Lhasa between units of the Chinese army and the local population. To avoid bloodshed. His Holiness, who always proceeded from the concept of non-violence, was forced to leave Lhasa. The government and people of India welcomed the Dalai Lama and his seventy-eight thousand spiritual followers. Since 1960, His Holiness has lived in India, in the city of Dharamsala (Himachal Pradesh state). This city is often referred to as "Little Lhasa". His Holiness did and is doing everything possible to preserve in India the treasures of the Tibetan civilization, which was almost completely destroyed in Tibet in the period from 1955 to 1979: 99% of the monasteries were completely destroyed, countless works of Buddhist art and literature were destroyed, for a long time under religion itself was prohibited.

Unlike his predecessors, His Holiness traveled extensively to the countries of the East and West. He visited 41 countries, met with politicians, clergy, cultural figures, businessmen. Wherever He spoke, He spoke everywhere about his confidence in the unity of mankind, about the sense of responsibility of each person for the fate of the whole world. In 1973, the Dalai Lama met with Pope Paul VI, several times with Pope John Paul II.

Ever since the seventies, when the XIV Dalai Lama began to travel to Western countries for the first time, the fame of an outstanding scientist and fighter for peace was entrenched in Him. His Holiness has published 17 of his books, including works on Buddhist philosophy and autobiographical essays, speeches and articles. Many universities around the world have awarded him an honorary doctorate for his work on Buddhist philosophy.

His Holiness the XIV Dalai Lama attracts the world's attention with his humility and dedication to the idea of \u200b\u200bnon-violence. He has always advocated mutual understanding between peoples and followers of different religions of the world. In his famous speech “Universal Responsibility and Mercy” (1973), He said: “The need for simple relationships between people is becoming more and more necessary ... Today the world has become closer and more dependent on everyone. National problems cannot be solved entirely by one country. Thus, if there is no sense of personal responsibility for everyone, our survival is at risk. Basically, taking responsibility for everyone is about being able to feel the suffering of others just as you feel your own suffering. It should be understood that our enemies are also driven by the idea of \u200b\u200bseeking happiness. All living beings want what we want. ” On more than one occasion, special awards were given to His efforts in the struggle for freedom and peace.

Combination Dalai Lama means "supreme", "ocean of wisdom". This is the highest lama in the Gelug tradition of Tibetan Buddhism. It so happened historically that the Dalai Lamas are the heads of the Tibetan government, whose residence was in Lhasa, in the Potala Palace.

The Dalai Lamas are believed to be the embodiment of the compassionate bodhisattva of Avaloketishvara and consciously reincarnate from life to life. That is, for the Tibetans, the Dalai Lama who lived 500 years ago and the present one are essentially the same person.

By now, there are already 14 Dalai Lamas. The last one, Tenzin Gyatso, was born on July 6, 1935 and is still alive today. It is customary to address the Dalai Lamas with respect, speaking about them by His Holiness. You can learn more about the biography of His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama Tenzin Gyatso.

In 1959, the Dalai Lama leaves Lhasa and through the Himalayas, along with tens of thousands of other Tibetans, finds political asylum in India. To the present day, the seat of the Dalai Lama and the Tibetan government is Dharmasala (located in the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh).

In terms of politics and organization of society, it is the Dalai Lama who is the leader of the Tibetans.

From the point of view of Buddhism in general, the Dalai Lama is one of several lamas who hold the tradition of Tibetan Buddhism. That is, besides him, there are other lamas who are consciously reincarnating and are the holders of the tradition (for example, the Karmapa).

Many Europeans are still in the delusion, considering His Holiness the Dalai Lama "the main Buddhist of all times and peoples." The very concept of Chief, in Buddhism does not reflect such a clear subordinate hierarchy as we do. A person's position in "Buddhist society" is primarily determined by his spiritual merits and deeds. Just like, for example, comparing two apple trees in our garden, we judge them not by their age, but by the taste and juiciness of the fruits they bear. That is why, among all Buddhists and people who know him, His Holiness the Dalai Lama enjoys sincere and immeasurable respect.

Dalai Lama XIV Tenzin Gyatso
"Buddhism of Russia" No. 29, p. 40-41

Buddhist monk Tenzin Gyatso Dalai Lama XIV was born on July 6, 1935 in the village of Tagtser in the Tibetan province of Amdo near Lake Kukunor. His Holiness the XIV Dalai Lama He was recognized as the reincarnation of the XIII Dalai Lama and was enthroned at the age of three. At the age of six he began to receive a Buddhist education, and at the age of 24 he was awarded the highest degree of Doctor of Buddhist Sciences - "Lharamba" on behalf of the three main Tibetan monastic universities: Ganden, Sera and Depung.

After the invasion of Tibet by the People's Liberation Army of China in 1950, for nine years, while still a very young leader of his country, he tried to cooperate with the authorities of the PRC in the conditions of occupation imposed on his people, but as a result of the destruction of the traditional way of life (creation of kolkhozes, elimination of nomadism, etc.) and religion (a total of 6000 monasteries in Tibet were destroyed) in 1959, a popular uprising broke out in the capital of Tibet, Lhasa, which led to the most severe repression, and the ruler of Tibet was forced to emigrate to friendly India.

Beginning in 1959, His Holy Dalai Lama assumed responsibility for the preservation and development of Tibetan culture, especially spiritual traditions, in the conditions of emigration, and over the years has managed to achieve not only the restoration of the main monastic Tibetan centers in India, but also progress in traditional the educational system and the structure of public self-government of the Tibetan diaspora. The role of the Dalai Lama is great in upholding a non-sectarian approach to Buddhist teachings and traditions both in Tibetan society itself and in the Western world. By transmitting the practices and teachings of all four schools of Tibetan Buddhism and constantly emphasizing their equal value and fundamental unity, His Holy Dalai Lama truly acts as the religious leader of the entire Tibetan Buddhist world.

Also, in order to protect the rights of his people, the Dalai Lama, as a secular leader of Tibet, became involved in international public life. For decades, visiting countries of the West and the East, he steadily preached and developed the idea of \u200b\u200bnon-violence as the basis of the life of the human community; compassion and love - as a universal religion and also the idea of \u200b\u200buniversal responsibility. It is remarkable that he not only preached them, but also put them into practice in the sphere of interreligious relations and politics, continuing to fight for the solution of the Tibetan problem exclusively from the standpoint of the principle of non-violence.

The example of the unique personality of this monk-thinker-politician was significant for the professionals of world politics. Also in this regard, his work played a role: "Place of Ethics and Morality in Politics" ("Place of morality and morality in politics"); "Spiritual Contribution to Social Progress" ("The contribution of spirituality to social progress"); “Compassion in Global Politics”, “The Global Community and the Need for Universal Responsibility”. The humanistic work of His Holiness the Dalai Lama has received wide recognition in the world, expressed in the award of the Nobel Peace Prize in 1989.

The Dalai Lama expresses his philosophy of life at meetings with political, public, religious figures, in numerous public lectures in different countries of the world and in publications. The most popular in the world as the credo of his worldview is the article “A Human Approach to World Peace”.

His Holiness substantiates his vision of love as a universal religion in practically all religious sermons, in secular lectures and speeches. His works are specially addressed to this topic: "Compassion and the Individual", "Dimensions of Spirituality" ("Dimensions of the spiritual world").

The Dalai Lama considers an ecological approach to the position of man in the world to be an integral part of the Buddhist worldview. Many of his speeches are devoted to the topic of ecology, including the famous Plan of Peace, set out in the Address of His Holiness to members of the US Congress. In accordance with this plan, the solution of the Tibetan problem with a compromise version of the autonomy status appears as a program of turning the entire territory of Tibet into a zone of peace, withdrawing Chinese troops and clearing the land of nuclear weapons and radioactive waste - restoring and protecting the environment: creating a unique nature reserve - the largest biosphere a park and a “laboratory” for spiritual practice; and making Tibet a haven for all organizations that advocate for the consolidation of peace and the protection of all forms of life.

From the special works of His Holy Dalai Lama on the problem of ecology are known: “Tree of Life. Buddhism and Protection of Nature. With a Declaration on Environmental Ethics by His Holiness The Dalai Lama ”; “His Holiness the XIV Dalai Lama on the Environment”, - in Russian translation: His Holiness the XIV Dalai Lama. Life on Earth: Lectures and Articles on Ecology. Collection. M., 1996.

In addition to numerous lectures and works on Buddhist philosophy and psychology proper, which are of unique importance for the modern Western world, interested in acquaintance with ancient Buddhist culture, His Holiness plays an important role in the process of mutual study and enrichment of Buddhism and modern science. He was the initiator and indispensable participant in the holding of regular scientific conferences organized as a dialogue between the Tibetan tradition and modern science in various fields of knowledge. The Dalai Lama outlined his understanding of the principles of the relationship between science and spirituality in the article: "Meeting-Points in Science and Spirituality" ("Common points of science and spirituality").

The following works of His Holiness have been published in Russian:

1. Buddhism of Tibet. Nartang, 1991.
2. Freedom in exile. Nartang, 1992.
3. Kindness, clarity and intuition. M., 1993.
4. The politics of kindness // "The way to yourself." 1995. N3.
5. Compassion and universal responsibility. M .: Nartang, "Clear Light" and the Center for Tibetan Culture and Information, 1995.
6. The path of bliss. A Practical Guide to the Stages of Meditation // "The Way to Oneself". 1995. N5, N6.
7. My Tibet / Ed. "The way to yourself." 1995.
8. The world of Tibetan Buddhism. Nartang, 1996.
9. The power of compassion // "The path to yourself." 1996. N4, N5.
10. Harmony of the worlds. SPb .: "Clear Light", 1996.
11. Life on Earth. Lectures and articles on the problem of ecology / Center for Tibetan Culture and Information. M., 1996.

Hundreds of years ago, the teachings of the Buddha came to our country from Tibet. But today the Russian border turned out to be an insurmountable obstacle for the main Buddhist of the whole world - the Dalai Lama XIV Tenzin Gyatso. But in Moscow and other cities of Russia, interest in faith in the path to Enlightenment is only growing. Yulia Zhironkina, director of the Save Tibet Foundation, told the VM correspondent about the current situation of Buddhists in the capital.

TRADITIONAL AND NEW BUDDHISTS

Yulia, tell us, how high is the interest in Buddhism in Russian society today?

It is important to understand that two groups of people are now showing interest in the Buddha's teachings. The first group is the traditional Buddhists of Russia. For more than four hundred years, Tibetan Buddhism has been the main religion, the main spiritual core of a number of regions of our country. In this we are fundamentally different, for example, from Western countries. For us, the Buddha's teaching is not a new phenomenon. It has always been present here. Kalmyks, Buryats or Tuvans have been practicing it for hundreds of years. Of course, you need to understand that relatively recently they had to take a rather long break from their regular practice. In the Soviet Union, it was simply impossible to openly profess any religion.

After the collapse of the USSR, a spiritual revival also began in the Russian Buddhist environment?

And there is. As soon as practicing Buddhism became possible again, people flocked to the Dalai Lama and other Tibetan teachers to revive traditional ties. Now the communities of Kalmykia, Buryatia and Tuva represent a very active and dynamically developing part of the population of both their republics and other regions in which they live.

And the second group?

The second group is the so-called new Buddhists, whose ancestors professed Christianity, other religions, or were atheists in the recent historical past. Basically, these people are concentrated in large cities of Russia - in Moscow, St. Petersburg, Yekaterinburg and others. Nowadays, traditional and new Buddhists are two active groups in a rather close relationship.

MENTOR ABROAD

Julia, the XIV Dalai Lama Tenzin Gyatso is considered the spiritual mentor of most Buddhists today. But he cannot enter the territory of Russia. How do you solve this problem?

For many years, our Foundation has been organizing the teachings of the Dalai Lama - abroad in India and Latvia. Unfortunately, we cannot invite His Holiness to Russia for many reasons beyond our control and mostly for political reasons. But we are doing everything possible so that our Kalmyks, Buryats, Tuvans and Russian followers of the Buddha's teachings have the opportunity to meet with the Dalai Lama.

Do many people from Russia come to these meetings?

Such sites outside the country turned out to be in great demand. There people get to know each other, establish contacts. If earlier traditional Buddhists and Buddhists of big cities did not always intersect with each other, today they represent one big community in which everyone feels very comfortable.

Despite the fact that the Dalai Lama cannot come to Russia, other Tibetan teachers come to us regularly. How often is this happening now?

There are quite a few Buddhist teachers, and they do come here often. We ourselves invite mentors, many of whom are personally recommended by the Dalai Lama. The organization of many similar meetings and communication of Russian Buddhists with teachers belonging to the traditional Tibetan Gelug school for our country (one of the 4 traditional spiritual schools of Tibet, in the traditions of which all the Dalai Lama in history were brought up - "VM"), as well as with mentors other schools are personally supervised by the Supreme Lama of Kalmykia, Telku Rinpoche, the official representative of the Dalai Lama in Russia, Mongolia and the CIS countries.

A CITY GOING TO ENLIGHTENMENT

There is still no Buddhist temple in Moscow, but it is known that the capital's Buddhists are quite active. How are the various Buddhist centers in the city developing now?

Moscow spiritual life in this respect is indeed very active and very diverse. Not a week passes without a visit to the capital by one of the spiritual mentors. And I'm not exaggerating. Muscovites have a very wide choice. Here you can meet a teacher of any direction, find your own path, the one that suits everyone in the best way. Previously, this was simply impossible.

In Soviet times, we could only dream of meeting these people, spiritual mentors. To communicate with them, one had to go to Tibet or India. Unfortunately for the Tibetans, forced by the Chinese occupation to leave their native land and find refuge in different parts of the world, and fortunately for their Western followers, meetings with teachers have become much more real today.

Now we can constantly communicate with them. But still, the fact that they lost their home remains very sad (in 1959, after an unsuccessful uprising of the Tibetan clergy and part of the population against the Chinese authorities, the XIV Dalai Lama was forced to leave his residence in Potala and flee to India. most of the spiritual teachers of Tibet. Now the residence of the Dalai Lama is in the Indian city of Dharamsala. Here is also the seat of the Tibetan government in exile. - "VM").

What other sources of knowledge about the Buddha's teachings are there in the arsenal of the capital's Buddhists, in addition to direct conversations with spiritual teachers?

Without a word, including a printed one, it is not easy to master many subtleties, and the foundations of Buddhism, therefore, another area of \u200b\u200bour Foundation's activity is publishing books. We translate into Russian the texts recommended by the Dalai Lama personally and make them available to the widest circle of readers. We meet regularly with His Holiness. Thanks to Telo Tulku Rinpoche's assistance, we have the opportunity to receive his recommendations and then implement them. The books of leading Buddhist teachers are now being translated into Russian from Tibetan, from Sanskrit and from English.

Despite the large number of Buddhist centers in Moscow, it is known that they operate independently of each other. They are very fragmented. Is there any hope that the Buddhists of the capital will turn into a kind of unified force? Perhaps this kind of unity is not enough for the first Buddha temple to appear in the city at last ...

In the current situation, there has really been a movement towards unity and cooperation between the Buddhist centers of Moscow. But this is a young, new trend. It takes some time before we see the results. Until recently, communities existed very fragmented, on their own. There was a stage of formation. People were just getting to know Buddhism and its teachers, Buddhist communities were developing their circle.

Now, when the communities have strengthened, they understand their goals and objectives, when they have built good relationships with mentors, they began to look towards each other. We work closely with many organizations, trying to help and support various centers. A little time will pass and strong friendly relations will be established between all Buddhist communities in the capital. But so far these are only the first steps towards each other. This is really one of the reasons why a Buddhist temple has not yet been built in Moscow, although there is a need for it. It is especially strong for traditional Buddhists. It's no secret that quite a few people from Kalmykia, Buryatia and Tuva live in our city. Perhaps not all of them are stubborn Buddhist practitioners, but a very strong faith lives in their hearts. For such people, the temple is essential. Russian people who visit Buddhist centers are probably able to find a corner for themselves to read books, do practice or listen to a lecture. But traditional Buddhists really suffer without a temple.

Photo: Pelagia Zamyatina, "Evening Moscow"

FAITH, PHILOSOPHY AND SCIENCE

Many experts believe that interest in Buddhism in Russia and Western countries has grown greatly in recent decades. What is the reason for this, in your opinion?

For example, for the Russians, the so-called new Buddhists, the teachings of the Buddha are primarily philosophy. For most interested people in the West, things are exactly the same. The Dalai Lama often divides Buddhism into three categories: faith, philosophy, and the science of the functioning of consciousness. This allows one to approach the Buddha's teachings with a different attitude. For a Western person, the scientific and philosophical approach is very interesting. Faith comes later.

How do spiritual leaders view this approach?

If the Dalai Lama himself speaks about this, then, I think, it is clear: this approach is quite acceptable. There is nothing wrong with that. He believes that the philosophical and scientific components of Buddhism can be useful to the widest possible public, not necessarily Buddhists. He encourages people to "experiment" with the Buddha's teachings. Apply certain Buddhist principles in everyday life and look at the results, adopting what actually works.

It turns out that Buddhism does not tolerate dogmatism?

Buddha Shakyamuni himself told the monks that they should not take his word for it. Each of his statements must be verified by ourselves, by personal experience. This is the only way to understand the correctness of the teacher and the truth of the teaching. For example, a goldsmith checks high-grade gold by subjecting it to burning, friction and dissection. The same principle applies to teaching. And only after careful analysis, having checked the teaching, having perceived it, a person can confidently call himself a Buddhist and follow this path. Otherwise, it is better to wait with loud statements.

STRIVING FOR THE TEMPLE

Yulia, what problems do Buddhists face in Moscow today?

To be honest, in recent years Buddhists have been somewhat confused by the Yarovaya package. So far, we have never encountered any real difficulties associated with this law, but some fears and uncertainties are still present. Many people still do not fully understand how Buddhist events should be conducted in today's environment. According to the current legislation, it is best to act in a specially equipped room for worship, in other words, in a temple. But he is still not on the territory of Moscow. And some tension remains. These questions are very often discussed. But for now, we practice as we did without getting into trouble. Most people are satisfied. But there is another problem that has not been resolved for many years.

What's the problem?

This is the absence of the Dalai Lama, the impossibility of his arrival in Moscow. If this issue could be resolved, the life of Buddhists in Moscow and in Russia as a whole would change for the better so much that we cannot even imagine it. The Dalai Lama arrived in Kalmykia in 2004. At that time, there was no Buddhist temple in the center of Elista, a place that would unite all Buddhists. There was a monastery there, but it stood on the outskirts of the city and was relatively small. And so His Holiness, upon arrival, blessed the site for the construction of a new temple. And he grew up literally a year later and became the heart of the spiritual life of the republic. I can only hope that one day the Dalai Lama will come to Moscow and in the same way touch the capital with his blessing. We are sure that then a beautiful temple will also grow here, which will contribute to the unification of all Buddhists. This is what we miss

In the east, various Buddhist schools are called sects. This word in Russia has a negative meaning. Buddhist communities are generally open to the outside world. But do they have a conflict with each other?

As for us, the Foundation is open to Buddhist communities. We are ready for cooperation, contact, information exchange and joint development. There is no confrontation between us and any of the Buddhist communities. And we are all concerned with the same issues. But I would like to see more active steps, serious actions to solve them. This applies both to the problem of the absence of a temple in our capital, and to the question of the arrival of the Dalai Lama.

I discussed the topic of pilgrim tourism with a student of the Dalai Lama, Buddhist teacher Jampa Tinley.

What was the reason for the choice of the Buryat village, when all-Russian teachings on Buddhism began here several years ago?

In order for people to advance far in meditation, according to the Tibetan canons, it is important to find a place with special characteristics where they will conduct it. I searched for it for a long time and found that the ideal place is the village of Zarechye. In this beautiful and calm place, for example, there were no wars and repression, which is important for effective meditation. And I first give theoretical teaching, and then people meditate, train their mind, making it strong and at the same time calm. After all, meditation is not something mystical, we just make our mind healthier and "tamed", which is very useful. Buddhism says that the root of our problems lies in the unhealthy state of our mind, which needs to be tamed. And if you do not do this, then whatever you do in the outside world will not diminish our problems.

- This probably also applies to the economic crisis in the country?

The problem of the economy of Russia, as well as of the whole world, is that due to the predominance of the material over the spiritual, a too unstable foundation was built. They put two on one stone, then three more on top, and so on. Stocks and other financial instruments rose sky-high. And it is clear that no matter how such an unstable structure is propped up even with metal supports, sooner or later everything will collapse - both the stock markets and the rates of world currencies. Economists I know say they mostly do "props" to delay the moment of collapse. In other words, if material development reaches a high level, but there is no development of the mind, then this can lead to disaster. Therefore, more than a thousand people from all over Russia come to the District to receive teachings, and by no means all of them are religious people. Many of them are atheists, there are also scientists. They research Buddhist philosophy and Tibetan meditation practices for how they can be applied in everyday life. And when they are convinced that it works well, and there are positive changes in their daily life, then many say - well, now, now we also want to become Buddhists.

Nevertheless, recently, many churches in the country have become empty and statistics began to record a decrease in interest in religions. So in April 2017, according to the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation, on the largest Orthodox holiday, about three percent of Russians came to Easter. As my Buddhist friends say, fewer people began to visit datsans in Buryatia. Has the economic crisis affected the situation?

There are several reasons. Many people go to churches with high expectations, they say, I will pray and the problem will disappear, but this alone, of course, will not solve anything, and people are gradually losing hope. The second factor is that due to the economic crisis, many people are busy with their own affairs, people do not always have enough money, and they feel that going to the temple and not bringing offerings is wrong, and as a result, this is one of the reasons that they stop altogether. visit them. Third, cooling towards religions may be due to the fact that people who serve in temples themselves think more about the material. The fourth reason, in my opinion, is that more and more people, especially Buddhists, are gradually beginning to understand that the main thing is not some kind of external building. The main temple is located inside their hearts. When you develop your kind heart and mind, then you are visiting your inner temple. The Tibetan philosopher Milarepa was once asked why there are no oil temple lamps in the place where he meditates? He replied, "I am so busy lighting the lamps of wisdom in my soul that I have no time to light any external lamps."

In Buryatia, Buddhists pay a lot of attention to rather complex rituals. Hang the ribbon on a tree, go to a sacred place, touch the statue. If you manage to fly to India and take a picture with the XIV Dalai Lama, then this photo is actively replicated as a special sign and a great blessing. How do you feel about rituals?

Among Buryat Buddhists, this tendency is widespread due to a lack of knowledge of the Dharma (the foundations of Buddhist philosophy - ed.) The Dharma approach is that visiting all kinds of sacred places, performing numerous and complex rituals does not really change anything for a person. And the Buddha himself was also opposed to rituals. The fact is that at the time of Buddha, Hinduism was very strong, and all kinds of rituals were widespread in it, some of which later turned into Buddhism. Of course, some rituals can be helpful. For example, the same prostrations that strengthen a person in every sense. However, as far as the rituals emphasized in Buryatia, Tuva and Kalmykia are concerned, it looks more like prejudice. More attention needs to be paid to the development of the inner mind. As for visiting India and participating in the teachings of the Dalai Lama, this is, of course, good, but if the emphasis is placed on touching His Holiness in any way, taking pictures and posting a photo on Facebook, then this indicates a lack of genuine knowledge of the Dharma. Of course, whoever asked the Dalai Lama to be photographed with him, of course, will never refuse. Many people think that this is something very important, but there is nothing special about photography, no meaning. This is a mistake not only of those who post such photos on the Internet, but also of those people who express strong admiration for the results of photography. This, in turn, makes them want to be photographed, which only distracts from the essence of the Buddhist path.

You meet at the Dalai Lama every year. Is there a chance for Buryat Buddhists to wait for his visit to Russia in the near future?

When I go to India, I do not ask for a personal audience, because the Dalai Lama is an elderly man, he gives a lot of teachings and has little time. I know that His Holiness is happy to help the people of Buryatia, Kalmykia and Tuva, but this is more a question for us. Some people think that if the Dalai Lama comes to Russia, it will be some kind of special benefit for him, but this is not so, our country as a whole will benefit the most from this visit. Our all-Russian religious organization "Je Tsongkhapa" has been seeking His Holiness's visit to Russia for many years, and not so long ago we received a letter from the Presidential Administration of Russia. We were told that Moscow knows that we have been asking for a long time to allow the visit of the Dalai Lama to Russia, and they would also like to ensure the visit of the Dalai Lama to the country, since it would be for the good. But Russia has very strong ties with China, and therefore, as we were told, "for the sake of the advantages of a small part of the Buddhist population in Russia, we cannot allow large economic losses to our country." Indeed, this is logical and we fully share this position. And so we turn to Vladimir Putin with a request that in the future, when favorable conditions are created, the Russian authorities would help with the visit of the Dalai Lama to Russia.

Before judging someone, take his shoes and walk his path, taste his tears, feel his pain. Bump into every rock he tripped over. And only after that say that you know how to live correctly.

Buddhism is considered the most peaceful religion in the world: not a single world war was unleashed under its flags, never did the followers of Buddhism try to implant a religion by force. And the true embodiment of the spirit of Buddhism is the Dalai Lama, the moral guide for all who adhere to this religion.

Who is the Dalai Lama?

Translated from Mongolian "Dalai Lama" means "Great Teacher" or "Ocean of Wisdom". But this translation only partially describes who the Dalai Lama is for Buddhists. The followers of this religion believe that the Dalai Lamas are the earthly embodiment of the idea of \u200b\u200bcompassion, they come into the world to serve people. It is the Dalai Lamas who become spiritual, and until recently also secular rulers and leaders of Tibet, a Chinese province that has been fighting for its independence for many decades.

“Ceremonial role? This is not for me. Become some kind of Queen of Great Britain? I personally have a lot of respect for the Queen, she is a wonderful person. But the system itself? If you are accepting a ceremonial position, you have to do something! Otherwise, you will be just a doll. Someone is writing a statement, but should I read it? It seems to be called a puppet. "(Dalai Lama XIV)

Looking for a lama

The Dalai Lamas do not inherit their title and are not brought up from an early age in palaces. They are also not chosen by the synclite lamas, although there are many of them in Tibet. The procedure for determining the next lama deserves a separate story.

It is known that Buddhists believe in reincarnation - repeated earthly incarnation. Therefore, after the death of one Dalai Lama, they start looking for the next. Usually the child in whom the spirit of the Dalai Lama is reborn is born in Tibet, Mongolia or China. But between the death of one lama and the birth of another, several months or years can pass, so the search process is often delayed.

What is done in order to determine the direction of the search? For this, the embalmed body of the deceased Dalai Lama is seated on the throne in a certain position and waited for his head to deflect. This will be the direction of the search. The lamas then look for other signs, such as waiting for clues in the waters of the sacred lake. There is also a special monk-prophet in Tibet who divines various signs.
After finding a child who can serve as the embodiment of the Dalai Lama, he must pass the test. In particular, from the proposed items, identify those that belonged to the former Dalai Lama. Having passed all these steps, even the most ordinary child can become the spiritual leader of Tibet.

So it happened with the now living Dalai Lama XIV, who was born in 1935 into a family of ordinary peasants. And at the age of two, Lhamo Dhondrup was recognized as the Great Dalai Lama. He left the parental home, received a new name Tenzin Gyatso and was enthroned in 1950.

Spiritual leader

For quite a long time, the Dalai Lama, as has been the custom from time immemorial, combined spiritual and secular power, being the sole ruler of Tibet. Unfortunately, history has decreed that the 14th Dalai Lama has been living in exile for several decades. In 1950, the Chinese army, dissatisfied with the independence of Tibet, captured the province, where in 1959 a violent uprising against China broke out. Trying to extinguish the conflict and, if possible, avoid casualties, the XIV Dalai Lama and many thousands of his supporters found refuge in India, where today there is the so-called "little Lhasa" (the name of the capital of Tibet). He resigned from the political leadership of Tibet, which passed to the Prime Minister, and, as far as is known, is negotiating with China to grant Tibet more autonomy.

“The Tibetan question is not a question about the personal fate of the Dalai Lama. This is a question about the six million Tibetans and their culture. I am one of them. " (Dalai Lama XIV)

Biography of the Dalai Lama

Of course, the Dalai Lama cannot be called “a man like everyone else,” although sometimes it seems that this is so. However, he has come a long way to become a spiritual leader and moral guide for Buddhists around the world.

Which started with training. Tenzin Gyatso studied logic, Tibetan art and culture, Sanskrit, medicine, Buddhist philosophy, poetry, music and drama, astrology and literature. At the age of 24, the Dalai Lama was taking examinations for a doctorate in theology. Excellent education did not make him forget about his roots, and he even makes fun of himself: “I was born in the outback, there was no school, most likely, without education I would have become a peasant. Although I was always interested in technology, so there was a chance to become a tractor driver. "

He travels a lot and gives lectures. He meets with believers and answers their questions. At the same time, the organizers of his meetings emphasize that the Dalai Lama does not pay attention to the clothes of the interlocutor and will certainly treat him to tea. He also recommends taking a headdress with you to the lecture - often the Dalai Lama communicates with people right on the street and makes sure that everyone is comfortable. He also invites his supporters to give up meat, but does not insist on this. And if he has a day without travel and a large number of meetings, then he starts it at 4 in the morning with meditation, and ends at about 7 in the evening with a prayer. Those who have come close to the Dalai Lama note that he is very easy to communicate and young at heart. And that he has a great sense of humor.

Dalai Lama quotes

“There is a Tibetan saying: Fail nine times, put in nine times more effort. People who are going through difficult times today must remain confident and optimistic. It will be right".

“Be a kind and compassionate person. This is inner beauty that changes the world for the better. "

"The compassionate mind is like an overflowing vessel: it is an inexhaustible source of energy, determination and kindness."

Remember, silence is sometimes the best answer to questions.

If the problem can be solved, there is no need to worry about it, If the problem cannot be solved, there is no use worrying.

When it seems to a person that everything is going awry, something wonderful is trying to enter his life.

Prosperity comes from action, not prayer.

Arrogance is never justified. It comes from low self-esteem or temporary, superficial gains.

The planet doesn't need a lot of "successful people". The planet desperately needs peacemakers, healers, restorers, storytellers and lovers of all kinds. She needs people to live with. The planet needs people with morality and love, who will make the world alive and humane. And these qualities have little to do with "success" as defined in our society.

Love in its purest and most exalted form is the strongest, absolute and unconditional desire for happiness for another person. This is a desire emanating from the heart that does not depend on how this person treats us. The topic of compassion has nothing to do with religion. This is a common human affair, a single condition for the survival of the human race.

I don't celebrate birthdays. For me, this day is no different from others. In a way, every day is a birthday. You wake up in the morning, everything is fresh and new, and the main thing is that this new day brings you something important.

Each of us is responsible for all of humanity. This is my simple religion. There is no need for temples, there is no need for complex philosophy. Our own brain, our heart, is our temple; our philosophy is kindness.

If God wants to make you happy, then he leads you the most difficult path, because there are no easy ways to happiness.

What are you looking for? Happiness, love, peace of mind. Do not go to the other end of the earth to look for them, you will return disappointed, distressed, hopeless. Look for them on the other side of yourself, in the depths of your heart.

Every morning, when you wake up, start with the thoughts: “Today I was lucky - I woke up. I am alive, I have this precious human life, and I will not waste it. "

If we talk about consistency, then first you need to take care of your own inner development. This principle is also seen in Lamrim, which offers teachings for three types of personality, or people with three kinds of abilities. In this approach, the practice is divided into three stages according to the motivation of the individual. Each of these stages is consistent with a certain stage of a person's spiritual development. Even Buddha, giving public teachings or preaching, did not start with teachings on Bodhicitta. He began by explaining the Four Noble Truths. It was only when the Buddha delivered a second sermon, or turned the Wheel of Dharma a second time, that he gave extensive instructions on Bodhicitta. However, no historical information has survived about the chronological order in which the second and third sermons were given. Perhaps these teachings were given to a select few audiences.

- Are all our vices just habits of our mind that can be dealt with by applying the appropriate antidotes? Or are antidotes related to the method, and should they be applied simultaneously with the cultivation of wisdom, the comprehension of emptiness - lack of self-being?

Let's look at the first part of your question first. If we examine the nature of our mental defilements as they are today, then all these cognitive and emotional states are the result of a prior moment in time. This is a kind of continuum. Therefore, we can say that they are a consequence of conditioning. From a Buddhist point of view, such a conditioning factor does not have to operate within a single lifetime. It is possible that it originates in past births, so here it is necessary to take into account the theory of reincarnation. However, external factors or circumstances also affect the intensity and degree of manifestation of a particular overshadowing emotion. For example, we can notice that even in the same family, different children of the same parents naturally manifest their own tendencies, which are a consequence of their previous karma. With age, due to external conditions and circumstances, some types of emotions increase, while others - weaken. Thus, although emotional defilements are the result of conditions originating in past lives and in previous moments, there is also the influence of the prevailing circumstances and conditions at the moment.

Explaining the origin of mental obscurations in Buddhism, we are guided by the instructions of the Buddha, who spoke about the beginninglessness of consciousness. From my point of view, when we discuss the beginninglessness of consciousness, we can hardly give any undeniable argument or argument. Although it is possible to explain beginninglessness by scrolling back the continuum of consciousness, we are unlikely to be able to provide one hundred percent irrefutable proof based on logical inferences. The strongest argument in favor of beginninglessness is as follows. If we take the opposite position and argue that there was a certain starting initial moment, then in this case we will have to admit either the existence of a creator God, which entails a number of inconsistencies, or the existence of some unreasonable event, an event that was not influenced by the reasons and conditions. The latter also turns out to be unfounded and does not stand up to the test of logic.

In the face of such a choice, it turns out that there are fewer logical inconsistencies and contradictions in the idea of \u200b\u200bthe beginninglessness of consciousness. Therefore, it is on this idea that we should base ourselves in the conversation about the origin of negative tendencies. We cannot establish the origin of these habits or trends.

In addition, some people who have reached a high level of spiritual development and high levels of consciousness can see their past lives. Even if their inner gaze does not extend to beginningless times, they can see several past lives. It is possible.

Regarding the second part of your question, there seems to be a consensus in all Buddhist traditions that wisdom must be applied to completely eliminate clouding emotions and [inadequate] cognitive processes; you can't do without it. In those traditions that do not share the concept of emptiness, or selflessness of phenomena, meditation on love and compassion is offered as a direct antidote to anger and hatred. However, such meditation does not completely eradicate them. For this to happen, wisdom is necessary, the comprehension of the selflessness of the individual. All Buddhist traditions agree on the need to apply wisdom to eradicate these negative tendencies. In the Mahayana traditions, this can be traced especially clearly. According to the views of the followers of the Yogachara ("Mind Only") and Madhyamaka ("Middle Way") schools, the eradication of two [types of] defilements (defilements and inadequate cognition, Skt. selflessness.

Thus, the comprehension of selflessness is considered a direct antidote to defilements, or overshadowing emotions and [inadequate] cognitive processes, and comprehension of the higher nature of reality, or the highest emptiness of phenomena, is seen as a direct antidote, eradicating imprints and residual tendencies that are seeded into our psyche by defilements.

However, according to the Madhyamaka-Prasangika school, the selflessness of the personality and the selflessness of phenomena differ only in the object of negation corresponding to each of them. As for the act of denial itself, there is no difference between them. Again, only by comprehending the nature of emptiness, you can cut off the root of darkening emotions and thoughts.

- How to make the images that we see in a dream affect our consciousness during wakefulness, filling our experiences with light and meaning?

As for ordinary dreams, we usually cite them as an example of something unreal. Therefore, we hardly need to take them seriously. Of course, there were also thinkers who took dreams very seriously, such as Jung and Freud.

At the same time, we cannot completely cross out dreams. It is possible that in some cases, due to the coincidence of many factors, important indications can be found in dreams; some dreams can be very important. So we cannot completely dismiss all dreams.

Certain techniques that allow us to dream meaningful dreams can be found in tantric practices, and, in particular, in the highest yoga tantra.

This emphasis on dream yoga, or dream-related practices, in Highest Yoga Tantra is explained by the fact that the use of certain techniques in the state of sleep has a significant impact on our practice in the waking state. This is the main reason. In addition, in the state of sleep, you get the opportunity (if you apply the appropriate techniques correctly) to separate your subtle body from its gross levels.

- Since anger and other negative emotions arise from causes and conditions and we do not have the ability to directly control their occurrence, how can we then naturally develop the intention to cultivate love, kindness, and other positive states?

As an analogy, we can use ignorance here, which is quite natural for us. However, through education and training, we gain knowledge and dispel the darkness of ignorance. On the other hand, if we continue to be in a state of ignorance without making a conscious effort to gain knowledge, then we will not be able to dispel the darkness of ignorance. By ignorance in this case, we mean lack of knowledge, we are not talking about a Buddhist term. So, if we continue to remain in a state that is natural for us, without making efforts to change it, then in this case factors or forces opposing it will not arise by themselves.

This is true for anger and hatred as well. Although they manifest in us quite naturally, we must make a conscious decision [to overcome them] if we want to get rid of them, and deliberately cultivate opposing factors - love and compassion. Since we will benefit from these efforts, we must undertake them.

In Buddhist terminology, "Nirvana", that is, liberation from suffering, is often described as "the other shore" or "beyond", and our unenlightened samsaric existence as "here and now." It is also argued that unenlightened people can only see clearly their immediate surroundings; they can only see what is obvious. This means that many negative tendencies, clouded states of mind, emotional defilements, thoughts, and so on, which are the cause of our own suffering, exist only in samsara and in a sense refer to “this shore” and therefore arise quite naturally. The positive qualities that we need to cultivate, for the most part, relate to the “beyond”, to the “other shore”, to which Liberation, freedom and Nirvana belong. Therefore, without conscious efforts aimed at their development, these qualities will not arise in us by themselves.

If we succeed in "going beyond", then we can develop a view of things in which many negative tendencies, clouded states of mind, and so on, remain "on the other side."

- Can we say that if a bad deed is committed under the influence of hatred that arises in us from the fact that we have been mistreated or offended, then there is less negative in it compared to the evil that is done in cold blood? Or is there always hatred behind evil? Is hatred behind the evil that has been brought to the Tibetan people?

This is a pretty tricky question.

The first part is very difficult to answer, and in my opinion we have to distinguish between many different situations.

Some unwholesome deeds are performed without any hatred, but due to ignorance. For example, we eat a lot of fish. When we eat fish, we do not realize that the fish is a living being. But there is no hatred. Murder is committed out of ignorance.

There is another type of murder - hunting for pleasure. Again, there is no hatred here. I think this action is also performed mainly due to ignorance and, perhaps, partly greed is involved. However, there are also cases when the very survival of a person depends on killing or hunting. So we are dealing with many different situations.

The extermination of Jews and other peoples by the Nazis in concentration camps is, in my opinion, a different kind of situation. It is possible that even in such extreme cases, some people involved in such murders on a personal level did not feel much hatred. Due to the variety of situations, as well as the complex nature of human actions, in the Buddhist doctrine of karma, we distinguish between four main categories of actions: actions that were performed, but did not have special motivation; actions that were not performed, but their motivational component was fully formed; actions that were properly motivated and performed; and actions that were neither motivated nor committed. There is also such a thing as mercy killing. If we compare a murder based on ignorance with a murder based on hatred, then, in my opinion, a murder motivated by hatred is harder and carries more negative in it.

If we take for consideration a particular action, for example, murder, then we can talk about different degrees of negative karma accumulated by the person who commits it, depending on various factors, which may be complete or incomplete. For example, we may encounter a murder where the person committing it has a strong desire to kill, a very strong negative emotion, and even the method to which he turns is very cruel. If the murder is based on hatred, then the methods of its implementation are likely to be very brutal. Then, upon completing this action, the killer experiences some sense of satisfaction with what he has done. In such a case, the negative karma accumulated by him will have the maximum severity. However, there are also cases when emotions are not so strong at the moment of the formation of motivation, the methods of murder are not so cruel and after the murder the person feels regret. It is believed that less heavy karma accumulates under these circumstances.

In addition, in the event that the murder was committed out of hatred, several different levels of hatred can be distinguished. Hatred can be very subtle. Further, if the killer has been planning his crime for many years, then when he commits it, he does it without anger. But we cannot say that this murder is not accompanied by hatred. We are dealing with deeply buried hatred. However, the very moment of the action is not accompanied by strong emotion.

A Tibetan proverb says that the more cunning a person is, the more skillful he is, the better he hides his hatred. The more anger and hatred in him, the kinder and softer he seems on the outside. I don't know if we should pay attention to this popular wisdom.

- Could you tell us more about the purpose of life. The assertion that the purpose of life is joy and happiness seems frivolous. There is so much to do, where can you rejoice and relax. And isn't it selfishness to be happy when so many sad things happen?

I believe that the purpose of life is happiness. But what is happiness? There are many levels. The highest happiness is the state of Buddha. This is the deepest experience of happiness. One step below is Nirvana, which the arhats reach. Of course, this state is not completely satisfying because there are still flaws in the mental continuum. However, there is no suffering caused by ignorance, and therefore this state of mind can be called happy.

Further, happiness also includes thinking about the next life and a good rebirth. There is more suffering in the lower worlds, and therefore rebirth in the lower world is undesirable. We are trying to achieve rebirth in the higher worlds. Why? Because there is more happiness.

Then, if we argue in the framework of this birth, then, in my opinion, the very fact of the existence of everyday life gives us great hopes, even if our future is not confirmed by any guarantees. There is no guarantee that at this time tomorrow we will all be alive. Yet we are working for the future, with only hope. On this basis, I can conclude that life is happiness; I believe in it. And it is not at all necessary to associate the pursuit of happiness with egocentrism. We strive for happiness in order to serve others, not to make them suffer. Such service brings happiness to ourselves, and also helps other people, other living beings to become happier. I think happiness is a whole philosophy, a fundamental basis. This is a very difficult concept.

- Please explain why you consider intelligence to be an additional factor in developing patience.

As we become familiar with the many techniques described in this text, we need to constantly resort to logical thinking or analysis. It is for this reason that we can say that intelligence is an additional factor.

If we take higher spiritual levels, then there wisdom as an additional factor contributes to the comprehension of the dynamic nature of phenomena, which is in a continuous change, penetration into the essence of the higher nature of reality, and so on. All of this can serve as an additional factor for practicing patience.

- What is the position of Buddhists regarding abortion?

On the issue of birth control, Buddhists generally assume that human life is precious, even if many people actually create only problems!

Based on this, it is undesirable to control the number of precious human lives. However, today we have too many precious lives - over five billion. This is the real state of affairs.

There is another aspect to this question. The gap that exists in the world economy between the inhabitants of the "northern countries" and the "southern countries" is wrong not only from the moral, but also from the practical point of view. If it persists, it could become a source of great problems. Due to the existence of this gap in the economy, many emigrants move to more industrialized countries. This also creates many difficulties, especially in Europe. America may have fewer problems because it is a land of vast land but has a high crime rate. So, we need to make every effort to close this gap. Further, experts argue that in order to maintain the same standard of living that exists in the northern countries, even with a five billion population of the planet, the southern countries simply do not have adequate natural resources. Thus, the entire population of the planet today faces serious problems. Logically, it's time to seriously think about birth control.

From a Buddhist point of view, abortion is a negative act as it is a form of murder. I recently read that fetuses should also be subject to human rights. This is very, very true from a Buddhist point of view, because unborn fetuses are also considered living beings.

This can be illustrated by the following example. One of the root vows of a fully ordained monk or nun is not to kill another human being. If a fully ordained monk or nun facilitates the killing of an unborn fetus, it is considered a violation of the root vow. But again, the basic Buddhist approach to these kinds of questions is that we must act according to circumstances. There is a general concept, but there are also exceptional cases. In exceptional cases, even mercy killing may be permissible. Generally speaking, abortion should be avoided, but in certain exceptional cases, abortion may be the only possible solution. For example, if childbirth is fraught with a very serious risk to the life of the mother and child, or with extremely negative consequences for the family.

Similarly, Buddhists view the issue of euthanasia. If maintaining a patient's life involves enormous costs that create insurmountable difficulties for the entire family, and there is no hope that the patient will come out of the coma due to the cessation of brain activity, then euthanasia may be acceptable. Of course, if the family has sufficient financial resources and wants to support the life of their relative who is in a coma, then they can do so. But, if this entails many problems, then in exceptional cases, euthanasia is possible. Likewise, in exceptional cases, abortion is permissible. But you need to make a decision on the spot, in each individual case - this is the general Buddhist approach.

Translation by Yulia Zhironkina

 

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