C41-LESSON ONE: Background-Forwards & introductions to HHDCBIII, Je Tsongkapa, and Others

This lesson is intended to establish the greatness of both the lineages and the Dharma as well as let you know who the Buddhas, commentators, and translators are who are providing the teachings in this course.   It is also to help you understand how Buddhism came to this world and specifically to the West. It provides the basic texts that will be used. Because most of the discourses and texts mentioned by H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III have not been published or are even readily available in English, we provide videos of readings from preliminary translations and sometimes group discussions about these texts for your consideration. The group discussions and some translation may only be available for Buddhist Studies & Xiuxing Seminary Students, but Auditing Students have access to most of the material in this course. Please understand that we cannot consider these offerings as anything other than provisional and for your research and not as true Buddha Dharma. They are so rare and precious that we offer them even in this imperfect form as very valuable resources for your use in pursuing the path to enlightenment. Please listen to the video in the previous section and respect its instructions on the caveats to be observed in reading and hearing preliminary and unapproved translations of the works of H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III.

Please read:

-The introductory sections from H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III, A Treasury of True Buddha-Dharma, pp 6-42. A PDF file of this section of the “Big Blue Book,” H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III, A Treasury of True Buddha-Dharma, can be downloaded from course G01(A) or by using link below.

-Official Announcement concerning the entering of parinirvana and return to the Sambhogakaya Buddha Land of H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III and His wife Fomu, Holy Mother the Great Mahasattva, January 2022.

–The Brief Biography of Je Tsongkapa as presented on a website devoted to Je Tsongkhapa states the following:  “The history of Buddhism in Tibet has been turbulent, going through periods of revival and decline. Je Tsongkapa (1357-1419) was a Buddhist scholar and saint who lived in Tibet during a time when Buddhist teachings had degenerated. Through deep study, profound practice and high attainments, Je Tsongkapa led a renaissance of pure Buddhist teachings by emphasizing study, morality, and distilling the best teachings from the existing schools of Buddhism in Tibet and from the Indian Buddhist masters. His teachings became the basis for the establishment of the Ganden [Geluk] monastery, a monastic institution which survives to this day although it has since relocated to South India.” CLICK for more.

-The “Forward” to Preparing for Tantra,  pp 1-16;

-The “Forward” in the Principal Teachings of Buddhism,”pp 1-27; and

-OPTIONAL:  The “Translator’s Introduction,” “Pabongka Rinpoche’s Memoir,” and the “Introduction” by the editor in Liberation in the Palm of Your Hand,” pp 5-21.

-The last three are all commentaries by Pabongka Rinpoche on various lam rims by Je Tsongkapa. Some of these books are not in print but can be found in various used book sources or borrowed from Internet Archive. You may also be able to download free copies of the texts from the internet.

Please Download & Read:

-The PDF Chart listed below showing  the “Three Principal Stages & Paths of Buddhist Practice” provides an overview of the Lam Rims with links to discourses/texts by H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III that relate to different parts of the chart. This is to provide context and a timeline for the entire course.

-The PDF Chart of the “Teachings of the Different Vehicles and Lineages” that corresponds with the video “How Buddhism Came to the West.”

-The PDF Chart of the “Major Patriarchs & Matriarchs of Various Lineages” that corresponds with the video “How Buddhism Came to the West.”

-The PDF Image of how all the lineages have come to the West from the video “How Buddhism Came to the West.”