KECHARA

56 FEATURES • DORJE SHUGDEN
cultivation of the Buddhist path
to enlightenment from the
point of view of three scopes of
practitioners.
First it leads students through the
stages of the two lower spiritual
motivations – practitioners
who aspire for a better rebirth,
and then those who aspire for
individual liberation. It culminates
in the presentation of the path for
those practising from the point
of view of the highest spiritual
motivation, the Mahayana –
practitioners who aspire to attain
enlightenment for the benefit of
all living beings.
We study the Lamrim to gain
a step-by-step understanding
of the entire teachings of the
Buddha, and then receive the
Lojong teachings in order to
establish a quintessential regime
of daily practice.
For more detailed information on
the Lamrim and how to meditate
on it, these are some suggested
reading materials:
• The Lamp for the Path
to Enlightenment
(www.lamrim.com)
• Liberation in the Palm
of Your hand: A Concise
Discourse on the Path to
Enlightenment (2006).
Wisdom Publications.
• Joyful Path of Good
Fortune: The Complete
Buddhist Path to
Enlightenment (1995).
Tharpa Publications
• The Great Treatise on
the Stages of the Path
to Enlightenment,
Volume I (2004).
Canada: Snow Lion.
• The Great Treatise on
the Stages of the Path
to Enlightenment,
Volume II (2004).
Canada: Snow Lion.
• The Great Treatise on
the Stages of the Path
to Enlightenment,
Volume III (2004).
Canada: Snow Lion.
II. LOJONG
(TRAINING THE MIND)
Lojong is a special formulation
of teachings to transform one’s
attitude and mind. Atisha is wellknown
to have received a special
teaching from his Indonesian
master Dharmarakshita called
the Wheel of Sharp Weapons.
It is a text classified as Lojong
because it is meant to train and
subdue the untamed mind.
Two Lojong texts most studied
today across all schools of Tibetan
Buddhism are Geshe Chekawa’s
Seven Points for Training the
Mind and Geshe Langri Tangpa’s
Eight Verses for Training the
Mind. Compassion Conquers
All by H.E. Tsem Rinpoche has
a contemporary take on Geshe
Langri Tangpa’s classic teaching.
For more detailed information
on Lojong, these are some
suggested reading materials:
• Compassion Conquers All,
H.E. the 25th Tsem Rinpoche
(2014) Kechara Media &
Publications
• The Wheel of Sharp
Weapons, Dharmarakshita,
(1994) Library of Tibetan
Works & Archives
• Mind Training: The Great
Collection, Geshe Thupten
Jinpa. Wisdom Publications.
III. TANTRA
Tantra is a Sanskrit word meaning
‘thread’ and refers to a thread
that runs through a piece of
cloth. This refers to uncommon
practices and teachings that
tap into the subtlest part of our
mind that we carry like a thread
from lifetime to lifetime. This
part of our mind is also where
our Buddha nature is situated
and so the Buddha gave these
teachings to advance disciples
in order to quicken their spiritual
path. Tantric practices involve
taking the ‘result onto the path’.
The result is Buddhahood and
in a nutshell, this means that the
various tantric practices centre
on identifying ourselves as the
yidam or meditational Buddha.
The various yidam practices are
reclassified into four classes but
it is only the last, which is known
as the maha-anuttarayoga class
of Tantra that can bring one
directly to enlightenment. In
our tradition, Vajrayogini is the
recommended yidam of this class
of tantra.
For more detailed information on
Tantra, these are some suggested
reading materials:
• Introduction to Tantra,
Lama Thubten Yeshe
(2005) Wisdom Publications
• Highest Yoga Tantra,
David Cozort (2005),
Snowlion Publications