Discourse on Nalanda Buddhism

Nalanda Diploma Course (NDC5)

Session one and two

(1) NDC5/4/10/2024

We all have a capacity for 100 % happiness. Negative emotions such as attachment, aversion, anger, greed, etc., are the causes of suffering. However, complete control over these negative emotions is possible. We need to know what is happiness and what is suffering and how to get happiness and shun suffering.

Charles Darwin talked about survival of the fittest and rejected the idea of 100 % happiness and the impossibility of the removal of negative emotions. He saw these emotions in a positive way to survive and protect oneself.    

In Buddhism, 100 % happiness is possible by bringing sufferings to zero level. For this complete control and elimination of the negative emotions is necessary and this is possible. For survival, skillful compassion is needed. Live and let live. You survive and let others survive not just compassion but skillful compassion to expand our joy. Skillful compassion helps you get rid of fear. Zero suffering is known as fearlessness, Nirvana, and infinite happiness as Buddhahood.

Some say, you are compassionate to others and help others, but who will be compassionate to you and help you? This is not skillful compassion. Skillful compassion should have compassion and joy going together.

Liberation from fear and achievement of infinite happiness is possible. Zero misery and infinite happiness are two different things. Fearlessness and infinite happiness are two different things. Zero suffering is known as fearlessness, Nirvana, and infinite happiness as Buddhahood.

(2) NDC5/6/10/2024

This Nalanda Diploma Course (NDC) should help us to transcend our thinking from how ordinary people usually think and react. Meditation is to bring change in mind to remove the dirt and mental defilement in our mind to see the perfection within us. Mental defilement is due to ignorance and subtle stains.

Counterforce to ignorance is wisdom to eliminate the darkness of ignorance. The light of this wisdom should be very bright and steady. Bright light of wisdom is achieved through analytical meditation, vipassana (Tib: spyad sgom). Steady light of wisdom is achieved through single-pointed meditation, shamatha (Tib: 'jog sgom). We need to remember 4 things in meditation: 1) Body posture; 2) Focal point; 3) Identifying errors; and 4) Remedy for the error. Body posture is 7-limb Vairocana posture.

Buddha's biography: Acharya Digna in the 6th century wrote a two-line salutation to Buddha. In the 7th century, Acharya Dharmakriti read those two lines and found them full of meaning and composed 283 verses to explain those two lines.

Acharya Digna wrote on a slate and left it. But it was erased by someone. This happened for some time. A. Digna asked the person to come forward and debate. A person came and sent fire from his mouth burning Digna's clothes. Digna was so demoralized that despite his practice he could not help this person. He threw the slate into the sky. But it never came down. As he looked up he saw Manjushri holding the slate and advised him to continue his good work for this will benefit many in the years to come. The two-line salutation was:

The one who has transformed into the reliable guide, motivated by altruism to benefit sentient beings, the Teacher, Sugata, and Protector, to you, I make prostration.

Wisdom is a discerning mind whose understanding tallys with the reality, wisdom of ultimate reality, emptiness. Self-grasping ignorance diminishes with the practice of the wisdom of emptiness.

Sugata is the one who has gone to the bliss of perfection, no fear, no misery, and he went out to protect the people, therefore, the protector.

The Four Seals: All composite things are impermanent. All contaminated things are suffering. All phenomena are empty of self, transcending suffering is Nirvana.

Buddha nature within us is obscured by two demons: Self grasping ignorance and Self-centered attitude. To eradicate these two demons, we need to be compassionate to other. So, this compassion to other is important and necessary for oneself. We are dependent on others to eradicate the 2 demons within us. We should love our enemy for giving us opportunities to practice our compassion.

Note: This is a student’s personal note of the teachings given by Ven. Geshe Dorji Damdul of the Tibet House, New Delhi. Errors and omissions are bound to occur. Serious students are requested to refer to Geshe la’s teachings or join the Tibet House class and receive teaching directly from Geshe-la.